Chapter Seven
1175 Words
I hear the front door open as Ryhes and I make our way down the front stairs. I push past him and skip the bottom two steps. Hunter drops his suitcases as I fling myself into his arms. Ryhes' parents never once judged me or anything that I did. They opened up their lives to me, even when I unknowingly made their son wait three years.
His deep chuckle vibrates through my body, "I missed you too flower."
I groan and pull away from him to cross my arms, "I thought I told you not to call me that."
"When was the last time I listened to you?"
I don't get a chance to answer because I'm pulled to the side and into Carly's arms, "He doesn't mean anything by it Summer."
Ryhes' mom pulls pack and she smiles at me, "He could pick something more bad ass."
"I think flower suits you," Hunter says pulling his oldest son in for a man hug.
"You have met her right?" Ryhes says pulling his mother away from me and into his own arms.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Careful son," Hunter says making his way back to the kitchen. "You just got her, I'd watch how you answer anything from now on."
I cross my arms and narrow my eyes at him. He lets his mother go and turns to face me, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish grin. "Don't tell me we have to be nice to each other all the time now."
I reach out and rest my hand on his cheek and smile when he nuzzles my palm, "Of course not, you'll always be my Alphahole."
He growls and a make a hasty retreat to the kitchen. I make my way to the coffee maker intent on getting the caffeine fix I always need in the morning but pause when a searing pain rips through my chest. I clutch the counter and bend over, breathing deeply.
"Summer?" Ryhes sounds worried so I must have made some sort of noise.
"You need to shift Ryhes."
He pulls me straight and looks at my face, "Why?"
"Dante is calling, if you're coming with me you need to shift. Now."
"What about the bond."
I clutch at my chest and groan, "It's still strong. You need to shift."
The kitchen flickers from color to gray twice before Ryhes shifts. I fall to my knees and pull the wolf towards me, gripping his fur harshly.
Seconds later I stand when the pain has finally ended, I keep one hand buried in Ryhes neck while looking out the window in the kitchen to the back yard where I see Dante in human form looking at the house.
"Is that a normal reaction to being called?" Ryhes voice bounces in my head.
I nod and make my way to the back door, "He doesn't do it often but since we don't have a real way of communication he has to have a way to get a hold of me. He's basically trying to pull into the Soul Plane without my permission."
I step out onto the porch but pause when Ryhes doesn't follow, "And you allow this?"
I can hear the growl and anger in his voice and I can also feel how much he doesn't like what I just revealed to him, but he'll have to get over it.
"Yes, we need to have a way to communicate when I ask for favors or when I am needed here."
I finally reach Dante, he ignores Ryhes' growl when he lifts my hand to his lips, "So good to see you Summer."
"I'm assuming you found something out?"
He drops my hand but doesn't step away, instead his stormy blue eyes hold mine. "Someone whom I trust has informed me that your lion was stowed away in the back of a black SUV. She fought, pretty well if what was said is to be true. They locked some sort of collar around her neck and that's how they were able to grab her so easily."
"She was alive?"
"As far as they could tell yes. They couldn't remember anything but the last four of the plates."
He repeats the four number twice and turns away from us, "I will keep an eye out for anything similar happening anywhere else."
"That won't be necessary, I don't really want to owe you anymore then I have to D."
He turns back to me and his eyes hold a bit of sadness, "I wasn't a great person when I was alive as you know Summer and oddly I care for you."
Ryhes bares his teeth and growls before taking a step forward. Dante chuckles and holds out his hands, "Not as you do wolf, you're the only one she can feel that with. All I mean was that Summer is a very good friend. One who I care for deeply and who makes being stuck in this plane just a little bit better each time she visits."
He looks back to me, "I will keep checking and if anything comes up I will call for you, but you will not owe me. You can finally be happy. Even if it is with a wolf."
Before Ryhes can react Dante has shifted back to his shadow form and slithers away from us and back into the trees.
"You're never coming back here again."
I roll my eyes and start back towards the house, "That's what you think."
"I'm serious Summer."
Ryhes has shifted back so his words are out loud, "Since when do I listen to you."
"Summer-"
I stop on the top step and spin around so we're eye to eye, "I'm telling you right now, I don't care how much you care for me or I care for you, you will not be telling me what to do. I don't care how jealous you are, or how much you don't like something. You are not the boss of me."
I don't give him a chance to respond, I spin back to the door and stomp my way into the kitchen. Hunter and Carly sit at the table, watching.
"I'm not trying to boss you around Summer, I don't like or trust that Shadow."
"I do."
"Well you shouldn't, something isn't right."
I press the button on the coffee and clutch the counter to help control some of the anger boiling inside my body, "I've known Dante longer then I've known you Ryhes, I have no reason not to trust him."
"I'm asking you not to go back there."
"And I'm telling you I'll go back if I want to."
"Right because Summer doesn't care about anyone but herself."
I spin on him and cross my arms, "That's not true."
His chuckle is humorless, "There's no point in fighting right, because Summer is always right."
"Son," Hunter warns.
Ryhes holds his hands out and backs away, "I have some calls to make."
Then he's gone and I'm thoroughly confused.
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