The way she had to save herself, because weweren’t fucking there.
She shakes her head. “I… Rick will be here. I’m okay. And I’ll… I’ll see you tomorrow?”
It’s a small question. Her voice sounds strange, and I don’t blame her. “I promise you, I’ll be here.”
She gives me a small, heavy smile that shreds me all over again. “Do you… do you still hate me?”
I swallow. Hard. “I have never hated you.”
Instead, I hated myself for not feeling the way I told myself I should have. And in my shame and my frustration, I took it out on her. And she took everything I threw at her, trying to protect me, when all along I should have been her shield.
Useless fucking excuse for an alpha.
“Good,” she whispers. “That’s good. I’m glad we had this t…talk.”
Her voice stumbles, and my attention sharpens. “I’ll stay.”
“No.” She says it immediately, stepping back.
And sheflinches.
She. Fucking.Flinches.
“I… have to go.” She backs away from me, turning to go inside. She pauses, for a moment. “In another life, we would have been perfect, I think.”
I stare at her retreating back, still frozen, until she vanishes back into the trailer.
She doesn’t want my touch. I don’t blame her.
Iscaredher.
I don’t move for a long time. And when I do, my steps are heavy.
My vision blurs and wavers as I drive back into town.
But I don’t go home. Not yet.
I have a reckoning to bring first.
Theo
When Nia opens the door, I’m ready. “Where’s Mom?”
“Sleeping.” She frowns. “What’s wrong with you?”
I can’t look at her. “Is he here?”
“Dad?”
I force a nod. She crosses her arms. “In his study. What’s going on?”
“Go upstairs,” I say shortly. “I want you to put your headphones on, alright? Everything is….,”
I can’t say it. Everything is not fine.
Nothing isfine.
My brother raped my mate. Our mate. He tried to steal her, and when that didn’t work, he forced her.
