Chapter 50
Fifty
DARIA
Clutching my stone coffee mug, I watch Quinn’s face, waiting for her to process everything I’ve said. Her face is pinched in a way that’s only cute on her, brunette hair artfully pulled into a messy bun. Quinn spends so much time at the beach, she makes me look like a ghost. She’s always been gorgeous, but now that she’s not secretly pining after her stepbrothers, she practically glows with ethereal beauty.
“I—” She cuts off and shakes her head. “You...” she trails off.
“Did I break you?” I ask with a grin.
She laughs and shakes her head. “Sorry, I think I’m still stuck on the sex club part.”
“That is a good part of the story.” I smile and shrug. “I know it’s a lot, and as per usual, the relationship moved fast as hell, but I think this is truly the real thing.” Before she can say it, I blurt, “I know I’ve said that before.”
Her face scrunches and her shoulders sag. “Daria, I’m so sorry if I made you feel like you couldn’t tell me about this sooner.”
“No,” I say quickly. “No, that’s not it at all. I just...I don’t know. I lean on you so much, and you’ve been there through so many breakups that I felt guilty. It had been a year without any of that heartbreak, without me crying on your shoulder like that, and I didn’t want to burden you now that you’re busy with your own pack.”
Quinn leans forward and grabs my hand. “Hey, look at me.”
I meet her gaze, not surprised by the anger I see there. “I’m sorry for hiding it.”
“Daria, I swear I would shake you if we were in private.”
But she won’t because Quinn doesn’t like to make a scene. “I get it, you have every right to be mad or feel betrayed?—”
“Will you stop?” she snaps. “I didn’t tell you about my scent matches for years, Daria. You were never mad at me for hiding that. I don’t care that you didn’t tell me. I care that you think that my love for you has an expiration.”
I glance at the table. “I know my love life has always been chaos. I always have some type of drama going on, and you’re always there and it’s just. . . a lot to put on one friend.”
“Daria, babe, please.” Quinn squeezes my hand. “That ugly voice in your head needs to get fucked. You’re my best friend. I don’t care if you murdered someone.”
A woman a table over gasps.
“Calm your tits, I didn’t murder anyone,” I tell her.
“Yet,” Quinn says, glaring at the woman. “We’re having a private conversation. Unless you’d like to be an accessory, I suggest you mind your business.”
“Oh my god, your pack is totally rubbing off on you,” I say with a soft laugh. “I can’t believe you just told her to fuck off.”
Quinn frowns. “I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to,” I tell her with a grin.
“Whatever. Don’t change the subject, okay? I’m serious, Daria. I need you to hear me. I. Love. You. You’re my best friend, and I don’t care if you have a million breakups. I’ll always be there for you. Your feelings are not a burden, and I really wish I could find your mom and punch her.”
Her words wrap around my heart and choke the uncertainty out of me. Hating that I’ve been so emotional the last few weeks, I focus on the part that won’t bring me to tears. I tip my head to the side. “When did you get so violent?”
“I don’t know,” she confesses. “Tell me you understand.”
“Now you sound like Brady,” I tease.
She glares at me.
“Fine.” I blow out a breath. “I hear you.” And I really do. Quinn’s never given me reason to believe she’d be anything short of amazing. But my brain is messed up from years of rejection, and sometimes it feels safer to self-isolate than open up. “There’s more,” I tell her.
She releases my hand and sits back, taking a long sip of her drink before arching an eyebrow at me. “Tell me everything.”
As I tell her about Marco and watch the shock and anger on his behalf settle over her features, I realize I haven’t been alone since the day I met her. Quinn may not be blood, but she’s like a sister, and she loves Marco, despite never meeting him, simply because he’s my brother.
“You don’t even have to ask.” She cuts me off before I get to the part about needing help. “Brady can help.”
“You’re sure he’ll be up for it?”
She nods. “Brady hates stuff like this...injustice, I guess is the best word. He’ll go to battle for you.”
My chest constricts. “I used to hate him, you know. When you finally told me everything and I realized he hurt you.”
“Hurt people hurt people,” she says with a frown. “He’s been doing really good with therapy.”
“I’m so happy for you.”
She grins. “And I’m happy for you.”
We spend the next hour catching up and talking about anything and everything. Through it all, I realize how lucky I am to have a friend like Quinn.
And that realization has dread solidifying in my gut.
Everything has been going so right that it’s only a matter of time before everything goes terribly wrong. That’s just how my life goes.
“Yes! Yes! Yes!” I scream.
“Go. Yeah, baby! Goooooo!” Kai shouts.
Vic and Lincoln start cheering too, and soon, everyone in the stands around us is hooting and hollering as Marco’s team obliterates their competition. Marco isn’t one of the spotlight players, but he’s good, and it’s clear the team works well together.
The quarterback for his team passes the ball with thirty seconds left in the game, and the team manages one final touchdown, putting them more than twenty points ahead of the other team. I’m not a football fan, but I’m pretty sure they just kicked ass.
Jumping up and down, I cheer until a few parents give me a side-eye that tells me I’m being too loud. “Yeahhh, Tigers!” I scream even louder, because fuck them. I’m going to cheer my baby brother on as loud as I want.
We’re waiting for Marco in the parking lot when Ryan sends me a text.
Ryan
Can we talk?
I suck in a breath, drawing my pack’s attention. “Ryan texted me. He wants to talk.”
“Do you want to talk to him?” Lincoln asks.
“Not really. I don’t have any kind words for him. Honestly, I thought I blocked his number.”
Vic sighs. “Maybe tell him you don’t want to and to stop contacting you.”
“That won’t cause more issues?”
Kai scoffs. “You communicating is the least of our issues with our son, babe.”
I glance at Lincoln. “Are you okay if I text him?”
“Of course. I’d be jealous of another alpha texting you, but after hearing everything he said to you, I’m more mad than anything.”
No, we can’t talk. Please don’t contact me again. Your fathers love you, and if you ever get over yourself, I’m sure they’ll forgive you.
I read my message out loud to the guys and hit send.
Ryan’s reply is instant.
Ryan
Seriously? My fathers love me? Get fucked, Daria.
I’m half tempted to tell him that his daddies fuck me very well, but on the off-chance that Ryan grows up and wants to have a relationship with them, I decide it’s best to keep that thought to myself. Instead, I navigate to the block button and hit it, breathing out a sigh of relief.
“Who’s that talking to Marco?” Vic growls.
My head whips up, spotting my brother in the middle of a group of three teenagers. I swear, this kid can’t catch a break. I’m out of the car before the guys can say another word. Distantly, I hear their doors shut over the roar of blood in my ears as I stomp toward the jackasses who decided to fuck with my brother.
“Hey!”
Everyone turns at the sharp snap of my voice, and Marco’s eyes widen when he sees my face. The teenagers step aside, trading nervous glances and giving Marco a clear opening.
“That’s right, assholes. Leave him alone.”
“Daria,” Marco says, voice low and growly.
Why is he growling at me?
It’s then I notice how much closer the three teenagers have gotten, almost like they’re preparing to jump in to protect Marco, should he need it. I nearly trip over my feet when I see one of the guys brush his hand over the back of Marco’s, like a secret way of communicating.
“Oh, shit.” I stop and take in the scene again. “They’re not here to kick your ass?” I ask, pinching my eyebrows together.
“Definitely not,” the biggest—maybe an alpha—teenager says.
“You’re full on embarrassing me, right now.” Marco’s cheeks are bright red.
“Everything all good?” Vic asks, his chest brushing against my back as his arms come around my shoulders.
“Uh, yeah...” I lift an eyebrow at Marco, and he pulls a distinctly teenager go the fuck away look. “We’ll be waiting in the car,” I blurt, spinning and pushing Vic away. Kai and Linc squint at the guys, but I clear my throat and shake my head.
Once we’re in the car again, Vic asks, “What was up with that?”
“I think they’re flirting? At least, I hope it’s only flirting. I mean, I had sex when I was sixteen, but Marco is way younger than that and he’s an omega. Fuck. He’s an omega. I need to prepare him for all the things. Nesting. Heats. Knots. Oh god, I’m going to have to have that conversation with him, aren’t I?”
Linc pats my leg. “You’re rambling, bunny. Marco probably already knows about knots and heats and nesting. You can help guide him, but it’s not like you need to show him how a banana goes inside of a donut.”
“A banana in a donut?” I ask.
He frowns. “Yeah, you’re right, the banana might not fit. Maybe you could use a baby cucumber.”
“Please tell me this is not a real conversation,” I say, shaking my head.
“Quick, pretend like you’re texting someone.” Linc grabs his own phone, and the rest of us follow suit.
I open a random app and barely look up when Marco climbs in the back beside me.
“Really? You’re trying to scan a plant in the car?” He drops his bag at his feet and buckles in. “I know you guys were talking about me.”
“Only because I was panicking,” I say quickly. “Who were those guys?”
“Just a pack.” Marco flicks his head to the side, shifting the wet strands of his hair on his forehead. “You’re not going to make this weird, are you?”
“Weird? No. Absolutely not.” I chew on my cheek and glance at the guys. Kai is busy driving, and Vic and Linc are giving us the illusion of privacy by focusing on their phones. “Do we need to have the talk ?” I whisper.
“They have a health class for that.” Marco glances away. “You’re making it weird.”
“Sorry. Just know you can talk to me about this stuff if you need to, okay? I promise I won’t use a donut and a banana.”
“What?” he asks at the same time Linc bursts out laughing.
“Lincoln said I should use those to describe how sex works.”
Marco gives Lincoln a horrified once-over. “That’s a crime against pastries.”
“I’m ashamed to admit I thought it was a good suggestion at the time,” Linc says with a chuckle. “But on a more serious note—you can talk to any of us too, okay?”
“Oh my god,” Marco whines. “This is so weird. Please stop.”
Kai catches my gaze in the rearview and mimes zipping his lips. I press mine together, and everyone falls silent, making the lack of music obnoxiously apparent. Vic, bless him, turns on some music, and slowly, the awkwardness fades away.
“Your team played so well,” I tell Marco a few minutes later. “You guys are great.”
He smiles. “It was amazing! Did you see that last touchdown?”
“Yes! I swear I was screaming so loud, those parents around us hated me.”
Marco rolls his eyes. “I was wondering who invited the banshee,” he teases, nudging me.
I chuckle, happy he’s letting the sex talk stuff go and not at all bothered by him calling me a banshee. In some stories, banshees can kill people with their screams, and if you ask me, that’s pretty badass.
The mood is light and fun, but it immediately darkens when we arrive at the house and Ryan and a woman step out in front of the vehicle.
“Who is that?” Marco asks.
Vic lets out a harsh exhale. “Felicia.”
My stomach dropping, I look at the omega again. She’s pretty, and I kind of hate that. Her bleached hair is glossy and straight, makeup perfect, outfit on point and subtly sexy. A total package. But her smile is vicious and calculating.
My hackles rise. A disgruntled growl slips between my lips.
Vic glances at me, lines cutting across his forehead. “What do you want to do?”
Not maybe you should stay in the car or them telling me what to do. My pack gives me the full power to choose how we handle this situation.
“Let’s see what they want.” Ryan is their son, and while I hate seeing the omega they used to call mate , I can swallow my feelings to try and salvage whatever is left between them and their son.
“She’s going to be horrible.” Linc rubs his palm over my thigh. “Don’t let her get inside your head, okay?”
“Someone, please tell me what’s going on,” Marco demands as Kai turns the vehicle off.
“That’s their ex-mate, and that is my ex-boyfriend.”
“Well, fuck,” Marco says.
Maybe I should be more worried about him cussing, but those words perfectly sum up how I’m feeling. Her eyes collide with mine through the windshield, and she arches her eyebrows in challenge. Scared?
I lift my own. No, but you should be.
“Let’s get it over with.” I nudge Lincoln, and he opens the door, getting out and extending his hand to help me. The guys and Marco follow our lead, and we stop in front of the car, a good ten feet between us and them.
I link my fingers with Vic’s, knowing this will be just as difficult for him as it is for me, and squeeze. Vic gives me a tender smile.
“Ryan, Felicia. How can we help you?” Kai asks.
Vic and I both turn to see how they respond.
Felicia’s lip curls as she checks me out and spots us holding hands. “So, this is your latest whore?”
“Sick burn. Your internalized misogyny is showing,” Marco snarks, and it takes everything I have not to laugh at him being a smart-ass.
“What are you guys doing here?” Vic’s tone is not kind.
“Don’t take attitude with me,” Felicia snarls. “You’re the ones ignoring your son so you can get your dicks wet.”
“Is that what he told you?” Linc stares at his son.
“He told me everything,” Felicia says haughtily. “Dating his ex-girlfriend, really? Will no one else give you losers a chance?”
I bristle. “Watch how you talk about my mates.”
Vic squeezes my hand, and I swear to god, I hear the guys purr in response to my anger on their behalf, but my heart is slamming against my ribcage so hard, I can’t be certain.
Felicia scowls at me. “Shush, child, the adults are talking.”
“This fucking bitch,” Marco says with a gasp.
Okay, I should definitely talk to him about his cursing at some point, but again, I agree. This fucking bitch .
“Felicia, for the sake of respect, I’m going to ask you one more time what you’re doing here before I call the cops.” Kai crosses his arms.
She rolls her eyes. “Always with the dramatics. Fine, if you must know, I came here to ask you, as the mother of your child and mate?—”
“Ex-mate,” Linc growls. “Daria is our mate.”
“Yes, but I had you first.” She gives me a cruel smile, but I’m not bothered by whatever delusional stake she thinks she has on them. “Like I was saying, I’m here to demand you end this silly relationship with this”—she waves her hand in my direction—“thing because you’re hurting our son.” She grabs onto Ryan’s arm, and he tries to blink at his dads like an innocent child in need of rescue.
Lincoln runs his hand over his face. “Ryan is the one who needs to apologize. He came to Good Vibes and made a scene. He embarrassed Daria in front of everyone.”
Felicia shakes her head. “From where I’m standing, she deserved it. I can’t believe you all were foolish enough to let her sneak her way into your beds. It’s obvious she’s pining after Ryan.”
“For the last time, Ryan had nothing to do with this. We’re scent matches. There was no malicious intent,” I say.
“Those are big words for a little girl,” Felicia says, smirking like she’s landing blows.
Oh, this sweet summer child. She clearly has no idea who raised me.
“Permission to talk shit?” Marco murmurs.
“Granted,” I tell him.
“Listen, Fran?—”
“Felicia,” she says, cutting Marco off.
Marco nods. “Right. Fran. Listen, I don’t know who you think you are, but I know you’re not insulting my sister, or you’re trying to catch hands.”
“Whoa, there, buddy. You can’t fight her.” I grab his arm, and he gives me an incredulous look.
“I know that. You can totally take her.”
“Marco, I’m not going to fight her.”
“Scared?” Felicia says with a delighted chuckle.
“No.” I step away from the pack and close the distance between us, smirking when her eyes widen. I stop a few inches short of running into her and hold her gaze. Felicia is all mean words and cruel actions, but she’s probably never known a real struggle. She’s never known what it’s like to have someone you love hit you. “He’s right, you know? I could kick your ass.” I let my gaze travel down her expensive clothes before slowly dragging it back up. “But you’re not worth my time, and my pack doesn’t want you here.” I walk around her and shoulder check her, smirking when she stumbles in her designer heels.
“Should we go inside?” I ask my pack.
“This is your last chance,” Ryan tells his dads. “It’s her or me.”
“How cliché,” Marco says with a sad sigh. “You’re an idiot if you think they’ll pick you over her. My sister is pretty amazing, and she loves them. She’d never make them choose, and you’ll never understand that that is exactly why they love her.”
“Aw, Marco.” I put my hand on my heart. “You can’t make me cry when Fran is glaring at me.”
Fran growls.
We all ignore her.
“I really hope, one day, you’ll come to your senses.” Linc studies his son. “I love you, Ryan, but I love Daria too, and I’m not going to choose.”
“You’ll never see me again,” Ryan threatens.
Linc’s shoulders sag. “If that’s the choice you’re making, I’ll respect it. I’ll always be here for you if you really need me. We all will.”
Vic and Kai nod in agreement, and Ryan practically vibrates with anger. Maybe he really thought threatening them would go his way. He clearly doesn’t know his dads.
“Come on,” I tell my pack. “Let’s go home.”
Ryan steps way back as the guys head toward me. Marco gives him a smug smile and joins us.
“Enjoy the beta, Diana . He’s pathetic.” Felicia’s condescending laugh grates against my skin.
Oh, hell no. That’s it. She can insult me all day, but talk shit about my pack? Fuck no.
Spinning on my heel, I storm toward her.
“Daria!” Vic roars.
“Aw, look, the waste of space is trying to protect you,” Felicia says.
My palm cracks across her face, and she shrieks, threatening to call the cops on me if I touch her again. The threats aren’t enough to break through the red bleeding into my vision, and as I lunge for her again, strong arms band around my waist and carry me back. Rich and heady myrrh wraps around me, and I thrash in Vic’s hold.
“Let me go,” I snarl, desperate to drag this omega across the concrete.
“No.” His lips brush over my ear. “Stop.” He whispers the command, but it’s as sharp as an alpha command.
The fight rushes out of me.
“You know what?” Ryan’s face is bright red, and the vein in his forehead is pulsing. “You all deserve each other. Come on, Mom.”
Vic holds me tight as they storm away. My chest heaves, body thrumming with frustration. How is it they left this altercation thinking they’re better than us? My pack is so amazing, and Ryan is a liar and a piece of shit.
His mom is no better.
“You’re okay,” Vic murmurs in my ear.
I turn in his arms, and he hoists me up until my legs are wrapped around his strong body and his palms are cupping the bottoms of my thighs. “Why are you comforting me? I should be comforting you.”
His eyes trace over my face, something I don’t quite understand shimmering in the depths of his irises. “Felicia’s insults stopped meaning something to me a long time ago.”
“You’re amazing, you understand me?” I run my fingers over the back of his neck. “I love you.”
“I love you too, little doe.”
“Come inside,” Kai calls from the door. “Linc is making post-game snacks.”
My eyes travel to where the alpha stands, watching us with what I can only call pride on his face. “This pack would be nothing without you,” I tell Vic.
He kisses my neck. “Stop being nice to me.”
“Never,” I promise, and grab his chin and smash my lips against his, swallowing a throaty moan and giggling when he practically melts beneath me. Making this beta weak for me feels like a superpower. “Take me home, Vic.”
He carries me inside. The door shutting closes a chapter of my life and gives way to a new one. One where happiness far outweighs the pain. For once, I’m not anticipating the worst. For once, I’m content.