My hands clenched in my lap. "What choices would those be?"
"The choice to involve yourself with inappropriate people. The choice to put yourself in situations that could be dangerous. The choice to ignore everything I taught you about being a responsible Omega."
"Inappropriate people," I repeated slowly. "You mean my friends."
"I mean those boys."
"They're not boys anymore, Mom. They're men. And they're not..."
"Don't." Her voice cracked like a whip. "Don't you dare defend them to me."
I stood up, my chair scraping against the hardwood. "Why not? They were my best friends. They are..."
"They were animals who nearly destroyed each other over you!" My mother stood too, her composure finally cracking. "Have you forgotten what happened in that locker room? The violence? The blood?"
"They were protecting me!" My voice rose to match hers. "Those other Alphas tried to hurt me and Luca and Jaxon..."
"Don't say their names in this house!"
The room felt too small, too hot. I could feel my scent spiking, suppressants failing under the stress. Everyone else at the table was frozen, watching this unfold like a car crash they couldn't look away from.
"They were out of control," my mother continued, her voice shaking with rage. "Your scent made them into monsters. Made them fight like animals. I had to pull you out of there before someone got killed!"
"I was fifteen!" The words tore out of me. "I was fifteen years old and I didn't understand what was happening to me! I needed help, I needed support, and instead you..."
"I saved you!" She slammed her hand on the table, making the china rattle. "I got you out of that situation. I got you on suppressants. I moved us away so you could have a normal life!"
"You made me believe I was broken!" Tears were burning my eyes now. "You made me think I was dangerous. That I was some kind of freak who destroyed everything she touched!"
"You ARE dangerous, Reina!" My mother's face was flushed now, her perfect composure completely shattered. "Category Red Omegas don't get happy endings! They get used and discarded by Alphas who can't control themselves around them!"
"That's not..."
"Look at you!" She gestured at me wildly. "You've been back in this city for what, a few weeks? And you're already falling apart! Your suppressants are failing, you look like you haven't slept in days, and you smell like..."
She stopped abruptly.
Her nostrils flared.
Oh God.
"You smell like them," she said quietly, and somehow that was worse than the yelling. "Both of them."
The room was dead silent.
Even the kids had stopped playing in the other room.
My mother stepped closer, her eyes narrowing. "You're seeing them again. Aren't you?"
I didn't answer.
"AREN'T YOU?"
"Yes," I whispered.
Kia gasped. My uncle muttered something under his breath.
My mother's face went white, then red. "Both of them?"
