A plate of roast with dark brown gravy and mixed vegetables is set in front of me. The savory aroma makes my stomach grumble, and I pick up my knife.
“It would be a far better occupation for my future little sister than kickboxing instructor,” Grant says through a guffaw.
This time I do drop my knife. It hits the plate with a loud clang. “I’m sorry…” I can’t help the sputter in my tone. “Your what?”
“Grant has been over-served.” Hayden’s tone is icy as he glares across the table at his brother.
Pushing away from my place, I’m on my feet ready to bolt.
“Sit down, Mercy.” It’s a direct order from my alpha sister, but I’m blind with rage.
“I’ve lost my appetite.” The trembling in my muscles has reached my throat, and I need to get the fuck out of here. I need to strip off this dress, shift, and run hard, deep into the surrounding forest until I can breathe again.
“I said, Sit. Down.” She rises to her feet, and I can’t disobey her.
Still trembling, I pull the chair out and force myself to sit. The trembling doesn’t stop, and my hands are clenched tightly in my lap. I won’t even look at Hayden. I want him gone.
Thankfully, he stands, placing his napkin beside his plate.“If you’ll excuse me, Dylan. ladies. Grant and I have an urgent matter needing our attention. Grant?”
His hard voice slices through the air. I’ve never heard him speak this way, but I don’t care. I never want to see him again. I’ll give him credit for picking up on that much of what’s happening here tonight.
“Hayden…” Dylan’s voice by contrast is pure honey. “Must you go? We hardly even began dinner!”
“Forgive me, but we must.”
It’s only then I notice Grant wobbling slightly. I have no idea how long he was here before Hayden and I arrived from the gym. Clearly he’d had more than one pre-dinner cocktail, not that I give a shit. He spilled the beans. Now I know what they’ve all been plotting these last few years.
Dylan rises to see them out, leaving Aunt Penny and me alone together. I’m staring at the plate in front of me trying to find control.
“He’s not such a bad fellow,” she says quietly, fingering the base of her wine glass. “Some women find him very attractive.”
My blue eyes snap to hers. “He’s not one of us.”
She doesn’t answer right away. She doesn’t have time before Dylan strides quickly into the dining room, eyes blazing.
“How dare you!” My inner lynx flinches in response to her tone. She’s still my alpha, even if I’m pissed.
“How dare I what?” I growl.
“Hayden Cross is the most eligible bachelor in this town, and he’s taken an interest in you. Not that you do anything to deserve it.”
She paces the room, her dark brown hair fanning around her slim shoulders. She’s wearing a long, sheer wrap in a blue that makes her eyes glow. She’s a beautiful woman, but she’s so hard. The fact that we’ve never been close makes it easier for me to fight her.
Standing, I walk to where she’s stopped beside her chair, pinching the bridge of her nose.
“I don’t want to stay here, Dylan. I want to move to San Francisco. I want to be an artist and have my own studio.”
“Enough, Mercy! I’ve clearly overlooked your eccentric behavior too long. It stops NOW!”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
Her hand slams down at her side, and her eyes drill into mine, making me cower slightly. “No more art classes with the townies, no more riding the bus. No more hanging out at that fucking gym—”
“NO!” I shout back at her.
SLAP! I stumble back from the force of her blow, and my arm hits the portable wet bar, causing the glass bottles to clatter against each other. I blink trying to regain my focus, and through the ringing in my ears, I hear Penny’s quiet whimpering.
Dylan faces me with both hands on her hips, her feet are spread in an aggressive stance, and her chest rises and falls rapidly.