“I don’t need to know the details,” he snaps. “Just…tell me you brought what we agreed on.”
Mother’s nails dig into my arm as the third alpha, Victor, reaches into a bag and pulls out a few stacks of cash.
What…what is happening?
“Mother?” My voice is weak as it wavers, my eyes following the stack of bills as Father grabs it and counts out the money.
“Shut up,” she hisses. “You’ve ruined everything else, donotruin this for us.”
I…I’veruinedeverything else?
“You have no one to blame but yourself, Wren.” Father’s voice is hard as he places one stack down and starts counting the other. “If you would have settled with one of the packs we tried to have you court, it wouldn’t have come to this.”
A cold sweat starts to take over as I blink rapidly. “What…what isthis?”
“I thought you said she was smart,” Jasper frowns at Father.
“I don’t believe I ever said such a thing.” Father smirks, placing the final stack on the table and crossing his arms before turning to me. “You belong to Pack Caruso now. They’ve been offering to buy you for the last year, but we thought we’d be kind and try to let you pick a different, equally advantageous pack. You’ve run out of time. A packless omegacannotbe the face of Nest Luxe.”
“No,” I shake my head, my heart pounding in my ears. My voice sounds like it’s coming from outside my body as I stare at Father, tears welling in my eyes. “No, that’s not right—you can’t sell me. It’s illegal—”
“When have I operated within the confines of the law? Are you really so stupid that you forgot what our family business truly entails?” Father chuckles, shaking his head. “You belong to them now, whether you like it or not. Except, of course, once a month when you make your contractual appearances at each Nest Luxe for their grand re-openings.”
“And any photoshoots we set up,” Mother adds.
They…they’re going to sell me, but still expect me to be their cash cow for their farce of a nesting store? “Father, please—”
Mother releases me as Kellan comes around the table and grips my chin in his hand. His smoky scent is tinged with the bitterness of impatience I’ve come to associate with my father. “Ah, come on now, Pigeon. We won’t bite. Not yet anyway.”
Before I know what’s happening, I’m wrenching myself away from him, stumbling to the floor.
“Really, Wren!” Mother exclaims, crossing her arms as I look up, tears falling down my cheeks. “You’re so dramatic.”
I was so close. I was so, so close.
Teddy.
What will I do about Teddy?
“Father,” I beg, turning back to the one man who could call this entire thing off he wanted to. “Please, I’ll try harder. I’ll take things more seriously. I promise.”
“Your promises mean nothing to me, child,” Father practically spits.
After being ignored my entire life, after only being made worthy of attention once I presented, after everything they’ve put me through…my promises meannothing? Rage boils up inside me like nothing I’ve ever known.
I’m hisdaughter. How could he do this to me?
The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them, fueled by years of biting my tongue. “Grandfather would beashamedof you.”
“My father is dead,” he snaps at me, standing abruptly from his seat before taking a step towards me. But now that the defiance has let itself loose, I can’t look away from his stare, even as I sit on the floor. “And he was a coward. Soft. The only good thing he ever did was decline the position as head of the family after his brother died, leaving it to me. So you better think twice before running your mouth, you uselesswhore.”
There’s nothing but hatred in his eyes, and as he approaches, I feel like maybe I’ve finally done it. Maybe I’ve pushed him over the edge once and for all.
But then Kellan makes the slightest motion to move in front of me, and Father stops in his tracks. Did…did Kellan just save me?
“She’s not yours to discipline anymore, remember?” He nods to the pile of cash on the table that Father had abandoned.
Right. I’m no longer property of the Messina Family.
