Deciding to assert her authority, Elise stepped forward, pushing the door open. “We need to talk.” Phoebe looked startled and ready to protest, but then acquiesced. Inwardly, Elise gave herself a pat on the back. Score one for her Alpha female authority!
Once inside, Elise quickly took stock of the house. It was a typical family home. From her position in the entryway, she could see into the kitchen where the children’s artwork was on the fridge. A family room to the side had toys and a few newspapers strewn about and a basket of laundry waiting to be folded on the sofa.
Gesturing awkwardly, Phoebe led her into the kitchen. Zoe was there and looked surprised when she realized who had been at the door. The atmosphere in the room immediately became thick and uncomfortable. Elise sat on the edge of the chair and cleared her throat. Deciding not to pussyfoot around the issue, she jumped right in.
“Okay, you two, I’m pretty sure I know why you were acting the way you were yesterday. It’s because of Rose, isn’t it?” She watched them shoot glances at each other, but didn’t wait for a reply before continuing. “She told you that she saw me in town with another male and that she saw us hug and—”
“Don’t forget the part where you said you loved him.” Zoe interrupted spitefully.
“Right. I did say that. It’s all true. But what Rose didn’t know is that the male was Bryan and he’s from my old pack. We grew up together and he’s like my brother, not a lover.”
“Oh!” The two ladies spoke in unison, an equally stunned look on each of their faces. The expressions then changed to embarrassment as they realized their mistake. It was almost comical how alike the two were. They then began to fall over themselves offering apologies and explanations.
“It’s just that we’re all so fond of Kane and hate the idea of him being taken advantage of,” Phoebe explained.
“That’s right,” Zoe added. “Kane doesn’t show his feelings, but we all wondered how hurt he really was when Marla dumped him for Ryne. We couldn’t bear the idea of it happening again. Mind you, it was a lucky escape in my estimation. You’re a much more suitable mate for Kane than she ever was.”
Phoebe jumped in when Zoe stopped to catch her breath. “So when Rose told us about seeing you with another male, we wondered if you hadn’t really wanted to be with Kane and had just been putting on an act all along. It seemed possible that you might go back to an old lover. No offense intended, but it was an arranged mating after all.”
“I know what you mean. Don’t worry.” Elise was so relieved to finally be able to tell someone what had happened that she didn’t hold any hard feelings. It had looked pretty bad, after all; her hugging another man and telling him she loved him. “At one time, Bryan and I thought we had something between us, but then we realized it was just friendship. I’m happy with Kane.” She hesitated, and then made herself say the words. “I...I love him.”
Both women squealed with delight and hugged her, exclaiming how they knew it was meant to be all along. Elise wasn’t so sure about that statement, but let it slide. She was coming to realize that the two sisters were very different from their mother. Both were flighty, but overall basically harmless. In the future, they’d be fun friends but probably not the type that she’d want to depend on in an emergency. Julia and Carrie seemed much more sensible.
Reassured that all was well with their Alpha and his mate, Zoe now wanted to hear the whole story about how Elise had grown up with Bryan, and they spent some time discussing the young man and his future.
“I just hope he’s making the right choice,” Elise confided. “It’s a big step, striking out on his own with another wolf he’s never met. Establishing a new pack won’t be easy.”
Phoebe frowned. “I wonder who it could be that he’s meeting. It must be someone who’s just passing through. No one’s mentioned a new wolf in the area and we usually know right away.”
“It couldn’t be Ryne, could it?” Zoe proposed.
Elise felt the colour drain from her face. Ryne? He was responsible for shooting Thomas! She didn’t want Bryan heading off with him. “I never thought of that. I’m going to have to try and get hold of Bryan and warn him.” Automatically she reached for her cell phone, but remembered that she had left it at home. She stood up quickly, almost tipping over her chair. “I’ve still got a few minutes before I leave for work, I’ll call his home and see if he’s still there.”
She ran home and dialled the number with shaking fingers. “Hello? Sarah? Is Bryan still there? ... He isn’t? ... Do you know where I can reach him? ... He’s headed here? To Smythston? … Okay. Thanks.” Hanging up before Sarah could ask any questions, Elise quickly tried Bryan’s cell phone only to find that it wasn’t on. She checked her watch. Darn! It was time to leave for work. Maybe once her shift finished, she could try to find Bryan, though she had no idea of where she’d look.