Hidden Peak (Book 5)

Chapter 22: Traditional Lifestyle

Chapter 22

Traditional Lifestyle

 

“You cracked his jaw, Ranger,” said Jagger from the doorway to my room.

“It’ll heal.” I was sitting in the corner, glaring at the wall. I hadn’t been this mad in years.

“I told you to find a way to get along with him. I get here and the first thing you do is break his face. Does the pack even recognize you as alpha yet, or have you just been wasting time fighting?”

“Get out.” My nails morphed into claws.

“Ranger, Gage is your beta. You need to acc-”

“Leave!” I stared at him over my shoulder. “Now.”

Jagger put his hands up and retreated. “Fine. You figure it out.”

I listened to him walk down the hall. The strong footsteps were replaced by the pattering of little feet. With a sigh, I rubbed my hands down my face. Shiloh shuffled over to me. He knelt down and smiled up at me.

“West is here.”

“Hmmm…” I patted his head and started to play with his hair.

He frowned. “Mad?”

“I’m not mad, Shy.” I took a deep breath. “I’m annoyed. West doesn’t even like that guy and now he’s stuck with that scar.” I clenched my fists. “Darius forced him into it. It’s not right. I should have marched over to Northern Ridge and kidnap him when I had the chance.”

The sub gave me a big smile and sat up on his knees. “But he’s here now.”

“Yeah, he is.” I flicked the boy’s nose. “And so is your idol.”

Shiloh rubbed it and pouted at me.

“You’re not allowed to be alone with Raven. He puts too many ideas in your head.”

Shy threw back his head and whined. The boy wanted a pup, and he acted like this.

West appeared in the hall and waved. “Hi. I… I just, well hi.”

“Get over here, idiot,” I said with a smirk.

“Thank god,” he breathed hurrying. “You scared me. I thought you hated me for going civil.”

“Ha,” I scoffed. “You could never be civil.”

“West.” Shiloh jumped on him when he sat down. “I missed you.”

“Missed you too.” West put his arm around the boy.

Shiloh curled right up against our pack mate's side. The mating bite on West’s shoulder was showing along the neck of his shirt. I couldn’t stop staring at it. I should have punched Brent in the face. Better yet, I should have just snapped his neck and hid West in one of the back caves.

West glanced up at me and tugged his shirt over. “I’m fine, Ranger. Brent is really nice to me. They want a connection with Northern Ridge and I’m it, so he’s not going to hurt me.”

“So he’s using you. Sounds like something a sick bastard would do to me,” I leaned back on my arms and thought for a moment. “Good enough reason for me to kill him.”

“Ranger,” he said sternly. “This isn’t funny. Brent comes from a powerful pack. Don’t make enemies with him.”

“Hmm... what’s it called?”

“Golden Grove.” He scratched his arm.

“Never heard of it, so it must not be that important.”