“I said, have a seat, son.”
I swallowed, my wolf growling just below the surface. Everything inside of me was screaming to sit, to cow down, to obey…but I held my ground. I locked my legs at the knees and crossed both arms over my chest, squaring my jaw in defiance.
“I’ve just come to tell you that Aria and I have decided to call off the wedding,” I said, sounding far more confident than I felt.
Father stared at me for a long moment, his golden eyes cold. And then he laughed. That laugh chilled me to the very bone. “Oh, that’s rich…” His voice was low, amused, but also carrying a hint of disappointment.
“Wh-What?” I bit out, standing a little straighter.
“I saw that coming from a mile away, you stupid pup,” he snapped. “Oh, that’s right. I know all about you and that little faggot of a roommate of yours.”
His words were a slap to the face. I jerked back with a hiss. Shit. How?When?We’d been so careful!
“What?”
Father snorted, shaking his head. “You know, I always knew you were off,” he said, his voice dripping with acid. “Always the black sheep of the family. The one to bend the rules, to step outside the line, but only so far enough that you weren’t technically in the wrong. I had my reservations about naming you heir, but you were the eldest son. The rightful one. But now?”
He laughed, sharp and bitter. “Hah! You have no right to the Sinclair name! You’re filth!” Shaking his head in disdain, he looked at me like he couldn’t believe what he was truly seeing. Adisgrace to his bloodline. A bloody stain on his perfect lineage. “It doesn’t matter though. You’ve finally crossed the line, and I promise you, I’ll strip you of everything—including that filthy feline whore of yours!”
My throat grew tight. “What?” Was that the only word I could think of?Think, Adam, think!But my world was reeling, spun upside down on its axis, the rug yanked out from beneath my feet.
Father smirked. “By the time you get home, your precious little ‘groundskeeper’ will be long gone.”
My blood turned to ice in my veins. Unable to stop myself, I lurched forwards, slamming my hands palm-down against his desk. “What did you do?” I shouted.
“I took care of him,” he replied coldly. “Or rather, I had someone else do the dirty work for me. It’s sad, really, that when you said goodbye, it would end up truly being your last.”
I saw my beautiful Omega in my mind’s eye, crumpled on the ground, surrounded by a pool of blood. Completely motionless. Stolen away from me by this monster who’d controlled my life for far too long.
“I’ll kill you!” I swung my arm back and punched my father in the jaw, hard enough that his head snapped back. My wolf snarled, enraged and ready to tear into his Alpha, but my thoughts were locked on Fletcher.No! We need to save our mate!
I wheeled away and sprinted off down the hall, while Father screamed obscenities. “FAGGOT! YOU ARE NO SON OF MINE!”
Breathing hard, I yanked open my car door and slid into the driver’s seat. Fuck.Fuck!What did I do? Was I really too late? I stuck the keys in the ignition and revved the engine, fumbling to get my cell out of my jeans pocket before driving off.
That’s when I saw it: One missed call. One voicemail.
My heart hollowing out, I pushed the button to bring up my voicemail and brought the phone to my ear. Fletcher’s cheery voice came onto the line. “Hey, Adam, it’s me. I’m headed to the pharmacy to pick up that prescription you called in. I’ll probably be back before you get home from your parents’, but just in case, I’ll be home soon. Love you, bye.”
No. No, no, no. My stomach sank. Prescription? There was no prescription, but at least I knew where to start looking.
Please, don’t let me be too late…
40
FLETCHER
It was nippy outside.
I hitched up my hood as I walked along the street, to the drugstore a few blocks from us. They’d called a little while ago, saying that there was a script that had been filled that needed to be picked up. No copay. Cool. I could zip over there real quick before Adam got home, then we could go to dinner and start planning our future together.
I sighed happily. Finally, things were looking up. Snow flurries blustered through the sky and I closed my eyes a moment, listening to the sounds of nature interspersed by the passing of cars. Across town, I could hear the distant yells and laughter of children at the local park.
I smiled. One day, Adam and I would have our own little ones, cute wolf pups that were a perfect blend of his features and mine.
I let myself daydream about babies while I walked. It was definitely an Omega thing. I was beginning to wonder if I was due for another heat soon. Maybe Adam had called in a suppressant? Or birth control? Even though I wanted kids, we didn’t need them quite yet.
I was so lost in thought that when I reached the drugstore parking lot, I didn’t hear someone come up behind me until it was too late. Suddenly, I was shrouded in darkness as a hood was pulled over my head. Someone grabbed me and clamped a hand over my mouth before I could scream.
