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“Thank you, alpha,” I said as he passed, stopping him and leaning up to press my lips to his. When he pulled away he was back to my Ezra, losing his grumpy façade. It was nice that I was one of the few who got to see his sweet, protective side.
My chest tightened, thoughts of Morgan popping up and trying to rip this all away from me. I knew my pack was happy and she couldn’t change that, but the small, dark part of my brain reminded me that she’d done it once before,couldshe doit again?
I kept my smile in place as he walked away but Serenity wasn’t buying it. She picked up the fallen clothes and shoved them in the box, casting me glances as I worked alongside her.
“What is it?” she demanded. “I know that look. Something is raining on your parade.”
“Bear is back in town and is the mate of one ofmymates,” I reminded her. “And that means Morgan isn’t going to be far behind. I know the twins are fated to me, but what if she gets between us? She has a past with them.”
It felt so silly to admit out loud, but I honestly, just needed some blunt reassurance. There was no one better for that than Serenity. She was a ‘no nonsense, call it like it is’ type.
“Fuck her,” she said as she sat down and started sliding shirts on hangers and folding the rest. I sat down with her to help. “They have a history, but it’s not like it's a happy one. They weren’t fated, she dumped them like trash, and created a huge fallout between them on her way out.”
“That she did,” I agreed. “The twins weren’t even talking when I moved to town.”
“Exactly my point,” she countered.
“On the show, she talked about her exes like they were just too small for this big life she had planned. She didn’t outright say that she never loved them, but she made it sound like a chore to be with them.”
“She was just as bad in high school. We didn’t share classes but everyone knew her as the easy omega,” Serenity said with a laugh. “The fact she owned the title proudly says a lot about her.”
“Things haven’t changed. She acted the same on the show. Even going as far as giving me pointers on how to step my game up.” I laughed. “She would chill in the hot tub with drinks and several packs every night. That’s probably why I never saw the rejection coming.”
“Did Bear say why he did it?”
“According to him, he was against it,” I said with a sigh. “I’m not sure if I believe him. But I know I want to.”
“I swear, your life is a fucking soap opera. Please don't stop giving us the details, I’m too invested,” Serenity said with a laugh.
“Ha, ha,” I groaned. “You know I won’t. I’m not sure what’s going to happen.”
Footsteps echoed down the hall and my sister joined us, her face a mask of annoyance. Her phone was in front of her and she clicked on speaker, my mother’s voice echoing in the room.
“The fact you would leave us like this after all we’ve done for you,” she said, laying the guilt trip on thick. It had my entire body tensing, old feelings bubbling to the surface at just her voice alone.
“I’m an adult,” Tori reminded her. “I needed a change, to strike out on my own.”
“You’re with them, aren’t you? You three have always conspired against me,” she said, her voice cracking with an obviously fake sob.
“No, we aren’t,” Tori said. She sounded tired and I felt bad for letting her face off with Mom alone for all this time. Though admittedly, she should have cut her off, too. Tori always wanted to see the best in our parents. I just hated to see her hurt over and over again.
I held out my hand for the phone and Tori’s eyes widened. She took a step back, gauging if I was serious, before relenting.
“She stopped to visit me, Mother. No one has ever conspired against you, we simply stopped letting you bully us. Tori is too nice to say it, so let me be very blunt. You need to work on your parenting skills if you want your children in your life again. As of now, this will be our last and only conversation. I can’t speak for the others, but I’m happier now than I’ve ever been. That should be something you think long and hard about. Stop harassing my sister and let her live her life wherever she ends up.”
My chest heaved as I finished the tirade, pulse thundering in my ears. I hadn’t had anxiety like this in a long time but finally getting to say what I’ve always held back was both terrifying and freeing.
“How dare you speak to me like that, Eleanor!”
“For the last time, it’s Ellie. I speak to you with the respect you’ve earned,” I answered drily. She sputtered out a few words but I hung up before it could escalate. My sister was gaping at me, mouth open and eyes wide.
“Ellie,” she breathed out before letting out a startled laugh and tackling me in a hug. “You’re such a badass. I want to be you when I grow up.”
“It’s called boundaries and giving yourself permission to cut her off,” I said. “You should think about trying it. Toxicity is not something we need in life.”
“Amen to that,” Micah echoed, walking in and crushing me in one of his bear hugs. “Proud of you, Ellie.”
“Thanks,” I muttered. “Now someone feed me because I might pass out. That was intense.”
