“His Grandma got sick. She was in the hospital. That’s why Felix kept leaving to visit them so much. He didn’t have any energy to put up with Juliana or Zayden’s bullshit.”
“How did you know my grandma was sick?” Felix asked, surprised.
Kai ignored the question because snooping wasn’t exactly an acceptable reason. He just shrugged his shoulders and let Jude and Zayden freak over the fact that they didn’t know.
Zayden buried his head in his hands and groaned. Kai would pay money to see him fall apart and throw up, but then that same ping of guilt bubbled in his stomach. Here was another ugly truth. As much as Kai wanted to hate Zayden, he couldn’t, and that’s what made him so angry. He didn’t hate Zayden for fucking up. Hemissedhim because he’s never been the same or recovered, letting his pack get worse and losing Kai’s respect day by day.
“I’m sorry,” Zayden choked. “I’m so sorry.”
Sorry? Does he mean it? Does he understand?
I think he’s starting to.
Then the real question was, could Zayden look at his mistakes in the face and forgive them? Could Kai?
Sonnet flashed into his mind, the sun setting behind her, lighting up her pink hair, her smile impossibly wide, illuminating more warmth than the sun. She was so happy with them. So perfect. They all knew she sensed something was wrong with them, with their pack, but she still smiled like she was happy to be here with all of them.
Kai thought about his plan. Finishing out the next two months, sign the NDA, say goodbye for good, and move on to become one of the greatest solo artists ever. That goodbye wasn’t looking so sweet anymore. Just stupidly bitter.
Oh, God. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
“Thank you for apologizing," he said slowly, through gritted teeth, forcing out each letter with great resistance.
“Do you accept his apology, Kai?” Dr. Burdough asked softly.
“No,” Kai admitted. “But… I’m happy he said it.”
“Then it’s a good start.”
Kai nodded.
Dr. Burdough smiled, like she appreciated his answer, and turned tofinallyfocus her attention on Felix and Jude. “A lot of wounds have been opened. Some you may not even know you had. Does Zayden’s apology resonate with either of you, or do either of you accept it?”
“I accept it,” Jude rushed out. “I accept it.”
“And Felix?”
He looked up from his notebook. “No.”
Kai flinched. Zayden was Felix’s other half, like Jude was his, so for him to say something like that was crazy talk. But then again, he internalized a lot. Who knows what lake of despair Felix had been dipping his toes in all this time.
Zayden looked more depressed by Felix’s answer than he had by anything else, which was saying something because the dude had been depressed for months now.
Dr. Burdough came to the rescue, looking at her watch and closing her book. “I appreciate all of you for being honest during today’s group session. I know how hard it can be to name feelings and say things that may be considered ugly or dark. But as I said at our first session, we must allow ourselves to step into the darkness if any of you are going to walk back out into the sunlighttogether.However,” she offered a kind smile, “I am very hopeful. The progression of each of you, as individuals and as a pack, is truly admirable. Let me end this session by saying you all must let go of Juliana. She’s just a girl who wanted to be loved, just like the rest of you are just boys wantingtolove. She was not the reason you all are here today. She just happened to be the one to reveal real, raw problems, which we can now address next week. For now, go and have fun with your omega.”
Just a girl wanting to be loved.
Kai never thought of Juliana that way. Maybe if he had, he wouldn’t have used her in the crossfire, and maybe she wouldn’t be running to the tabloids.
Maybe Zayden wasn’t the only alpha who owed people an apology.
You?Apologizing?
Shut up.
Chapter 35
Sonnet had been to plenty of fancy restaurants. Mom loved having a good evening out and the chance to wear an elegant dress and pearls, and Dad loved doing anything to make Mom happy. But Sonnet never felt quite right going with them. She felt even more out of place when she started dying her hair to the dismay of her family, which was one of the reasons Summer and Scarlett started dying theirs.
