Why humiliate me like this?
Tristan pauses. “It was easier this way. You can withdraw quietly, less publically.”
“And if I don’t?”
Everyone stiffens at my words, except Alicia. She just grins, a wide, red smile that’s more than a little freaky. Like the prospect excites her.
Tristan gapes at me.
“Why wouldn’t you?” he demands. Throwing his arm out, he gestures to the rest of the table. “Nobody wants you here, Sienna. You’re just going to force yourself on us for these damn Trials? What happens at the end?”
His voice rises. “Do you want to be Denied?”
I glare at him. “I want you to tell me the truth!”
Something isn’t right here.
Grayson chuckles humorlessly. “You want the truth, omega?”
Jax shifts in his seat, but he doesn’t say anything as Grayson begins to lay into me.
“Do you really think that much of yourself?” he drawls. “Think you’re so precious, such agood omega, that we’d throw ourselves at you? Is that it?”
“Don’t try to pretend you don’t feel this,” I snap back at him, at all of them. “Don’t try to pretend that what happened today is anything close to normal.”
“What is she talking about?” Alicia pipes up, yanking at Tristan’s sleeve. “Tristan?”
He shakes his head, patting her hand. “Nothing, Alicia.”
Turning to me, he holds his hands out. “I’m sorry if we made you feel that this was going to be something more than it is, Sienna. But you’ve got it wrong. We’re going through the motions of the Trials because we have to, but Alicia is the one we choose. Not you.”
My head shakes in disbelief. I know what I feel.
I just don’t know why they’re pretending they don’t feel it too.
“I’m tired,” I say quietly, looking away. I don’t have any more in me today. “Is there a room I can rest in?”
I’m not stupid enough to think they prepared any sort of space for my arrival. If they’re this set on not having an omega, I’ll be lucky to get a bed. Although from the size of this place, maybe I’ll get lucky.
Tristan stands, but Alicia tugs him back down.
“I’ll show our guest to her quarters,” she insists. “We need to have a little chat, girl to girl.”
Jax frowns. “Alicia.”
She waves him off as she points to the door. “Come along, omega.”
Gritting my teeth, I stand to follow her. I can’t spend another second around this pack, even if it’s tearing up my insides to walk away from them.
Following Alicia, I close the door on the silent men sitting at the table and follow her towards a beautiful stone staircase, set square in the middle of the grand hallway. A sweeping flight of stairs splits into two at the top, one running up in each direction.
“Come on,” Alicia trills. She holds her arm out, and I stare at her blankly until she links her arm through mine and tows me forward.
“I am so sorry about today,” she sings as we ascend the stairs. I keep a careful grip on the banister, not entirely trusting that she won’t shove me backwards at any moment.
There’s definitely something not quite right about her.
She suddenly stops and tilts her head. Belatedly, I nod.
