Home #2
Brayden’s entire body snaps taut. “My bites aren’t working?!” His voice spikes, raw and furious, as he closes the distance in a flash. He grabs Martin by the front of his shirt and slams him into the wall with a dull thud.
Trembling, I stumble backward, not stopping until I hit the smooth wood of the grandfather clock. Desperate to get out of the way, I curl my body against the side of the clock, trying to make myself smaller.
“None of this is my fault!” Brayden snarls and his eyes flash. “It’s her.” He snaps his head toward me, making his perfectly styled hair fall onto his forehead. “Her body rejected me. Rejected us.” His eyes meet mine, and more tears slip down my face.
“I didn’t…” The words barely escape my mouth, more breath than sound. “I’m not—”
“Shut up!” Brayden’s sudden growl makes me wince.
My body obeys before I can think. My mouth snaps shut, arms wrapped around my middle, breath frozen in my chest.
Silence falls. Thick. Crushing.
Brayden’s chest heaves as he slowly turns back to Martin. The moment stretches, unbearably tense as the two glare at each other, then Brayden suddenly drops his grip on Martin’s shirt and steps back, visibly shaking.
Breathing hard, Martin straightens his shirt, then turns to look at me. Guilt flickers in his eyes before he glances back at Brayden. “I didn’t mean—”
“Get the fuck out,” Brayden says hoarsely. “Go find Douglas.”
Martin blinks. “What?”
“I said go. I searched the entire east side of town last night. Tonight it’s your turn. Go find our beta.”
Martin doesn’t move. Instead, he sucks in a deep breath and says, “I’m not leaving you alone with her.”
Brayden’s head snaps up. His expression hardens like stone. “What the fuck did you say to me?”
“Look at her throat, alpha!” Martin practically yells. “I don’t trust you to be alone with her.” His voice falters as soon as the words are out, but he doesn’t take them back.
A muscle jumps in Brayden’s jaw. His eyes flare with something vicious. “You don’t trust me?” His voice lowers to a growl, deep and dangerous. “You think I’d…what? Hurt her? Beat her? Kill her?”
Martin hesitates. “No. I—I didn’t mean it like that.” But it’s too late. The damage is done.
Brayden turns slowly, eyes blazing with fury and betrayal. “After everything we’ve been through, you honestly think I’d hurt her on purpose?”
I want to laugh bitterly at his ridiculous words.
While it’s true that Brayden has never outright hit me, he does leave bruises on my body all the time. He squeezes my arms and wrists. He grips my face until my cheeks burn. He’s even started grabbing a fistful of my hair, and pulling hard so I’m forced to look at him when he yells at me.
He might not be “beating” me, but he’s definitely hurting me.
“Brayden.” Martin swallows hard, bowing his head in submission. “I’m sorry. I—she’s scared, and I don’t know what to do anymore.”
Brayden doesn’t answer. His gaze stays fixed, unblinking, until Martin finally nods, looking wrecked.
“I’ll go,” Martin says quietly, his voice stripped of defiance.
I want to beg him to stay, but there’s no point. They’ll only fight more, and I’ll get caught in the middle.
“I’ll check the west side,” Martin says, casting one last look at me. “I think Douglas has a cousin out that way.”
Then he walks off down the hall. A few seconds later, the front door closes with a final-sounding click.
And it’s me and Brayden.
Alone.
I hate that I'm afraid of the pack alpha.
There was a time I spent every moment he was gone missing him—aching for his touch. But now, I dread the sound of his key in the door. And I think he dreads coming home just as much.
“Let’s go.” Brayden takes a step toward me, the air around him crackling with dominance. “Grab your coat.”
I blink. “My coat?”
“Yes,” he snaps. “Get your fucking coat.” His glare is sharp, and his voice is cold. “We’re going for a drive.”
My legs move before my mind can catch up, carrying me through the spotless living room and toward the entryway. The silence in the house is unbearable—so thick I can hear Brayden breathing right behind me, tight and tense.
I pull my coat out of the entryway closet, then reach for my purse.
“You don’t need that,” he says, his voice deep and final.
My hand hovers, fingers curled above the strap. “I don’t need my ID?” I ask, confused. All omegas are supposed to carry certification documents at all times—proof of mating status, pack affiliation, everything.
Alphas caught with undocumented omegas are arrested. No exceptions.
“I’ve got everything you need.” Brayden yanks on his heavy coat, then pats the bulging side pocket.
Something inside me curls in on itself.
When did he go through my bag?
Why did he take my ID?
And where the hell are we going?
My pulse drums against the base of my skull. I try not to let my fear show, but it’s there—twisting under my ribs, making my breath feel too shallow.
“Are we going to dinner?” I ask carefully, forcing my voice to stay light as I bend down to tie my shoes. “I should probably bandage my neck. I don’t want—”
“Hurry up,” Brayden barks, snatching the truck keys from the entryway table with a sharp clink. I freeze for a second, staring at the familiar black key fob in his hand. He’s not taking the Mercedes.
He’s taking the truck.
He only takes the truck when we go for a drive into the mountains, and we haven’t done that in months. Not since the weather turned cold. I mean, there’s nothing but nature trails up there. It’s remote. Quiet. Isolated.
A chill slips down my spine.
I slowly stand, then shove my hands into my pockets to hide the fact that I’m trembling.
“Are you ready?” Brayden’s voice is flat and icy. His anger is still there, but it’s stripped of any heat.
“Yes,” I whisper, barely able to get the word out before he steps forward and curls his hand around my upper arm. Then he jerks me forward.
I glance over my shoulder, back at the living room down the hall. I look at the pristine furniture. The neatly fluffed pillows and soft throws. The framed photos of our family dot the hallway.
My pack.
Brayden, Martin, Douglas…and me.
We are smiling in all the pictures—laughing even. They were taken a week after they claimed me from the Clarendon Academy. We were all so happy to finally be together.
But that feeling is long gone.
And somewhere deep in my gut, a hard certainty settles.
Because I have a feeling that I’ll never see this house again.