chapter 3

Kicking Tyler in the nuts was probably a really bad idea but in all the years of abuse, he’d never come at me alone like that. And he’d never put his hand around my throat. I wasn’t sure what snapped to cause him to up the ante, but I wasn’t going to stick around to find out. Maybe it was the thought of losing his favorite victim that was pushing him to the edge. Maybe he didn’t want me to be happy and figured he’d kill me before I could leave. Worse, what if his shift had unlocked some kind of violent streak? I mean, he’d always been violent, but this was insane. I had no desire to see what he would be like with power. The whole pack was fucked when he took over as alpha.

Whatever the reason, Tyler had crossed a line I didn’t even know existed. I couldn’t let him get me alone again.

“Lola, those boxes aren’t going to unpack themselves,” Jud, my manager called.

I shook myself out of my reflection and got to work pulling cans of beans out and putting them on the shelf. I’d managed to avoid Tyler the rest of the day, but my head was still fuzzy and achy from our encounter. I probably did have a fucking concussion. Asshole. At least I hadn’t thrown up this time. Maybe I was getting better at hiding my symptoms. Ugh, my life sucked so hard. There was no way leaving this place was going to make my life worse.

Working my way through the boxes of beans, I moved on to corn and beets. I wrinkled my nose. How did we sell enough beets that we had to restock them every week? Did wolf shifters develop a secret craving for beets? It was the oddest thing. I’d never had them in my life but every week, I had to restock them.

The mindless work was a good distraction. None of the customers made eye contact with me or engaged me at all. I was the broken wolf and I was used to being treated like I was contagious. I suppose it was better that way. There were absolutely no ties to this place for me to break when I left.

The hours passed quickly as I emptied boxes and stocked shelves. Finally, I was caught up and it was time to haul out the recycling. I broke down all the boxes and stacked them up so I could carry them out. The cool spring air had turned cold now that the sun was gone and goosebumps spread across my bare arms. I usually lingered out here for a few minutes to enjoy the open air, especially this time of year when the dumpsters weren’t stinking from heat, but it was a little colder than I expected.

I tossed the boxes into the bin and then wiped my dusty hands on my apron before turning back to the door. A solitary figure was blocking my entry back into the store. There were no lights back here and my vision wasn’t any better than a normal human but I could make out the familiar shape.

Tyler’s six-foot-four frame was difficult to miss. Even in the dim light, I could tell it was him. This was a first. He’d never shown up to my work before and he certainly had never cornered me in an alley before. Was this payback for the kick in the bathroom? It wasn’t the first time I’d landed a hit in the family jewels, but it had been a while since I’d been that desperate. Or stupid.

After all my escape plans, I had not seen this coming. My pulse raced but I wasn’t about to let him know I was scared.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I faced him, chin held high. “Move out of my way.”

“I could kill you, you know. Nobody would even miss you. I wonder how many days you’d sit back here with the rest of the trash before they found the body.” He took a step away from the door, moving toward me.

I held my ground, unwilling to yield to him. This was beyond normal bullying. “I didn’t realize you’d moved on to stalking. How nice to see you think so highly of me that you had to go out of your way to see me.”

“You know exactly what this is about,” he hissed.

“Why don’t you enlighten me? Clearly, I wasn’t part of the group text about whatever the fuck this is,” I said.

“You shouldn’t even be here,” he said.

“Yeah, yeah, you tell me that daily.” My fear was easing. This wasn’t anything new. This was the same old shit he always pulled. Maybe he just didn’t get enough today.

“I mean it, Lola,” he said. “You can’t be here.”

“Well, as I tell you every day, I’m happily out of here as soon as I can. Unlike you, I’m stuck here.” I moved my hands to my hips. “Hey, I have an idea. Why don’t you leave for a week and when you come back you won’t have to see my face ever again.”

A low guttural sound came from Tyler. The growl was primal and sent a shiver down my spine. I’d never heard a sound like that. Involuntarily I took a step backward.

Tyler moved toward me, his whole body tense, teeth bared, eyes bright. Too bright. As in he was fighting the change. Or trying to bring it on.

“Calm down. You don’t want to do that here.” I backed up again. This was too far even for Tyler. He was a brand-new wolf. He’d shifted for the first time a few weeks ago and unless he had ridiculous control, he likely hadn’t shifted again. Most wolf shifters were forced into the shift on the full moons for the first few months. Or they’d shift if they were threatened or emotional. Once they gained control of their wolves, they could shift on command and weren’t beholden to the moon. But Tyler wasn’t an experienced shifter. This shouldn’t be possible. He was letting his emotions run wild.

“Tyler, back the fuck up.” I was against a wall now. I hadn’t even realized I continued to move away from him. On my right, the dumpster blocked my exit. On my left was a chain link fence that divided the alleyway. I was boxed in.Fuck. This had to be the worst day of my life.

He advanced, his body seemingly vibrating with energy. Teeth bared, he growled again.

I wouldn’t survive if he attacked me in wolf form. Shit, he’d tried to kill me earlier today in his human form. He’d been stronger than me since we were twelve. It wasn’t fair that puberty brought out so many wolf qualities. I worked out as best I could to keep myself strong, but I wasn’t a match for him.

“I won’t stay in your pack if that’s what you’re worried about,” I said, my voice a little shakier than I wanted it to be. That’s what this had to be about. He’d be alpha in a few years and I guessed he didn’t want someone like me bringing down the pack. Not that anyone else seemed to even notice me or my mom. We lived on the outskirts of town with the other rejects. Though, we were the only ones who couldn’t shift in our little run-down trailer park.

“Just back off before you do something you’ll regret.” I kept my voice steadier this time, feigning confidence.

“I should kill you,” he said.

“No, you’re not a killer.” Tyler was an asshole, sure. He beat the shit out of me on the regular, but he never went as far as he could. Not that it excused him for anything. He still deserved to die slowly from some venereal disease from whatever crazy bitch he rolled around with.

“Don’t pretend like you know me. We’re not friends.”

“As if I needed reminding of that, dick,” I snapped.

I was flush against the wall now and Tyler boxed me in with a hand on either side of me. My breathing grew rapid and I kept my eyes fixed on his. Tyler’s pupils were huge and a vein in his forehead looked like it might explode.

“You’re fighting it,” I pointed out. “You don’t want to change here. You don’t want my blood on your hands.”

“You don’t know what I want.” He leaned so his face was nearly touching mine. Then he breathed in as if smelling me.

My whole body tensed.What the actual fuck?

Tyler lowered one hand and set it on my hip, sliding it up my body until he reached my breast. His touch was gentle and to my horror, my body responded. A little shiver of lust rolled through me.

Oh, hell no.

This was not going to happen. This was never going to happen. With all the force I could muster, I lifted my leg and stomped hard on his foot.

Tyler howled as he backed away from me. I pushed past him, but he grabbed me, throwing an arm around my chest to pull me against him. I struggled to break free of his grip, but he held me tight.

“Let me go, asshole!” I threw my elbow back, trying to hit his stomach. Tyler forced both my arms to my side, pinning me against him. He pulled me even closer to him and I could feel his hardness pressing into me.

I knew wolf shifters had a practically insatiable sex drive, but there were so many willing partners. Why would someone who hated me go through all this trouble?

I felt his nose by my ear, his hot breath on my neck. He was panting and I wasn’t sure if he was in control or his wolf was. Whatever was happening, it wasn’t going to end well for me if I couldn’t get out of his grip.

“Let me go, Tyler. Or I swear to the gods I will slit your throat in your sleep,” I hissed.

His large hand grabbed my chin and roughly forced my head to turn so I was facing him. “You will be a ghost until the full moon. I don’t want to see your face. As soon as the magic lifts, you’re gone. If you stay, I will finish what I started.”

He pushed me away and I stumbled forward, landing on the ground on my hands and knees. Shaking and terrified, I risked a glance behind me. When I realized that I was alone, my shoulders slumped and I let out a breath of relief.

I had no idea what just happened but I had no problem following his suggestion. It was already my plan anyway. Cursing myself for my weakness, I pushed myself to standing and brushed the dirt off my hands and knees. I wished I could fight back. I hated that I wasn’t strong enough. It wasn’t fair being a human surrounded by these powerful creatures who could snap me in half without even trying. The sooner I could get away from all things magic, the better.