“The pack needs you,” he exclaims. “We need you!”
I blink. Once, twice, needing a moment for it to sink in. Then I laugh. “Don’t be an idiot, Clemmens. The pack literally tossed me aside.”
“No, it’s not true,” he mutters. “You should have…”
“I should have what?” I ask.
“If you only placated Jordan more.”
“Do you hear yourself talk?” I ask. “Placated him more? The man assaulted me. What else did you want me to do?”
“The girl is useless; he can’t take her as his chosen mate,” Clemmens blurts out. “You owe it to your pack!”
“The girlhas a name,” I say. “She is a person. I know Jordan and you, and some of your friends don’t see them as people, with feelings and their own personalities. But she is her own person, and her name is Clara.” I narrow my eyes to glare. “And as for your second point. I don’t owe my pack anything. In fact, I stayed for way too long. If anything, you all owe me!”
“But you can’t do that,” Clemmens exclaims. “You need to come back to us. And it’s not like you have a choice. Jordan will pick you up tonight.”
I look at him, a part of me feeling scared at Jordan being in any way close to me again without Forest’s protection. I have no idea what he will do to me if he has me in his grasp again, but the other part just feels utterly disgusted. “You really are a failure as a beta,” I spit. “A major failure. To imagine I had faith in you, myfather had faith in you, and Rory did. But you are utterly useless in this rank.”
Clemmens drops to his knees and tugs at his hair. “Don’t you think I know that?” he yells.
“If you know it, what are you still doing with Jordan?”
“I can’t leave his side,” he huffs, panting. “He is my friend.”
I shake my head. “No. Rory was your friend, and I was your friend, not Jordan.”
“Don’t mention his name,” Clemmens yells, covering his ears as if it hurts him even hearing it.
“Rory,” I say, just to repeat it again. “Rory was your friend, and you betrayed him. I don’t know what happened but he did everything to protect me and died because of it. Rory was tossed aside. The pack tossed him aside, you tossed him aside, just like you tossed me aside.”
Clemmens eyes snap up, they are bloodshot now. I am not sure if it’s pain or anger of both. “I did not kill him!”
“You may as well have,” I say. “You claim he was your friend, but you betrayed him, over and over again. Do you think Rory would appreciate what you are doing? Do you think Rory—"
“Shut up!” he screams.
“Do you think Rory would still consider you a friend?”
“I said, shut up!”
“If Rory could see you now—"
Clemmens head snaps up, his eyes turning black now. Okay, here we go. I am not sure if it was smart to rile him up like that. When he attacks me, it might not end too well for me, but maybe I can use the moment to get free. If he hits me from the right angle, I could fall and the chair might break.
Clemmens is up on his feet now, running towards me. I turn to the side slightly, bracing for impact.
thirty-nine
Of Old Friends and Enemies
*ROSEA*
The impact doesn’t come! Instead, I hear a loud, angry growl. I snap my eyes open, turning my head to see Forest kick Clemmens in his stomach, tossing him across the room just like that.
“Forest!”
“Rose!” Forest turns to me before glaring at Clemmens again. “Griffin, make sure he doesn’t move.”
