Chapter 10

*****

*Jayden*

I chuckled listening to Kaden, Izabella and Hayley argue about why Hayley should sit in the middle while Trent kept muttering for them to shut up.

Corey was beside me. Sleeping? I assumed he was because he had headphones on and hadn't moved in the past hour.

Trent was driving now while Sean sat in the passenger seat flipping through radio channels.

"Anyone's phone not dead?" He asked.

"It's a long ride, Sean," Kaden replied. By that he meant he didn't want his phone to be used for audio and to die. Because we left in such a hurry, no one had thought to bring a car charger.

Sean sighed giving up on the radio and turning it off.

"Hey, Jay. Why not make some music for us?" Hayley smiled. I shook my head.

"Come on! You've been writing since we left Inferno, even before that, let's hear it!" Izabella said.

"You're wasting your breath. He didn't even sing when we were in the Time Out corner, just let me be bored out of my mind for fifteen minutes." Kaden said.

"That was when we were six." I frowned at him. We kept getting minutes added to our initially five-minute time out because he kept annoying me and we ended up fighting.

"Yeah, and two weeks ago we were locked in the basement. What's the difference?" He asked.

Well... "Layla and Bentley were in the basement with us." I shrugged. Kaden rolled his eyes and I smirked. I win.

"I need a bed!" He suddenly whined.

"I need the bathroom!" I groaned.

"Trent, pull over before I kill him and he never gets to the ladies' room." Corey hissed, completely annoyed as he sat up pulling his headphones off. So he hadn't been asleep?

Alright, maybe I might have said it one too many times... Or ten, but I desperately needed the bathroom!

"Fine. We'll stay here. One night. How the hell are we supposed to make a three day trip to the Peaks when you guys stop as much as you can?! We're never going to get there!" Trent said as he stopped at a hotel.

"The stores are still open! Let's buy some proper food." Izabella got out of the car.

"Izzy, wait –" before Sean could even finish Hayley and Izabella were gone.

"You'll get used to it eventually, they do that a lot," Corey said.

"I doubt I will," Sean muttered. I hopped out of the car.

"Where are you going?" Corey followed me out.

"Uh... Bathroom..." I said.

"Alone? So you can get into trouble again?" He frowned.

"Lay off, Corey," Trent spoke up.

"Whatever, I'll get the rooms," Corey announced before walking away.

"I promise he's not always like this... He's actually a really cool person." Sean muttered.

"I know." I shrugged before I left to the bathroom. Obviously by the way Corey treated Hayley and Izabella – even Trent, Kaden and Sean – I knew he was a great person, just not to me.

-----

"Sean, I'm getting worried," Izabella mumbled shoving her phone onto the bed, she looked worried. Corey had booked two rooms, four beds each but right now we were all in one room. I glanced at the window feeling the pull I felt towards Corey strengthen slightly. It felt like he was nearby or already inside the building.

"I'm sure he's fine." Kaden frowned glancing at the clock, it was almost twelve.

"No, he's been pretty reckless with all his affairs lately. I'm almost certain he's drunk and passed out somewhere." Trent said.

"But Corey doesn't drink a lot," Kaden said.

"Which is why he can't handle it for shit." Trent shook his head.

"He's close..." I mumbled as I drove by Kaden on the screen. He let out a frustrated cry and I laughed. I could feel Corey's pull getting closer, until –

"Shh! Be quiet." That was Corey. I heard a light giggle and felt instantly sick as my stomach turned.

"I'm supposed to be working –" more giggling, "Stop it! It's ticklish!" I heard the girl laugh.

"That's the point." Corey chuckled slurring a little.

"He's drunk. I can't believe he really got drunk! He's going to have a hangover tomorrow when we have to leave and I swear I'm going to blast the music just so his head will hurt more." Izabella said.

"You're so evil." Trent grimaced.

"I like it." Sean smiled at his mate.

"If this is where you attack her, I suggest you move to the empty room next door." Hayley teased.

"Shut up." Sean and Izabella snapped, their cheeks reddening. We laughed but I stopped when I heard more giggling.

I was trying to hide how my heart was pounding so hard in my chest it made me want to throw up as my wolf whimpered in my head.

"Jay, you okay?" Kaden frowned.

"Fine. Tired." I lied.

He opened his mouth but then shut it deciding against speaking, I was quite grateful for that. I didn't want to be questioned about my feelings toward what was happening just outside our door. I was getting pretty close to breaking. Is that what he wanted? It hurt so much, I would see Sean doing anything possible to make Izabella happy while Corey absolutely hated me. I wasn't going to have they had. We weren't going to be like Alexis and Tyler, ever. He was never going to accept me. It wasn't fair.

"Isn't he with Sam?" Trent mumbled.

"It's not official... Jayden, are you –?" Hayley was saying.

"I'm cool, really. I uh... I'll go to bed." I got up and walked out hoping to escape everyone's pitying concern, which I found to be the worst thing I could do because as the door shut behind me I caught sight of Corey practically doing it in the hallway with one of the hotel restaurant waitresses. Okay, maybe I was exaggerating, they still had their clothes on... Well, most of it, Corey's shirt was on the floor beside them revealing his toned body. His Beta tattoo was spread on most of his left arm and then ran onto his chest.

I stepped back as they made out, feeling completely sick. I felt tears burning in my eyes at the image in front of me as it became harder to breathe. It wasn't fair... My mate couldn't be the one thing I got right?

I turned and walked down the hall away from them and our rooms. I was done. I couldn't take any more of it. I felt a little numb but kept walking. There was no chance I was staying in the hotel, I'd only end up crying in front of them and that would be the worst thing possible for me because I knew none of the others would be quiet about it and they would confront him and then he would throw some hurtful insult my way that explains how he just doesn't give a damn and that's why we're on this trip.

I sighed as I got outside and my phone began blaring loudly. I answered it without checking the screen assuming it was either my mother or Joe because no one else called me and my friends would have texted.

"Hello?" I cleared my throat.

"You better have a hell of a great explanation of where you've been, why you left without telling your mother or me – or anyone else in the pack, and are the rest of them with you? Izabella better be with you because Ian is pretty much going crazy." I was quite happy to hear from Joe, his voice was somewhat calming despite how pissed he sounded. Crap. We hadn't told them we left.

"Uh... Izabella's fine. We're all fine." I was very close to our Alpha, he was like a father to me.

"Great, now where the hell are you?" Maybe a little too much like a father...

"Uh, we're... Well... You see, we... We're... Uh..." I drifted not really too keen on telling him where we were headed because I knew he would not be happy about it.

"Jayden." He warned.

"On our way to the Apocalypse Peaks," I said quickly, hoping he wouldn't hear it and just drop it.

"Did he say what I heard? Are they crazy?!" That was definitely Ian.

"The Peaks?! Why the hell, Jayden?" Joe asked sounding outraged.

"I might have told them about it, though I had no idea Corey was serious." I heard Marcus.

"Serious about what?" Joe asked.

"Uh, I-I have to go –" I began, not wanting to listen as Marcus explained to Joe that Corey wanted our mates to be changed.

"Jayden, hang up and you're going to be grounded for literally the rest of your life." Well, he was going to ground me for leaving without his permission anyway so...

"Tell my mom I'm fine and I love her. See you in about four or five days, Alpha." I said.

"Jayden –" I hung up biting my lip and immediately turned my phone off knowing he was going to call back. I closed my eyes tightly giving a groan as I threw my head back.

Ah, crap... As if I'm not in enough shit already.

*****