The Wolf in Sheep's Skin

Chapter 32

I left soon after that, unable to delay the inevitable. My hands tightened around the steering wheel. I pulled into the driveway, and I took deep breaths as we headed up to the house.

Calm, cool, and collected, Gwen. We’re going to talk. That’s it.

I went inside and it was quiet. Mom was in the kitchen doing dishes, and Dad was upstairs putting the kids to bed. Bridget and Erik were in their room; Ava and Henry were already asleep.

Get it over with. Like a bandaid.

I went over to their door and softly knocked. It creaked open, and Erik stood in the doorway. He frowned and tilted his head with a worried look.

“What’s up?” He whispered.

“I need to talk to Bridget.”

“To put her in her place.” Lilith said. She was excited, chipper at the thought. I tensed and frowned. No. To talk to her.

He gave me an odd look and moved to the side. She was sitting on a chair in their room, with her back to me.

“I’m busy.” She scoffed.

“Not too busy to talk sh*t.” Lilith quipped. Go away! I tried to shove her down.

“It’s about what you said to Olivia.”

She turned to me and gave me a sly smile.

“You really want to do this?” She squinted at me, looking me up and down. My skin crawled, and I kept myself rooted to the ground so I wouldn’t drag her outside. I glanced at Erik. His face fell and his eyes were wide.

“Come on, Bridget.” Erik said.

She stood and rolled her eyes. I moved out of the way, and Erik and Bridget came through the door. We went to the front door, and Bridget opened it.

“What’s going on?” My mom’s voice was tight, and she was rigid. She gripped a towel and a plate in her hand, like she’d been drying it.

“Gwen wants to talk,” Bridget mocked and went ahead of us. Mom gave me an uneasy look. I tried smiling at her to reassure her. But it was flat and pressed on. Her face fell, and she put down the plate, and hurried towards the stairs. The three of us went out into the front yard. Bridget stopped in between cars and turned to me.

Erik stopped near me, between me and Bridget. Bridget was in front of me, with her arms crossed and her weight on one leg with her hip sticking out.

“Go on, then. Get it out.” She waved her hand.

“Make her bow to us! Beg for forgiveness!” Lilith squirmed, trying to get control. No. We’re just talking.

I took a deep breath, shoving her down.

“Olivia talked to me last night. At the party. She was livid and said some awful stuff. I know I asked you to talk to her about the shop, but did she make you say something else?” I chewed my lip and crossed my arms, holding myself.

“She didn’t make me say anything.” She shrugged.

“Did you talk to her about the shop? Maybe she misunderstood? She-“

“Oh, I talked to her about the shop.” Bridget scoffed, and I tensed. She curled her lip at me in disgust. “You didn’t ask me to say something good.” She tilted her head and Erik's eyes burned on my skin as he watched me.

“What? You talked sh*t about the shop to her?” I blinked at her, and my shoulders dropped. Why? I thought we were friends.

“Pack stuff is my thing. What makes you think you can take that from me?” Bridget scowled at me, and I shook my head. Hatred was all over her face. I made a choking sound, trying to force words out of my mouth.

“Pack stuff is for everyone. I’m not trying to take it from you, I didn’t realize it was so important to you.” I shrugged, trying to rack my brain for some kind of explanation for what was happening.

“You don’t need to go, you have a store.” She curled her lips at me.

“I was trying to get Olivia to stop sabotaging my store!” I shouted and clenched my hands at my side.

“Olivia isn’t sabotaging anything, your cr*ppy store is failing on its own!” Bridget snarled. I recoiled and rage flared in my chest.

“What are you talking about? She came in and made everyone leave! People told me she said not to go into my store. She’s literally sabotaging it!” I took a step closer, and Erik moved between us.

“Woah, let’s just calm down a bit.” Erik stepped between us, putting his hands out. He gave both of us wary looks.

“Olivia is just calling your store for what it is!” Bridget took a step closer.

“So what, you went around and said my store is sh*t? That my dresses are sh*t? Are you trying to get the shop closed down?” I growled, the sound vibrating through my chest. I squeezed my fists so tight they could’ve bled.

“I don’t give a sh*t about your shop! It could burn to ground for all I care!” Bridget shouted so loud her face turned red, and veins stuck out on her neck.

Time froze. I could’ve leapt over Erik and wrung her neck. Squeezed the life out her, listening to her choking sounds.

Erik turned to her shouting. Words I couldn’t hear. Stay calm. We’re only talking. No fighting.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. My racing heart slowed, and I opened my eyes.

“Take it back, Bridget!” Erik shouted at her, flailing his hands in the air.

“I’m your mate, you should be on my side!” Bridget screamed and recoiled away from him.

“There’s no sides! We’re all a family.” Erik said and dropped his hands to his side. The front door swung open, and my dad stepped down the stairs. We exchanged a look, and he gave me a worried look.

I nodded to him, letting him know I was in control. Then we both focused on Bridget and Erik as they fought. I didn’t mean for this to end up a fight between the two of them.

“Yeah! One giant, huge, loud family! There’s no room here! You and I are a family; there isn’t enough space here for me!” She shouted at him. “There’s all these obnoxious kids running around, bumping into everything, waking up Ava!”

“I’ve taken you to see more than twenty houses! What more do you want me to do? You don’t like any of them!” He yelled. His fists were tight at his side and the muscles in his neck stuck out.

“None of them are good enough! Olivia said we deserve a good house, the perfect house!” Bridget said. What does Olivia have to do with this? I blinked, watching her as she shouted.

“Theres no such thing as the perfect house! We have to fix it up, make it our own.” Erik said, his voice raising.

“We make plenty enough money to get a perfect house.” Bridget screamed, getting closer to Erik.

“We? This isn’t a we discussion, you’ve decided this all on your own! You’ve made it clear we aren’t a team! You’re just being selfish!” Eric screamed, leaning towards her with his fists balled up at his sides.

She recoiled and gasped. Her eyes were big, and she stepped back. Erik covered his face and groaned. He ran his hand through his hair and his cheeks puffed out as he sighed.

“I’m sorry. I know it’s stressful staying here. I’m trying, alright?” He softened, dropping his shoulders.

“You’re not trying hard enough! You’re on her side! All of you are, everyone just adores Gwen!” She pointed at me, her face turning red.

“What’re you talking about? I’m barely here! I’ve been at the shop, working every day.” I motioned to myself.

“That’s enough. Everyone needs to calm down.” My dad stepped closer, next to me. “Maybe the house is getting a little crowded, huh? Why don’t I pay for you two to have some time away, stay in a nice hotel?”

“You’re going to kick us out?” Bridget gasped.

“No. I meant for a vacation.” My dad put his hands out, like he was trying to soothe a raging animal.

“This is what I’m talking about! Gwen lives here too; kick her out! She has a*****e, this big whole family at her beck and call, and now she gets to be high rank in the pack too?” She snarled and pointed at me. “You can’t have everything!”

“Me? You have a mate! Kids! What else is there to want?” I snapped.

“Olivia was right about you! Sleeping around, trying to get higher rank! Thinking you’re better than everyone else! Well, you’re not! You’re just a submissive wolf!” She pointed at me, spit flying.

“You’re seriously friends with Olivia? You’re going to let her get in-between you and your mate? Your family? We’re your family Bridget.” I said, softening my voice. She looked so hurt, so betrayed. What did Olivia say to her?

“Don’t talk to me like you know me! All of you just cast me aside! Like I’m not important, not part of the family!”

“Bridget, that isn’t true! We love you, we’re happy to have you. You and the kids, we love that you moved here with us.” My dad said, pain spread across his face. I could hear his heart ache through his voice.

“You don’t even know what she’s doing. Going around with that man. He m*rderer’s people, Olivia said so, and Gwen knew it! She let him come here to the barbeque, knowing how dangerous he is!” She put her hands at her side, leaning in, shouting at me.

“Jay protects the pack from criminals! He isn’t a m*rderer!” I snarled before I could think.

“Punch her teeth out!” Lilith shouted, and my chest burned, sending fire to my fingertips.

“I knew who Jay was when he came! And all old wolves have had to do things to protect themselves! My dad did; do you feel that way about him?” Erik shouted. My dad came closer. My skin crawled, and I shook, all my muscles tense.

“I won’t have him here again! He can’t be near my kids; I don’t trust him. Olivia said he likes doing it! If he likes hurting people, what’ll stop him from hurting our kids?” Bridget screamed.

Time froze, and my heart raced. All my control snapped. I lurched forward, reaching for her throat. Arms wrapped around me, and I snarled, screaming. I was squeezed so tight I could barely breathe. My arms ached, like they’d snap in their hold.

“Control yourself!” My dad shouted. He lifted me off the ground and slammed me onto the roof of a car. It crumpled underneath me, the windshield shattering. “Get inside, both of you!” He shouted.

I screamed and thrashed around. I craved to feel her throat between my hands. To hear her gasp for air, to watch her skin turn black with bruises.

“Calm down! Fight it, Gwen!” His scream was a whisper. My mind was hazy, and nothing made sense.

Lilith struggled against me, fighting for control. Rage filled my mind, and everything went in and out of darkness. My skin was on fire. I craved to claw at it, to scratch it off.

“Stop!” I cried out, gasping for air. My bones ached. All his weight was on me, pinning me against the top of the car. Crushing pain went through me. Lilith fought me, and my heart pounded against my chest.

Don’t pass out! My eyes darted looking around, but I couldn’t focus on anything.

“Give up!” Lilith screamed in my head. She shoved me down, like I was being plunged under water. I gasped for air. My heart was in a vice, racing so fast I worried it’d pop.

Images of my hands around Bridget’s neck popped into my head. Her eyes rolling back. Her skin turning black with bruises. Blood running down my hands. The sound of her gasping for air filled my head. I squeezed my eyes shut, but the images didn’t go away.

“No! You can’t!” I screamed.

“Control yourself, Gwen! Deep breaths!” My dad’s shout was a whisper, tugging at the back of my mind.

“I told you to put her in her place! You refused! I’ll do it for you.” Lilith growled. I plunged into darkness. I clawed at the inner depths of my mind, reaching for something, anything.

She held me down with a lock-tight grip. The darkness was suffocating. My mind raced, frantic.

“Let me go!” I screamed, begging, struggling to get out of her grasp.

I crashed to the ground; the air leaving my lungs. I stared up at the night sky, staring twinkling above me.

I gasped for breath, scrambling to sit up. My dad backed away from me, terror spread across his face.

My bones snapped, realigning. My skin tore, growing back with fur. My body ached, pain coursing through me. Soon I was on all four.

Everything faded and I blacked out.

Lilith

“Go on! We’ll fight all night; I’m not letting you get to her!” The man yelled. He swung his arms out, almost touching me. Memories of pain radiated through me. We’d fought before. He spoke the truth.

I flattened my ears to my head and let out a deep growl, showing off my teeth.

She’ll learn her place!

“Don’t start that! You can be mad, but you can’t hurt her for it!” He took a step closer, and I snarled.

Our eyes met. He smelt like fear. It was in his eyes. But he was determined. As always.

She threatened mate. Said he’d hurt children. My soul ached at the thought.

She’ll learn not to speak of him.

I moved to go around him, but he stepped in my way.

“Don’t make me shift!” He growled, and I snarled in response.

Wind blew, ruffling my fur. A scent hit my nose and my ears perked up.

Mate.

I turned and ran into the woods.