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I coughed. “Alpha, please—” But it was more of a croak than a plea.
A pathetic, useless attempt at begging like that wouldn’t get me any kind of mercy from my alphas. Blake was frozen on the stage. Gods, if he could just move an inch, if he could open his mouth and clear up this mess, then maybe my twins and I would have a chance at survival here.
Nope. It wasn’t happening. The cacophonous horror that had become the recreation center was growing louder by the second as people clamored to verify who I was, why I was a single mother, and why in the worlda Walsh, of all people, would be hiding in plain sight in such a peaceful pack.
Peaceful. They said it likeIwas the one who had made this shitty storm happen. Disdain stabbed me from every direction like sharpened talons ready to gut me. My kids, my poor children, were suffering the crushing weight of my shame as I hugged them to my chest and covered their ears, trying to shield them from the hatred slowly coming to a boil.
Nothing could stop this tide once it started. I knew from personal experience. That was why we’d come here in the first place. Refuge was our only option to make sure things like this never happened again.
So much for safety.
Through the mess, I spotted Bentley standing proudly at his table with his arms crossed over his chest and a triumphant smile planted on his face. Of course he was happy about this mess. Because creating a mess like this meant that I would be left for the wolves—literally.
Please, don’t. Begging wouldn’t get anything done. I knew too well how pleading wouldn’t work. How many nights had I done much the same only to find pain on the other side of my frantic requests? I hung my head. I was failing my children, and most of all I was failing myself.
It might be time to visit Fred again.
I glanced at the stage where the alphas were stepping into the crowd and gently nudging people aside. As they made their way across the room, each person they came in contact with eased back, eventually returning to their table with solemn expressions. No one truly knew how to react to this. It wasn’t like we had a set of laws or guidelines on the matter.
We. I used to think I was part of this pack. Protected, safe—but those were just fantasies. I realized that the life I had tried to build for my darling twins was just a lie, something I’d made up to help them sleep at night. They were such good children. They got along so well with Fred, and they loved their new names.
This wasn’t what I wanted for either of them. But how could I make it better when an entire pack—minus the alphas—was against us? There wasn’t much hope left, especially with that eerie expression on Bentley’s face, and the undoubtedly awful things he had planned for me later.
I shuddered to think where he would pop up next.
“Alpha, please,” I managed to whimper as Troy drew closer. “I can’t…Iwon’t…”
Troy touched my left shoulder. “You’re alright, Virginia. At ease—you’ll be okay—that’s it—keep breathing now.”
Just one touch from my alpha zapped a third of my fear. Tension reduced to mere twitches, and I found my children calming down as well, their silent tears staining my shirt and the skin beneath. We were all soaked in sobs at this point. Couldn’t these people see what they were doing to us was pure poison?
I looked at Slater who hadn’t moved from the center of the aisle, his blue eyes narrowing in my direction and then falling on my kids. I hugged them harder.
Equal was the ire I spat back at him. Whatever I could muster within my soul was returned tenfold, more than just a pair of eyes casting evil upon him. Energy bubbled around me as I felt my hackles rise, a growl already itching to crawl up my throat.No, I couldn’t give in to his crap like I had in the past.
He wouldn’t take hold of me again. I’d make sure of it.
Yet the longer I stared at him, the more I was reminded of his previous form, the man from ten years ago who didn’t care that our families were at odds. There was a once-upon-a-time when we were Romeo and Juliet, just without the poison.
Unless you count his betrayal as poison. My features stiffened with contempt.He poisoned me. He poisoned us. He sent us running to Atlanta.
Memories came crashing into my mind, confusing my reality with things I didn’t even want to think about.
Adhara lifted her head and wiped the tears from my left cheek. “Mama, don’t think about that right now.”
I cleared my throat. “Sorry, buggy. I’m just…”
Troy massaged my shoulder. More comfort came into my immediate awareness, chasing the shadows of my past back to their cage. “Virginia, my deepest apologies. I wasn’t aware of your association.”
“We were supposed to be kept safe here,” I stated bitterly. I focused on Blake who gave me such a mournful expression of remorse. “You promised. Your father promised.”
“I’m sorry, Virginia,” Blake said, bowing his head. “Troy didn’t know. He’s new to this process. He had no idea what he was doing.”
Bentley stomped forward. “Aren’t you going to send her off?”
Blake spun around on his boot and towered over Bentley. “Go to the basketball court. I want to speak to you in private.”
“But, Alpha, I just saved—”
