Anita’s bottom lip trembles. “You should.”
“Well, we don’t,” Mason says quietly too. “Hate doesn’t come into this.”
“This is about trust,” Slater adds. “How do we trust you after this? How do we believe anything you say?”
“I don’t know,” Anita whispers. “I wish I had an answer. But I don’t.”
We fall into silence, the weight of it pressing down on all of us.
“I have nothing left to hide,” Anita says finally. “I’m doing what I should have done from the beginning, showing you the real me. And if it’s any consolation, I really struggled being a guy. You probably all saw that.”
Mason lets out a surprised laugh despite everything. “Fuck yeah, you did. You were terrible at it.”
Anita’s lips twitch like she wants to smile but won’t allow herself to. “I tried my best.”
“Your best was objectively bad,” Jasper adds, but there’s a ghost of amusement in his voice.
I’m noticing everything about her. The way she’s sitting, hunched in on herself like she’s trying to take up as little space as possible. Her fingers keep twisting in the fabric of our coat. And every tear that falls seems to take a piece of my heart with it.
I fucking hate seeing her in pain and knowing that we’re the cause of it, even though she brought it on herself.
“I’ll tell you everything you want to know,” she continues, her voice stronger now. More determined. “My past is a shitty one, but I have nothing to hide.” She takes a shaky breath. “After my pack rejected me, I promised myself I didn’t need a pack. Didn’t need Alphas, and that I could be fine on my own.” A tear rolls down her cheek. “But deep down inside…” She sniffles, wiping at her eyes. “I wanted it so badly. So when I met you four, when I felt that pull, that connection, it terrified me. I told myself it was nothing but attraction and chemistry. But I was denying the truth because I just want to be loved.”
I shuffle in my seat, clearing my throat because it’s choking up.
She lets out a half laugh, broken and sad. “God, I’m a mess. And I’m sure you all agree with that assessment.”
No one speaks. The silence is deafening.
She’s on her feet suddenly, wiping at her tears with both hands now. “Well, unless you have any other questions, I’m sure you want time to digest all this. I’ll leave you alone.”
My chest constricts painfully.
“I promise you won’t see me again,” she says, and her voice cracks completely. “But just so you know, I regret this so much that I doubt I’ll ever get over it.” She’s moving toward the door, and I’m on my feet.
“Anita—”
“I don’t know what happens now,” she interrupts, still crying, her words tumbling out in a rush. “Because I’ve already ruined one pack, or at least I wasn’t good enough for them. Maybe the problem was me after all, because look how quickly I ruined things here too. Just when I actually found my true scent mates. And I know this is going to really hurt for all of us, but?—”
She’s at the door, pulling it open, and I’m moving toward her.
“Anita, wait?—”
“Let her go.” Slater’s voice stops me cold. It’s not loud, but it’s commanding. Final.
I turn to look at him. “Did you see her? How can you let her go in that state? My heart’s fucking shattered watching her cry like that.”
“And you think mine isn’t?” Slater’s voice rises slightly, showing more emotion than I’ve seen from him in too long. “You think I’m not dying inside right now?”
He’s on his feet suddenly, striding to the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring out at the ocean. The water is getting choppier, darker clouds rolling in from the north promising a storm. Probably snow.
We all stand here in silence for a long moment.
I can’t stop seeing her face. The tears. The genuine remorse. The way she looked so small and broken.
“Fuck,” I say finally, dropping back into my chair and running my hands through my hair. “Did you see how remorseful she was? I was dying watching her in pain.”
“She lied to us,” Jasper murmurs.
