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The handle snapped. The teacup tumbled to the floor, thudding against the carpet and splashing hot tea on my right boot. Mom stared at me like I had grown a third head. “Now, what in the world has gotten into you? That was my favorite china.”
“And Virginia was my favorite girlfriend,” I snapped.
Dad glared at me. “Don’t you meanSara?” He laughed bitterly. “I see that hussy isn’t through with us. I bet she tried to bribe that unsuspecting alpha into matching her with you.”
“That’s not what happened,” I said through gritted teeth.”
He shook the paper resolutely. “Well, one thing is for sure—I’m glad Blake came to his senses and called the whole thing off.”
Momhmphedin agreement. “Indeed, Jeremiah. We don’t need any deceptive offspring wandering around.” She frowned sympathetically into her tea. “Though I can’t help but pity those poor children. They have no idea what kind of mother they have.”
“If you can’t say anything nice aboutVirginia,” I started as I glared at my father, “then you really shouldn’t say anything at all. Isn’t that what you taught me”—I stared at Mom—“Mother?”
She gaped at me. “Have you been up all night without sleep?” She nodded emphatically. “Yes, that’s what it is. You should go off and take a nap now. You’ll need it if you want to get back to work today.”
The papers rustled, rising like walls to keep me out of their business—and their traded expressions, no doubt.
And that was it. That was the end of that conversation. While I couldn’t blame them for how they felt, I could certainly hold them accountable for how Virginia had been treated lately. Their words could make or break her safety here in the pack. If they weren’t willing to entertain the thought of being kind, then I didn’t see why they needed to ever be involved in my future life with her.
I stared at the broken teacup on the ground. My mother wasn’t about to jump up and clean it, and neither was my father. But I wasn’t about to bow down in front of them and scoop up these pieces that had broken because of their hatred. Virginia was a good soul, through and through. She was doing her best with her kids, children who were absolutely wonderful.
Who—if I dared to think it—felt like my own kids if I were to ever have any. And it wasn’t unreasonable to now think of them as my kids.Of coursethey were my kids. Virginia was my mate, and so her children were my children. It was simple and logical. It was real.
I marched off to my bedroom and swung open the closet. A petition wouldn’t be enough for the alphas. They would see the opinions of the pack and take those into account, assuming they would ever consider the petition at all. With such heated opposition, they would be inclined to do what was best for the pack as a whole instead of any individual desires.
And at this point, it would be passed off as a mere desire.
It wasn’t fair to either of us. It wasn’t fair to the family we wanted to have together. The past was done. The betrayal was ten years ago, longer even. It was over.
Maybe we should leave.
From the comments my parents had made, I knew they wouldn’t be welcoming of Virginia or the twins. Their opinions of her family’s behavior weren’t going to change just because we had become mates. At the same time, I wasn’t so sure I wanted to subject my mate to that kind of heat.
She’d been through so much already. Packing our things and running might be the best option we had left.
I’ve served this pack so well, I thought as I grabbed a suitcase.The alphas would understand. If they can’t defend us here, then we’ll go somewhere else.
But where? It wasn’t like we could make fake IDs and flee the state. Even so, we’d have to worry about food and shelter. I could fix cars anywhere, and I had to guess that Virginia could sling drinks in any place. She’d changed her name once before. She could do it again, right?
Maybe she even knew where to get it done.
I grabbed my phone and texted her,Pack some bags. I’m taking you and the kids somewhere safe so we can be a family together.
I swore I could hear her heart singing from here. She might have even been screaming. Since the kids were at school, I had to imagine she was bouncing around the house right this second. It also explained why it took her so long to respond.
You got it, she replied.
And that was enough to keep the smile on my face.
In the meantime, I had to sort out my cover story. There was one person I knew who was good at lying for me—I just needed to figure out what was better than Philly cheesesteaks to bribe her properly.
Chapter 12 - Virginia
I wasn’t one for thinking about knights in shining armor, but it was hard to resist that sort of thinking when Slater was acting like one. Happiness joined me with every step on the dirt road. I felt like I was floating my way toward the school instead of walking, encouraged by the sting of the bite Slater had left on my right shoulder.
Never in my life had I thought I would end up with someone like Slater. I’d always hoped, for sure. I’d always prayed. But for it to actually happen? It felt like I was dreaming. The way he accepted the twins, the way he acceptedme, made me feel that much more comfortable about admitting the truth to him.
I bit my lower lip while rubbing my elbow. Crap, that was something that I had to do soon, wasn’t it? If he kept on thinking he was stepdad, that just wasn’t fair. And my kids deserved to know the truth too. One of those ill-begotten memories came out of the woodwork to taunt me.
