“Angel, Angel. I’m sorry. I’m sorry!” Tears fill my eyes and spill over. “How do I undo it?” I scream.
I shriek it over and over until Khaos calms me down enough to talk to me through it. It takes forever.
Angel sags. His whole body trembles, and he can’t look at me. He can’t even look in my direction. When I reach out, he skips back five steps, his eyes wild, growling ferociously.
“Don’t touch me,” he growls, full of savage rage. Acting like I’m a monster. Like I hurt him.
I did hurt him.
I pull at the bracelet, scratching up my arm, trying to get it off, but it won’t budge.
Oh, god. I didn’t even mean to do it. It was an accident. I…I push Khaos off me and stumble away from them, throwing up the contents of my stomach and then heaving, unable to stop. None of them come near me.
I can’t. I can’t do this.
I run to the house, seize my keys, and then sprint like the wolves of Pack Foster are on my trail to my truck and get in. I drive dangerously, not caring about anything but putting as much space between them and me. Ignoring the howls, ignoring the shouts.
I just sink my foot down on the accelerator and drive into town. When I get there, I wrap my arms around the steering wheel and bury my face in my arms.
Silent tears slide down my face. What did I do? How did I even do that? It was so easy; with one misspoken word, and I took all his choice. I reduced him to less than nothing. I just ordered him, and worse, I made him vulnerable to our enemies.
My phone beeps, and I look at the message. My date will meet me in half an hour.
I get out of my car and go to the café. I stare at a circular stain on the table and replay what happened today over and over.
“Hello?”
I blink and look up. The waitress is young, but she looks tired.
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry, but we’re closing.”
With swollen and tired eyes, I look around. The day has changed to night and passed while I’ve been lost in my thoughts.
“I’m sorry.” I stand up. “Uh, thank you.”
She gives me a smile. “Fuck him. Whoever he is.”
I give her a tight smile and wander out to the streets.
I stop beside my truck. The tires have been slashed. All four of them. I have two spares, but not four.
The wild howls of the gathering can be heard, a distant threat celebrating, and it feels like they’ve won. I’m so tired, I can’t keep fighting them.
I close my eyes and pull out my phone. There’s a message there. I open it.
“Running late,” I murmur and snort. I hadn’t even remembered the date. A no show. How sad.
And there are five perfect alphas sitting at home, probably hating me. My chest aches as if someone has reached into it and removed my heart. I rub the spot, but it eases nothing and just brings tears to my eyes.
I feel like I’ve lost something precious. Something so good it could have changed my life. Something I didn’t know I wanted until it was there in my hands. For a few days, for a few hours, I could see a life I wanted.
The night is cold and so loud, I’m lost in the dark again. I squeeze my eyes closed. I need to see them. Their loathing will break me. I need to have them hate me. Yell at me. Anything. Something.
I pull out my phone and wallet and put them in a smaller bag, and then I shift. Right there in town, on the empty streets. I pick up the small bag and run, leaving my truck behind me.
I stand in the bushes, watching my house for a long time. Trying to get some sense of the feeling. Trying to decide if I have the courage to walk in there.
