“What about Sidney?” Harper watched as Jake tousled her friend’s lifeless body around. She was worried what they would do to her since this was all her fault as far as they were concerned.
“Jake will bring her, now go on, and get me a beer.” Harper went to the door and went inside. He didn’t follow her and that surprised her. She pulled her phone out as soon as she was on the other side of the door and texted Ryder.
-Help Ellis has me at my old house hurry
Her fingers flew over the buttons tapping the hurried message, pushed ‘send’ then she shoved the phone back in her pocket where he wouldn’t see it. She was bent over in the fridge when he came inside. “Do you want a can or bottle? This isn’t cold either.” She rose up to look over the door at him. “The fridge is still broken. All of this food is probably bad Ellis. Can you fix it?” Ellis was never smart, at least she didn’t think so, and she hoped to distract him. He was handy though and loved to fix things, maybe a broken fridge would occupy him. “Are your tools here somewhere?” He rubbed his jaw and headed to the living room, a second later he came back carrying the familiar green box.
“Get out of the way.” He set the box down on the floor and grabbed the side of the fridge to turn it around.
“Do you need help?” Harper pulled on the front just as she’d done at least twenty times before. “I really think it’s time to replace it Ellis.” She said again just as she had twenty times before hoping to keep him occupied until Ryder could come after her. Jake kicked the door open then and brought Sidney inside.
“What the hell are you doing Ellis?” He took Sidney into the living room.
“I’m fixing the damned refrigerator because I hate hot beer.” Harper tried to get past him but he put his hand on her thigh. “You stay here.”
“I want to check Sidney, please?”
“Come right back and hand me that screwdriver first.” Harper handed it to him and went to the living room. She glanced outside and everything looked perfectly normal out there. She heard a pup shriek, he was chasing a ball. Everything was too normal, it seemed.
Chapter 21
Ellis was lying. He had to be lying. If there was a huge shift in leadership, people would keep their pups indoors until they knew it was safe. Wouldn’t they? This was all a fraud. He said that Max was gone and Jake was the new Alpha. She’d known Jake for a long time and he was no Alpha. Ellis and Jake probably saw Sidney’s car and followed it. None of this was planned. She hunched over Sidney and felt for a pulse, strong and steady. “Wake up Sidney.” Harper coaxed.
“She’s fine. Get your ass back in the kitchen.” Jake growled from behind her.
“How’s Charlotte Jake? Did she have the pup yet?” Harper asked standing up. His whole face changed and brightened. She’d spent more than one evening having cordial conversations with this wolf. He was Bronson’s best friend and since he was, she knew him well. His heart was in his family.
“Nah, I wish she’d get on with it. She thinks it’s another girl but I want another boy.” Harper laughed at that. “What?”
“All of you men want little boys to carry on your family name. You never hear a wolf say he wants a girl. Not until he grows up and there aren’t any around to make more little boys. One male can repopulate a territory but not without she-wolves. Do you follow?” Jake smirked and shook his head.
“You got me there Harper.” It was as if she’d never left. She almost expected Bronson to walk out of the bedroom any second.
“I hope you have a healthy happy pup.” Harper said. Sidney groaned and snapped Jake back to reality.
“Get back in the kitchen.” He growled. Harper squatted next to Sidney and brushed her forehead with her hand.
“Wake up Sid.” She whispered. Jake grabbed Harper’s arm and threw her toward the opening that led to the kitchen. “Easy Jake.” Harper spat. “I was never mean to you. I expect the same.” She huffed and went back to the kitchen. She saw Evan streak by the back door. He was behind the truck when she glanced out the window in the back door. Maybe she could make this easy for her pack.
“Sidney up?” Ellis asked startling her. Harper shook her head when he looked up. Luckily, he wasn’t watching her.
“Is it fixed?” Ellis scratched his head then shook it.
“I think it’s dead in the water. Damn it.” He bent over further and looked at something. Harper saw Ryder outside then and shook her head. She held up one finger and he nodded.
“You should get one of those big commercial ones so you have plenty of game stored up.” Harper bent over to see what he was doing underneath it.