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“Now.”
Silence ruptured the room. Nobody dared to speak. Shoot, I didn’t think anyone would dare take a breath with how thick the anger was in the air. One inhalation would have certainly brought on hell from the Beaufort Creek alpha. While his temperament was much calmer than his father’s, he still retained the rage. And boy, was it a deep rage, a volcanic river that would burn anything with the molten flames of justice.
Part of me was satisfied to see such support from my alpha. But there was still uncertainty. There was still the matter of what the hell we were going to do now that the secret was out. Would I be forced to mate with someone else? Or would we be sent away?
Worse, would we be subject to the cabins located beyond the gardens of the mansion? Isolation never did me well in the past. My children didn’t need to suffer such ire just because this pack was prejudiced.
I chewed on my lower lip. Everyone kept looking at us like we were fruit bats performing tricks at the supernatural flea market. I couldn’t take it anymore.
I stood up and collected my kids. “Alpha Troy, I’m so sorry for this mess. I—”
“No, dear. You do not owe us an apology. We oweyouan apology.”
Someone from the back scoffed.
Troy glared in that direction, everyone in his way ducking as if his eyes were spewing death rays. Anthony clutched me tightly while burrowing his face into my belly. The poor dear was just beyond exhausted from this ordeal.
Blake waved his hands, causing Bentley to flinch. “Friends, please forgive Alpha Troy for his mistake. We’re co-leaders and it’s our responsibility to share important pack information with each other.” He turned to me with another apologetic frown. “Again, I’m deeply sorry, Virginia. We’ll speak soon.”
Troy gestured to the rear exit. I was being shuffled out the back door again. What a way to live these days.
With my head held high, I scooted past Slater in the aisle, knowing intimately how much hostility he carried for me—and caring so little about that fact. If he hadn’t reacted to me the way he had in the past, this wouldn’t be happening right now. I wouldn’t be ducking away from him any time he wandered the neighborhood streets. I wouldn’t be dying my hair wild colors and wearing t-shirts to cover my identifiable tattoos. I wouldn’t be hiding.
But that wasn’t how my life had shaped up.
He had gotten everything he had ever wanted. He had a house, doting parents, and an entire pack at his back supporting him. There wasn’t a thread of a rumor anywhere about him. If I had to guess, he barely ever made mistakes, or was perceived as so perfect that mistakes were merely hiccups.
Single mothers like me didn’t receive such luxuries. The terror of that realization made me wince from the emotional pain of his gaze boring into me. Something seemed to pass between us as my shoulder knocked into his. And honestly, it wasn’t very clear which one of us did it, or whether it was an accident.
Because how it happened was irrelevant when the result was electrifying.
Bolts coated my torso and zapped every sensitive area of my body. I grabbed Adhara’s hand, and she grabbed Anthony’s hand, and I tugged them along like a train, trying to get past Slater as fast as I possibly could. Confidence just went right out the window when we touched like that. It was unreasonable.
It reminded me of our old pack days.
I shook my head as I followed Alpha Troy. Alpha Blake was right behind us, instructing the gawking crowd to disperse as today’s meeting was officially over. Most people were fine with that while some were disappointed—I supposed they had expected more mate announcements.
Many people had yet to be paired. The Beaufort Creek Pack had absorbed many new members since the war ended, including the Bravecrests. Tons of potential pairs were out there. And while I had no interest in ascribing to such fantasies, I knew the importance of safety and protection.
I knew it so well that it made me ache inside to realize I was losing mine.
My heart shuddered.If Bentley hadn’t said anything, then I could have spoken to Slater privately. I could have worked something out.
I glanced at Anthony who was wiping fresh tears from his face. The sun glistened in those tears and then I was crying all over again, choking on sobs like they were dry cotton balls clogging up my throat. I stopped in the middle of the road, dropped to my knees, and hugged my kids.
Troy rubbed my shoulder over and again. “Take your time. We’ll keep the others at bay.”
“I’m sorry—I’msosorry—”
What else could I say? This was my fault. It had started with those filthy Duffs like Slater, but ultimately it wasmychoice that had gotten us into this mess. If I had just listened to my parents—
I wiped my face. “Okay, I’m good.”
A smile erupted over my lips, cool and calm like I had practiced in the mirror. I turned it to my alphas as I took my children’s hands, encouraging them to move forward. “Just keep swimming, right?”
“Like Dory,” Adhara said with relief. “And Nemo. Can we watch that later?”
“Ugh, again?” Anthony whined. “Can’t we watch Five Nights like you promised?”
