Father sneers at me once before turning on his heel and returning to the table. “She isn’t worth it anyway. Our business is done here. Get her out of my sight.”
He sits down at the table, staring at the wood like it might make the situation play out faster.
And again, I’m helpless.
“Please,” I say weakly, looking between my parents and the pack who’s come to take me away. My eyes settle on the alpha in front of me. “Please don’t do this. I’ll never love you. I can’t.”
Kellan drops to a crouch in front of me, looking into my eyes with a smirk. “Love?” He lets out a cruel chuckle. “We don’t want yourlove, Pigeon.” The pit in my stomach grows. His expression loses all humor as he stands, looking down at me. “Now, we’re leaving here and taking you with us. The question is—are we going to do this the easy way? Or the hard way?”
Fuck.
“I…” Looking down, I wring my hands. “Can I please just have one more night in my own bed?” I sniff, glancing back up at him. All I need is one more night, and Teddy will come for me.
“No can do.” Kellan looks at me with what almost seems like pity. “Jasper and I are going out of town in a few days, and we need to make sure you’re familiar with your duties before we go.”
My…duties?
My chest constricts. Father won’t look at me, and Mother sneers down at me like I chose one day to designate as an omega and fuck up my entire life. Like this wholesituation is my doing.
Like I asked for them to treat me as a second-class citizen despite the factthey’rethe ones who brought me into the world, andthey’rethe ones using my designation as a bank card.
I might as well leave with a little bit of dignity.
Sniffing, I stand, and brush off my dress.
“Might I at least pack a few things?” My voice barely wavers.
Kellan nods once, his jaw tight, and Father barks out, “Freida! Escort Wren to grab her things.”
Freida, the older, vaguely maternal woman who has always shown me kindness, gives me a worried look as she gently cups my elbow.
She tries to make light conversation as she helps me up the stairs, my legs still weak from the ordeal in the dining room, but I can’t answer her.
Not when I’m trying my best to figure out how the hell to give Teddy a warning that I won’t be around anymore.
Chapter 3
Teddy
Ifucking did it.
I told her how I felt, and she didn’t scoff or laugh in my face. Not that she would, my sweet Dove, but my mind had run through every single worst case scenario as I word vomited the feelings that’ve been bottled up for the last year.
My heart is still racing as I drop from her balcony, careful to stay in the blind spot Ethan created for me. My roommate hadn’t been too keen on hacking into one of the Italian Mafia family’s security systems, but he owed me a favor from when I got my cousin Bill to fill in on a job for him at the last minute.
Keeping my head down, I carefully scale the back wall where I know the security guards won’t pass by on patrol for another three minutes and thirty six seconds. I have to be even more careful than normal. This painting is the most important one yet. Can’t afford to have an incident like the first time I carried one of her paintings. I didn’t have the bag yet, and it ended up with a hole ripped down the middle of the canvas. Paid for it myself, I felt so bad.
My feet land on the other side of the wall, and I pull out my phone to text the buyer, and then call Ethan.
He doesn’t even say hello. “Are you out?”
“I’m out. You can put the cameras back. And…I’m gonna need that fake ID.”
“Really?” He sounds surprised. “You said it would be at least another couple of months.”
“Nah,” I shake my head, picking up my pace when I see my bike parked along the side of the road, “she made a big sale. We’re goin’ tonight.”
The clacking of keys on the other line stops. “We? You told her?”
