Chapter 18 #3
Carter searches for the phone, pressing it into my hand. Cassidy is blowing my phone up, trying to figure out how to speak to me without getting in trouble.
Me:
I’m fine. Kind of .
I wait until she sees it before I erase it, my hand dropping to my side as my eyelids threaten to droop.
“Woah, don’t pass out yet,” he begs. “Did you hit your head at all?”
“I don’t think so,” I mumble. “Not your fault, and not the worst thing that’s happened to me.”
My filter is shattered, and I don’t care. Unconsciousness feels a lot better than being awake. Maybe I can forget about this fucked up day for awhile. Without curtains, the sun is going to shine right into my bedroom.
“I will never forget that you said that,” he hisses at me. “We’re going to get you out of this hell hole, I promise. Even if we have to claim you ourselves.”
“Do you not want me?” I whimper, feeling really shitty and sorry for myself. “It’s the hair, isn’t it?”
“No. It’s not that,” he says, almost growling. “It’s complicated, Nina. I don’t think you’re even going to remember this, but please trust me. We’ll get you out of this house.”
“Maybe,” I whisper, my eyes closing.
I don’t know if I can trust anyone again. There is this hole in my chest, and I don’t know why. It’s how I always feel. As if I’m missing something.
“Sleep,” Carter says. “I’m going to spend the night on the balcony.”
“But there’s no curtains,” I mumble, or at least I think I do.
I swear I hear him chuckle as I tumble into the abyss where nothing hurts, and there are no dreams.
Vivian
I can’t rouse that lazy girl for anything. I tried everything except throwing water over her head, and even then I didn’t because I saw the bruises from the belt when the comforter fell down to expose her arm.
It’s an ugly brown, the color of old blood.
When I pulled down the comforter more, I found she was covered with them.
I can see her phone is lost in all of the blankets, and pick it up.
If my plan is going to work, then she doesn’t need it.
Deciding that she was better off sleeping off her little tantrum, I stalked off.
I checked her past messages, and found nothing of interest. Her last text was something innocuous and sweet with Cassidy. However, the alpha has been texting her asking if she needs them. No, she absolutely doesn’t.
Now, I’m glaring out at the beautiful day outside, trying to decide if I want to have lunch with my friends and bitch about Nina or stew in my anger.
My nose wrinkles in annoyance when the doorbell rings. The phone beside me has been blowing up with texts and calls about my daughter’s welfare. The packs want to know why they weren’t told about her heat so they could help her through it.
Yes, please tell me you want to fuck my daughter. That’s lovely.
I finally texted Silas back and told him that if he wanted to help my daughter through a heat, then that was a pack privilege, and she isn’t theirs yet. I’m about to turn off the fucking phone and be done with it.
I know I told my daughter to spread her legs if it would help get her packed up sooner, but I will cover up our family secrets any way I can.
She brought this on herself, after all.
The housekeeper pokes her head into the living room, biting her lip because she was expressly told not to answer the door today. Whoever is out there is really leaning on that damn doorbell today.
“For God sakes,” I huff out, standing. “Let the poor girl rest.”
I’m just going to tell them that she’s been put under a medically induced sedation for the duration of her heat and be done with it. If she was truly in heat, that’s what I would do.
Thankfully, her little pills do wonders. They’re expensive, top of the line, and guaranteed by a scientist friend of Martin’s. They better fucking work.
I don’t care how much I fuck with her system. Martin’s friend said it may affect her ability to have children, but that won’t be my problem anymore, will it?
I won’t accept any returns or refunds for broken omega daughters. I don’t want her back.
My feet bring me to the door while deep in my thoughts, making me frown for a moment. Ugh, may as well get this over with.
Taking a deep breath, I school my face into that of someone who gives a shit and open the door.
The head alphas of every pack that is courting Nina are standing on my front porch, plus Cassidy.
“What do I owe this?—”
“Cut the shit, Miss Vivian,” Silas growls.
The five of them all glower at me, and I have to steel my spine not to cower before them. I’m an omega, but I am not weak.
“I don’t know what you mean,” I say. “Nina is resting in her bed, deeply medically sedated during her heat. It was the most humane thing to do.”
“Isn’t she on heat blockers?” Cassidy asks. “We were talking about it once, as I was worried about this happening. She said she was on a pill to keep it away. However, they aren’t meant to be used long term.”
“Tick tock then,” I say, shrugging. “I’m just a mother forced to make difficult decisions on her behalf because the alphas before me can’t make up their minds. Do you want her or not? It’s been a month, and nature has a way of making things difficult for single, unmated omegas. ”
“We didn’t want to rush her,” Cassidy says angrily. Even the air smells of irate alphas. It smells spicy, and my nose itches.
“And yet, here we are,” I sigh.
“I want to take Nina on a trip with my pack, especially after the toll of having to go through a heat alone. I want to make it up to her,” Silas says, his gaze narrowed on me.
If I didn’t have the facade of always appearing collected and calm, I would be sweating bullets. I feel like a bug underneath a microscope on a sunny day.
I feel the heat of this dangerous game I’m playing with these alphas.
My mother always taught me to play hard to get, and now is no different. Examining my nails, I shrug.
“As kind as that is, this is the curse of being an omega. It’s better that Nina learns this now, without pretty words and trips. Not all alphas are good or worthy,” I state.
“We are good alphas,” Patrick growls. He’s another alpha that’s been very attentive, but I think he may be too soft for my daughter.
“And yet, here we are.”
“Miss Vivian, the best way for us to get to know your daughter is on an overnight trip with each pack,” Abbott interjects.
“There will be a longer uninterrupted time for us to find out how she sleeps, if she’s cranky when she wakes up in the morning, what her morning routines are.
I don’t believe these things should be learned about after committing to be her pack. ”
“It’s old fashioned and asking for disaster,” Cassidy adds.
“At the end of this, we will decide on which pack will take her as theirs. The issue is that we all want Nina, but we have alliances that keep us from wanting to make too hasty of a decision. The best pack should get to make her the happiest she’s ever been. ”
“Happiness is a fake construct,” I mutter. “Stability is what an omega needs. You have three months to decide. I have duties out of the country after that and I want to see this courting through. ”
They stare at me and nod. I guess they can all tell that I won’t be accepting any exceptions or excuses.
“Three months,” Silas grunts. “I will be picking her up as soon as she wakes up. I don’t care if that’s a Tuesday at four in the morning, Miss Vivian. Do we understand each other?”
“What will your business and stockholders say?” I ask in mock horror.
“This is why I own the business, so I can do whatever the fuck I want,” he growls. “The others in my pack will figure it out. I need to see her as soon as possible.”
I can tell that ridiculous alpha nature is riding him hard, and that I definitely need to stop pushing. I live off the power I wield, I don’t intend to die for it. Silas is growling in anger, I’ll give him this.
Lowering my eyes for him, I nod.
“I’ll text you just as soon as she’s awake,” I murmur.
“Good,” he says. The five of them turn and leave, and I have to control the tremble in my limbs as I step back inside and close the door.
Only when it’s locked, do I allow myself to collapse against it. I guess they want her after all.