Chapter 43
Chapter
Forty-Three
Two months later
SHILOH
I’m at a backyard lunch with some of our allies and friends today, making sure to watch Winter and Cass carefully for any signs of fatigue. They’re both wearing flowing dresses to hide their little baby bumps, and Winter’s morning sickness has been so much better recently.
She even has more energy now, and she contacted a new theater production about helping them with their backdrops. They of course accepted, and she’s been busy between that and working three days a week at the shop.
I don’t really want her working at all, but I understand she needs to get out of the house. She still has a security guard that sticks close to the shop while she’s there, and she wears her bracelet everywhere again. I had to make her a new one with upgraded features.
Is it spying? Maybe. I never want to be in a position where I don’t know where and how she is. Privacy seems a little less important after her kidnapping.
“Shiloh?”
Surprised that anyone is talking to me since I’m used to sitting back and observing, I turn to find that Hollis is watching me curiously.
“Hey,” I say. “How are you?”
Hollis and her sister, Nova, have been traveling back and forth between Minneapolis and Savannah with their packs while they search for Alisa. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to find her yet, and I’m a little concerned that she might have been picked up by someone or killed.
Being homeless as an omega isn’t safe, no matter the city you’re in.
“Frustrated,” she admits, making a face. “Video cam footage isn’t bringing up anything conclusive. Sometimes, I think we may have found her, only to find that it leads to a dead end. It’s hard to stay positive.”
“I have my programs looking for her too, but no one has a current photo of her. The best we could do is age her up digitally until it matched an image from Winter and Bellamy’s memory,” I admit. “You’d think it would be harder to escape video cameras and technology in a city this size.”
Hollis’ gaze catches on her sister who is chatting with Winter before she nods.
“I understand that completely,” she sighs.
“I have to hope we find her one day, even if it’s to shut the door on finding her alive.
Alisa was kidnapped when she was a kid. It’s expected that she’ll be skittish.
She may not even want to see her brothers, and a part of me wants to protect my best friends from that. It wasn’t their fault.”
“Misplaced guilt is something I understand,” I admit, leaning back as I talk to her.
“Unfortunately, so do I,” Hollis says. “I hate that I can’t fix it. They’re so happy with my sister. I wish they could fully enjoy it.”
I sense Winter before I see her, my arm wrapping around her waist to sit her on my lap. Her cheeks heat as she grins at me, lighting me up with her happiness.
“I didn’t want to interrupt,” she says, wrinkling her nose at me.
“So you were going to just walk past me? That’s rude, Kitten,” I purr.
Hollis snorts in amusement while I chuckle.
“Yes, I suppose I am a caveman,” I say. “You’re not interrupting. Hollis and I are chatting about Alisa.”
Winter turns so she can see Hollis, a shy smile on her lips. She sat on the other side of the table next to Nina and her pack at lunch earlier, so they haven’t had a chance to talk.
“Hi,” Winter says, getting comfortable. “I just want to say that I wish we hadn’t let Alisa run away when she did. Bell and I didn’t know her well because of our circumstances. Alisa is…”
“A bitch?” Hollis asks. “I’ve been told that.
There was a girl who worked at Slick Dreams who didn’t have a great experience with her either.
I don’t think Alisa is the same person I knew anymore.
She used to be light, happy, and full of energy.
I grew up in the same neighborhood that she did.
I also spent a lot of time hanging out at her house when I didn’t want to go home. ”
“Alisa was calculating,” Winter says carefully. “I heard stories while I was at Slick Dreams about how Bret had his favorites. Alisa got tired of that particular kind of attention, and did her best to avoid him.”
“Was this avoiding done by throwing other people in front of her?” Hollis asks carefully.
Winter shrugs slightly as if to ask what else she should have done, and Hollis nods.
“I don’t know anything about her life before Slick Dreams, but I imagine being there could break anyone,” Winter says gently. “Bell saved me from shattering into a million pieces, just like I saved him. Alisa’s brothers need to understand she’ll probably be a completely different person.”
“I think they do, in a way,” Hollis says. “They need to know she’s safe. If she never wants to talk to them again, they’ll accept it. Well, that’s not true. Caleb and Lars are hardheaded.”
“Hey, no talking about us when we can’t defend ourselves,’ Lars grumbles behind her.
Damn, I didn’t even hear him.
Hollis gasps, rolling her eyes as she turns to face him. “You need a damn bell,” she complains.
“I know,” he says unrepentantly. “I found a stash of lemon bars. I want you to taste them and see if they’re better than mine.”
Oh shit, that sounds like dangerous territory.
“Do I have to?” Hollis asks. “I don’t want to have to lie.”
“God, you’re such a brat,” Lars says, pulling her up to stand before lifting her over his shoulder.
“Yo, put my omega down!” a voice yells across the yard.
“After she tastes these lemon squares!” Lars says, walking away without a care.
“Help!” Hollis laughs.
“You know that you could get yourself out if you wanted to,” one of her alphas shrugs. “Lars is scary.”
“They’re insane,” Winter says under her breath.
“I like them too,” I admit, kissing her senseless.
It’s just another day of bliss in my opinion.
An hour later, we’re saying goodbye, stepping out onto the sidewalk to begin walking toward our next destination. I’m not really very excited about this, but I know it’ll be good for Winter, Cass, and Bellamy.
Cassidy found a community center that offers group therapy for trauma survivors once a week. She suggested going with Winter and Bellamy and they agreed. They don’t want to talk, being there may be enough.
My largest concern is for Bellamy, because he’s our empath. His feelings are not only affected by those around him, but they’re amplified as well.
“Is it possible I’m already thinking about getting ice cream after this?” Cassidy asks, smirking. “I swear, I feel like I’m always hungry lately.”
“Ice cream sounds delicious,” Winter moans.
“Well, if you’re going to make sounds like that, I’m definitely for getting ice cream,” I chuckle. “This is what, an hour long?”
“It is,” Cassidy says, raising her brow at our guards who are trying to look nonchalant. “Who’s joining us?”
“I am, but I’ll be waiting outside the room so I don’t make anyone uncomfortable,” Henri says, stepping forward.
“Thank you, Henri,” Abbott says. “Let us know if you need anything, guys.”
“We will,” Cassidy says, allowing Henri to open the door before they walk into the building.
“Someone remind me why we can’t wait in the hallway,” Ansel growls under his voice.
“Nope, we’re going across the street,” I reply, turning him and walking toward a bar for a drink.
The truth is, if Ansel didn’t want to move, he wouldn’t. At least he’s agreeable for now.
“We’ll make people nervous,” Abbott reminds Ansel.
“Ugh. We’re adorable,” he mutters, giving the stink eye when someone gets too close as we find ourselves chairs at the bar.
“Please, keep telling yourself that,” I say with a laugh. “Things that are adorable are small and cute. While you’re cute, you’re not at all small.”
“Puppies are small,” Abbott offers.
“I want a puppy,” Ansel grumbles.
“We’ll go after ice cream,” I say without thinking. “Wait—”
“Dammit, Shi,” Abbott sighs as Ansel orders a beer with a grin. “I’ll have some water, please. You have to be better than this before the kids are born, or they’re going to walk all over you.”
“I know,” I say, shrugging.
“So we’re getting a puppy?” Ansel asks, smirking.
“Yep,” Abbott grunts. “Who wants to tell Cass?”
“Me!” Ansel says, fist pumping the air. “She’s going to be excited.”
Cassidy’s parents never let her have a pet, and we’ve always been too busy to have a pet. That’s all changing now that we have Bellamy and Winter.
Guess we’re getting a fucking puppy then.
WINTER
“I went to a club,” a woman begins, her eyes on her hands as she picks at her nails.
There’s no rules against men or alphas being here. Every story has been difficult to hear, no matter what is said. Lack of consent of any kind leads to trauma, it’s just how it is. Cassidy and Bell hold my hands while we sit in the circle together, our eyes wet as we listen.
“It was my coworker’s birthday, and I never go out,” she adds, shaking her head. I can tell that she’s angry with herself, even though I doubt that she should be.
She introduced herself as Erika, and she has tangled pink and blonde hair with anxious green eyes. She’s here alone, and it’s obvious that she’s having a hard time with her story.
“It was fine at first, but my co-worker invited her brother, and he wanted to dance with me. I didn’t want to, I said no, and Carla told me not to be such a bitch,” Erika sighs. “I actually decided to leave. I shouldn’t be in that position, right?”
I find myself wide eyed as I nod, and Erika looks up at that moment to meet my gaze. Her lips twitch slightly before the would-be smile dies a silent death.
“No should mean no,” she whispers. “Instead, the bouncer refused to let me out the front door, and I was forced through the club to an emergency exit. Max and his friends were waiting there with their SUV in the alley, and I was forced into the truck while I kicked and screamed. No one came to help me, and the bouncer pulled zip ties out of his back pocket to help them. Who the fuck does that?”