Chapter 32
Brielle
I know something is wrong the minute we roll into town. It’s the way some of the friendly people I’ve grown to know look at me through the truck’s windows and then quickly look away.
My eyes stray to Cooper’s in the rearview mirror, trepidation reflecting back in his stare.
Duke’s crisp apple scent rolls through the car, and his emotions flow through the bond. “Whatever happens, Princess… You. Are. Ours.”
I blow out a breath and nod, reaching between the seats to grab his hand. He squeezes it. Maverick’s truck revs from behind us, and Cooper moves to the side. My heart picks up as he flies past us toward the ranch.
Cooper’s jaw works back and forth, his knuckles tightening on the steering wheel. “Everything inside me is saying to take you and run in the opposite direction.”
I swallow down the emotion in my throat. “He’s our pack. Where he goes, we follow.”
Duke squeezes my hand again, and a small smile lifts on his lips. “My feisty, brave omega.”
It’s no assumption that something is waiting for us at the end of the driveway, and all of our anxiety deepens when we feel a flash of fury coming from Maverick’s side of the bond before he shuts it down.
I don’t like it, the emptiness that echoes back when I reach toward him.
Whatever he’s feeling, he doesn’t want to worry me, so I know it must be bad.
As we continue down the long road, I start to make out the row of cars at the end, and my mood plummets. No one around here would drive vehicles like that; there’s no reason to have something so expensive in dirt and stones.
Maverick, red-faced and panting, is standing next to my father, who is staring up at him with a tilt of his nose that gives off his disgust. Even if he’s shorter than Maverick, his disdain for my alpha is tangible.
“Let me get the door,” Duke says quietly, and I nod.
When he opens my door, his eyes don’t stray from mine as he grabs my hand again. A silent reassurance is pleading in them, and his proclamation from earlier beats with my heart.
You. Are. Ours.
You. Are. Ours.
You. Are. Ours.
We walk around the truck, and Cooper comes to my side and kisses my temple.
“You have all of us here,” he whispers in my ear before his fingers brush his bite on my shoulder, hidden under my shirt.
I turn to him and kiss his lips once. “Thank you.”
“Brielle!” My mother’s shriek makes me flinch, and Cooper gives my shoulder another squeeze. Reassurance surges through the bond, lending me the strength I need to deal with my parents. It makes something inside me preen a little that Cooper has faith in our pack, in me, to handle the situation.
Duke’s hold on me tightens, and I blow out a breath before facing them.
My parents are standing there with another member of the city pack. I think his name is Christopher. We never interacted much while his pack courted me. I honestly didn’t think he was ever interested in me. He’s watching with an almost bored expression.
“What are you guys doing here?”
My mother scoffs. “What are we doing here? Taking you home, dear. This little rebellious streak is over.”
I shake my head. “No. I’m never going back there.”
“You’re too old for this childish behavior. We’re leaving, and you will apologize for what you’ve put Christopher and his pack through.” My father’s scolding voice sends a flicker of fear into my blood before I squash it. I’m not the little girl who is afraid of upsetting them any longer.
Duke stands taller, having felt it course through me.
Maverick clears his throat. “Let’s take this into the house and discuss it further.”
“Absolutely not,” my mother snaps. Her nose turns up as she stares at the house, disgusted. “I gave you the paperwork, and if you don’t let us leave, I will be calling the sheriff.”
I frown. “What paperwork?”
Maverick looks up at me, his fist curled around a stack of papers I’m just noticing. “They’re trying to say they have a full conservatorship because you’re mentally unable to handle your own decisions.” It’s exactly what they said would happen, and despair sinks in my stomach. What the fuck?
A growl rumbles out of Cooper’s chest. Duke snarls and pulls me closer to him. “That’s fucking bullshit!”
A smirk works over Christopher’s mouth, the silent man finally deciding to participate in the debacle. “You the beast that put Leo in the hospital? Get your affairs in order, because once we’re done with you, you’ll never see daylight again.”
I bare my teeth at him, taking a step forward. “Don’t threaten my alpha! And you can't be sure. Defending your omega is protected under the law.”
There’s a beat of silence before everyone starts shouting at once. I shrink a little into myself, confidence faltering as terms and names of lawyers are thrown out. Duke pulls me back a step.
“ENOUGH!” Maverick’s alpha bark has all of us wavering.
My knees shake, and Duke’s hands tremble on my waist. I look over and nearly smile.
My father and Christopher aren’t faring any better.
In fact, Christopher stumbles a step as if he’s about to fall to his knees before he rights himself.
His jaw is tight, eyes furious, but they all remain silent now.
My alpha has proven he’s the strongest, and no one can challenge. I preen with pride, and he must feel it because Maverick flickers a glance at me, then returns his glare to my parents.
“No one is stepping a foot off my property until this is settled. I’m going to call the sheriff and lawyers to come and figure out the legality of this.
Until then, Brielle has proven herself to be a capable adult who can make her decisions, and a piece of paper ain’t gonna change that.
I’ll have someone come and settle you into a guest cabin since you find my home unsavory. ”
When my mom opens her mouth to object, my father grabs her arm and shakes his head.
Maverick lets out a long whistle, and in the next moment, Wyatt is jogging from where he and Cooper had been unloading the animals.
“Need me, boss?” he asks, beholding the crowd of strangers with obvious distaste.
I want them gone, not staying on the property, but I know they have enough money to make everything a headache for everyone involved.
“Settle them in the guest cabin on the west side. Make sure the trail cams are up.” Maverick has no shame in letting them know he’ll be watching, and it puts a smile on my face.
As soon as they’re gone, Duke blows out a breath and looks at me. “You okay?”
I nod. “Better now they’re gone.”
He gives me a bitter smile. “Yeah, I think you should stay here tonight.”
My heart stutters for a moment because I hadn’t thought about staying anywhere else.
Duke’s brows furrow as his eyes bounce over my face. “Do you not want to stay with us?”
I shake my head. “I—no, that’s not—”
“If you ever thought you were staying anywhere but my bed, you were severely mistaken, babydoll,” Maverick says in that deep gravelly voice of his, and it makes me swoon.
“Shit,” Duke curses and lets go of me to scratch the back of his neck. “I didn’t mean it like that, Princess. I didn’t want to assume you’d just move right in. I mean Coop and I are on the other side of the place, and—”
I smile, leaning over to place my hand over his mouth. “It’s okay. I shouldn’t have assumed you were kicking me out. It’s just going to take a minute to adjust to the fact that I have a home.” And I don’t mean a house, because wherever the three of them are is where I want to be.
“Let’s get inside so we can call up who we need. Brielle, do they know about the assault?” Mavericks asks, his expression grim.
Both Duke and I tense, and I shake my head.
“No, I left with Kinsey the morning it happened. I…didn’t know if they would believe me.”
Duke growls under my hand and pulls away so he can wrap his arms around me. “Fucking assholes. They never deserved you.”
“And the man they came with? Did he—” Maverick can’t finish the question, clenching his fists at his sides and turning away from me.
“No. He rarely wanted anything to do with me. I think he’s the pack leader, but he was doing whatever he could to settle Leo.” His name still feels like ash in my mouth, and I hate mentioning him. Duke’s chest rumbles under my ear, and I laugh a little, patting his back.
“It’s okay. We could try to call the hotel and see if they have footage.”
Maverick sighs. “I doubt they would. If the pack is worried about it getting out, they would have paid to have anything scrubbed.”
I nod, it makes sense. I blow out a breath, knowing the next part is going to upset them. “What if we tried to contact any businesses or homes that may have cameras as I ran home? Even a glimpse, they might get an idea of me barefoot with a torn dress.”
“You ran home?” Duke asks, a threatening tone in his deep voice.
Maverick doesn’t look any happier, and I frown, realizing something.
“Can you open up the bond? I hate not feeling you. It makes me feel…empty.”
His eyes stare into mine before I feel the pour of his emotions. I smile at him, and he shakes his head. “I’ll try, but there may be times that I don’t mean to do it.”
I give him a smile. “I know, Mav. We’re all gonna learn to trust each other. The best part is we have a superpower to start from.”
He snorts. “Superpower?”
I nod. “Yup. We bonded, just straight in, so now we navigate all our emotions without lying.”
Duke shakes his head. “We would never lie to you, Princess. If anything, we’re gonna be more honest than you’ll probably like.”
It warms my heart. His words give me the reassurance I need that I’ve made the right choice of who I want to spend forever with.