“Faye?” Her face is pale when I finally pull away, practically hyperventilating. “You’re still in heat. What happened?”
“I’ve been…” I sniffle and wipe my tear-soaked cheeks. “So stupid.”
“Come on.” She helps me up the stairs and into the safety of Stella House. “Let’s get you comfortable, okay?”
Before I cross the threshold, I rip the blanket from my shoulders and hurl it into the yard. I don’t want any trace of him in my safe space. Even though it feels like my heart is splitting in two, maybe Damon did me a favor. I got out before we bonded, before it was too late.
TWENTY-SEVEN
Damon
Watching the car pull away, knowing it was taking away my pack’s chance at happiness, was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. But I did the right thing. She deserves better. An alpha who poses her no risk of harm, even if I’ve condemned us to a lifetime of misery without our destined mate.
“Faye?” Ren calls from upstairs. “Faye?”
What comes next will almost be as hard as telling Faye the truth and seeing the pain in her eyes.
“Have you seen her?” Ren clambers down the stairs. I’ve never seen him so happy and carefree before. Seeing how Faye brought him out of his shell makes me feel like an even bigger asshole. I should have been the one to leave, not her, but I know Cole would never separate the pack. “She’s not in the nest.”
I keep looking out of the window, not turning to face him. “She’s gone.”
“Gone?” Confusion bleeds from his tone. “What do you mean? Gone where? It’s the middle of the night.”
“Frank picked her up and took her back to Stella House.”
I can’t look at him. Not yet. I want to hold on to the next few seconds before I have to face his crushing disappointment, knowing that’s entirely my fault.
I always knew I’d be the downfall of the Silverwood Pack. Laz and the Maverick family have always been so good to me. They welcomed me into their family with open arms, teaching me about unconditional love—something that I didn’t have in my own home. However, no matter how hard they tried to make me feel like I was another member of the family, deep down, I still felt like an outsider. That’s why until Laz encouraged me, I never intended on joining a pack. After he met Cole, he convinced me that a pack could give me everything I ever wanted, including the family I never had. In my naivety, I agreed. In turn, I cursed them, and now I’ve cast out their omega.
I only intended to tell Faye the truth about me. She had to know before she got in too deep. After seeing how my brothers treated her during her heat, I could tell that bonding was on the horizon. I fully planned on offering to walk away and leave them all to enjoy their happily ever after, but I didn’t mean to turn her against them. She feels deceived, and although I’ll have to face the fall-out in the short-term, it’ll be worth it if it keeps her safe from me.
“What’s going on?” Cole asks from the top of the stairs. “Where’s Faye?”
“Damon says Faye left,” Ren replies. “Was there an emergency? Is she okay? Is her gram okay?”
I turn to meet Cole’s gaze, still unable to look at Ren. Cole’s jaw hardens, and his eyes narrow in accusation as realization hits. “What did you do, Damon?”
“I told her the truth.” I blow out a leaden breath. “About me. About my past. About what I did. About my arrest.”
Ren flops into a nearby chair, head in hands. “Shit.”
Cole thuds down the stairs. He looks like he wants to tackle me to the ground and beat the living shit out of me. Part of me hopes he does. I’d welcome it. It’ll beat dealing with the gapingchasm in my chest from where my heart has been ripped out and is now being driven down the mountain.
“Tell me exactly what you told her.” Cole stops just inches from me, hands fisted by his sides. “Everything.”
Cole rarely uses his bark, so it’s enough to make me dip my chin and wince. This is only the third time he has ever used his alpha bark on me, forcing me to comply with his orders.
“I told her I was arrested for hurting an omega.” I shrug. “That I was a monster.”
“That’s it?” Cole holds out his palms. “You didn’t tell her everything!”
“I told her everything she needs to know,” I snap. “She has to know that she’s not safe when I’m around.”
“What’s going on?” Yawning, Laz strolls out of the nest, wearing only a pair of spotted boxers. “Is it time for a midnight gaming sesh? Or does our honeybee need more knots? I’ll be ready to go as soon as I get a coffee?—”
“Faye’s gone.” Ren answers Laz yet his seething glare penetrates me and only me. “Damon scared her away by telling her about Roxanna.” He stands, shaking in fury. I’ve never seen him angry before, and I fucking deserve it. “Why did you have to ruin everything? She wanted to bond to us. She wanted to bond with you!”
“She needed to know the real me,” I sigh. “And she made her choice. The right one. To leave.”
