Like she’d ever believe that. Her voice harder, she repeated, “I’m not planning to return.”

“You don’t belong here, Ally,” Zeke stated. “You belong with us, your pack.”

“Like she already told you repeatedly,” began Derren, his voice close to a growl, “she’s not part of your pack anymore.”

Clenching his fists, Zeke narrowed his eyes at Ally. “I don’t know what Derren’s told you, Ally. I don’t know if he’s filled your head with crap about letting you join his pack. But he told Matt that your stay here would be temporary.”

“It will be,” confirmed Ally, “but then I’ll be joining another pack.” Her wolf snapped her teeth at that comment—her frustration was directed at Ally this time. The animal didn’t want to be anywhere but there with Derren.

Rachelle took Ally’s hand in hers, looking appropriately hurt when Ally immediately snatched it back. “Ally, please reconsider leaving the Collingwood Pack. I know you and I didn’t get off to a great start. You despised me on sight. But that’s hardly surprising, given the way your world fell apart when Zeke left you. It had to have been so hard for your wolf too.”

Currently, Ally’s wolf was flexing her claws, wanting to take a swipe at Rachelle. The Beta female looked and sounded so understanding and mature—nothing in her expression gave away the hatred that flowed from her and sliced at Ally’s skin like a steel blade.

“Admittedly, I wasn’t comfortable being around someone who had been in a serious relationship with my mate. My wolf certainly didn’t like it.” Rachelle raised her hands as she added, “I can hold my hands up and be honest here: I wasn’t the nicest person to you in the beginning. Betas have responsibilities to their pack mates, and I wasn’t there for you like a Beta female should have been. It was petty of me to disregard you that way, and I apologize for that.”

“I owe you an apology too,” said Zeke. “I knew you were hurting when I claimed Rachelle, but I didn’t check up on you. As Beta, your well-being was my responsibility, and I neglected it. Maybe if I hadn’t, things would have been different.”

Rachelle nodded. “Zeke and I are partly to blame for everything. I don’t think that things would ever have escalated the way they did if we had just been there for you.” Her eyes actually got all teary. She blinked away the tears and sniffed. “I just feel so bad about it. That petty, mean, inattentive person—that’s not me, and I’m ashamed of how low I stooped.”

God, the woman was good. Zeke and Matt totally bought it. And Ally began to seriously panic that just maybe the rest of the room would buy it too. Rachelle had certainly been able to fool everyone else. Ally honestly wouldn’t blame the Mercury wolves for falling for Rachelle’s act. Her wolf would, though. Too elemental in her way of thinking, her wolf wouldn’t account for all the complications in this situation. If the Mercury Pack believed Rachelle, she’d see it as yet another betrayal.

Rachelle gave Ally a pleading look. “I want to know if we can please put the past behind us. I understand why you did the things you did to me, I do. I can only imagine how it must have felt for you to lose Zeke and watch him claim me. Not that I’m saying it excuses that you attacked me, of course, but—”

Ally had had enough. “Shock me, Rachelle; say something true.” That had the crazy heifer gaping. “We both know why you’re really here,” Ally added calmly. “You’re trying to turn this pack against me too. You’re trying to isolate me again.” She tilted her head. “Not getting bored with this at all?”

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. Just cut the crap, be a big girl, and give me some honesty.” Show everyone the real Rachelle. “You loathe me.”

Anger flared in Rachelle’s eyes for the briefest moment. “That’s not true.”

“You’re sure about that?”

“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. Ho, ho, ho—taunting her was working. And Ally’s wolf fully approved.

“That was immature and uncalled for, Ally. I’m doing my best to mend things here. I’m taking responsibility for my part in how awful things became for you.” Rachelle was still saying all the right things, but she wasn’t sounding so convincing anymore—not when her voice quavered, her face had hardened, and her eyes blazed. “Can we not try and get past all this? Can we not start again? That’s all I want: to fix this, to make it right, and to do better by you this time around.”

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

Zeke put a calming hand on Rachelle’s arm, so presumably he could sense his mate’s anger growing and bubbling just as Ally did. “We don’t want to argue with you, Ally. We just want—”

“You know, Ally,” interrupted Rachelle, “Mia told me that this would be pointless.”

Oh, Rachelle was playing ball now. Why else would she point out the betrayal of Mia, a female wolf who had once been a close friend of Ally’s? Zeke and Ally had often gone on double dates with Mia and her mate. Needless to say, when Rachelle joined the pack, the Beta female took Ally’s place on those dates. She had also taken her place as Mia’s friend, and it had hurt to be so utterly ditched that way.