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I followed the pack to the living room to see what Ryder pulled up on the laptop. I didn’t want to, but I had to show that he didn’t affect me. He growled in frustration as he watched plain static on the screen.
“The fucker disconnected the camera somehow,” said Ethan, inspecting the wires and high up on the ladder to check the camera. “Yeah, he disconnected a wire.”
“Replace the wire, and we’ll install more cameras around the house,” said Ryder. Then he turned to me. “What time are we leaving for the studio?”
“We’re not going to the studio. Later at five, I have to perform at a wedding,” I said stonily, not looking at him. He didn’t get the right to talk to me whenever he wanted to. I could feel his gaze on my face as I spoke. “Everyone is free to do whatever until then.”
“Cool,” said Ryder, his gaze returning to the laptop.
“I’ll buy groceries for us,” said Cooper amidst the awkwardness.
His pack leader clearly couldn’t stand my presence after last night. Maybe he couldn’t stand my scent. After a while my scent could get sickening, I thought, with my stomach dropping at the thought.
I walked to the table and started to clear it up with Adrian’s help. Adrian seemed to notice the tension between Ryder and I since he was trying to crack light jokes. I just wasn’t in the mood.
“Thanks, Adrian, I got the dishes now. I prefer to wash it alone,” I said.
“Got ya,” he said. “I guess I should shower and put some clothes on.”
“Okay,” I said, unable to crack a smile. He lingered in the kitchen after my short response, and then he finally left me alone, bounding up the stairs to get ready. As I washed the dishes, lost in my thoughts, I saw someone standing next to me drying off the dishes for me. I looked to my right to see Ryder calmly wiping a plate with a dry rag.
I never asked for his help.
I would rather much prefer being in the kitchen alone. Tense silence reigned between us. His body near mine sent signals to my omega wolf that the pack leader was nearby. My breathing came out harsher and faster as I washed the dishes, willing him to go away in my mind.
“It’s okay, I got this,” I said tersely, gritting my teeth.
“Is there something wrong?” he asked. The nerve of him.Why was he acting like he wasn’t the one with the attitude this morning? What the hell was wrong with this alpha?
But as I washed another glass- I dropped it, and it shattered in the sink with a small crash.
Shit.
I dipped my hand into the sink to pick up the large piece.
“Don’t!” said Ryder.
But it was too late, and the palm of my hand was bleeding everywhere. The impending sharp pain hit me two seconds later, and I howled in agony, washing my hand under the running water and gripping my injured hand with my other one.
“Ahh,” I said as Ryder grabbed my wrist and pulled it away from the water.
“It’ll just keep bleeding,” he said. “Lucas, see if there’s anything in our van, please.”
“On it,” he said gruffly, slamming the front door open as he ran out.
The pain was sharp as a knife across the long cut on my skin as Ryder pressed a paper towel onto my wound. We stood there like that, gaze on my hand -refusing to look at him. His large, callused hand wrapped around my wrist seemed to relieve some of the pain.
Or maybe it was my brain playing tricks on me.
Chapter 12
Ryder
Itriedtoremaincordial and professional with Lacy this morning.
We were getting into dangerous territory, especially after last night. But now, with her hand in mine and her beautiful scent overwhelming me- I obviously did a lousy job since she was here now, standing before me, angry and in pain.
“I can handle it,” she gritted out.
