Red Ridge Pack 1 Pack of Lies by Sara Dailey, Staci Weber

tonight? I need to see you,” he asked.
    “What? Where?”
    “Can you sneak out? I can meet you down the street, and we can get off of the estate for a bit.”
    “What’s going on here, Cade?”
    The bell rang, and we both needed to get to class. He took my hands into his and pleaded, “Just say you’ll meet me. I’ll text you. Just be ready at around eleven. And ignore everything you see today. I’m not with Kendall. I’ll explain everything tonight. I promise.”
    And before I could respond, he kissed me. Hard on the lips, and then took off for the gym.
    ***
    After completely avoiding all things furry for the rest of the school day, I counted down the hours until it would be time to make my grand escape. Aiden never went to bed before midnight, so I decided it would be best to take my chances with the tree outside my window.
    Right past eleven, I received a cryptic message from Cade telling me where to meet him. I opened the window, said a prayer, and proceeded to make my way down, hoping that the wolf in me would somehow make me a pro at scaling my way down a tree. By the grace of God, I made it down in one piece and followed the dirt road not far from my house, as instructed. And just like he said, Cade was waiting for me next to a motorcycle.
    I could hardly contain the butterflies swarming in my stomach as I said, “So, where to?”
    Cade handed me his spare helmet and simply replied, “Hop on.”
    I ignored my conscience, screaming that this wasn’t a good idea, and instead wrapped my arms around him. Before I could decide otherwise, we were off into the night.
     

Chapter 21
    Cade
    There was no easy way to convince Allison to go along with my plan. All I could do was ask her. I headed toward a park that I knew of that wasn’t too far from the estate, but far enough away that we wouldn’t be seen. It was freezing, and I knew we wouldn’t be able to stay out too long, but the park had an enclosed gazebo-type thing that would at least keep the wind out.
    When we arrived, I parked my bike, and I took Allison’s hand. I led her over to a bench, just waiting for her to ask me what was going on. Surprisingly, she didn’t. Instead, we made it all the way there and sat down, but the look in her eyes told me that she was more than ready for an explanation.
    I sat facing her and finally decided to just say it. “Allison, I’m not sure how to say this. And I’m even less sure what you are going to think.”
    “Cade, just say it. Just say something. What is going on in that head of yours?”
    All I wanted to do was kiss the living daylights out of her, which made it even more difficult to figure out just how to tell her what I needed to say. “Okay, I told you before that things were complicated between Kendall and me. The thing is, things work differently within our pack. And it’s no secret that I will be alpha one day in the near future. And well, Kendall… Kendall is supposed to be the alpha-female. I know it sounds completely crazy, but Kendall and I have been together for a long time, and it’s just, I don’t know… expected that she will be my mate.”
    The semi-hopeful look on Allison’s face disappeared as she asked, “So, what are you telling me, Cade? I mean, if you are supposed to be with Kendall, then why are we sitting here now… together?”
    I moved a bit closer, took her hand, and slid my fingers between hers. “Because I want to be with you.”
    “Then be with me,” she said staring down at our intertwined hands.
    “It’s not that easy. Look, I talked to Kendall today and told her that I needed to take a break. I don’t want to be with her, but I need some time. My father and the pack elders will freak out if I break up with Kendall and start going out with you. I know it sounds nuts, but I can’t do that.”
    She pulled her hand away and my heart sank. She wasn’t going for it. Why did I think for one second that this could work?
    “I still have no idea what you are trying