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“She was quiet,” Lyn answers softly. “And she and Isolde were close for an omega and a beta. Especially in those days, that kind of friendship wasn’t normal. I didn’t realize she’d had a baby … or died.”
“What about my father?” I press. “Do you know who he is?”
“No,” she clips out, immediately shifting her eyes toward her daughter.
Before anyone can say anything else, we hear the front door opening and the sound of Stella and Elizabeth arguing in the living room. Dread soaks through me, and I groan.
Lyn immediately jumps into action. “You have a choice to make, Hetty,” she says quickly. “Noah’s your fated mate, and if you don’t mate with him, you’ll be in a world of hurt. You’d survive, but it wouldn’t be pleasant.”
“There’s no choice,” I insist. “Of course, I want to be with him.”
“Yes, but if you’re with him, you’ll get pregnant…” Her eyes flick up and down my body. By the look on her face, it’s obvious that she doesn’t think this is a good thing.
“Yes? So?”
“Someone of your size … with your hips. I can’t say for sure you’d survive pregnancy by an alpha.”
My eyes flick to Camilla, such a small omega but still bigger than me. It looks as though her pregnancy is eating her alive. Is she scared? Did that stop her from wanting to be with Wyatt when she was in heat?
I turn back to Lyn, my brow set with determination. “I’m not afraid of death.”
Camilla nods slowly, still strangely calm. “Well, then go out the window, Hetty. I’ll tell Stella and Elizabeth that you’re asleep. Wyatt’s … out, so he won’t notice either.”
“They won’t be suspicious?”
“Them?” She raises her brows and rolls her eyes. “No. You’re just a beta, remember?”
I look between the two curly-haired omegas, more grateful than I’ve ever been in my life, as I step toward the low window. “Thank you for understanding.”
But just as I’m about to swing my leg outside, Lyn stops me, grabbing hold of my wrist.
“Go to your mate, Hetty,” she whispers. “But don’t let him hurt you. You may not be a normal beta, and this may not be Goldenrod, but it’s not easy to forget a lifetime of intuition.”
“He would never hurt me,” I say, pulling my arm away and jumping out the window.
But as my feet hit the ground, I can’t stop a nervous reminder that he has hurt me before.
More than once.
34
Some Version of You
Hetty
My bare feet press into pine needles and cold, hard dirt as I pad across the quiet clearing. It’s so still—the fire is extinguished, and all the cabins and tents are dark and quiet.
But I’m not fooled. I know I’m not alone. I feel all their eyes on me, watching me from the trees and the windows of the dark cabins.
They’re leaving me alone, though. I have no idea why, but I’ll take it.
Because Noah’s out here somewhere—I know it. His scent is strong, infusing my body with courage. I’m not scared of anyone as I move slowly through the darkness, waiting for him to come to me.
My call senses him first. My hand immediately comes to rest on my chest as I suck in deep anticipatory breaths and savor the loud, beckoning purr, vibrating under my hand.
Twisting around slowly, the darkness swirls around me as my eyes search the shadows. Finally, I see him, standing motionless and lethal in the trees. He’s not only barefoot but bare chested, wearing only his ripped dress pants.
I think back to Noah in Goldenrod, wearing pressed suits, his hair always clipped short and neat, and his expression always so placid and composed. But now, he’s wild, half-naked, and covered in dirt, sweat, and blood.
