Page 36 of Wolf Blood

Oren and Nolan were still throwing the tennis ball, so the sound of it bouncing off the floor and the wall before being caught was the only thing I could hear.

"Rhone told Mav she was wrong for him when they were dating," Nolan said for Sutton, when she still didn’t reply.

Sutton flashed him a glare.

He shrugged. "Most of the pack knows already. It's not a secret. Maverick and Rhone are opposites, but they're closer than brothers."

"I knew we were wrong for each other before he said anything," Sutton clarified. "But Rhone said something about it in front of the enforcers, when I was already struggling with being a part of the pack. Maverick sided with Rhone, like he always does. I broke up with him, and left."

"I'm sorry," I said, though I only kind of meant it.

From what I knew of both Sutton and Maverick, they reallyweren'tright for each other. She kept to herself and was intensely private. He loved being around people.

Being a dick was just kind of Rhone's personality. He was as much of an ass in every situation, whether it was public or not.

"It helped me realize that pack life isn't for me, so in that way, I'm glad it happened," Sutton said, her gaze on the ceiling.

"Rhone is shit with pack life too," Nolan said. "He's only here for Mav."

Sutton nodded like that was common knowledge.

It wasn't.

Not to me.

"He's the Beta," I said.

"Rhone's more of a lone wolf," Nolan explained. "He probably wouldn't belong to a pack at all if not for Maverick. He chooses to be the Beta because he doesn't like answering to other people, and no one is willing to try to take him down. He kicks the enforcers' asses almost daily, so he could probably win most challenges. And if someone tried to take his place, Maverick would kill them."

"What do you think he'd be doing if Maverick wasn't here?" I asked.

None of them knew.

"Is he only helping me because Maverick's mated to Bloom?"I pressed.

"That was the theory, until last night," Sutton said.

"What's the new theory?"

She glanced over at me. "That depends on what he said you to."

I grimaced. "He told me that I belong to him, but he doesn't belong to me."

All three of my companions blinked.

"Are you sure?" Nolan asked.

"It was a memorable conversation."

None of them said anything for a few minutes.

Maybe they were just processing.

"What's the new theory, guys?"

"He actuallywantsyou," Sutton said, sounding extremely surprised.

"Ouch."