Wolf's Call (Wolves Next Door #2) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,86

but would definitely bruise. Gabby was also favoring it a bit, making it clear that whatever had happened actually hurt. Olivia hovered beside her, looking worried, but Gabby just looked angry.

"Mason," she nearly growled. "He shoved me into an open locker door. The corner caught my pants as I tripped on it and fell."

"We were just walking to class," Olivia added, "when he pushed Gabby from behind. She tripped, I shoved him off, and then Roman and Xander stepped in. Mason kinda pushed them off, and then he just left, saying something about what we deserved for thinking we were too good for him."

"He's a jerk, Mom," Gabby insisted.

"How bad is it?" I asked, looking at her leg. "Do we need to take you to see Dr. Bridget?"

"No," she assured me. "I just needed new pants."

My eyes jumped over to Olivia, waiting to hear why she had skipped the last class of school. "And you?"

"Uh..." The girl swallowed. "Gabby's my best friend. I couldn't..."

Gabby chuckled once. "It's a wolf thing, Mom."

"It's an alpha thing," Olivia hissed. "You know it, we know it, and even Ian isn't telling us we're wrong."

I just lifted a hand, silencing Gabby before she could stop Olivia. "Explain that, young lady."

Olivia shifted her feet like she didn't want to, but I'd used my best version of the alpha voice, so she said, "Gabby's our alpha. Roman and me. We..." She paused, searching for her words. "That's why Roman bit her. She's his alpha so he had to."

"Liv!" Gabby snapped.

"She's the alpha," Olivia told her. "She asked, Gabby."

Gabby just groaned. "Roman's in enough trouble!"

"Enough!" I barked out the word, silencing them both. Then I looked at my daughter. "In case you missed it, I'm the one that's been letting him pick you up." Then I turned to Olivia. "What do you mean he had to bite her?"

The girl picked at her lip. "Um, just like when you say something. Wolf dominance, you know? We knew Gabby was special even before she turned. Roman and me, we were both drawn to her. It's what they say it's like to be betas, and I'm supposed to be a beta, but Roman? He should've been an alpha. He could be. He's right on the line, but he listens to Gabby. He's..." She grunted. "It's like..." This time, it was a huff. "I don't know how to say it, but it's the same way Ian's betas work for him. They feel a need to, Elena. They protect him because they can't help themselves - because they're pack."

"And she wasn't a wolf until Roman bit her," I pointed out.

"She was still our alpha," Olivia said. "The same way everyone knows that you're filling the role of Ashley's beta, even if you're not, you know, actually her beta. If Ashley honestly needs something, even if it's stupid, you'll do everything you can to make it happen, right? You kinda feel like you have to? Like it's your responsibility to take care of her because she's just that important to you? Well, Gabby needed to be a wolf, so Roman was able to disobey Ian to turn her. He had to. I have to. That's how pack dominance works."

Slowly, I looked over at Gabby. "You knew this?"

My daughter swallowed. "Um, kinda? The other kids were joking that I could probably order them around, but I thought it was just them picking on us. Mom, I didn't know he'd have to. I mean, it's not like they can't say no. They just don't wanna because of the way this wolf thing works. So, I guess I just thought Roman wanted to, because I wanted to be a wolf."

"Really?" Olivia snapped. "Even after he told you it was dangerous, you thought he just didn't care about the risks?"

"I didn't care," Gabby told her.

"Which was why he did it," she said, throwing up her hands in frustration. "He knew he was going to get in crap either way he went, and pissing off Ian seemed like a better option than pissing off you. That's what makes betas so loyal, Gabs. It's also why my mom said it was ok for me to bring you home - because I'd be snapping at everyone in school if I didn't."

"I didn't know that back then!" Gabby told her. "I do now."

I just stood back up and turned for my desk, pushing out a breath. I wasn't qualified for this. Raising a teenager was hard enough, but a werewolf? One who