Torn

New Chapter 10 ✓

Xander

"Get out."

My heart sinks at the sound of betrayal in her voice. After knocking Carter out of her hysteria, she seemed to be taking everything in stride. I held out hope we could move forward without losing her, but the pain in her voice cuts me like a knife.

I open my mouth to speak without really knowing the words that I could say, when she holds her hand up. Cutting me off before I can figure it out.

I snap my jaw shut and close my eyes, taking a deep breath to calm myself. We fucked up. Badly. I can see the distrust and pain in her eyes and know this won't be a quick fix.

I have just gotten her back and I'm not sure she will forgive me for this. At least not easily. The moment my eyes landed on her earlier today, I felt lighter than I have in years. Nine full, excruciatingly painful years.

The pull I've felt towards her as a teen has magnified and the desire to just make her smile is almost overwhelming. Right now, knowing that the hurt she's feeling is my fault, makes my wolf whimper in my mind.

"Come on, Quinn. Let's give her some space." I murmur.

I clap him on the shoulder and he stiffens under my touch. The past few years between us have not been friendly and just having Carter back isn't going to fix that, but we need to go and give her room to breathe.

"I'm sorry, Carter." Quinn whispers softly before he too gets up to leave.

We walk side by side out of the cabin without saying a word to each other. Our pack boundaries surround each other so we are heading in the same direction while his vehicle is parked outside. I had shifted, running here with my clothes in my mouth.

Hindsight being twenty-twenty, Carter may have thought it was weird that I had shown up here on foot at this time of night but I guess it is what it is now. I look over at Quinn who's pouting like a shunned puppy and I shake my head. This girl is back not even twenty four hours and both of us are in knots.

"Do you smell that?" I ask.

The faint scent of another male hangs in the air. I lift my nose and take a deep breath in. Had someone been sniffing around before Quinn had gotten here? Quinn doesn't bother to answer me, I know he can smell it too. Before either of us says another word, we both take off running her property line to make sure there's no threat to her. When we don't find anything, we stand awkwardly back at the front of the cabin.

"Look, we need to discuss this." I offer.

Instantly I can see Quinn's hackles begin to rise. His head snaps over in my direction, his cold eyes are filled with fire and he bares his teeth at me. The alpha wolf in me rises to the challenge and a vicious growl rips up my throat. My teeth are bared in return and in moments we are chest to chest.

The soft sound of Carter crying catches my attention and I visibly deflate. My heart drops into my stomach as I'm filled with guilt. I want Carter back now that I've seen her again and I can't do that if Quinn and I are constantly at each other's throats.

"We were best friends for years, Quinn. Let's suck up our pride here and just talk." I snap, my voice bitter. He backs down as well at the sniffling and whimpers coming from the cabin behind us and he nods at his truck, gesturing for me to get in.

"Alright, but I'm not doing this for you. This is for her."

I sigh, and move to the passenger side of the vehicle. Both of us are alpha's. The stubborn pride that resides in us both has kept us from ever being amicable once our friendship fell apart. The driver side door slams as Quinn starts the vehicle, knocking me out of my thoughts.