Chapter Twenty
“Wheee, released from captivity!” Angela crowed, although she sounded somewhat subdued this morning.
Three days had gone by, and now it was time leave the Alpha Compound and tour the Banquet Hall where the wedding would be held.
“Captivity,” Mary scoffed. “In a mansion the size of Texas, with servants waiting on you hand and foot and a hot guy at your command.”
“Eh.” Angela shrugged, as she, Regina and Angela stood by the limo waiting for Jarrod, who was inside the house talking to a staff member.
“Where is Craig today?” Mary glanced around curiously.
“I don’t know.” Angela’s expression was woebegone. “I told him I needed some time alone.”
Mary felt a sharp pang of guilt. She and Jarrod had been getting along famously the past few days. Exploring the beautiful gardens. Cooking meals together. Testing each other on their knowledge of eighteenth-century poets. Having lots and lots of incredible sex. In her blissful haze, she’d lost track of what Regina and Angela were doing. Now it looked like Angela had torpedoed a relationship with the only decent guy she’d ever dated, and for all she knew Regina had emptied out the pack’s bank accounts and sent all the money to China.
“You don’t sound particularly happy about it,” she said to Angela. She glanced up at the house. Jarrod was walking towards them now, backlit by the sun. He flashed her an enormous grin, but she forced her attention away from him and back to Angela.
“It’s fine. He never was my type, was he? He’s too good for me.”
“Oh, for the love of God, Angela. Listen. Escaping your parents’ influence doesn’t mean doing the opposite of what they say. It means thinking for yourself and not caring one way or the other whether they’d approve of the man you date. If you like him, go apologize to him and just spend some time with him and see where it goes. Decide whetheryouwant a relationship with him. Okay?”
“It’s probably too late. I screwed things up like I always do.” Angela glanced back at the house. “You know what? I’m not up for a tour today. I’m going to go take a walk or something.”
“Angela!” Mary called, but Angela had turned and was walking towards the house.
As she left, Regina let out a heavy sigh.
“She’ll be fine,” Mary said, hoping she was right.
“That’s not the problem.”
“What is it, then?” Mary asked.
Regina grimaced. “Okay, there’s something I haven’t been telling you. Because it seemed like you and Jarrod were starting to get along well, and if I tell you it’s going to screw it up. But you’ll probably want to know.”
“Just tell me.”
“I got bored, and I kept digging around in the pack’s bank accounts to see if there was anything else that I could find.”
“Regina.”
Jarrod was approaching them now, smiling.
Regina flashed him a quick look, then glanced back at Mary. “Would you want to know if Jarrod was keeping a really, really big secret from you?”
* * * * *
“He’s still not eating,” Bruce said, peering down at the tiny, pale baby with the scrunched-up face.
“Babies don’t eat a lot,” John said, but he felt worry clenching up inside him. Bruce had been so excited when the new one had arrived, carrying it around, singing it songs that he’d learned from their books.
Bruce and his books.
“But he’s hardly eating at all. The other ones ate more than this. I know they did. Didn’t I eat more than this one did?”
“No, not really,” John said, but he was lying. Bruce had been as hungry as a little pig. John had always had to beg Mr. Tompkins for more food, and then Mr. Tompkins would get really mad at him. It had been a big relief when John could eat solid food and hadn’t needed formula anymore.
Mr. Tompkins doesn’t really care about us…The treacherous thought whispered through John’s mind.
