Chapter 4
Four
WILLOW
At some point last night, I passed out.
My eyes were dry and itchy, swollen from crying, while my chest ached from how much I had cried.
All I thought about was my mom. I worried about her alone with my dad, and me not there to keep his attention elsewhere.
I tried to muffle the sounds with the pillows, hoping no one heard me. The last thing I wanted was to appear weak in a place like this. I sat up, smoothing out the wrinkles on my sundress from yesterday that I had slept in.
After opening the closet, I realized I would be stuck wearing the same thing until Kaelen collected the rest of my clothes. I assumed that was what he intended to do when he mentioned making sure I had everything I needed.
Cold sweat clung to my nape. I wiped it away, still feeling tired. My muscles ached, and nothing felt quite right. I blinked, shaking away the haze that clouded my vision.
I sat cross-legged on the bed, hugging a pillow. The silk was soft under my fingers as I played with the decorative ties. I desperately wanted to talk to my mom or Sam.
My best friend always saw the bright side of any situation. It was a bit annoying if I was being honest, but I still loved that about her.
Unfortunately, I left my cell in the car when we came here.
So not only was I stuck in a gilded cage, but I was cut off from everyone I loved. It was a small list, but it still stung. I had no idea how long I sat there until my stomach grumbled, pulling me from my self-pity.
Walking across the room, I half-expected to find the door locked. Except, it wasn’t. It opened, revealing an empty hallway. I padded aimlessly through the too-big house, desperately trying to locate the kitchen.
Eventually, I found my way to the entryway I remembered from yesterday.
For a minute, I debated walking out the door and testing my luck. Two bodies moved in front of the frosted glass, dousing the smoldering flames of my hope. In each of their hands, I saw the shadow of a pistol.
Whether they were there to keep people out or me in didn’t matter. There was no way I would make it two feet. A sigh puffed passed my lips as I hugged myself, stroking my arms.
Then I was hit with the most delicious aroma.
Bacon.
I followed it, finally finding a glittering kitchen tucked in the back of the house.
A matronly woman with gray-streaked, fiery hair stood beside the stove, working multiple skillets at the same time while she sang a lilting tune. Before I could flee, she spun around and beamed at me.
“Come here, deary,” she said, pointing at a stool by the island. “You hungry?” I nodded, settling into the seat. “Anything you don’t like?”
“Not really.”
“Alrighty. I’ll have a full fry-up ready in a few minutes. Tea? Coffee? Juice?”
Taken aback by the relaxing atmosphere, I didn’t answer right away. When I left my room, I wasn’t sure what I would find. Based on what I’d seen on TV, I thought maybe bloodied bodies, stray bullets, or an endless supply of drugs and women. Instead, it was the picture of domestic quietude.
“It’s rude not to answer a question, deary. Stop daydreaming.”
The curtness of her words cut the tender brush of her voice, making me stiffen.
“Sorry, ma’am,” I murmured, shrinking at being scolded. “Coffee. Iced, please. Cream and sugar.”
A bright look settled on her face, highlighting the lines around her dimples.
She gave me a tight nod, turning down the gas under one pan before doctoring my coffee per my request. I ran my fingers through my hair, loosening the knots in the strands.
I was too hot, considering it was fall. Beads of sweat dotted my collarbone, and I flicked them away, noticing the flush creeping up my torso.
“Don’t worry, Aileen mothers everyone,” a foreboding voice said, making gooseflesh skitter along my arms.
Soon, all I smelled was him. Instead of terrifying me, it steadied me. Aileen handed me my coffee. I pressed my lips to the rim, purposefully ignoring the alpha who was now standing beside me.
Sweet espresso hit my lips, and I let out a reedy moan.
Not knowing if it was the taste of it on my tongue or the scent of it pouring off the alpha beside me.
A smooth, vibrating sound hummed next to me. My omega rose to the surface, begging me to make sure the alpha wasn’t displeased with us. I put down my coffee, fingers rubbing the condensation on the glass. Gnawing on my lower lip, I glanced to my left, and an unfamiliar sound tumbled out of me.
Holy shit.
People actually looked like that?
Gray joggers hung around his hips, a patch of dark hair disappearing beneath the waistband. A thin sheen of sweat glistened on his bare chest, showcasing the intricate tattoos that covered the span of his torso.
Another surge of flames licked through my body.
“Good morning,” Aileen said, pushing a black cup of coffee across the island.
The mug looked so small in his hand as he took a sip, his eyes never leaving mine.
Aileen slid two plates toward us, piled high with food. Neither of us paid any attention, waiting for the other to back down.
Strands of hair fell free from his messy bun, obscuring his piercing eyes when he finally spoke, cutting the mounting tension.
“Eat.”
Something inside me preened under the command, my omega adoring the attention of an alpha. I, on the other hand, wanted to tell him to fuck off. But I was hungry.
Rolling my eyes, I stabbed my fork into a sausage, taking a bite. It was delicious. I quickly devoured most of the food, surprising myself. I lived on granola bars and cereal. Mom had been an amazing cook, but with her deteriorating health, she hadn’t been in the kitchen for the past few years.
I tried a couple of times, but I was a lost cause, burning rice more than once. So I resigned myself to pre-made foods.
Happy I was eating, Kaelen did the same. Aileen paid us no mind, busying herself tidying up the kitchen and doing the dishes.
I resisted the urge to crawl into his lap, annoyed by how insistent the temptation was. Normally, I had more control. I never devolved like this around an alpha.
“Tell me about your Ma.”
“Excuse me?”
“Last night, you mentioned she was sick,” he continued, dropping his fork. “Not many people would offer anything to a man like me to spare someone else.”
What a cynical worldview. My dad may have been a bastard, but I refused to believe the rest of the world was like that.
The owner at Snowfield, April, rescued the horses that everyone else had given up on. Sam had a heart of gold, regularly putting herself last to take care of others. Maybe in his world that was true, but not in mine.
“I don’t believe that,” I bit back, narrowing my eyes at him.
The corner of his mouth lifted in a half-smirk.
He tugged his hair free, letting it hang freely, skimming his collarbone. I liked this carefree, almost disheveled version of him. I imagined very few people saw him like this. I crossed my legs, squirming against the unpleasant tightness radiating between my thighs.
“You’d be surprised. When faced with a decision like that, most people will protect themselves. Senator Sterling proved that, running with his tail between his legs, and leaving his daughter with me all to protect his own hide.”
Hearing it out loud ruffled me. There had been a time when he loved me, but that man didn’t exist anymore. I gulped, washing away the acrid taste. The slight grimace on his lips twisted into something kinder.
His palm splayed over my bare thigh, his thumb playing with the hem of my dress. A purr stirred behind my sternum, slick ruining my panties.
It had been years since someone besides my mom or Sam had shown me affection. A long, slow breath released the tension in my body, and I looked into his eyes, unnerved by the openness in them.
I’d never purred for anyone before, and I found I really wanted to for him.
Words fell from me freely as I unloaded nearly a decade of grief.
“My mom has been sick for the last few years. We’ve been to so many doctors over the years, but they can’t figure it out.
On paper, she’s healthy. But she’s frail and barely has the energy to get out of bed most days.
The last doctor we saw thinks it might be something with her omega, but they haven’t figured it out. I hope she’s okay.”
I murmured that last bit, more to myself.
“Does he hit her too?” Kalen asked, a cool detachment curling around his words.
“Not usually. That’s reserved for me,” I said, my voice hollow. “He isn’t kind to her, though. I hate her being alone with him. Without me there, I worry he might take out his frustrations on her.”
A heavy silence lingered between us as he continued to rub my cotton dress between his fingers. His pinky brushed against the burning skin of my inner thigh, unraveling the last thread of my control.
Wispy strands of hair stuck to my sweaty brow and pinked cheeks.
Realization exploded around me like a hurtling comet.
No.
It was too early. I had weeks.
The stress, exhaustion, and anxiety messed with my cycle. As each minute ticked by, I sank further beneath the surface, pulled out with the swirling tide.
A wail escaped me as I slid off the stool, crawling into the lap of the shocked alpha.
I cuddled into the crook of his neck, inhaling his homey, spicy scent. My omega went lax as his arms wrapped around my waist, anchoring me to him.
“Alpha. Please.”
Pitch-black eyes met mine, his dick twitching against my ass.
Oh.
It was glorious. Thick. He would knot me so well, stretch me so well. I circled my hips, grinding into him.
He licked his lips, his nails biting into my hips.
“Knot,” I moaned, perfuming.
Strong hands cupped my face, forcing me to meet his stare. I sniffed, trying to pull away, wanting to burrow back into the spot where his scent was the most potent. Why was he being so difficult? Did he not want me? Why did nobody ever want me?
“Omega,” he said, his voice smooth like crushed velvet. “Stop.”
All at once, I stilled, powerless against my alpha’s bark.
My alpha.