Page 10 of Wolf Blood

It was why I was playing along, and trying to stay alive.

I was buying her time to adjust to her new home. Her new mate bond. Her new pack.

She may not realize it, but she was making friends. Learning to rely on people other than me for a whole host of things, too.

I wasn’t trying to survive forever. I was just trying to make my death easier for the last person in the world who loved me.

That was the heart of the difference between how I was coping and how Riley was. She had been dying before, and vampirism was a fresh start for her.

It was my living hell.

Ryker went over to the couch the other guy in the room occupied. The enforcer couples were gone, but the guy obviously hadn't tried to flirt with Bloom. That would’ve been a death sentence.

Bloom was in fact making cookies, and hadn’t shared them with anyone in the room.

She slid one over to me, lifting an eyebrow. I heard the question she didn't ask.

Was it good?

I lifted a shoulder, and didn't touch the cookie.Wasn’t in the mood to puke it up.

Bloom smiled. She was aware enough of my current state to know that a shrug was a good thing for me.

The front door slammed open, and the Beta stepped into the apartment.

My entire body flooded with what I tried to convince myself was anger as I took in all six-and-a-half feet of the muscle and tattooed olive skin that was Rhone.

His stubble was longer than usual, and his black hair was tied back in its typical bun. There were a few loose strands hanging around his face, but he hadn't left them there on purpose.

Those pieces broke because of the rough way he always did his hair, and they wouldn't stay in the bun because of it.

His gaze swept the room, landing on me and staying.

His nostrils flared, and his eyes narrowed.

There was no way he could smell sex on me from all the way over there, right?

The way he stalked toward me, clenching something in his fist that swung with his movements, made me vaguely consider making a run for it.

I hadn't done anything wrong, so I stayed where I was.

I picked up the cookie Bloom had slid to me and forced myself to take a small bite, just so Rhone wouldn't get on my case about my refusal to eat for the thousandth time.

"Maverick's looking for you," he said to Bloom. "Don't ignore your mate."

"Yes sir," Bloom drawled, clearly unimpressed by the Beta's orders.

She was deeply in love with the Alpha, but that didn't mean she was going to roll over and obey him on everything. They were equals. He wasn'therAlpha any more than he was her boss.

Rhone took my chin in the hand that wasn't holding whatever was dangling from his fist, and he leaned toward me as he tilted my head back.

"What are you—"I started, but the Beta cut me off.

He sniffed my breath, and his wolfish snarl tore through the room loudly enough to make me go still.

My wide-eyed gaze cut to Bloom's.

She was frozen, and her eyes met mine.