Lila was pushed down the hall in a wheelchair to where Bryce and I waited. Her eyes were red-rimmed and puffy from crying. I took a deep, steadying breath. Rage was all I could feel.

“We put her into a walking cast, but I suggest she stay off her leg for tonight. She should feel much better tomorrow, but no shifting.” The doctor said, eyeing me. I bowed my head.

“Want a piggyback ride home?” I asked Lila. Her eyes lit up.

“YES!!” She screamed. Bryce and I chuckled. I knelt down in front of the wheelchair, and Bryce helped her climb onto my back. I waved to the doctor and headed out the door to go home.

“So Bryce, I am meeting with the Alpha tomorrow to go over my plans for Dominic’s birthday. My meeting is at 2 PM. Do you think we could make adjustments before then?” I asked while we walked through the town. He nodded.

“It shouldn’t be hard. Our Alpha doesn’t require much protection. He is a very skilled fighter.” Bryce said. I smiled.

“Great! I will skip training tomorrow so we can plan then.” I said with a small smile. The house came into view, and I almost hesitated. Father was going to be pissed that Lila got hurt.

“It wasn’t your fault. He will understand.” Lila said, sounding small. I blinked away some tears that were threatening to fall. I took the role of Beta to protect my family. It was a shame I failed them.

“I know, doll. I am just upset you got hurt. You know how much it means to me that you get to have fun.” I said, squeezing her legs.

Bryce pushed open the door. We could all hear my Father snoring up stairs. I snickered.

“I guess we can wait until tomorrow to tell him.” I whispered. Lila giggled. We both whispered good night to Bryce as I carried Lila to her room. I pushed open her door and set her down on her bed. She stretched out while I searched her closet for some pajamas. I found a night gown and helped her change.

“Good night, Lila. Please yell if you need anything.” I said, kissing her on the forehead. She smiled while burying herself in her blankets. I closed her door and headed to my room. Today was long and exhausting. I didn't even change before falling asleep on the bed.

I awoke to my alarm for training. I groaned and turned the nuisance off. I glanced outside and saw thunderclouds building up over the mountains. I sniffed the air and could smell the incoming rain. I always loved the smell of rain. It brought me great comfort.

I stepped out into the hall and saw Bryce pouring over my paperwork. My father was standing in the kitchen sipping coffee. I walked behind him.

“I hope you don’t mind Aria. Your father showed me your work folder when I mentioned our plans for the day.” Bryce said not even looking up. He was dressed in some jeans and a too big hoodie. My head cocked to the side when I noticed this. I shrugged and grabbed a cup out of the cupboard.

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“Dad, I need to tell you something.” I said while pouring coffee into the cup.

“I know about Lila. Don’t beat yourself up about it.” He said, giving me a hug. I was surprised.

“How?” I asked, confused. Dad gave a long look at Bryce. He finally looked up from the paperwork and gave me a smile. I took a deep breath and headed to the table to help him out.

“How did I do?” I asked while sipping my coffee. The liquid burned as it went down, causing me to take a deep breath. I froze. The smell from the other night invaded my nose. I dropped the coffee while staring at Bryce.

“Woah Aria!” Bryce yelled, jumping up. He grabbed the paperwork to avoid it getting ruined. The pain from the coffee dripping onto my legs is what startled me back to what I had done. I blinked and grabbed the cup. I stood to grab paper towels, but Father had already brought some over to me. I could see the questions in his eyes. I looked up at Bryce, who was staring at me.

“Sorry. I- I “ I couldn’t even think straight. My inner wolf was going crazy.

“What happened?” Lila said coming around the corner. Father took a sharp breath before going to her and wrapping her into a big hug. Bryce was still staring at me with a little bit of a smirk now. I scowled and looked at Lila.

“I just dropped my coffee. How did you sleep?” I asked. She yawned.

“I slept fine. I thought the casts would be more uncomfortable than they really were!” She said. She took a step into the dining room and looked around.

“Where is breakfast?” She asked. I laughed.

“I will get cooking, princess.” Father said. He made his way around the kitchen, pulling out pots and pans. I sat back down at the table with Bryce. The smell from him was intoxicating and a bit of a distraction. I fidgeted. Bryce pulled off the hoodie and tossed it on the couch in the living room. The smell went with it. I stared at it for a second before letting my eyes fall to the plan set out on the table.

Bryce and I finished, making adjustments to the guard schedule for Dominic's birthday. I stood up and stretched. I glanced down and realized I had coffee stains on my shirt and pants. I groaned. Bryce chuckled. Thunder crackled overhead, and rain started pattering against the roof. I grinned.

“I love the rain.” I said to Bryce. He grinned and nodded. He grabbed the hoodie off the couch. I gulped, staring at it.

“I am so glad my Alpha left his hoodie in my car. I didn’t have one in my go bag.” He said with a knowing smile. I nodded, lost in thought. Why did his Alpha smell so freaking good? Why did the smell set my wolf into a frenzy?

“You should probably change before you meet with the Alpha. You only have like 45 minutes before your meeting.” Bryce said matter-of-factly. I looked up at the clock and cursed. I ran past Bryce, ignoring the alluring smell coming from the hoodie.

I hopped into the shower and cleaned all the grime from my skin. I quickly shampooed my hair and conditioned it. I rinsed off and jumped out. I wrapped myself in a towel and darted across the hall into my room. I searched my closet for something clean to wear. I found some jeans and a light sweater. I brushed through my silver hair. I pulled it back into a ponytail. I darted out into the dining room and packed all our paperwork. I glanced out the window and groaned. It is really raining now. I did not want to ruin everything by getting wet while I walked to the Alphas office.

“I will give you a ride. I grabbed my car this morning before you woke up.” Bryce said from behind me. I jumped without smelling his approach. I nodded and turned to face him.

“Thank you!” I exclaimed. He grinned.

“Of course L-” He froze. He started coughing and gave me a smile. My eyebrows scrunched together, but I let it slide. I was anxious to meet with the Alpha.