Oh Hell No

Chapter 5

Jamie fought the urge to argue with him. This wasn't her home; as far as she was concerned she no longer had a home. Fighting with him on this wouldn't bode well for the future though, but then again it wouldn't be good to let him get attached either. If he actually cared for her then he'd go searching a lot harder once she ran for it. Those of alpha descent don't tend to give up their mates easily.

Her wolf didn't see why she wanted to leave so bad, despite the fact that they shared a consciousness. Then again she cared a heck of a lot more about the whole mate thing then Jamie did, so much so that the human could imagine Artemis literally begging for his attention. It made her sick. She had never been a particularly dominating presence, but the idea of groveling at a man's feet just because some stupid bond pushes her to is revolting enough to prompt irritation while her wolf is a blushy mess. Well, she would be if they could blush. Simply imagining a wolf with a red face is just weird, that is unless you assume the red stuff is blood, that would be entirely believable given the territorial nature of werewolves.

Alpha Mason doesn't hesitate to step inside followed closely by everyone else, leaving Jamie little choice but to join them since Ryder has yet to let go of her hand. She suspected that she wouldn't be able to pull it free anyway, and blocking Braxton's path didn't seem like the best idea. He wouldn't get the chance to do anything, not without earning an angry lecture from Ryder. That didn't mean she was going to push her luck and annoy him further though. Angry wolves are either terrifying or annoying, and at the moment she doesn't want to find out which type he is.

There were a few people hanging around in the living room, most of whom were participating in a forced conversation. Their wolves were itching at the thought of a rogue being brought to the pack house so relaxing wasn't an option, not until they made sure that the invader wasn't a threat. And while Jamie's five foot six inches of height weren't unimpressive, she was far from dangerous if appearances were all that mattered. At least she doesn't have to worry about being attacked on sight, even if she hates the patronization that comes with being judged that way. Once noticed, the conversation dropped off abruptly, like a class would when the teacher starts yelling.

"Jamie," Mason gestures for her to follow him, completely ignoring the suspicious gazes his pack members sent her way.

She reluctantly followed him, deciding this conversation would be better than making friends with a bunch of angry wolves. He led her up to what she assumed was his office, if the piles of paperwork, desk, and abundant bookshelves were to be believed. It didn't escape either of their notices that Ryder had followed them up with a frown, still not a fan of the implications that his mate was anything but good and pure. He'd be damned if he let himself wait outside, not that he could do anything if he was alpha-ordered.

"If you're going to stay in here I suggest you take a seat," Mason tells him, glancing up pointedly, "I'd prefer it if my bookcases all survived this meeting."

He frowns and stays on his feet until Jamie sits down, choosing the seat next to her. This time she kept her arms crossed to discourage him from touching her. Getting distracted would be fairly inconvenient when she still had to prove her innocence. Getting attached would be even more troublesome. She wouldn't allow either to happen, and so she opted to ignore his presence entirely.

"Before you start I'm just going to get this all out of the way. My name is Jamie Evans, I was kicked out of my pack because I killed our newest member," Ryder looked at her, surprised. Apparently no one thought to tell him that his mate is a murderer, even through the mind-link, "My pack's ruling was that I did it out of paranoia and spite, but because my father is the beta they didn't kill me. I plan, or planned," She changed it to past tense for good measure, "To move a few states away in neutral territory."

"Why did your pack make that ruling?" Mason asked. He was staring at her like one might a puzzle, twirling a pen around in one hand. She would assume it was a nervous habit, except for the fact that he had nothing to be nervous about.

She shrugged, "I didn't have any evidence."

"Evidence of what?" His brow furrowed slightly, as if he was uncovering a side of the story that had yet to see the light of day. In a way, she supposed he was. No one had bothered to actually listen to her reasons, they just heard the accusations and saw a crazed girl that killed the newbie that everyone liked.

"Evidence that she was a traitorous bitch," She says bluntly. This was murder they were talking about, there was no time to beat around the bush, "She realized I was close to digging up some actual dirt on her and attacked; I was stronger."

"See? I knew my mate wouldn't kill someone without reason," Ryder piped up, sounding almost proud, "It's just like when we're forced to kill an insane rogue," Mason shrugs, and before he can comment further Ryder continues, "Now that it's settled I'd like to show my mate around. Surely any other questions you may have can wait?" He smiles brightly, poorly hiding the fact that he's incredibly tense. He clearly wants a chance to bond with her, what better way then to show her around her new home?

Mason isn't given a chance to respond before Ryder hops up and pulls Jamie out of the room. He sighs, smiling despite himself, "I better not have been that bad after meeting my own mate," He mutters, turning his attention to the mountain of paperwork he had yet to complete. 

A/N: Who believes Jamie? Who hates Mason? Most importantly, who thinks Ryder's gonna get his heart broken?