Spiral of Need (The Mercury Pack, #1)

by Suzanne Wright

Ally was the only one in the room projecting an outward calm . . . and that was just irritating them even more. How grand.

Then you stated, ‘I’m going to kill her!’ before running off.” Had Ally thought the words? Multiple times. Had she spoken them aloud? Not even once, because Ally didn’t bother with threats or warnings. She much preferred to challenge her foe, get the fight over with, and then go on about her day.

“Apologize to her? I’d rather exfoliate my skin with barbed wire and then dive into a pool of chlorine.”

“Anyway, there’s no need for me to be envious of her claim on you—I always give my used stuff to the needy and disadvantaged.”

“Would you like to see what I have?” Rachelle rose to her feet and approached her. “Is it infectious?” Ally asked dryly.

“Why would you want to wear something that I gave him? If there’s logic in that, it’s escaping me.” “Giving it to me proves that you no longer matter to him. That this chain no longer means anything to him. It’s proof of his devotion to me.” Nope, Ally still didn’t see the logic there. It was clear that this woman’s antenna didn’t pick up all the channels.

“I have to wonder if things could have been different if you hadn’t been deprived of oxygen at birth. Just a thought.”

“You’re just jealous. Admit it.” Oh, this was getting old. “Careful. You’re confusing she...

“You are, you’re jealous!” “Of what exactly? Your manipulative streak? Your distance from reality? The voices in your ...

“You can’t throw me out! I’m Beta female of this pack! I’m of superior rank!” “You’re also neurotic and have cancer of the soul. And I have better things to do with my time than listen to your shit.”

Watching as the blonde stomped outside, Ally called out, “Before you go, I was just wondering . . . do you like how I taste?” Rachelle’s eyes bugged, and her cheeks turned purple. “You bitch!” Laughing more than she’d laughed in a long time, Ally slammed the door shut.

“That’s because he’s mentally disturbed,” spat Nick. Shaya’s brow slowly slid up as she stared at her mate. “Then I’ll bet you and he get along quite well.”

And she didn’t like being surrounded by prejudice, but, hey, life was full of disappointments.

“Very noble, but I have a feeling my phone battery will last longer than your attempt at tolerance.”

The blonde’s eyes bulged in anger as she glared at Derren. “You can’t do that! She’s ours! Ally, do not get in that SUV!” Totally straight-faced, Ally replied, “Sorry, I don’t take orders unless I’m naked.”

Ally just blinked at her. Rachelle’s voice dropped a level as she growled, “You need to seriously rethink defying me.” “And guys need to stop shoving their hands down their pants to play with their balls in public.” Ally shook her head. “Some things will never change.”

“She’s all yours, Zeke. I can only pity you.”

“And this . . .” Shaya picked up the infant. “This is my baby girl, Willow.” Ally smiled at the pup. “Good Lord, aren’t you just adorable.”

Her voice hardened. “Let me assure you that if at any point I do decide to leave here, that’s exactly what I’ll do. But I won’t run. I’ll walk right on out of here while you watch.”

Kathy planted one hand on her hip as she glared down at Ally. “I’m a straight shooter, so I’ll tell you right now that I’m not convinced you didn’t try to kill your Beta female.” Ally shrugged. “That’s all right. I’m not convinced I care.”

“At least you have spine. But that won’t earn you any respect here. Not when you are what you are.” “You mean bored?”

Are you even listening to me?” Ally double-blinked. “I was. A little. But then I got distracted by the hairs on your chin.”

“I’m just making my point that I don’t trust Seers.” Ally smiled gently. “Admitting your problem is the first step to recovery.”

Bracken put down his fork. “Okay, I gotta ask . . . what’s it like having a sociopath for a mate?” “And now we’re done.” Shaya rose to her feet.

“Yeah, life will be so very hard and depressing without you . . . it will be almost the same as having you around.”

she sat upright. “I’m sorry for what happened to you—” “I don’t want pity,” he snapped. “Good, ’cause I’m not giving you any.”

Shaya gestured at the blond, seeming reluctant to introduce him. “This is another Phoenix enforcer, Dominic.” His grin widened. “Hi, I have big feet.”

The Phoenix enforcer was the image of innocence. “It’s just that she looks a lot like my next girlfriend.”

“Who I speak to is my business. Should I grab a ladder so you can step out of it?”

Ally smiled, leaning into Derren. “Once you’ve had a Seer, you’ll never go back.”

“No wonder Taryn likes you.” Wearing a superior look, Greta studied Ally from head to toe. “You’re just like her—common, disrespectful, slutty.” “They’re some of my best qualities.”

“It was either bring her here or watch her attempt to sneak away again. If she’d gone out alone, she could have been hurt or taken.” “They’d have brought her back within the hour,” mumbled Jaime. “She’d have made them crazy.”

So, either he has the IQ of a Cheerio or some kind of death wish. We’re not yet sure.”

“Hey, Ally, do you know the difference between a hamburger and a blow job?” At her frown, he asked, “No? Wanna have lunch sometime?” “Oh my God.” Dante shoved him into the vehicle before shooting an apologetic glance

“She hacked into my Twitter account again!” Eli was glaring at her as he continued explaining to Marcus. “She tweeted, ‘My jaw is killing me. I’m never wearing a ball gag again!’” The muffled laughs coming from his pack mates made his flush deepen. “I’ll get you back for this, Roni.”

Grief was such a complicated package of emotions. Anger, hopelessness, disbelief, regret, fear, guilt, loneliness—it

“You get to feel how you feel. You don’t get to offload those feelings on other people.” She ushered him away with her hands. “Shoo.” The male actually did.

To Rachelle’s credit, she quickly recovered from her surprise and continued with her act. “Ally, please be assured that that isn’t my intention. I do not want—and never have wanted—to turn anyone against you.” Ally scoffed. “Woman, don’t make me hit you with your own broom.

“I could never loathe someone who’s important to Zeke.” Ally smiled tauntingly. “Not even when I tell you I taught him that little thing you like?” Rage blasted out of Rachelle, hitting Ally’s head like a hammer.

“Is it my turn to talk utter bullshit yet?”

“She told me there was no way you would apologize, that you’re too envious and bitter,” continued Rachelle. “But I didn’t want to believe that.” “What a coincidence, I don’t believe it either.”

“Coming from a demented, poisonous, mind-numbing, substandard intelligence . . . that means absolutely jack shit.” Ally shrugged. “But, hey, if believing all that crap about me makes you feel good about yourself . . . well, all the power to you, I guess.”

“Don’t you see you’re so deluded and crazy that it goes totally beyond crazy and enters a completely new dimension of crazy?”

“Where are you, baby?” Pulled out of her thoughts by Derren’s voice, Ally blinked at him. “Woolgathering.” His expression called her a liar.

“Either you tell them or I tell them.” She gaped. “Thanks, Judas.”

“What? What are you staring at?” He sighed languorously. “You, before I wake up from this dream.”

“Hell, you must be tired . . . You’ve been running through my dreams all night.”

Derren tickled the little girl under her arm, making her release him with another chuckle. “She likes to see me in pain. She’s a sadist.” “My daughter is not a sadist.” Shaya took her daughter with a playful huff. “She shoved a breadstick up Greta’s nose.” “Because she senses evil.” Derren blinked. “I can’t argue with that.”

Tilting her head, Ally studied the woman from head to toe. “I guess Satan appears in all sorts of packages.”

“Now, now . . . Just because you’re so old the Three Wise Men helped you with your homework doesn’t mean you need to take it out on me.”