32. Aspyn
Chapter thirty-two
Aspyn
A spyn Aged 19
Nat is weird. She’s brash and almost violent in everything she does, she’s the most honest person I’ve ever met.
The first thing she said to me was ‘you look like shit’.
It’s been a week of me tiptoeing around her, unsure of what to do or say.
Those alphas left me here. They’ve come back every day since, but they left me here with Nat because I would feel safer.
I’m not sure that it’s true.
Nat is scary.
There’s a knock on the door, and I get up and open it, gasping as a man barges in, pushing past me. I limp after him, telling him to stop, but he ignores me.
He’s got long blond hair and a tan. He’s clearly at least ten or so years older than me, but I have no idea what to do.
“Get out, Hank.”
I let out a breath of relief when I hear Nat.
“You can’t do this to me!”
“Do what? You’re married. I don’t shit where I eat, idiot. So, fuck off.”
“We’re in love!” the guy wails.
I take a step back because I clearly don’t want to be involved in their love drama.
The guy lunges towards Nat and throws her up against the wall. I pause, turning back to keep an eye on it. Is she okay?
“I love you.”
“No, you don’t. You just love getting your dick wet,” Nat snaps. “Get the fuck out of my house.”
“No, we need to be together!”
“For what?”
“For us, for love, for our children!”
“My man, I would not keep a child I made with you.”
His face goes slack with offense before he shoves her harder. Nat’s face does this thing, this twinge thing that I recognise.
Fear.
She’s afraid.
I slip out of the room and go to the kitchen as quickly as I can. A minute later, I’m approaching on silent feet. I hoist the frying pan high.
He’s kissing her, she’s still, her fingers clenching and unclenching, but he’s forcing himself on her.
Nope.
“Hank?” I call loudly.
Nat ducks away as soon as he lifts off her. I swing and hit him hard in the back of the head.
Nat stands there while he slides down her body and crumples on the floor.
She stares at me. I stare back at her.
“Hiding bodies makes us besties.”
I cock my head to the side. “Lying to the cops makes us forever friends.”
We burst into laughter and head down to the beach.
As we sit on the burning sand and talk, really talk, I realise that the words I’d said as a joke might very well be real.
I think I just made a friend.
P resent Day
The shouts drag me from my explorations of the long and exalted hallways of the Boothe family home. It’s a somber, dreary place, and the atmosphere is starting to affect me.
As I get closer to the stairs and the front entrance, I find Ezy standing in front of a line of the staff that work here.
“Who did it?” he growls.
Holt lifts his chin and simply glances at Ezy out of the corner of his eye with only a modicum of respect.
“The staff would not do such a thing, Alpha Boothe.”
“Daane!” Ezy snarls. “And are you implying that my pack would take that photo and send it to the journalists?”
“Perhaps the photo was taken through the window, sir,” Holt says calmly.
Ezy snarls, and the sound hits them all, causing the whole line to flinch.
“You all forget who I am. You think just because I’ve been away that I’ve forgotten who raised me, but, clearly, you need to have a reeducation.”
Ezy draws himself up. I’m about to interfere when I see a couple of the staff snicker. Another couple lower their eyes. I look up and down the line and realise they all know.
“You’re all fired!”
Their heads jerk up, shock, fear, horror.
“You can’t do that!” Holt cries.
I have no sympathy for any of them.
“Oh, I can’t fire you. But I can fire all of them,” Ezy says smugly. “How dare you come into my home, take my money, and betray me so blatantly. You all have one hour to collect your belongings and get off my property. No exceptions.”
Holt stays there longest, fairly quivering with rage. Ezy does not even bother to look at him.
“Ahem.”
My alpha ignores him.
“AHEM!”
Ezy turns back and flicks Holt a glance. “Are you still here? I thought you would be overseeing the staff leaving. Isn’t that your job and what you get paid for?”
Holt freezes. “Of course, sir.”
The sir is sneered. I really don’t like that man.
Kelly and Shale walk out shoulder to shoulder.
“I’ve rung Ryn. She knows people who can come and work here with little to no notice.”
“Give them double pay,” Ezy mutters.
“You did well, Alpha,” Shale murmurs and grips the back of his neck, dragging him against his chest.
“I hate this place.”
“I know. But you did amazing. Aspyn thinks so, too, don’t you, Aspyn?”
How does he do that? He hasn’t even looked up here. Keagan’s arms wrap around me and walk me out of the shadows and to the banister.
“I think so!” I say to him.
Ezy stares up at me like I’ve just hung the moon. He’s so beautiful. And as he smiles, I find myself gripping the railing and smiling back.
Gael walks into the entrance and blinks at all of us. “Was there a meeting called?”
Kelly snickers. “No, we’re just cleaning house.”
Gael nods and holds up his phone. “What’s this?”
“Someone did a tell all and included photos.”
“Of us sleeping?” Gael shouts.
My mouth drops open. They took photos of us sleeping? I feel so creeped out.
Gael leans in and exchanges some very harsh words with Kelly, Shale, and Ezy.
“It’s all right. They’re all fired, remember?” Keagan reminds me.
I lean into his solid strength.
“Where is Beau?”
“He’ll be back. He’s just gone to see someone about something.”
Keagan has no sooner finished speaking than the front door opens, and Beau walks in. He’s wearing a black hoodie and baggy jeans, but when he spots me, he flashes me a saucy smile and a wink.
My damn chest fills with flutters.
He walks up to Ezy and pulls him into a dip, kissing the stunned alpha before he can argue or protest.
“Did you find it?” Kelly asks.
“Of course, I did. We should go soon. Everyone is going to know we’re here.” Beau tilts his head back and looks up at me. “Go get your frock on, darl, I’m taking you out.”
“Where?” I call back.
He cups his hands over his mouth. “It’s a surprise.”
I laugh. “Tell me!”
“You’ll pry the information from my cold, dead fingers.”
I get the giggles, but with a hand motion from Shale, Keagan picks me up and walks off with me.
I hear the strident sounds of my alpha start again, and I feel a helpless wish to take away the stress for him.
“Where are we going?”
“Go get dressed and stop cheating,” Keagan growls and points me in the direction of the bedroom.
“But-”
I hesitate because of those photos, but Keagan follows me in.
“I will kill anyone who tries.”
The anxiety melts away. I cup his cheek and reach up carefully to kiss him. He takes control of the kiss but breaks away as I try to turn it into something more.
“Get dressed, something nice. And put on the coat.”
“I don’t have a coat,” I grumble.
I open the wardrobe and stop, my mouth dropping open in awe.
“Now, you do.”
I reach out, touching the golden yellow coat. It’s felt, I think, with a satin lining and huge pockets. I’ve never owned anything so nice before.
I stroke the arm of it for a little while, wrestling with the emotions, but I need to get ready, so I pull on a crimson dress that floats around my knees and pull on the gold coat.
When I turn around, Keagan is staring at me with deep, emotion-filled eyes.
“What?” I smooth the fabric of the dress nervously.
“I’m so glad to see you wearing the clothes I picked for you.”
There are a lot of years of me wearing hand-me-downs and clothes with holes, refusing to accept their charity.
“I’m sorry I hurt you.”
“Don’t be. You have pride, and I love that about you, Aspyn. We worked hard for this relationship with you and maybe, because of how slow we went, I got to know you better than I deserve.”
He holds out his hand, and I limp to him, putting my hand in his. He swings me up into his arms like I weigh nothing.
“I will do anything to protect you. I am always on your side. Do not forget that.”
I look out the windows and frown. “A cemetery?”
Gael sighs and takes my hand.
“Are we here for your parents, Ezy? You should have told me, I would have worn black.”
Kelly takes my other hand. “Aspyn?”
I turn towards him and force a smile. “It’s okay, it will be fine. We’ll look after him.”
The car stops, and Shale opens the door and gets out. When we’re all out, Beau leads the way up a shaded path. It’s really pretty and quiet here, serene, almost.
I hold on to Ezy’s hand. Kelly walks on my other side with an arm around my back so I don’t need my cane.
This is so sad, but it’s so beautiful. It’s a lovely place to rest. There is a ring of trees and flowers.
We get to two gravestones, but they are older than I would have thought. I open my mouth to ask when I see the names.
My throat closes, and I stare at it, frozen and overwhelmed.
“We found your dad and sister,” Gael says carefully. “We wanted to give you the chance to say goodbye that you never had.”
My mouth moves, but I can’t get any sound out. I’m lost. Memories that I haven’t thought about for years slam into my head. My dad teaching me to ride a bike. Sitting me down and bandaging my knee. Playing games with me and Cassie. Them sitting on the couch laughing at a TV show they both love.
I step out of Kelly’s arms. Shale, Beau, and Keagan walk ahead of me and bow their heads. When I glance back, I find Kelly, Ezy, and Gael just behind me with their heads bowed, too.
“Hi, Tom. My name is Shale Daane. You’ve probably been watching what’s going on, not sure how you feel about us, but we are so grateful to you for giving us Aspyn. We will protect her with everything we have.”
“Love her with all we have,” Keagan adds softly.
“Be everything she needs,” Kelly says and brushes his fingers down the back of my hand.
“She won’t be alone, scared, or hungry,” Beau says, looking at me with somberness in his eyes.
“Her future with us is for always,” Gael says.
Ezy picks up my hand and kisses my knuckles. “In sorrow and in happiness, in sickness, health, bad days, and good. She has us now, and we will not let her fall.”
I’m openly sobbing now. Ezy holds me, murmuring soft words to me.
“You found my family?”
“I’m sorry it took so long,” Shale says. “But my cousin Mael came through.”
I glance sideways at him while I palm the tears off my face. “When am I going to meet cousin Mael?” I let out a wet chuckle.
“Soon. How about we give you a minute with your family?”
I nod, scared but relieved. The six of them move back down the path, leaving me alone. I carefully lower myself to the ground.
“Hey, dad, hey, Cassie.” I stop, breathing hard. “I’ve missed you so much.”