“Jaylan?”
“My pack mate,” he tells me. “Once we’re done and you’re feeling better, I’ll introduce you.”
“I’d like that.” But would I ever be better? Even feel like myself again?
Torin clears his throat. “Storm said you’re not eighteen yet, so we know you went into heat early.”
“Yeah, they gave me a couple of shots. I’m not sure what was in it, but they said it’d make my heat start. They umm…” I bite my lower lip, my eyes dropping to my lap, not wanting to look at either of them in the face. “Wanted to bond and get me pregnant.”
“We didn’t have a way to do bloodwork, but that does answer that question. Which brings us to the next topic. You were in heat, and from the state we found you in, we know at least one of them did have sex with you.” I nod my head, confirming he’s right.
“There’s a high probability that you’re pregnant. We didn’t do anything while you were unconscious, as this is a decision for you to make. It’s too late for the morning after pill, however if you are pregnant, there are options.”
“I can’t have their baby. I can’t.” Tears burst from me. Storm reaches out, wrapping his arms around me as I rest my head on his chest and cry. I shed tears for everything I’ve lost. Everything that was taken from me without a choice.
“It’s okay, Rivvy, we’ll make sure you don’t,” he whispers, using the name he called me as a kid.
“The Hartman Pack was registered with The Omega Foundation, which means we do have their medical records and they are free of any sexually transmitted infections." I can’t help but sigh a bit of relief with Torin’s words.
“What I find interesting is that the paperwork notifying the addition of you to their pack was filed with them, but on the date of your eighteenth birthday.”
“How?” I ask, turning my head so I can see them.
“We’ve been investigating the Foundation and found a great deal of corruption. Seems the Hartmans knew the right people to ensure that you being in their pack processed without any issues.” Torin presses his lips tightly together.
“And my dad?” I ask, already knowing the answer.
“To some degree he was in on it,” Storm says before Torin can respond. “There’s so much I just wish you would’ve talked to me about.”
Storm rests his head on the top of mine as he rubs his hand on my back, comforting me as we both cry.
Torin gives me a moment, letting me break down.
I feel a shift in the bed and then the door opens and closes, but Storm and I don’t let go of each other. No, we cling to each other even tighter.
Chapter 15
River
It’s been two weeks since my brother, his pack, and friends rescued me. Two weeks full of worry over if I was pregnant or not. But today I find out. We’re also discussing how I plan to move forward with my heats and my counseling. I’ve managed to push off the discussion of that every time Storm brings it up. It doesn’t help that he’s been watching me like a hawk and they’ve removed every single razor from the house along with anything else they thought I could use to cut myself with.
I love him, but right now I feel smothered. It’s only making me crave the feeling of the blade as it slices through my flesh even more. The way it takes me out of the pain of my reality into something more. Something that I can control.
“Come on,” Torin tells me as he passes by the couch I’ve been sitting on for the last few hours, staring blankly out the window.
“Huh?” While Torin and his alphas have been staying with us, they’ll be leaving to head back to their home soon. Oddly, I’m going to miss him. Apparently, a day after I was rescued, Storm brought me back to his packmates’ home. His new home.
“Get up off your mopey ass and come with me.” He flashes a smile before waving at me to follow him.
Getting up slowly, I pick up my bottle of water off the table and fall in step behind him. Over the last two weeks I’ve grown oddly close to him. He doesn’t push or nag me, and he’s become… my friend. It’s been so long since I had someone I considered that.
“Where are we going?” I ask him, curious when he leads me down a hallway, then outside.
“The way you were looking out that window I thought you’d like to take a walk. Figured we could talk as well.”
Talk. Since that first day when I woke up he hasn’t talked to me about anything serious. But now, I get the feeling that’s changing.
We walk in silence for about ten minutes, moving through the wooded area behind the house. “Where are we going?” I finally ask. Every horror movie I’ve ever watched is suddenly flashing before my eyes, and I’m starting to wonder if I’ve fallen for the charms of the unknown killer and he’s leading me to my death.
