I’m near the concession area at the back of the lot, just taking a moment to breathe in the cold air and let it clear my head, when I lock on to a familiar face.
Ethan.
My ex-Alpha. The leader of my former pack who savagely rejected me.
He’s standing there, and he’s staring directly at me with recognition dawning on his face.
I freeze, my whole body going rigid with shock and old fear and anger.
He looks almost exactly the same since I last saw him. Tall, six foot, with dark brown hair styled perfectly even for a casual outdoor movie. Broad shoulders filling out an expensive black wool jacket. Green eyes that used to make me feel safe and cherished but now just make me feel sick and small. That same supremely confident stance that I used to admire but now recognize as pure arrogance and entitlement.
He appears successful. Put together. Happy.
And I hate him for it.
My pulse hammers frantically against my ribs. I’m angry and nervous and hurt, and a thousand other emotions all crash over me at once.
Seeing him freezes me in place like a deer caught in headlights, unable to move or think or breathe properly.
“Anita,” he says smoothly, his voice the same as I recall as he walks closer with that confident stride. “So good to see youafter so long. You’re looking amazing. Better than I remember, honestly. Life’s been treating you well?”
My voice isn’t working properly. I open my mouth, but nothing comes out except a small, embarrassing squeak.
“Oh, adorable,” he says with that condescending smile I used to think was charming. “Still lost for words around me after all this time. Some things never change, do they? But if you want, I can show you some old times for nostalgia’s sake. And based on your scent right now, you might be ready for me. Receptive. I’m sure you haven’t found yourself a proper Alpha since leaving us. You always did need guidance.”
The words strike hard.
“Ethan, you’re an asshole,” I finally manage to blurt out, finding my voice through the shock and anger.
Just then, a shadow falls over me from behind. Large, strong arms wrap around me protectively.
Jasper is there, his body tense and dangerous, and he kisses the top of my head in a gesture that’s both tender and possessive.
“Who is this, dear?” he asks politely, but there’s steel underneath his words that wasn’t there moments ago.
Ethan’s eyes widen slightly with surprise. His shoulders pull back defensively, his chest puffing out in that Alpha posturing I remember too well.
“Oh, so maybe I was wrong about you not finding someone,” he says, but there’s an edge to his voice now. Jealousy for sure.
“Who the fuck are you?” Jasper snaps, his politeness evaporating instantly. “And you think you have any right to talk to Anita that way? To speak to my Omega like she’s yours?”
“Oh, this is Ethan,” I manage to say, my voice shaking slightly.
“Her first Alpha,” Ethan interrupts smugly, puffing his chest out even more. “Her first lover. The one who actually trained herproperly in what it means to be an Omega in a pack before she decided to be difficult and ungrateful.”
Jasper gently but firmly moves me behind him, putting his considerable body between me and Ethan like a shield.
“Trained her?” Jasper’s voice is dangerous now, deadly quiet. “Is that what you call ignoring an Omega during her heat and refusing to help her? Ignoring her needs? Training?”
Ethan’s face flushes red. “She told you about that? Of course she did. Typical. Always playing the victim, twisting the truth to make herself look good.”
I’m fuming, hurt, confused. I’m also assuming Slater told them about my past, which I appreciate.
“You’re pathetic. A weak excuse for an Alpha who uses his designation to abuse people instead of protect and cherish them.”
“You don’t know anything about our pack dynamics,” Ethan spits defensively. “What worked for us. The rules we had.”
“I know enough,” Jasper says, stepping even closer, using his height and bulk to intimidate Ethan. “I know you rejected your Omega instead of cherishing her. You failed at the single most basic responsibility of an Alpha—protecting those under your care. And if you don’t fuck off right now and get out of my sight, you won’t be walking straight for a month.”
