When Silver returned with Mara, it was almost dark. They both walked into the common room and Silver immediately flopped down on a sofa.
“It was your idea to enter every shop we saw.” Mara chuckled as she sat beside her.
“I haven’t exerted myself like this in a while. Every cell in me aches.” Silver bemoaned.
“Next time listen to me.” Mara said to her.
“You were right, we should have stopped at shop fifty six. Stop rubbing it in. Nobody likes know-it-alls.” Silver scoffed and Mara laughed.
“Why did you come with just that small bag? You knew that you were going to stay here for a while, right?”
“I already told you that my journey here was impromptu. I didn’t have time to pack. Besides, who doesn’t like new things? Be a sweetheart and help me carry all the bags up to my room please. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
“I already know what I want.” Mara said with a mischievous smile.
“Hold on a minute. Before anything else, what exactly do you want in exchange for your help?” Silver eyed her suspiciously.
“It’s too late for questions, the deal has already been sealed.” Mara said with a smirk as she stood.
“I am not letting you have my new boots, Mara.” Silver said, but Mara was already whistling and walking outside to get her shopping bags.
She made sure to visit only the most expensive stores. Hopefully, when Hayden saw how much she had spent, it would get a rise out of him. She had decided to make it her mission to annoy him as much as possible in any way she could.
“I would kill for a foot massage right now.” Silver sighed as she leaned back on the seat.
“Why kill when you can just ask?” The wolf that had been introduced as Derek said as he sauntered up to her.
“May I?” he asked as he sat beside her leg.
“As long as you know what you’re doing, knock yourself out.” she said with a shrug.
“You have the explicit honour of enjoying the service of the best masseur all the seven packs have to offer.” he said with a smile as he put her legs on his and began to take off her shoes.
“Less talking, Let your skills do the bragging.”
Hayden walked in just as Derek began to rub her bare feet.
“It feels good, doesn’t it?” Derek asked her.
“Mmmn… you know what you’re doing after all.” she said and he chuckled.
“What is going on here?” Hayden asked the both of them with a frown on his face. His wolf was going crazy with rage because a male wolf was near his mate. Especially since they both haven’t marked each other yet, which was his fault.
“What you’re seeing is exactly what is going on. I’m getting a foot massage.” Silver answered him with a bored look on her face.
“Don’t you have other more important duties to attend to?” Hayden asked Derek with a glare.
“I need to go up and organise my things anyway.” Silver said and moved her leg out of Derek’s grip.
“You can go ahead and do your more important things, Derek.” She put her shoes back on and stood.
“Here’s your card.” She stretched out her hand with the card.
Hayden made sure to avoid skin contact as he took it from her. Then he moved out of her way and gave her a wide berth, so she was free to go up. She rolled her eyes as she walked past him. He didn’t have to make it so obvious that he was avoiding her.
That was the only time she saw him for a few days, because before she would come down to eat breakfast, he had already had his and left. She usually ate her lunch alone in her room, because the dining hall was usually rowdy In the afternoons, and her wolf didn’t like it. She was still adjusting to being around so many people after years of being alone in a cell. During dinner, he made sure to come down after she had left the dining hall.
Silver wasn’t really concerned about Hayden’s behaviour, so she didn’t even try to talk to him, or even ask him why he was acting so standoffish. She spent most of her time alone in her room, or running in her wolf form in the forest catching prey, and exercising her wolf. Or with Mara, exploring the pack, sometimes she even talked with Derek, though they were usually busy with their pack duties.
**
“What are you doing here?” Beth asked with a scowl on her face as Silver walked into the indoor training area one early morning.
“Do I need a special invite to work out or train? Or is it that I need to take permission from you first? Because that is a very stupid question, I’m obviously here to do the same thing you’re doing.” Silver replied to her.
Hayden watched her walk past Beth to meet Derek who had a wide smile on his face, and he frowned. She didn’t usually join them, so why was she here today? And why was she getting so close to Derek all of a sudden?
He turned away from them to concentrate on the bag he had been using to throw punches.
“So you decided to come after all?” Derek said as Silver stopped in front of him.
“Why wouldn’t I come?” she asked.
.
“I thought you would chicken out.” he said with a smirk.
“You wish, Derek. I definitely won’t miss an opportunity to wipe the floor with your smug face.” she said as she crossed her arms.
“Don’t be so sure of that, Silver, I have no plans of losing.”
“Be prepared to lose anyway.” she said with a smirk.
“Can you both please explain to me what exactly this is about?” Mara asked as she joined them.
“We made a bet.” Derek replied to her.
“And I’m about to beat her ass.”