Page 52 of Brutal Reign
I sit up straighter, pulse taking off at a gallop. “Well, what was it?”
“I think…” he trails off, swiping a hand over his chin as his eyes ping back over to the fire. “I think she wanted me to kiss her.”
I jerk in disbelief, choking on my own spit so hard that I launch into a coughing fit and have to pound a fist against my chest to catch my breath.
“I didn’t do it!” Ace rushes out, his wide-eyed gaze returning to mine as I manage to stop sputtering and fucking compose myself. “I mean, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about doing it, though. I know it’s weird since she’s our friend and all, but… River’s hot, dude. Like, really fuckin’ hot.”
“You think I haven’t noticed?” I growl.
He flinches back, blinking at me. “But I thought you were into Cassy?”
“Well yeah, sure, Cass is hot, too,” I say, watching a bead of condensation slide down the side of my beer can. “But like, just as a hookup. River’s different. She’s girlfriend material.”
Ace chews on the inside of his cheek as he studies me for a moment. “You like her,” he murmurs, and though it isn’t a question, I jerk a nod anyways. “I do, too.”
I don’t know how to respond to that, so I pick up my beer, bringing it to my mouth and tipping it back. The carbonation scalds my throat as I chug the entire fucking thing, then crush the can between my hands and throw it onto the fire before reaching down between us for another.
“Would you have been pissed if I kissed her today?” Ace asks carefully, still watching me like a hawk.
I cut him a glare as I pop the tab on my fresh beer. “Fuck yeah I would’ve been pissed.”
He huffs out a breath, stabbing his fingers through his hair. “So, what do you expect me to do, just step aside so you can have her?” he scoffs, immediately shaking his head. “No, I’m not doing that, bro. I’ll defer to you on a whole lot of shit, but not this. Not her.”
“Well I’m not just gonna sit back and watch you take my girl,” I snarl, my inner wolf pushing forward.
“She’s not your girl, I’m the one she tried to kiss today,” Ace snaps. It’s rare that he loses his cool, but that’s exactly what’s happening right now, his wolf making himself known in his irises.
“Fuck you,” I spit, shoving up from my chair. I sling my full can of beer toward the trees and it hits a trunk with a satisfying thwack, white foam splashing over the bark. Seething with anger, I whip back around to face my best friend, pointing a finger in his direction. “If you get with her, we’re done,” I threaten. “I’ll find a new fucking Beta.”
Ace pushes up to his feet with a growl. “Yeah? Well if you get with her, then you’ll be in the market for a new one anyways, dickhead.”
We both stare each other down for a solid minute, neither one of us backing off. Ace and I never fight like this. Sure, we argue at times, but I can’t remember a time we’ve ever been at each other’s throats quite like we are right now. I’ve never wanted to hit him before.
I watch as the tension slowly eases from Ace’s shoulders, his angry scowl fading. “Damnit, what are we doing?” he groans, dropping back into his chair and scrubbing his hands over his face. “Are we really gonna stop being friends just because we like the same girl?”
I blow out a breath, shaking my head. “This is fucked.”
“Yeah it is,” he murmurs in agreement.
My shoes scuff against the ground as I move back over to my own chair, dragging my feet the whole way. As I fall backwards onto the seat, Ace reaches down for the six-pack, pulling another can off the plastic ring and handing it over to me. The corner of my mouth lifts in gratitude as I take it, a silent understanding passing between us before I pop the top and take a long sip.
Ace sips his own beer as the two of us stare into the fire, both lost in our own heads as we watch the flames dance around the logs. The minutes stretch on while we sit together in silence. I’m at a loss for where to go from here.
Maybe I should just let Ace have this one. Problem is, the moment that thought enters my head I have a visceral reaction, my fists clenching and gut twisting. This isn’t only about me anymore– my wolf wants her, too. He’s so firmly integrated at this point that my deepest desires are reflected in his own, and if I resolve to bow out, he’ll fight me every step of the way.
I couldn’t do it even if I tried. It’d fucking destroy me. Because as much as I love Ace, I love her, too.
“So, what are we gonna do?” I ask, finally daring to break the silence.
He blows out a shallow breath. “Well, we could both date her…”
“Yeah right,” I snort.
Ace looks over at me, tilting his head in contemplation. “Why not? We do everything together anyways.” He shrugs. “Kinda makes sense when you think about it.”
“But she’d have to choose at some point, and then we’d wind up hating each other even more,” I murmur.
“Right,” he sighs, shoulders slumping as understanding dawns. “We could both date her, but we couldn’t both mate her.”