21. Lily
Lily
The door of my room clicks shut behind me.
I lean against it, squeezing my eyes shut to block out the world.
How did everything go wrong so fast? One minute I was basking in the glow of my perfect new life, and the next…
The next, it’s all crumbling around me. Again.
A sob hitches in my throat, and I slide down the door until I’m sitting on the floor, my knees pulled up to my chest.
I should have known it was too good to be true.
The future of the people I love most in this world is in danger. Everything they’ve built is at risk…
Because of me.
The thought is a knife to my heart, twisting viciously. I wrap my arms around myself, rocking back and forth.
But even as the guilt threatens to drown me, another emotion simmers beneath the surface.
Anger. Hot, bitter anger.
At Damian, for refusing to let me go. At the world, for being so unfair.
But most of all… At my Alphas. For keeping me in the dark. For treating me like I’m made of glass. Too fragile to handle the truth.
Don’t they know how strong I am? I’m not some wilting flower that needs to be sheltered.
I’m the damn roots. Deep, and impossibly hard to tear out.
A knock at the door takes me out of my spiraling thoughts. I hastily wipe at my cheeks, taking a shuddering breath before pushing myself to my feet.
When I open the door, Mari is standing there, her brow furrowed with concern. “Hey,” she says softly. “I heard what happened. Are you okay?”
A humorless laugh escapes me. “No,” my voice rough with anger. “No, I’m not okay.”
She nods, understanding etched into the lines of her face. “Do you need anything? Want to talk about it?”
I start to shake my head, but something stops me. Maybe it’s the way she’s looking at me. Maybe it’s the fact that I feel like I’m about to burst if I don’t let some of this out.
“Actually… Yeah. I think I do.”
Mari smiles. “I know just what you need.” She reaches out, taking my hand and tugging me gently into the hallway. “Come on. You missed your spa appointment, didn’t you?”
I blink. “I… Yeah, I guess I did.”
“Perfect. Let’s go.”
She leads me through the quiet halls of the Haven, her hand warm in mine.
When we reach the spa, she guides me to the changing rooms, pressing a two-piece swimsuit and fluffy robe into my hands. “Get changed. I’ll meet you in the Jacuzzi.”
I slip into the swimsuit and wrap myself in the soft folds of the robe. It feels like armor, a shield against the harsh reality waiting outside these walls.
When I emerge, Mari is already in the Jacuzzi, the steam rising in tendrils around her. She smiles, waving me over. “Come on in. The water’s perfect.”
I shed my robe and step in, the heat enveloping me like a cocoon. I sink down onto the bench, letting out a sigh as the jets massage my tense muscles.
For a long moment, we just sit there, letting the warmth soak into our bones. It’s nice, not being expected to talk.
But eventually, the words start to spill out of me. Halting at first, then faster, like a dam breaking under too much pressure.
I tell her everything. About Damian, about the investigation, about the lawyer’s threats. I tell her about my anger, my fear, my suffocating guilt.
Through it all, she listens. Really listens. Her eyes are soft with empathy, her hand resting on my arm in silent support.
By the time I’m done, my fingertips are pruned and my throat is sore. But I feel… lighter, somehow. Like some of the weight has been lifted off my shoulders.
Mari shifts, turning to face me fully. “Lily… You know none of this is your fault, right?”
I start to protest, but she cuts me off with a gentle squeeze of my arm.
“No, listen to me. You are not responsible for the actions of evil men. You didn’t ask for this, didn’t cause it. The only one to blame here is Damian.”
Tears prick at my eyes again.
“Thank you,” I whisper, my voice thick with emotion. “I… I needed to hear that.”
She smiles, pulling me into a hug. I melt into her, breathing in the comforting scent of her floral shampoo.
When we pull back, there’s a glint of something in her eye. Something mischievous.
“You know what else you need?” she asks, her lips quirking.
I raise an eyebrow, playing along. “What?”
“Something strong.” She winks, conspiratorial. “I have a bottle of the good stuff stashed in my room. What do you say we bust it out, find a quiet corner of the garden, and forget about the world for a while?”
A surprised laugh bubbles up my throat. It feels good.
“You know what? That sounds perfect.”
She grins, wide and bright. “Great. Let’s soak a little longer, then we can head up to my room to change. I’ll grab the booze, order some pizza, and we can find a spot to relax.”
She leans back, letting her head rest against the edge of the Jacuzzi. I follow suit, closing my eyes and letting the pulsing jets work their magic.
***
I’ve never stumbled upon this part of the garden before. It’s so deeply tucked away that the usual sounds of the Haven are swallowed by the quiet. Before us, the vast mountain range stretches endlessly, making it feel as if we’ve stepped outside the world.
Mari spreads out the picnic blanket a short distance from an old stone bench, setting down two large garden pizzas and a bottle of amber liquid laid out before us. She pours us each a generous glass.
“To friendship,” she toasts, clinking her glass against mine.
“I’ll drink to that,” I smile, taking a sip. The liquid burns down my throat, spreading warmth through my chest. “Damn, that thing’s strong.”
Mari laughs, taking a swig of her own. “Only the best for my girl.”
We sip and eat, conversation flowing as effortlessly as the drinks. Mari dives into her latest dating misadventure as a fake Beta.
“So then,” she says, incredulous, “he looks me dead in the eye and goes, ‘What? You said be yourself.’ Like that justifies showing up to a five-star restaurant in cargo shorts.”
I nearly snort my drink out my nose and we collapse against each other, laughing until our sides ache.
We haven’t finished a fifth of the bottle, but already I feel the tension leak from my shoulders, the knots in my stomach loosening. The world takes on a pleasant fuzziness, softening the harsh bite of reality.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” I confess, my tongue loose from the liquor. “Honestly, Mari. You’re the best friend a girl could ask for.”
She reaches over, squeezing my hand. Her skin is cool against my flushed palm. “You can always count on me.”
I squeeze back, my throat tightening with emotion.
My eyes catch on the glint of silver at her wrist. “Is that new?” I ask, nodding toward the bracelet I just noticed.
For a split second, something flickers across her face. But then it’s gone, replaced by her usual easy smile.
“This old thing? No, I’ve had it forever. It just usually hides under my sleeves.”
A niggling sense of familiarity is tugging at my mind. But before I can chase the thought, Mari is clapping her hands, dispelling the moment.
“Well! I think this calls for a refill, don’t you?”
“Okay, but let’s take it easy. I’m such a lightweight these days.”
But Mari has already turned to the bottle behind her, and I can hear the unmistakable glug-glug of liquor spilling freely. By the time she faces me again, liquid sloshes over the rim.
I chuckle, shaking my head. “Well, okay then! Cheers! I clink my glass against hers and take a long, indulgent sip.
We settle back, Mari entertaining me with a dramatically reenacted story involving her, a broken heel, and a ill-timed run in with her ex. I’m laughing so hard my stomach hurts.
But then, mid-giggle, a wave of dizziness crashes over me. I sway, blinking hard to clear the sudden spots dancing in my vision.
“Whoa,” I mumble, pressing a hand to my spinning head. “I don’t… I don’t feel so good.”
Mari’s face swims before me, her features blurring and distorting. “Lily? You okay?”
I try to stand, but my legs feel like jelly. I stumble, pitching forward onto the blanket.
“What…” My tongue is thick, the words slurring. “What’s happening?”
Mari looms over me, her expression cold and distant. “I’m sorry, Lily. I really am. But I had no choice.”
“Wh—” I start, but the words refuse to form.
She looks away.
The edges of my vision darken.
The last thing I see before the blackness swallows me is Mari’s face. A tear tracking down her cheek.