Chapter 3

Jade

When I was positive Vex hadn’t followed me home, I pulled out the cash I earned tonight and swiped through the eight bills, still in awe that he gave me an extra three hundred dollars.

When I stepped onto the Crimson Hill Pack property, or, as I liked to call it, Hell ruled by Maddox, two border patrol guards eyed me. I stuffed the cash away and kept my gaze focused on the sunlight glinting between the monstrous trees ahead of me, giving Chaos Valley a reddish tint.

Maybe it was just earlier than I thought.

But something else just felt… off.

My body ached. Nonsensical thoughts about mates ran through my mind. I wanted to shift.

Instead, I stayed in control of my body and found myself hurrying up to Jain’s Bakery’s back door that I always forgot to lock. It wasn’t like I wanted to sneak in and grab a quick snack after my afternoon and nightly outings with Vex and his crew.

After flicking on the back light and illuminating the red and white walls, I walked to the front, pulled out two dirty hundred-dollar bills from the cash I earned tonight, and stuffed them into the donation box that Jain started to support the children in our pack.

Sometimes the money went to sick children, other times it went to kids that didn’t have much, or to pups who the pack loved so much they wanted to give them a bit extra. Last month, people donated to Carry, who was the beta’s son, just because.

Part of me hated that we had this stupid box because pack members only donated to the higher ranked and more popular members of this pack; and the less known, less cared about wolves got shit. But it did help some people.

I stared down at all the money in the container and smiled for the first time today. This month the donations went to Maddox’s daughter, Kylie, who had autism. She was the sweetest girl I had ever met. Because she was nothing like her father, I didn’t mind giving her something. As much as I hated Maddox, I couldn’t take my anger out on her.

A lesson that asshole should’ve learned.

And while I usually hated the donation box, I was glad so many people had donated to it already. People in this pack were ruthless and bullied people for nonsensical reasons—ahem, Maddox—but that wasn’t the case with Kylie. Part of me expected it because of her disability, but damn if that happened, I would rip the bullies’ faces off. Nobody deserved to go through that kind of pain every day.

The scent of thick, creamy goodness wafted out from the front display of desserts. I slipped behind the counter and grabbed a bear claw for the walk back home. It was only five minutes, but I needed a pick-me-up after seeing Vex.

Once I flicked off all the lights and locked the door, I walked out into the dark woods, red streaks still dancing in the air. I stuffed the dessert into my mouth, taking one big bite, and glared at the packhouse in the distance. Alpha Maddox’s silhouette moved inside one of the bedroom windows; broad shoulders, messy dark hair, and the side-profile of a god.

I crumbled the remainder of the bear claw in my fist and let it drop, suddenly sick to my stomach. Was it dramatic? Yes. But I fucking loathed that man for everything he had done to me, a woman nineteen years younger than him, all because of my father’s mistakes.

Deciding he wouldn’t get the best of me tonight, I forced myself to relax my fists, thought about how much extra money I made, and found my way to Jain’s cabin at the very edge of the forest. She stood inside, staring out her living room window, the red light reflecting off her glossy eyes.

“The Chaos is coming,” she said when I stepped into the room. “The moon is full, the forest red.”

“Is it?” I asked, not really caring but not wanting to offend the only woman who took me in after Mom died. I pulled out three hundred-dollar bills and handed them to her. “Here. This is for you. Rent money.”

Before she had time to react, I pulled my hand away and started for the kitchen. She cleared her throat. “Jade, you know that you don’t need to pay me. But where did you get this from? This is a lot of money to be walking around with.”

If I told her, she wouldn’t like the answer.

So, I pressed my lips together. “Do you want coffee?”

Jain shook her head, thinning silver hair swaying in her face, and pressed her wrinkled lips together. “You shouldn’t be hanging out with those kids anymore. It will get you killed one day or something much, much worse.”

But there was nothing worse than the hell I dealt with every single day Maddox was my alpha. Nothing could be worse than this. And if the Chaos did come tonight, I would shove my fist into his face, and blame the hectic energy around us.

He wouldn’t kick me out for that, would he?