Crescent

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

I laugh at whatever Ryker just said, placing my hand on his chest as we both break down in giggles. I lean into him, not for his presence, but for the small roll between his fingers. Ryker notices and, like always, gives me exactly what I want. He brings the object to his lips, taking a deep drag before leaning over to me and breathing the smoke into me. I inhale gratefully, but tug the stick from his fingers to take my own puff.

"Get a room," Sawyer pipes up. "And share the weed, for fuck's sake."

I laugh, separating from Ryker and moving over to Sawyer to blow smoke in his face. "You don't really mind," I singsong.

Sawyer grumbles, but doesn't protest as he takes the paper from my hand into his.

Once Chris started supplying me, I would meet him at the hangout to exchange. Eventually, I made friends with the guys and would stick around to visit with them as we pass the time smoking. He still supplies me with the pills and I use those when the guys aren't around to let me bum off their weed.

It was difficult to convince Chris to start dealing to me. At the beginning of that first day without the dissolving pills, I wanted to give up. Then, I remembered the antidepressants in my drawer and took all the ones that had accumulated. I felt zoned the rest of the day, but I showered and spent all day with L and them downstairs, so Chris had to give in.

Now, my group consists of Ryker, Sawyer, Maverick, and Blake. I see my old group in passing, but we don't really hang out anymore, and even though I still share a suite with Alexander, he's always out of town doing 'alpha things.' Who cares? These guys actually like me and want to hang out with me, at least.

"There's a party tonight," Blake says from behind Sawyer's smoke. She's tall, beautiful, and tan. We're about the same age, so she and I hang out a lot without the guys, too. Blake was the first member of the LGBTQ community to come out to the pack and dropped rank because of it. She used to be one of the best warriors, but after everyone started to look down on her, she migrated to this group. "Where are we crashing?" She adjusts the bun on her head, making sure all the brown locks are in place.

"Crashing?" I question.

Maverick laughs mischievously. "Every time there's a party, we find a random bedroom to take over as our own for the night. We've really pissed some people off in the past. It's, like, our tradition."

I pop a pill, something I never do around the group, but I'm getting more comfortable with them - and possibly more reliant on the pills, too. "Every crashed in the Alpha suite?" I question with a dopey smile. I'm not sure why I asked, or if I'm actually offering, but my inhibitions are cut and I don't care.

"Hell no," Sawyer spits. "We aren't looking to be murdered."

"Relax," I hum, taking to joint from him and moving on to Blake. I shotgun her with a large puff of smoke. "I stay in a spare room up there. I can get us in. Maybe we can't go in his bedroom, but we can go in mine. Plus, there's a sweet kitchen, living, and movie room set up. You guys can leave before he gets back, too."

Blake breathes in deeply, her mossy eyes locking with mine as she smiles. "I'm down," she says with a smirk.

"Always the trouble maker," I hum near her ear.

"You know it, baby."

Maverick gives in quickly, and Ryker follows. The only one left is Sawyer. "Stop being a hard ass," I tell him. "Who's gonna tell? Who's gonna find out? No one. We can do whatever we want." I spread my arms out wide and smile.