Moon Phased: The Triple Claim novel Chapter 18

Chapter 13-2

“Chase Mitchell Ryder, language.” Their grandmother yelled out, scolding him. But unlike Chance, their grandmother’s authority didn’t seem to hold the same value to him, especially as he glared at me with daggering eyes, making me feel more than ever like I didn’t belong here.

“She’s with me. Do you have a problem with that?” Chance says, speaking up, coming to my rescue, as Jessica says under her breath, “You got to be kidding me.” While she rolls her eyes.

Feeling uncomfortable, knowing that my presence was causing issues with the family, I prepared myself to

stand, as I say, “I think it’s best if I go home now.”

But as I move to stand, their grandmother’s hand reaches over, touching my arm, as she says, “You will stay and finish your dinner, sweetheart. You have just as much right to be sitting at this dinner table as all

of us.” Before she turned to look at Jessica, glaring at her, as if she disliked her just as much as Chase’s

brothers did.

“We are going to my room then.” Chase announces as he grabs hold of Jessica’s arm, beginning to pull her

out of the dining room, with a smirk now on Jessica’s face, but Evan is quick to stop him by saying with an

authoritarian tone, “No. You will sit down with the rest of the family and eat dinner.” While a growl rumbled

from his chest, sending a shiver down my spine.

“It’s fine, babe.” Jessica now says to Chase, as she quickly moves to the table, taking a seat next to Cash,

as Chase moves to grab an extra chair against the wall, before slamming it down beside her, taking a seat

himself.

Their grandmother rose from her seat, disappearing into the kitchen for a moment, before she returned,

placing plates in front of them, while I sat there in silence with my head now down, wondering how the hell

I got myself into this situation in the first place.

As Chase begins to spoon potatoes onto his plate, his father says to him, “You missed helping me at the

ranch again tonight. I was counting on you to help me.”

“I don’t see why you need me when you have Chance and Cash to help you.”

“Maybe because I gave them the night off since they helped me all weekend, while you ran off doing Goddess knows what. If you want to take over this place when I am gone with your brothers then you need to be present now, putting in your share.” Evan says sternly to him, and I can feel the tension in the room heating up, especially when Chase slams his fist down on the table, making me jump in my seat, before he says to his father, “Did it ever occur to you that I don’t want this ranch or the responsibility of all this?”

Jessica quickly wrapped her arm around Chase’s as she said to him, “Oh babe, don’t say that. Don’t give up what is rightfully yours.”

Cash let out a huff, as he says under his breath, “Yeah, that would surely ruin your plans for yourself.”

Chase instantly turned to look at Cash, and it was clear by the look on his face that he had heard Cash

Chapter 1

too. “Well, at least I have a mate.” Chase said back to him, as if he thought it was going to hurt Cash’s feelings, but I knew by the look on Cash’s face he would rather be alone, than be with someone like

Jessica.

“Oh, is that what you are calling her now. Well, I can tell you that neither of us will accept her.” Chance says, chiming in, and I feel like an outsider being forced to watch this family hash out their issues.

Chw

But feeling like an outsider was short–lived when Jessica says, “But you will accept this thing that doesn’t even belong here with us. She wouldn’t even be here if her parents hadn’t died.”

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