The Alpha and the Mistake

Chapter 19

Ryder

I growled, running my hands through my hair as I watched Brook run from me. What happened? I didn't

understand any of it at all - the lying or acting like I was going to hit her. I stomped through the halls and

into the pool room where my brother, Andy, Kara, and Beth were waiting. I slumped into one of the

lounge chairs next to Dean.

"Didn't find her?"

"I did but lost her again," I told them.

"Weird," Andy said looking thoughtful. "She wasn't really like that the first day. Wary, but she never

seemed to avoid any of us."

"Actually, it's not so odd for her," Beth said. "She has always been kind of antisocial."

"She's not anti-social. Your pack forced her into isolation. Big difference," Dean told her.

I glanced at him surprised, not much got my brother angry.

"Well still..." Beth said, shrugging.

"She's not antisocial," Kara insisted.

Beth bit her lip and looked down at her lap.

"Go, easy guys, Beth is only trying to help," I told them.

She gave me an appreciative smile from her. "Thanks. Look, she doesn't want to be here. We can't

force her so let's have fun."

Andy crossed his arms across his chest. Kara, by his side, with an unimpressed look on her face and

Dean rolled his eyes. What was their deal with Beth? Not wanting her to feel unwelcome, I said. "Yeah,

let's go." I jumped into the water.

Soon the others joined us, and we all had a good time. With everything that's been going on with the

Black Mountain pack and my responsibilities as future alpha; plus my problems with Brook I needed to

unwind. What was I doing so wrong? Maybe Beth's right and she is antisocial.

If she was how was I going to get passed it? Could I get passed it? Would it be better to leave her

alone as she wants? I wasn't Mike, and I was tired of being compared to him every time she looked at

me. It wasn't fair. I reached my room, but as I opened the door, I heard Harry's voice.

"Come on, talk to me. You can't lie to a werewolf. Something happened. Was it Ryder? Did he hurt

you?"

I scowled. What the hell? When did I ever give anyone a reason to suggest I'd hurt her?

"No, he didn't hurt me. It's just..." Brook said, her voice so soft I almost missed it. I walked over to her

door and leaned against the wall.

"You feel bad. I get it, but careful, we don't want to alert their suspicions. You'll never have the life you

want if they think we're planning on running. You're too dangerous for Alpha Brent to let walk away."

What the hell is he talking about? My hands curled into fists. That bastard, where did he get off lying

about my dad like that?

"I know," Brook said, sounding frustrated. "But I don't like this, Harry. The lying and pretending was

hard enough when it was for Mom, but now..."

"Is that what's got you so upset? Brook, if-"

"That's not what upset me. I may not like it, but if I have to be a bitch to Ryder and the others to keep

my freedom, I'll do it."

"So what's wrong?"

"Ryder was angry, he lifted his hands, not threatening or anything, but I saw Mike. Suddenly, I was

cowering, waiting to be hit," she told him, her voice cracking near the end. "I always told myself it

wouldn't affect me, I wouldn't be a victim. I wouldn't give Mike that kind of power, but...God, I'm so

pathetic."

I couldn't stand to listen to anymore, or I'd end up breaking down the door. I think that'd do more harm

than good right now. I turned and stormed down the hall. I blamed Harry as much as I did Mike. If he

weren't poisoning her against the pack and me, she'd be more willing to give me a chance. She might

not have flipped out. I left and went to the gym downstairs.

I needed to vent my anger and think. I had to figure out how I was going to fix this. There was no way I

was going to let Brook run away until she saw the truth. I saw Andy was already in the gym. Perhaps

he could help. I huffed, sitting next to him.

"You're starting to sound like the Big Bad Wolf with all the huffing and puffing. What gives?" He asked,

setting aside the weight.

"According to Harry that's what I am," I said and told him everything.

"Ouch, between that and Beth, no wonder she's avoiding us all."

"Beth? What's going on with Beth? Actually, why do you hate her so much? Don't tell me it's she's

annoying because of that little crush she has on you. A lot of girls like you and are annoying, and you

don't hate them."

Andy started to say something then hesitated. "I get she's a part of your family and a guest here, but I

can't stand how hypocritical and mean she is. She acts all nice when she's around you and your family,

but when she is alone with Brook or doesn't think anyone is listening or looking, she's mean."

"Mean how?"

"Beth is giving her dirty looks every time she thinks no one is looking. She's always saying things that Owned by NôvelDrama.Org.

seem inoffensive but ultimately makes Brook look bad. Like the antisocial thing earlier. You may have

to be nice to her, but I'm sure as hell am not."

I slammed my fist into the bench I was sitting. "This is bullshit! No wonder I'm getting nowhere with her.

I'm done playing nice and getting screwed over." I stood, starting for the door.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"Talk to Dad.I'm sure he'll have ideas about what to do," I told him.

Dad was in his office talking to his council when I knocked on the door. "When you're finished. I need to

talk to you about something important," I said.

He waved his hand. "We're done here, pretty much. Come in, what's on your mind." I walked in, took a

chair across from him on the oblong table, and told him everything. By the time I finished Dad's face

was blank, but the knuckles of his fist were white. He was pissed and didn't say anything for a long

time.

"Now this is a mess, and there isn't anything we can do about Harry without proving to Brook he's right

about us," he said finally, leaning back in his chair. "I can't even bring myself to blame him entirely. I'm

sure he genuinely believes what he's saying because that's how it is for his pack under Ryan's rule."

"So what do we do?"

"I'll deal with Harry. You worry about Brook. In order to keep her, you're going to have to prove she's

free to leave."

"If she's free to leave then she'd leave," I said, irritated. How was letting her leave going to help

anything?

He smiled at me. "Brook is going to be less inclined to leave if she knows she's free to do so. You have

to understand since she came to live with Harry, she lost control over her life and through it she's

suffered. You try to control or dominate her, Ryder, and you lose her. It's going to be hard. You're an

alpha and by nature are dominant, but you're going to have to learn how to set it all aside. If you can't

then it's better for you both if she leaves."

This was going to be hard. "Sure, I can do that."

Dad's smile grew. No doubt he heard my uncertainty. "I'm sure you can. I will say this, we can't let her

isolate herself. That means no meals in her room. She's going to have to eat like the rest of us. I want

to see her come out at least once, not including mealtimes. Keep an eye on Beth. If she can't behave

herself, then we'll have to be stricter with her. You see all of this Ryder. This is the result of Ryan's

cruelty. Beth, Harry, Brook, they're all the ripple effects of it."

"Yeah, well we have to stop it. Brook can't be another one of his victims," I told him.

"Agreed. Just do as I told you, remember patience, and with any luck, she'll come around. Now, I think

I'll go find Harry and his mate for a little chat."

I nodded, getting up, and heading back to Brook's room. Surprisingly she wasn't there, so I let myself in

and sat on the bed. Only a few minutes passed when she walked in, freezing when she saw me there.

"Ryder, what are you doing in my room?"

"Waiting for you." I smiled at her, but she kept eyeing me as if I was a tiger or something.

"And you just let yourself in?"

"Pretty much. It was the one sure way I would catch you when you came back. Plus, if I knocked I'm

not sure if you'd answered." Again, I offered her a smile, trying hard to seem inoffensive as possible. "I

didn't like the way we left off, Brook. I don't like seeing you scared, and I don't like being the cause of it.

Sometimes, I forget what you went through, and I really am sorry."

Emotion flashed across her face, but before I could read it, it was gone. She rolled her eyes at me.

"Whatever. You don't know anything, Ryder. You have no idea and stop apologizing. It's pathetic. Aren't

all you alphas suppose to be the dominant ones or does it skip a generation." She sneered at me,

flipping her hair off her shoulder and walking over to the dresser.

Her words cut through me, and I couldn't breathe for a moment then I remembered what she said

earlier to Harry. An act, that's what this all was, an act. Right? I got up from the bed and walked to her,

pinning her between me and the dresser. She gasped, and I leaned into her, brushing her hair away

from her neck, I breathed in her scent.

"Is that what you want, Brook? You want me to dominate you, make you do what I want?" I didn't need

my nose to detect her fear. I sat back down on the bed as she turned to face me. Some of the fear was

gone, but I didn't like how defeated she looked.

"What do you want Ryder?"

"You know what I want. I've said it like a million times now," I said, clasping my hands together so I

wouldn't do anything to accidentally trigger her like last time.

Brook frowned, her eyes blazing with anger. "I can't-"

"What? Go have lunch with me? Hang out by the pool? Just sit and hang out?"

Now her eyes narrowed. "It's more than that."

"Brook, tell me when did I ask you for more? Tell me one time, only one." She opened her mouth and

closed it then with a scowl crossed her arms over her chest. I grinned as I stood and walked back over

to her. "Please, come and have lunch with me and the others," I asked, rubbing her upper arm. "I'm not

asking you to stay or anything. Let us get a chance to know you and you us."

The conflict was plain in her expression, and some of the tension in my chest eased. She wanted to

say yes. That was something, at least. Instead of giving in, she flipped her hair again and scowled at

me. "Ryder, I don't want to know you or any of your little friends. Just get lo-"

I wrapped my hand around her neck and cut her off with a kiss. She took a sharp breath but didn't fight

me - good. Keeping it at just a kiss, I pulled back and smirked at her. "You're lying again, and every

time you lie, I'm going to kiss you. The bitch queen isn't you so drop the act." I pried her arms from her

chest and took her hand in mine, lacing our fingers together. "Come on." She didn't fight me as we left

the bedroom. Perhaps, there was hope, after all.