Chapter 24
Hayes
Work has been a bitch this morning.
The storm hit hard, and the aftermath is a mess no one can quite get a handle on.
The mayor’s been breathing down my neck, barking orders like the world’s on fire, and I can’t seem to find a damn moment of peace.
I’ve been running from one problem to the next all day, and my brain’s fried, overstuffed with deadlines and stress that just won’t quit.
How could it not be after what happened with my pack and Lo?
Thank God it’s lunch time.
But I don’t even get out the door before the next stress comes my way. Only this time, it’s Lo herself. In the form of a text message.
Lo: Can we meet? I need to talk.
I don’t hesitate. I don’t even think about it.
Hayes: Sure, where are you?
Lo: Let’s meet at The Honeycomb Café.
Hayes: I’m already on the way.
I don’t waste a second. I hop in my truck and head straight for the café. Lo’s text hit me hard, and I find myself speeding a little more than I probably should.
I try to convince myself it’s just a normal catch-up, that it’s fine. But deep down, I know it’s not.
It can’t be, and I’m concerned it’s because of our night together. I don’t want her to regret a thing.
But if she does… well, we’ll all have to immediately back off.
When I get there, I spot her right away. She’s sitting at one of the corner tables, hands wrapped tightly around her coffee cup. She looks… different. Fragile, as if she’s trying to hide behind the wall she always builds.
But I see it.
I walk up, take a breath, and stand across from her. She looks up, and for a second, I think maybe she’s going to smile, but the curve of her lips is faint and uncertain. She looks tired, drained. Not just from the storm, but from something more.
“You good?” I ask, as I take my seat.
She runs a hand through her hair, looking down at her coffee, trying to gather her thoughts.
“I… I don’t know, Hayes,” she says, laced with an intense sadness. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
I can see the hesitation on her face, the way her shoulders tense. She’s holding more back. The part of me that’s always looked out for her wants to push her to say it, but I don’t. I wait. I’ve learned with Lo that sometimes she needs to get to the point on her own time.
“Lo,” I say after a beat, “I know it’s been a lot recently, but you can still talk to me about anything.”
She looks at me, her dark eyes locking onto mine. I feel it. The pull between us, the way she’s trying so hard to keep me at arm’s length.
But I’m here. I’ll always be here.
“I didn’t want to drag you into this,” she finally says, trembling just a little. “But I don’t know what else to do. I just… I need some advice.”
I lean forward, my chest tightening. “I’m still your friend, Lo. Always.”
She takes a deep breath, trying to brace herself for something heavy. I wait, my fingers tapping against the top of my thigh, trying to stay calm, but I feel that old protectiveness crawling up my spine.
“I’ve been running,” she says quietly. “From something. Well, someone.”
My heart stops for a second. “What do you mean?”
I don’t know where this is going, but I already don’t like it. Something’s wrong.
“I don’t even know how to explain it,” she says, her eyes downcast. “I’ve been trying to keep away from an Alpha named Dylan Carr. He’s… he’s been following me, Hayes. Watching me.”
I feel my jaw clench, a cold heaviness settling in my stomach. “Who?”
Her eyes meet mine again, the vulnerability and fear in them almost too much to handle.
“Someone I used to work with. He… got obsessed with me. I rejected him, and he just couldn’t let it go.
He was just a friend, you know? Someone who shared my passion.
I didn’t even realize he was looking for something more until he asked me out on that date all those months ago. ”
I stay silent, trying to process the words she’s just thrown at me. My mind is racing, piecing things together, but I don’t know anything about this Dylan Carr. All I know is that Lo’s scared.
And I don’t like it.
She keeps going. “He’s been tracking me for months.
Every time I think I’m safe, he finds me again.
I thought… I thought coming back here, I’d be safe.
I didn’t tell anyone about my past, you know?
No mention of Honeysuckle Grove. Wanted to leave it all behind and start fresh. But I guess I was wrong.”
I want to reach across the table and grab her hand, but I don’t. I want to tell her that she’s not alone, that I’ll make sure no one ever hurts her again. But right now, she’s so closed off.
“Tansy thinks I should stay here. That I have people to protect me here, that I shouldn’t take the job I was going to leave for, but I don’t know what’s best. This is my life’s work, you know? Am I supposed to let some weirdo Alpha take that from me? It feels wrong to let him do that.”
I lean forward, my elbows resting on the table, my hands balled into fists, trying to keep the rage bubbling inside me under control.
“Lo,” I start, “I don’t care what job you were planning to leave for. If this guy is stalking you, if he’s threatening your peace, then everything else has to come second. You don’t need to run anymore. I know this town is difficult, but I’m here for you. I will protect you.”
Much as I’m furious, I’m glad she came to me about this. Beck or Ford would have spiraled out of control with the need to protect her. As a Beta, I can be much more levelheaded.
“Maybe,” she finally breathes out. “Maybe I’ll stay. Just for a bit longer, until this thing with Dylan dies down.”
The knot in my chest loosens a little as I know she isn’t slipping through my fingers.
At least, not yet.
The conversation with Lo stays with me all day long, but that peace I felt doesn’t last forever.
By the time I get home, and I see the fancy car parked outside my place, I already know what’s coming. My dad doesn’t wait to call a meeting. He’s always been the type to want face-to-face discussions, especially when it involves matters that don’t fit neatly into his carefully constructed plans.
I know this talk is going to be about Lo. It has to be.
There’s nothing else I’ve done against his wishes.
I walk into the kitchen, expecting my mother to be there, but it’s just my father sitting at the table, a glass of bourbon in front of him. He’s wearing that smile, the one that hides everything. He’s always two steps ahead, always controlling.
This is my place, yet he acts like he owns it.
“Hayes,” he greets me. “Sit down. We need to talk.”
I don’t even sit. I know better. Instead, I lean against the counter, crossing my arms. “About what?”
He raises an eyebrow, a small, knowing smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “About the woman you’ve been spending time with. Lo Marsh.”
I roll my eyes. “You mean my friend?”
“Your friend who I told you to stay away from. You know why. Don’t make me repeat myself.”
“Dad, I’m not doing this,” I snarl, trying to keep my temper in check as I turn toward the fridge.
He leans back in his chair, swirling the bourbon in his glass, his eyes never leaving mine. “You are doing this, Hayes. You may not like it, but you need to hear me out. I’m trying to save you from yourself.”
“Save me from myself?” I repeat, scoffing as I reach into the fridge for a soda. “What the hell are you talking about?”
His smile falters, but only just. He sets the glass down, his hands clasping in front of him as he looks at me with a mixture of exasperation and authority. For a moment, the crack and sizzle of the soda is the only thing that fills the kitchen.
I take a long pull from the can, relishing the burn of the carbonation, trying to ignore my father.
He has no right to talk about my Omega.
“You know what I’m talking about. Lo Marsh is trouble.
She’s an Omega with a scandal attached to her name, and her family?
Well, her family is a stain on this town.
You’re not blind, Hayes. You know what happened with her.
And you know damn well that if you keep pursuing this thing you have with her, it’ll destroy everything you’ve worked for.
Your career, your standing, the reputation of this town. You’ll drag us all down with you.”
I feel a chill run through me, but I don’t back down. I’ve always hated how he talks. He believes everything can be bought or controlled; that people are chess pieces and not real, living, breathing humans with their own fucking wishes and desires.
“I’m not pursuing anything,” I snap back. “And you don’t get to dictate my life, Dad. You’ve done that long enough.”
His eyes harden, his jaw setting in the way that signals his patience is running thin.
“I’m not dictating your life, Hayes. I’m protecting you.
From scandal. From her.” He leans forward, his gaze sharper now, more cutting.
“And you’re at a crossroads. You’re making a name for yourself as the mayor’s assistant, but you’ll never reach the heights you’re capable of if you let her distract you.
You’re not a boy anymore. You need to be responsible.
It’s time you grew up and settled down properly. ”
I bite back the urge to shout, to lash out.
I know exactly what he means by “settle down properly.” It’s the same thing he’s been telling me my whole life: find a respectable Beta.
Get married. Be the image of success and stability that he’s convinced will somehow make everything right.
That will bolster the family name in a way he never could.
He wants me to follow the script, to be everything he thinks a Whitlock should be.
But it’s never been my script.
Just his.
“I’m not going to back away from her just because you think she’s a risk,” I say slowly, trying to keep my voice level. “I’m not going to throw my life away for a game of appearances just because you have.”
His eyes narrow, disappointment and something else flashing in them.
“That’s not what I’m asking, Hayes. You’re better than this.
You can’t let yourself get caught up in her drama.
You’ve always known what was expected of you.
Don’t let some girl, especially one like her, distract you from your duties. ”
I feel the blood start to boil in my veins.
“Some girl? You think Lo is just some girl? You don’t know her like I do, Dad.
She’s been through hell, and she’s stronger than you’ll ever give her credit for.
This town, including you, turned their back on her when she tried to expose her family, and now you’re acting like she was the issue all along. ”
My father doesn’t flinch, but his tone hardens.
“You don’t know what you’re saying. It’s your future at stake here.
The Whitlocks don’t get involved with scandal.
You have the town’s trust, their respect.
You’re the mayor’s assistant, for crying out loud.
If you get tied up with someone like Lo, you’ll lose it all.
You’ll lose everything you’ve worked for. You’ll lose me.”
The last words hit hard as a punch. I feel it deep, right in the pit of my stomach. He’s always known how to hit me where it hurts. He’s always made me feel like I was standing on a ledge, with him holding the only safety net.
But this time, it’s different. I’ve been living for him for years, following the path he’s set out, doing what he wanted me to do. But I can’t anymore.
Maybe I don’t want to live for him and the Whitlock name anymore.