Chapter 47
FORTY-SEVEN
Being bonded is way better than I thought it would be.
I wake up to morning texts, there’s always at least one of them waiting for me on campus with either coffee or treats, and there’s always someone up for a nice cuddle.
I didn’t even know I was that much of a cuddler, but if it’s the choice between going out or staying in with my alphas for a nap, I’ll choose the latter every time.
There’s also three people who can feel what I’m feeling every hour of the day. They completely understand me no matter how irrational I’m being. Which is a big perk for someone like me, who never knows how to put how they’re feeling into words.
I can describe my emotions by using movie scenes. Like right now, I feel like Cobb in Inception, who knows things are going to end very badly if he doesn’t figure things out before the clock strikes zero.
There’s still a few lines I’m struggling with.
That wouldn’t be bad in normal circumstances, but our Shakespeare class is coming to an end and our opening of Romeo and Juliet is this weekend.
Every time I say them, it doesn’t feel natural and I haven’t yet found a way to say them that makes sense for Juliet.
They’ve been in my head for weeks, but with the holidays and bonding surprisingly—and welcomely—stealing my time, I’ve forgotten to put aside an hour or two to figure them out.
As the car I ordered takes me back to campus for our nightly rehearsal, I can’t stop torturing myself over the words, restating them over so many times that I’m pretty sure my driver is going to physically push me out of the vehicle when we get there.
When we arrive, I thank my driver—in which he gives me a tight smile—before getting out and continuing to go over the lines.
I walk on autopilot, but I don’t get very far because there’s suddenly an influx of the most ripe fruit I’ve ever smelled.
It’s almost rotting and mixed in with this insanely over-sweetened perfume that I absolutely hate.
The recognition of what I’m smelling causes sweat to immediately trail down my neck.
I look around, hoping that it’s just a trick or a blip, something trying to tell me to deal with my trauma, but she’s there, like a ghost in the night.
Her long dress is too expensive, her hair too rigid in its high bun.
Her high cheekbones and flawless makeup looks haunting under the dimmed streetlight.
“Mom?” I huff out, and I hate how small my voice sounds. “What are you doing here?”
The woman in front of me smiles. It’s too sweet and drips with deception.
“Don’t be silly, Veronica. I know you better than anyone.
A Shakespeare class? And one with actual acting experience to put on your resume?
All I had to do was call the head of the drama department and ask for the night of rehearsals because ‘my daughter is the lead.’ ” She ends her sentence with an exaggerated tone, emphasizing how proud she is and proving how easy it was to find me.
“Plus, you know, I didn’t give him much of a choice. Betas are so easy to manipulate.”
I feel an instant bout of nausea as I look around, noticing that I’m completely alone in this dark parking lot. I feel down my bonds, tugging each one with emphasis. I bet they could all already feel my panic, but the extra toss in the dark is enough that it helps me ground myself on this asphalt.
“I have rehearsal,” I say, trying not to let her see my fear, because the second she does it’s over. She’ll have everything she wants from me and more.
“We have things to discuss, Veronica, and I guarantee it’s way more important than your rehearsal.”
I scoff under my breath. She’s never cared much for my acting. I’d bet my entire inheritance that she’d change her entire attitude about it if I were to make it big one day.
I’m going to make it my own personal mission that she never finds out about my mate’s family. They don’t deserve this kind of headache.
“My name is Rory,” is all I say.
That causes her to chuckle. “I never understood why you insisted to go by that wretched name. It’s so boy-ish, and as an omega, you should be anything but boy-ish.”
I roll my eyes. “There are male omegas, mother.”
“Oh, don’t I know it. Your father always went on and on about how he wished he had designated as an omega. That complaint of his lives in my head rent free, like being an omega was something that men should want to be?—”
“Wait, what?” I interrupt her, much to her dismay as she scowls in my direction. “Dad wanted to be an omega?”
“Yeah, he always thought he would be. It took him years to accept that he wouldn’t present as one. Something about wanting to be a part of a pack.” She waves her hand at the idea.
Some cavity deep in my chest seems to unlock and tears spring to my eyes. I have to focus hard not to let my mother see the emotion it stirs in me.
My dad never said anything about wanting to be an omega. He always seemed very happy with his designation, with being a beta male who could go through life in the background.
Despite the annoyance I feel at my mother showing up here, it feels like she just gave me a piece of my dad back. It feels like there’s a link between us once more, and the existence of it brings tears to my eyes.
“Hello, ole daughter of mine,” she says, whistling and snapping at me like I’m a dog. “Important things, remember?”
I snap at her. “Nothing having to do with you is important to me. You lost that privilege a long time ago.” I steel my spine to get the words out, but my hands are shaking. “So, disrespectfully , fuck off?—”
“Hold your fucking tongue.”
I guess she’s no longer playing nice. The bark immediately grips me by the throat, and even though my rage ignites inside me, I can’t move a fucking muscle. “Good, now listen . I know you’ve probably already spent a pretty penny of that inheritance, but it’s time to stop playing now.”
My throat finally relaxes and I open my mouth to curse at her before she puts a finger up to stop me. “We’re not playing a game. And you’re not getting a single cent from me.”
My mother just looks at me, disdain written all over her face. I know she’s trying to calculate how to manipulate me, and I’m not giving her even an inch of wiggle room.
“You have your own money,” I say when the silence becomes too much. “You don’t need any of mine.”
She lets out a dismissive laugh. “You mean what your dad was supposed to leave to me , before his grand deeds of valor got in the way.”
“No, I mean mine . He left it to me ,” I respond. “In fact, I’m pretty sure that was always the intention. He only stayed with you because of me.”
“Well, now you’re just speaking nonsense.”
Now it’s my turn to laugh. “Don’t kid yourself, despite what you might believe, he didn’t enjoy being your punching bag. And neither did I. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have somewhere to be.”
I turn to walk away when I feel her hand clasp around my bicep and tug me back. “Veronica Francine Cromwell, you listen to me right now ?—”
“Is everything okay over there?”
We both turn our heads quickly to the voice. I breathe a sigh of relief at the faceless savior, but then the person’s blonde hair comes into view and I have to swallow down a groan. Nicole steps forward, her brows scrunched in on the situation.
My scent literally cannot get any more bitter.
“I’m her mother, so it’s none of your business,” she responds, her hands tightening on my skin until I feel it bruise.
My eyes meet Nicole’s and I’m sure she reads the shame there. I’m just a weak omega in this situation, being bossed around and barked at by her alpha mother. The embarrassment of Nicole of all people seeing me in this position causes a whine to almost erupt from my throat.
“Well, this is my brother’s mate so I do think it’s my fucking business.”
My head whips to her. What did she say?
Nicole continues, “So I suggest you take your hand off of her… right now .”
My mother gives a nasty chuckle. “Was that your attempt at a beta bark?”
I pull myself out of her grip now that she’s distracted and take several steps back. Nicole moves to my side quickly, but keeps her examining gaze on her opponent. She gives a wicked smile to match my mother’s and the energy suddenly shifts.
“You can laugh all you want. Just don’t mess with my family and we won’t have any issues. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to be late for rehearsal.”
She looks over at me and gestures over her shoulder. We go to walk away but my mother barks for us to stop.
“I don’t know who you think you are, but you’re getting involved in a family situation. I suggest you take your little bow and your designer shoes right to that rehearsal and leave my daughter to me.”
The smile on Nicole’s face slips away and in its place is the meanest scowl I’ve ever seen. When we’re finally able, she turns her head to meet my mother head-on once again.
“You may not know who I am, but I know who you are. I know how you feel. Why you talk to people this way. You feel small, and it’s the only way to feel big.
” My mother recoils, a look of horror on her face, but then she recovers.
Her jaw tenses as Nicole carries on, “You’re messing with the wrong bitch.
You might think you’re untouchable, but my family will put you in the dirt. Do not test me.”
It’s wild to see my mother falter. She must see something in Nicole’s eye, or hear something in her tone, that shows how serious she is because she takes a step back like it will save her reputation.
My mother is nothing if not proper. She may be a monster behind closed doors, but she is all about presentation. If only she knew what messing with the Monaghans could do for her reputation. She wouldn’t think twice about walking away and never coming back.
I am both ashamed and astounded. The fear and confusion in my body is making it hard to do anything to help the situation .
“You have some nerve,” my mother responds.