Kacie
I followed him out to the car. My eyes take in the way his muscles move as he walks. He’s wearing sweatpants, a loose t-shirt, and a hoodie pulled down over his forehead. There’s a bag in each hand. We hadn’t spoken and I needed to speak about it. I needed us to figure this out.
I prayed we didn’t bump into anyone or see anyone. We weren’t in the mood for conversation and I kept close behind him. My heart ached and my mind was blank. He opened the door for me and I walked past him outside and the car pulled up.
Viktor walked to the back of the car and it opened for him. He threw our bags into the trunk and he opened the backdoor for me. I hopped in and gasped in surprise when I saw Jake behind the wheel. The door closed behind me and I stared at him in confusion.
“Wh-what’re you doing here?” I asked. Jake’s eyes found mine in the rear view mirror before looking to the front.
“Sit back, Kacie,” he said quietly.
Viktor walked around to the car and opened the door. I watched him jump in and close the door. I waited for him to explain this situation but he did no such thing. His eyes focused on the back of Jake’s head.
“Drive,” he ordered.
We pull out of the driveway and get on the road. The hall, the woods, and everything I call home pass by in a blur. I want to ask him where we’re going. I want to reach out and touch him. I want to fix this. I swallow the lump in my throat. Would I risk second-hand embarrassment and talk to him here? Yes, yes I would.
“Please talk to me,” I whisper. Viktor doesn’t even flinch.
“If I needed to talk to someone, what makes you think I would talk to you? When this happens, people turn to their best friend,” he said. He clenched his jaw and I could see the anger just below the surface. He doesn’t take his eyes off of Jake. “Nothing about this situation is normal. I don’t have alpha friends I trust enough to ask how they deal with a CHEATING MATE,” he growls.
He’s trying to remain calm. I let out a breath and sit back in my seat. If we continue talking right now we’re only going to fight. The rest of the ride passes in silence and tears stream down my cheeks as I look out the window. I don’t look at Viktor and I don’t look at Jake. I don’t know how long we drive when I find myself drifting off. Through the thick blanket of sleep, I hear a hushed conversation.
“I think you should tell her,” Jake murmurs.
“I don’t think your opinion is relevant right now, do you?” Viktor growls in warning. “Don’t make this about us.”
“She deserves to know,” Jake murmurs. “And she didn’t deserve what you gave her this morning. You’ve bruised her.”
“I was rough. I didn’t….” Viktor snarls. “The issue here, is you’ve coveted what’s mine,” Viktor seethes. “You’ve not only coveted her, but you’ve also touched her! You don’t get to play the friend card and advise me on this fucked up situation.”
Jake doesn’t say anything.
“Are you challenging me?” Viktor asked.
“Never, Alpha,” Jake said.
That’s the last I hear as everything fades to black and the car ride lulls me to sleep. I wake up with my head bumping against the window and the sun setting. The ride has become bumpy and when I look out the window, the view leaves me breathless. Right outside, we’re making our way up a mountain, the road is narrow but it’s the miles and miles of white-tipped trees and the painted sky that catch my eye.
“It’s beautiful,” I breathe.
“We’re in Wilkeson,” he said. “We’re out in the middle of nowhere. The closest store is a gas station but we’d have to go back down to go to it. I had the house stocked so we wouldn’t need to leave until we go back. There aren’t any other stores for at least another hour.”
I nodded my head. I didn’t want to say something that would have him pushing away from me. The road became smoother as we drove into a clearing. We drove for a few minutes before a beautiful second-story A-frame cabin came into view. There was a wrap-around deck that had a barbecue grill, an outdoor dining set, and a hot tub out front.
The jeep came to a stop in front and Viktor got out without another word. I opened my door and the thoughtfulness that went into this made me tear up. He’d had this all planned out for when he returned.
I walked on the grass to the walkway and Jake got out of the car. I turned from him as he went to the back and grabbed grocery bags. Viktor walked towards me with our luggage and headed towards the front door. I followed him into the cabin with Jake close behind.
The first thing I saw was a sectional and a large TV. There was a fireplace and a table with board games and DVDs and a dining room set with bar stools. There was a door I assumed was the bathroom and a small spacious kitchen and a spiral stairway that led upstairs.
Viktor grabbed one of the bar stools and dragged it to the living room where we stood. He leaned back and looked between the two of us with a look I couldn’t explain.
“What are we all doing here?” I asked. I wanted to know why Jake was here. I refused to look at him. He was my friend, he was Viktor’s friend. That’s all he was supposed to be. I didn’t want to see the expression on his face. I didn’t trust myself not to have a reaction.