Chapter 9 Daisy
Daisy
I’ve had to pinch myself several times to ensure I’m not asleep.
No… I am actually walking alongside Noelle Wynter-Hale as she and her Alpha, Frost, give me a tour of their lodge.
The woodland path is divine. Spring flowers bloom on all sides, such as bluebells, crocuses, and even bright yellow daffodils, and the smells…
Pure heaven—you don’t get smells like that in big cities like New York or Manchester.
“So, what’s your book about, Daisy?” Noelle asks just as I’m shutting my eyes, listening to the sound of a woodpecker high in the tree canopy.
My eyes open suddenly after her question, and then I hesitate. Oh, crap. I’ve been put on the spot.
Noelle seems to get it, though, as she changes the subject quickly. “Don’t worry. It’s fine. You can tell me when you’re ready. So, have you seen a cabin you like yet?”
I stop, peering around at the various log cabins they have on-site. They have heat cabins here, too, but it’s not as if I will get a chance to ever try one of those out.
Sadness weighs me down as we continue along the path through the cheery woods, birds twittering all around us. I’m surprised Noelle even offered me this tour.
Especially after Frost referred to me as her stalker… The smug Alpha walks alongside us now and won’t stop gazing at his Omega with pride. Once again, regret pinches tightly in my gut as I recall all my long-forgotten dreams.
How I always wanted Alphas who looked at me in that way and who encouraged my writing dreams.
The reunion is in another nine days. There are times when I think I can face the Thorn Pack again, but other times when I just want to curl up in my bed and never leave my room at Grandpa’s.
Those Alphas hurt me. So, of course, I want to hurt them in turn. Seeing the look on Rowan’s face had been worth a trip back to Silverpine in the end.
I’m not sure if Noelle or Frost are even aware of my history with the Thorn Pack.
I can imagine news spread after they refused me, but barely anyone has looked my way on the street since I got back to Silverpine.
It’s possible they don’t recognize me as the same girl who got dumped by three of the coolest Alphas at school.
I suppose that has made things a little easier in that regard. But sooner or later, everyone will figure out who I am, and then I’ll have to put up with the shame and humiliation once again. And don’t forget the incessant staring and pointing, too.
I know what Mom would say: it’s all in my head. Perhaps. But this town is rather insular.
Yet I refuse to run away this time. Now, I am prepared to face my past—face the whole town, the Thorn Pack, and all my former high school tormentors.
I want all the guys to know what they are missing, and I have already picked out a color for my revenge dress…
“We hosted our own mini high school reunion here a year ago,” Noelle announces next. “And it was one of the best nights of our lives. It was our way of officially declaring to the town that we were all back together.”
Noelle gazes up at Frost then, and the two share a small moment, smiling at the memory. My heart thumps inside my throat. It was only a matter of time until the conversation drifted back to high school.
The Omega peers at me emphatically. “The Thorn Pack will be at the reunion, too.”
Figures. They are her cousins, after all. Honestly, one of her only shortcomings, but Noelle can’t help who she’s related to.
Besides, her Nana was a staple of the town—her baked goods were heaven-sent—so she has that going for her. Grandpa was good friends with the old Omega and her entire pack for years, and he’s still broken about her passing.
It appears most of Grandpa’s old friends are leaving him, and that’s why I’m thinking of inviting him as my chaperone to the reunion. It may help him feel young again.
A smirk crosses my face, and then I meet Noelle’s brown eyes. “Oh, I’m counting on it. I already have the perfect revenge dress.”
Noelle blinks, taken aback. Then a wide, brilliant smile lights up her face. “Whew. I thought that was going to be awkward for a moment, but any way I can help. Look, Rowan, Ash, and Briar may be my baby cousins, but what they did to you was unforgivable. So… you make them pay, Daisy.”
I stare at Noelle, dumbfounded. Wow... Even their own cousin is telling me to get my revenge. It appears most people are on my side. Grandpa still wants to punch all three of them in the face, and Dad looked as if he wanted to kill Rowan when he saw him leaving the train station.
But then I remember what Mom said about Molly Thorn, and my heart breaks all over again. They may have hurt me in the past, but they’re grieving sons—no one deserves to lose their mother so young.
Molly was still in the prime of her life. But she succumbed to the heartbreak in the end.
I shouldn’t pry, but the question is hovering on my tongue. Before I get the chance to ask Noelle about Molly, a pine bough drops down onto the ground before us, almost knocking me out.
Luckily, Noelle pushes me out of the way just in time. Frost glares up at the trunk of the pine tree. “Watch it, Thorn. That’s a lawsuit waiting to happen.”
Wait… Thorn?
Oh, Gods. No…
“S-sorry, boss,” comes the sound of a deep, sheepish voice from up the tree, and it’s one I know too well.
Except it has only matured in the years I saw him last.
A handsome, chiseled face appears, gazing down at me from the top of the pine tree. He wears a belt and a harness, and it looks as if he’s pruning branches on the property.
His eyes widen when they fall on me. Then his lips part as he whispers, “Daisy…”
My cheeks fire up, and then I swallow. Well, what do you know—it’s Ash Thorn, one of my other so-called scent matches.
Noelle makes a nervous sound, peering at me awkwardly. “Sorry. I should have told you… but Ash is our resident tree surgeon.”
Makes sense, I guess. I remember the way he always used to sit with the lone oak back at school. I saw him talking to it several times, too.
Just my luck…
Well, I suppose it was only a matter of time until I ran into another one.
Good.
Because I am going to make this hurt.