Chapter 95: Sadie: All Bark

SADIE

"Wait, let me make sure I’m following." Trey tilts his head. "You were supposed to sign a contract to tutor Ezra, and if you didn’t, Celia was going to kill me?"

"Pretty much." I nod. "She was very clear about that part."

He lets out a scoff, his teeth grinding together for a few seconds before he looks at me again. "She was bluffing, Sadie. She needed you scared enough to sign, and threatening me did that. You think she can take me out in that estate? With my training? With Trex?" He shakes his head. "She’s going to have a problem."

I don’t know how he’s managed to fit a little self-promotion into this, but I guess I should be grateful that at least one of us is confident about his ability to stay alive.

"She said—"

"She said what she needed to say because I let you go alone," he cuts in. "If she could get rid of me that easily, she would’ve done it a long time ago."

"Well, I didn’t know that until after I’d signed." I wish he understood how different it sounded in that room. "How was I supposed to know, Trey? She said so many things, and I grew up around scary people who actually did the things they threatened."

My voice falters, and I have to press my lips together before I can get the rest out.

"I was worried," I whisper. "I thought you’d get hurt because of me. Are you pissed that I signed?"

He covers my hand with his. "At you? Fuck no. At myself." His free hand comes up to my cheek, his touch careful. "She put her hands on you while I was right there in the house. You know how mad that makes me?"

"Once she started talking about hurting you, I couldn’t think about anything else, not even how much the slaps hurt." I lift my injured wrist. "I sprained this last night, too. I meant to tell you, but I couldn’t."

He takes my wrist, holding it in his palm while his thumb brushes carefully around it. "Still hurts?"

"Yeah, but I’ll be okay." I let out a breath, and it’s such a relief. "I feel so much better now that you know. I kept thinking she’d get to you first and play that recording, and I wouldn’t even know where to start explaining myself." I pause. "You know I’d never do that to you, right?"

"I trust you." He lifts my hand and kisses my wrist. "Celia could play it on every phone on campus. I’m still coming to you, Sadie."

A smile slips out before he’s even finished, and I look down at our hands as my face warms.

"Just come to me next time," he says. "Even if she tells you it’s the worst fucking thing you could do. I can handle her, but you’ve got to tell me what’s happening."

"I feel a little stupid now. I actually ate sesame and set up a secret meeting because I thought she’d bugged our apartment or put something on our phones to listen in."

His mouth twists. "Celia talks a lot of shit because that’s all she’s got. Right now, she wants Ezra to win the trials so our pops will reconsider making him heir."

"Would he?"

"Doubt it. The old man’s pretty set on me." He leans back. "I don’t even want it. I want to play hockey and live my life."

It’s strange to realize I have something he doesn’t. I can decide what I want to do with my life without someone informing me that, actually, they’ve already picked something better. Whether I can afford my decisions is another conversation, but at least I get to make them. I wouldn’t have thought an Alpha’s son would envy me that.

I suppose there’s more than one way to feel trapped. I push the thought aside and tighten my fingers around his.

"What do you think she’ll do when she realizes I’m not tutoring Ezra? She made it sound like she already had plans for both of us."

"Yeah? And how do you think she’s going to make any of them happen?" There’s a smugness to his expression that suggests I should already know the answer.

"I don’t know, Trey. I was hoping you’d cover that part."

"She can’t. She’s just like Ezra. Impulsive, and neither of them knows when to shut up." He says it easily, without raising his voice. "If I also wanted them both gone, you think I’d have to lift a finger?"

I wait for the smile that usually comes with him saying something outrageous, but his eyes have gone cold, and a shiver prickles over my skin. I know my limits and the things my mind won’t let go of once they’re in there. Killing a wolf is one of them, no matter whose mouth it comes out of, and he’s talking as though the only thing stopping him is that he hasn’t decided to do it.

"You scare me sometimes," I admit.

His brow lifts. "What do you mean?"

"I don’t know. Killing rogues, talking about exterminating half your family. I’d feel a little better if those things bothered you more." I shake my head. "It doesn’t help that Ezra tried to make you sound like some unhinged manipulator while asking me to take him back."

"You didn’t tell me about that." His fingers still around mine. "What did he say?"

"Well..." I hesitate, then give a small shrug. "He tried to say he never asked Howard to fire me. Swore he didn’t even know who Howard was, so you can imagine how seriously I took the part where he suggested you might’ve done it."

Trey’s expression barely changes, which leaves me explaining a little faster.

"Not that I believed him. Howard said the Mercer who got me fired was the same one who helped me get hired, and that was two years ago. I didn’t even know you then." I look at him. "How would you have helped me get a job?"

"Let’s not talk about that anymore." He smirks before glancing at the door. "You feeling okay enough to get out of here today?"

"Julian wants to keep me for a few more hours," I explain when he looks back at me. "Just to monitor me."

"Monitor you, or find an excuse to keep you around?" His nose scrunches, like the second option is already the one he’s going with.

"I don’t know what beef you have with Julian." I roll my eyes. "He’s actually a chill guy."

"I’m a chill guy too." He shifts closer on the bed.

"You’re anything but chill." I press my lips together, trying to hold back a smile that he can see anyway. "You just keep a straight face while you’re being hotheaded. Julian’s easy to talk to. He knows a lot of jokes, too."

"I know jokes," he counters.

"Okay. Tell me one. Just one. I’m not asking for much."

He opens his mouth, then pauses.

Oh, he actually has to think about it. My lips press tighter while I wait, trying not to make this any harder for him.

Finally, he clears his throat. "Knock, knock."

A laugh bursts out of me so suddenly that he stops. I cover my mouth, but looking at his face only makes it worse.

"What?" he asks as I shake my head, trying to pull myself together enough to answer.

I want to tell him to keep going, but I can’t get the words out, and the longer he waits for an explanation, the worse it gets. By the time I manage to stop, my sides hurt and there are tears in my eyes.

"What the hell is so funny?" he demands.

"Sorry." I sniffle, wiping beneath one eye. "You took all that time to think, and you came back with knock, knock?"

"Oh, forgive me for not being a fucking comedian." Another laugh escapes me, and he shakes his head. "The shit I do for you."

"Considering how many slaps I took from Celia and how well I handled all that, I think I’ve earned a little more effort." I bat my lashes at him, and he looks away, muttering something I’m probably better off not hearing.

He’s cute when he does that, although telling him would ruin it. Mostly, I’m just happy I get to sit here laughing with him after spending so much time scared of Celia.

"Well, now I know you’re allergic to sesame." He turns back to me. "Your doctor’s got one less thing on me."

"You haven’t changed at all, have you?" I suck in a breath, glaring at him.

"If you’ve got to ask, isn’t the answer obvious?" His mouth curves. "What’s that supposed to mean, anyway? I haven’t changed?"

"It means," I jab a finger into his chest, "you have the emotional range of a teaspoon."

He smiles as he leans in and wraps his arms around me again. "I’m only letting you get away with that because you landed yourself in here over me." My hand settles against his back, and he holds me a little closer. "I’m glad you told me about Celia. That you trusted me instead of doing what she wanted."

I’m still enjoying hearing that when he pulls back and asks, "You want a raise?"

My mouth falls open. "I’m not that cheap."

"Fine. I’ll get you a car."

"A car?" I gawk at him. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah."

"Why?" I narrow my eyes. "Are you feeling guilty about something?"

"Like what?" He blinks, and I’m almost impressed by how innocent he manages to look.

"Oh, I don’t know. Scent-marking me without my permission?"

"Ah." He lets out a breath. "Who told you?"

"Is that seriously the question you think you should be asking?"

"What should I be asking?" He scratches the back of his neck.

"Nothing." I glare at him. "You should be explaining why you did it. How long have I been walking around campus with your scent on me, telling everybody you’ve got some claim over me? We didn’t agree on that."

"You sound offended that it’s me," he says.

"That’s not the point, Trey. You did it without asking me. Don’t change the subject."

"Yesterday." He rubs his nose. "You were moaning my name, and I just—"

"I’ve heard you." My face warms as I look away, because I know him well enough to stop that sentence before he leaves more details. Somehow, I’m the one getting embarrassed when he’s the one who owes me an explanation. "You’re so unbelievable."

"I’m keeping you safe," he says. "Other guys know you’re protected. They won’t come up and bother you."

"Right. Thanks so much for your help." A short, disbelieving laugh slips out, but he accepts the sarcasm.

"You’re welcome."

I scoff, though I guess having him look out for me is something I could get used to. Expecting him to be normal about it might be asking too much of him.