We Paid The Price (sequel to RPAP)

Chapter Ten

CHAPTER TEN

~Jordan

I stared at Eric through narrowed eyes, focused on his guilty expression.

"And you swear you didn't say anything to her?" Mark asked for the third time.

Eric tapped his fingers on the arm of his wheelchair, keeping his gaze fixed on the floor. "I didn't say anything."

"So she just called you an asshole for no reason," Josh added dubiously. "That doesn't seem like Rosie."

Eric clenched his jaw. "I don't...ok. Okay. You know what, I did say something."

We were quiet. "What'd you say, Eric?" I finally sighed.

He sighed, too. "I told her to shut the hell up. Loudly."

Josh eyes flashed. "What the hell? You'd talk to your sister like that?"

He flinched. "Jesus, she's not my sister."

We were all shocked into silence. Mark finally snapped. "What the fuck do you mean she's not your sister?"

"We aren't related," Eric snapped.

"That doesn't mean she can't be your sister!" Josh yelled.

"Or give you the right to raise your voice at her!" Mark yelled.

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do, alright?" Eric responded, raising his voice. We all stared at him.

Mark's spine stiffened. I saw his eyes darken, a sign that his Alpha power had been ignited at the challenge in his pack member's voice. "If you weren't a cripple, your ass would be handed to you on a plate right now," he stated quietly, expression hard. "As it is, I can't lay a hand on you. But that doesn't mean I can't kick you out, because I can," he added coldly. "Do not test me. This is my house. My pack. I can tell you what to do. Just because I don't most of the time doesn't mean you can go around doing whatever the fuck you want. Do you understand?"

Eric winced and bowed his head apologetically. "Yes, Alpha. My apologies."

Mark shook his head, still looking like he wanted to kill someone. "Don't apologize to me. Go say it to Rose." With that, he turned and left, probably going outside to shift and run in order to blow off some steam.

Eric sighed, running a hand tiredly over his face. He started to leave, too, his hand resting on the wheel of his chair.

Josh's hand fell on top of Eric's, stopping him from leaving. Josh and I had been communicating through the mind link while Mark was too angry to notice, so he knew I wanted to ask Eric something privately.

Eric looked at me. "What are you doing?"

I nodded silently at Josh. He removed his hand from Eric's wheel, but it moved to grab the handle of his chair. He wasn't going anywhere.

"Eric, you're going to be straight with me," I said quietly. "Understand?"

His expression darkened. "That depends on what you want to know."

I pursed my lips. "You like Tamara Rose. Don't you." It wasn't a question.

Eric's face went ghost white. He looked like a sheet. Meanwhile, Josh's jaw had dropped.

Seconds inched by, slowly turning into minutes. No one said anything.

Finally, Josh spoke up. His voice was horrified, stunned. "You...you...her? But...but..."

"You like her, don't you?" I pressed, ignoring the hemorrhaging Josh standing beside me and gawking at Eric. "That's why you were acting so weird when we were talking about how she's your sister. Isn't it?"