Faye
Since arriving home in the middle of the night two days ago, I’ve spent most of my time in the bath or sleeping. Instead of begging for knots, I battled my urges, breathing through the pain and regretting every second I spent trusting the Silverwood Pack.
“Faye?” Sabs calls, gently tapping on my bedroom door. “Are you awake?”
She and the other Stellas have been amazing. None of them have probed me for more information about what happened, just being helpful. Kady got me an emergency prescription of pain medication to help with the worst cramps, Delilah’s kept me well-fed by preparing regular meals, and Sabs has sat on the other side of my door for hours, talking about anything and everything to keep me company while giving me physical space. I haven’t said a lot in response, but her presence has been comforting nonetheless.
“Uh-huh,” I reply feebly.
I’m weak. Although my heat seems to be over, I’m exhausted. The mental toll hit me even harder than the physical one.
“The three of us are here,” Sabs warns me. “Can we come in?”
“Yes.”
Delilah enters holding out a freshly baked apple pie and a tub of ice cream. “You look like you could use some company, and maybe something sweet for breakfast?”
I must look like a total mess. I’m curled up on the sofa, curtains drawn, wrapped up in a blanket igloo. I’ve been up since 5am, with the TV playingFriendsre-reruns that I’ve already watched a thousand times. My wet hair is piled into a scruffy bun on the top of my head. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve bathed, my skin is red and raw from trying to scrub the scent of the Silverwoods away. I’ve been clutching the scrap of blanket from Mom’s nest, but it doesn’t bring me as much comfort as it usually does.
“How are you feeling?” Kady puts her hand on my forehead. “Your temperature has gone down.”
“Still tired,” I sigh. “But I’m through it now.”
Delilah grabs a plate then serves up a big slice of pie, waving the golden crust under my nose. “Why don’t you eat some of this?”
“Maybe later,” I murmur.
“Now we know it’s bad,” Sabs teases. “Refusing Del’s apple pie is serious shit. We’re worried about you.”
“I’ll be fine.” I wave off their concerns. “Honestly, you don’t need to worry about me.”
Their expressions say otherwise.
“Do you want to talk about what happened with the Silverwoods?” Delilah probes gently. “I’ve never known an omega to leave her alphas during a heat before, especially scent matches.”
“They’re not my alphas.” I look down, stroking Mom’s piece of blanket. “At least not anymore.”
“What did my brother do?” Sabs growls. “I’ll kill him if he hurt you. He’s been calling me around the clock, but I’ve been ignoring him because I wanted to hear from you first.”
She’s such a good friend.
“They didn’t tell me the whole truth,” I admit. “They hid something from me. Something bad.”
“How bad?” Kady asks.
I need to talk about it to someone, or I’ll go insane.
“Damon told me that he was arrested.” I take a deep breath. “For hurting an omega.”
They all look equal parts horrified and stunned.
“What? When? I’ve known Damon pretty much my whole life. He’s gotten into fights with other alphas, but an omega?” Sabs shakes her head. “It must be a mistake.”
“They kept it from you too. Damon told me himself. Cole’s dad covered it up. He put an omega in the hospital for a month, and now she’s blind in one eye.” The smell of the apple pie and the thought of what that poor omega had to go through turn my stomach. “I know no more than that, and I don’t need to. He wanted me to know the truth before I bonded with the pack.”
“Why is Cole keeping him around?” Sabs sounds furious. Which is understandable; they betrayed her trust too. “And what about Laz? I’ll tear his fluffy ginger curls right out of his stupid head. How could he?!”
“My father has a private detective on retainer.” Kady taps her chin, deep in thought. “I can find out more, see if his story checks out?”
