Claws

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Are you kidding me? No way! Mae asked me to bring her to Robin's house, not you!" I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes with a sigh, hearing Beck's angry voice mixed with the visual of Jade shooting a nasty glare at him. She'd met us right outside the infirmary when I was released, immediately insisting on walking me to wherever I was going. I just sat on the bench outside when they began bickering, deciding to wait it out. I didn't have the energy or strength to get in the middle of things.

"Look, you've seen her a ton, and as her friend who got kicked out during visiting hours, I think I have the right away! You aren't even dating my girl, for heaven's sake! Get over it, you freaking manchild!" Jade scoffed, crossing her arms. "You're so clingy, even for a beta. Geez."

My jaw dropped, and I covered my mouth, trying to keep in a stifling laugh. That wasn't nice of her to say, but it was so blatantly said that it was funny. It was like watching a drama in real life. I wished I had some popcorn.

"She needs girl talk right now! She's been surrounded by testosterone ever since she came back, and she needs an outlet!" Jade yelled. Oh, it was hands in the air now.

"How do you know what she wants? Have you asked her?" Beck scoffed.

"Have you?" Jade retorted with a raise of her eyebrows.

They glared at each other in silence for a full minute until they turned to me with slightly softened expressions.

"Oh, heck to the no. You guys are not making me choose," I grumbled, holding my ribs as I buttoned my coat up to cover my bruised neck with my other hand.

"Beck! Hey Beck!" The moment Beck opened his mouth, a loud, familiar voice called out to him. It sounded like...

"Hayes?" Beck frowned as we all turned to the approaching alpha. He had a smile on his face and waved at me. "Oh, hey, Mae. I heard you ran into some trouble. How are you feeling?"

"Fantastic," I said with a bland face, my head starting to ache. All these loud voices...

"Well, that's good!" Hayes shockingly took my sarcasm literally and turned to Beck. Was he actually a ditz? "Did you hear the news? Dude, you're going to be my right-hand beta!"

"For real?" Beck's eyes widened. He looked genuinely pleased. "Did I miss the assignment meeting? I thought it was tomorrow!"

"Yeah, we just finished it. We have orientation now. I wondered where you were, so I thought I'd look for you. We need you up there right now," Hayes nodded.

Beck glared at Jade, who was smirking, then eyed me with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. I have to go. Will you be alright?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," I smirked, waving my hand to shoo him off. "You. Go. This is an important meeting for you. I'm disappointed the first one skipped your mind."

Beck smiled at me sheepishly, then winked. "Alright, see you later, Chief."

"Bye," I sighed, then turned to Jade with raised eyebrows. "Drama queen."

"What? I really wanted to catch up with you! They dragged me out of the hospital room when I just came over to tell you how worried I was!" Jade frowned, looking unashamed. She nearly busted the infirmary door down. Why would they let her see a medical patient in critical condition after that? "It seems like a lot has happened since you got back, and I'm not taking all of this vague crap about how you got hurt by some stupid Southerners in a fight. I know you're way tougher than that. What really happened?"

I looked up at her, wondering why I was shocked she caught on. Then I remembered how smart and perceptive she was despite her dramatic personality. "Help me up, and I'll tell you on the way. We have to be somewhere where no one's around, though. I haven't told this to anyone. The only people who really know what happened are my mom, dad, and Zale, who saw most of it, and my doctor. If you tell anyone, I will not hesitate to put you in the infirmary for a month, got it?"

"Got it," Jade nodded, pretending to zip her lips shut and throw away the key. I was probably going to regret this.

................................................................................................................................................................

I couldn't do it. I couldn't tell Jade everything. I told her about my first encounter with Zale and how I blew up at the party because of how he treated Beck. I also told her how I almost got raped. How Zale had saved me by killing the Southerners and how he gave me a pheromone shot. After all, I still had no idea how I was able to calm down after I was soaked in those disgusting Southerner's pheromones, so I couldn't say it was not true because it very well could've been. I didn't tell her about my psychotic breakdown, clinging to Zale, calling him my alpha, sticking my nose in his shirt. Ugh, just the thought of it made me want to die. Even in heat, how could I do such a thing? Jade luckily seemed to buy it since it was mostly the truth. I just...left a few parts out, that's all.

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe that happened to you, you poor thing. That's horrible," Jade looked at me with wide, horrified eyes. "I never thought I'd be grateful for Zale so much in my life. He did the right thing by killing them. I just want to know why he's being so possessive over you."

"Possessive? As if. He's doing what he's always done. Trying to ruin all chances I have for happiness and making it up by doing something decent," I scoffed.

"No, this is different. Zale only butted in when you were about to suck face with Beck and, before that, kissed you. Don't you think that's a bit odd? He could have done so much worse, but the only times he decided to swoop in were when you were with another guy. Plus, why was he even at that party? Why did he stay? There was nothing there for him, except--"

"Don't you dare, and what the heck does sucking face mean? Talk normally," I interrupted Jade, harshly squeezing my hand around her arm as she helped me walk. "I'm sure he saved me because he felt like he had an obligation to my father, that's all. I'm pretty sure he hates me. We all can see that."

"But then, why would he kiss you?" Jade raised her eyebrows.

"He was wasted! He reeked of his pheromones, and I'm pretty sure he was drowning in another girl's scent as well. He doesn't like me. He just sees me as his annoying kid sister, okay? Don't make assumptions based on someone who was wasted just to satisfy your own dramatic and ridiculously colorful imagination. Whose side are you on anyway? He's a womanizer and a pheromone addict! Why would I be interested in someone like that?"

"I don't know, I just have this feeling that it's going to end up that way, okay? He's teaching you to be chief, isn't he? That means he already knows how to run the pack, and what kind of mate do you need by your side? One that knows how to run the pack! You're going to spend most of your time with him later on. If anyone can fix the state he's in, it's going to be you."

"Why would I want to even bother spending my time putting together something that I didn't care to fix in the first place?" I grumbled. "If he wants to waste his life being a slutty scumbag, who am I to butt in? He'll be miserable when everyone around him is married, and he's the only one left hanging."

"Maybe you'll be surprised at what the real Zale is like. There's nothing that makes a man better than being in a healthy relationship of any kind with a great girl," Jade smirked as I glared at her. Why did she have to have these ridiculous thoughts? Zale and I weren't going to be anything, let alone mates. I'd never let that happen. Be the lover of someone who carelessly snatches in girls and throws them away the next day? As if I'd be a doormat like that.

I would marry someone who would love and cherish me. Someone who would be loyal. Someone who would be kind and thoughtful. Someone who would make a great chief and father. Someone who would do anything for me and who I would do anything for in return.

Someone completely opposite from the Zale I knew.