"No, you arrogant vixen, of course not." He gave me a pitying look like I actually thought he cared enough to stalk me. Bastard.
"Well ... good. Don't." I didn't really know what to say after that, because I actually did think that was why he showed up here.
He rolled his eyes and dug a folded envelope from his back pocket. He was in faded jeans and a tight black t-shirt, so clearly hadn't shifted anytime recently.
"I came to give you this. It's a time sensitive thing that I needed to deliver. So, consider it delivered." He arched a dark brow at me and ran his hand through those shaggy locks of his when I relieved him of the letter.
"What is it?" I asked suspiciously, turning it over in my hands.
"Formal invitation to make you pack. Tradition dictates I present my bride to the alpha coalition, but unfortunately all I have is you. So. Thirty days, address should be in the letter. Dress smart." He shrugged a broad shoulder and turned to leave without any further explanations.
"Hold up!" I yelled, storming after him and swatting aside one of the enormous wolves. "I am not your freaking bride!"
"Clearly," Bennett sneered, running his gaze over me. "No matter how hot you are, I don't do love or marriage. This was just an oversight. A lapse in judgement on my behalf that made you my alpha female. Don't stress your little tits over it though, fox. The bond is just a pack status thing, it gives no influence over how we live our lives so there’s no need for us to repeat that little tryst we had."
"Well, good!" I spluttered, feeling both relieved and insulted at the same time. I mean, on the one hand it was great that being his alpha female wasn't going to brainwash me into caring about him. Sadistic fucker that he was. On the other hand, what the hell was so abhorrent about me that he didn't even want to try?! I can’t believe I screwed this asshole!
"Thirty days, Thea. Don't forget or I might be forced to chase you down." He gave me a stern look, then turned and left with his wolves.
"So, let me guess," Chris broke the silence that followed Bennett's departure, "Bennett?"
Bex snorted a laugh and even Shelbi in wolf form huffed a laugh. Bitch.
"Guys..." I groaned, rubbing my face and feeling exhausted in the aftermath of that little scrap. "Can we go to a different bar and get drunk again?"
"Hell freaking yes," Chris enthused, doing another shoulder shimmy, twirl and high kick. "But dog breath might need some clothes..."
Looking where he was pointing, I saw the scattered rags of Shelbi's skirt and couldn't help myself ... I burst out in hysterical laughter.
"Ziff cannot have Captain Crunch," I said as Chris dangled one of the sugary bits in front of my fox's face. "It's basically solid sugar. You'll give him a heart attack."
"Remember that time you found him gulping up some leftover brandy from the night before?" Fae-Bitch asked, folding his turquoise wings together behind him and withdrawing the cereal from Ziff's reach. He popped it into his mouth and smiled at me while he chewed. "Or maybe you forgot that like way you forgot to tell me you banged the alpha wolf?"
"Can you just not this morning?" I asked as I set out a small bowl of fruit and seeds for Ziff to pick at. He looked at them and then up at me, his round black eyes like marbles in his tawny face. But those ears ... how could I resist those fucking ears?
Reaching out, I gave one of them a squeeze and he chirped at me. That was worth at least one piece of cereal, right? I snatched one from Chris' bowl and fed it to Ziff.
"Thanks for letting me spend the night," Shelbi said, appearing at the bottom of the stairs with her blonde hair wet and hanging around her shoulders. For whatever reason, the sight reminded me of Revel.
Fuck.
She hadn't called me since leaving that note. I was now so worried that I'd actually called her back. Me. Making a move. Felt a little ridiculous to keep checking on a stranger I barely knew, but ... She was sick, and I felt like it was my responsibility to be sure that nothing happened to her because of it. And maybe it was because I'd shot a teenager in the face or maybe it was because our species was seriously close to extinction. But maybe it was also because I fucking liked her straight off.
"Heading home when I'm that drunk is never a good idea." Shelbi sighed and slid onto a bar tool at my counter, looking like she was as far away from this kitchen as I was.
"You're the omega then?" Bex asked from Chris' other side. She was already dressed in gym clothes and ready to hit The Shack. I'd noticed she hadn't invited me to join her which meant that it wasn't simply Mik who was aware of the possibility of, er, my impending termination.
And I meant that quite literally.
The best I could hope for was for the kitsune council to step in and ask for me to be returned back to the Earth. They probably would use their power and influence to keep me from getting a hit put on my ass. Then, of course, I'd lose my house, my car, my life.
I'd already lost Riot.
Closing my eyes, I put my palms on the counter and leaned over my coffee. Hopefully only Chris would realize I was having a moment.
"Yup," Shelbi said with a sigh. "Basically a pack punching bag."
"So if you're with Vail Valley, then ... Thea is your new alpha female?" Bex continued as I stifled a groan and tried not to imagine Bennett's give-no-shit attitude. The next full moon, huh? Great. Really, the last thing I needed was to be alpha of a pack I couldn't control. A fox stood no chance against a wolf, remember? Shelbi must've nodded because Rebecca continued talking. "Have you ever been raped by Bennett Beowulf?"
"Wow," Chris whistled, and I finally lifted my face to look at the three people occupying my counter. "Just come right out and say it, why don't you?"
"Well, I've heard rumors that it's not uncommon for a pack alpha to take advantage—male or female."
I just stared at her and then turned my attention over to Shelbi. If I found out that the man I'd just fucked was a rapist, I'd puke all over this counter. And then, alpha or no, I'd take my weapons into the woods and end him.
"He's never raped me," Shelbi said, her eyes wide. I had no idea if she was telling the truth though. For all I knew, she was just scared shitless of me or Bennett, or unsure if she could trust me. "Thea, no," my new friend continued, shaking her head. "Bennett is ... well, he's fucking insane, but he's never forced himself on me."
"But you have slept with him?" Chris asked, folding his arms over his pink Republicans Suck Ass and Blow Dick t-shirt. On the back it said, Democrats Suck Ass and Blow Dick, Too (just less often). It was one of my favorite tees he owned.
"No!" Shelbi said, lifting her hands up and out. "No, no, no. Bennett is a crazy son of a bitch, but he likes a challenge ..." She trailed off and all three of them turned their attention to me.
"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence," I said with an eye roll. "But I'm not a 'challenge' for him; it was a one-night stand. It's never happening again."
"What's never happening again?" Revel said as she strode through my front door like she owned the damn place.
My heart leapt into my throat, and for a moment there, I forgot to be totally and completely pissed off that she'd just waltzed into my house.
Her ruby red hair was up in a high ponytail, her orange ears and tails on full display. She had on little denim shorts, similar to the hot pants I'd worn last night, as well as some badass motorcycle boots, a too-tight tee, and a leather jacket.
She also had a suitcase with her.
"You've to decided to go ahead with it, huh?" Chris asked, lifting up his phone and pointing it in Revel's direction. She dropped her bag, struck a pose, and let him take a photo. Within about five seconds, I had a notification that he'd tagged, Tweeted, Facebook posted, and Snapchatted it to me. And also to everyone else he knew (which was a lot of people) with the hashtag TheaGettinHerGayOn.