In the Alpha’s Arms Novel

Stack Attack

Lita finished her drink in one swallow, Fuck it, she needed to rip off the band aid sunner or later, “I was in the car.”

“What car?”

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James‘ car… that night… when he died.” It was like all the s heartbeat. All she could hear was blood rushing to her head.

sounds around her went out the window, giving way to that pulsing heat of her

Are hid his surprise well but the pity was harder to mask. He hugged her and didn’t say a thing. Then they just stood there, watching the city move below them as the weight of her words kind of floated in the air around them.

Thanks,” she whispered as the noise around them slowly filtered back into her, “I didn’t realize how much I needed to just say it.” He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She wasn’t crying. The grief hadn’t come back to swallow her whole. She just existed. A girl who’d watched her brother die and lived. The memories didn’t have to kill her. But what about the guilt?

“It was my fault,” she blurted.

He started to say something but thought better of it, leaning further over the guardrail as he waited for her to continue. She hadn’t meant to ruin whatever fun they were having. She hadn’t meant to take her baggage wherever she went but there it was, the crux of her: her fucking guilt, her fucking misery. If no one had seen that bruise, her brother would still be alive, Lita just started talking, unsure of why or what her goal was but once she started she couldn’t stop.

“I had a boyfriend. Another wolf, though I didn’t know it at the time. James always hated him apparently but I was young. Still in high school actually and he was older, probably older than he should have been. But I didn’t see any of the signs for what they were, didn’t listen to any of the red flags.” Lita rubbed at her arm, grabbing his drink and downing that one too, “Anyway when James came back in town to visit, be heard about the bruise I was hiding on my ribs.”

She felt Ace flinch, beside her, instinctually wrapping an arm around her waist to run his hand along her ribs.

“When James saw it be flipped his shit, determined to beat the guy’s ass. And followed, trying to convince him not to. We were speeding down the highway, arguing about the whole thing. He didn’t see the car come over the divider until it was too late. And if he hadn’t been trying to do right by me, he wouldn’t be dead, you know. It’s my fault. I’m the reason we were even there.”

“No.” Ace finally spoke, turning her back to face him, “Just… no.”

He didn’t say more but he didn’t really have to. The force of his words said it all. Lita understood him perfectly, shaking her head as she studied the ground.

“Hey,” he pulled her face back up, I can tell what you’re thinking. Nothing’s ruined. It’s okay to be a little fucked up. Bad shit happened. Happens to us all. Do you want to go?”

“No! I–I was having fun before, you know, all this,” she shrugged apologetically

“And nothing’s ruined. C’mon, 11 take your mind off it. Let’s have more fun,” Ace set their drinks down and they retreated back into the main room, heading for the gambling tables.

“Two rum and cokes,” he called out to the wandering bartender. He made a motion to the tableman and the dice ended up in his hand, “Lita, blow on these for good luck okay? She rolled her eyes, laughing a little as she blew on the dice just befuce he tossed them.

“WINNER!” the tableman yelled as applause erupted,

“Well, shit, now you can’t stop,” Ace smiled, dimples on full display, “My little good luck charm.”

They stayed at the tables for a while, gambling and laughing. Lita threw back rum and cokes like they were going out of style. She saw Jax and Stace across the room, leaving nothing to the Imagination on the dance floor. They waved and sent her thumbs up. She absent–mindedly thumbed her phone, wondering when Cole was going to arrive. Her and Ace had been at the party for at least two hours and still nothing. And the drunker she got, the harder it was to find the line between an act and reality with Ace.

Her phone lit up at midnight but it wasn’t Cole. She stared at the message icon from Brian as if she were standing on the edge of a cliff and any

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Stack Attack

movement would send her over the edge. She hesitated to open it but her anxiety got the better of her. It was always better to know than to not know,

right?

I know where you arr, Lita, And who you’re with

That was it, all it took to send her mind spiraling away from her. Was he there? Was he going to find her? Take her back? Kill her? Those familiar feelings of dread filled her like they had never left, cold sweat breaking out over her brow. What was she going to do? What could she do?