Spinning, I gesture brusquely towards the door. “You know what? I’ve got it from here. Thanks.”
He stares at me, hands still lifted. “What did I do?” he asks, in a slightly wounded tone.
Pinching my nose, I take a deep breath for patience. Fuck, I’ve mastered the deep breathing technique since being here. Any more time in this place and I’ll become a damn Buddhist.
“I’m not in the mood for playing games,” I say heavily. “I’mtrying,Jax. Even after that farce of a ceremony, after being told again and again that I’m not wanted. I’m still here. I get that none of you want me, but you brought me here, and so I am trying. I want to make it through these Trials, go home, and try to sort my life out. Do you really have to make it so difficult?”
His eyes have darkened. “You can’t go home,” he snaps. “Have you forgotten that you’re my—”
The words cut off as my own eyes widen. Anger makes my voice shake.
“I haven’t forgotten. Not for a second. Pity I can’t say the same for any of you.”
My voice starts to break. Turning away, I shove the dress down to pool around my ankles, ignoring Jax standing right fucking there, his eyes burning into my back and raising the temperature by seven hundred degrees. Taking the sweatshirt, I yank it quickly over my head and push past Jax to the door. Fuck the shopping. I just want to find a quiet corner to curl up in.
Fuck this pack and all the bullshit.
“Sienna!” Jax growls as I collide with someone.
“Watch it,” Alicia grunts. She takes a step back and looks me up and down.
“Is that… is that Jax’s sweatshirt?” she breathes. Her face darkens. “Take it off.”
“I wouldn’t have to wear it if you hadn’t thrown all of my things away, you psychopath,” I snap.
She takes another step, and I don’t move. “Take it off, now.”
I grin in savage satisfaction.
“How about…nope. Don’t think I will, actually.”
Smoothing down the material, I shimmy in place, putting my hand on my hip. “Don’t you think it suits me?”
“Aghth!” Alicia screeches unintelligibly, before she launches herself at me. Someone pushes in between us, a hint of smoke entering my nose.
“Stop.”
I freeze, Tristan’s command enough to force me into place. But his bark doesn’t have any effect on the beta in front of me. Alicia ducks around him, reaching her hand up and slapping me across the face.
I stumble, my shoulder slamming against the wall as more people join us in the hallway, gasping as my cheek starts to burn.
“They’re mine,” Alicia shrieks. “Not yours, you little omegawhore. Know your place, and just fuck off.”
Blinking, I glance around. Jax and Tristan both stand still, faces like stone and eyes wide.
But they don’t say anything.
As I stare into Tristan’s empty eyes, my throat starts to burn, the ache in my stomach sharpening to pulsating stabs of pain and radiating along my throbbing face.
You know what? Gladly.
My hands drop to the hem of this fucking sweatshirt, and Tristan’s eyes widen. He takes a half step forward before the sweatshirt hits him in the face.
Jax twitches, his hands fisting as Alicia stands there triumphantly, her face wreathed in savage satisfaction.
The hallway is silent as I turn and walk away wearing nothing more than two-day old underwear and bruised pride.
And neither of my Soul Bonded says a word.
