by Sara Summers
Dean took a step back, though he looked confused why he did and seemed even more furious.
I pushed against him and the rest of the Alpha trifecta again, and again, and again, until the three of them stood with the rest of the men.
Of course, at this point they were all ticked at me. Between the growling, howling, and snarling, my head couldn’t have hurt any more even if someone took a hammer to it.
I didn’t let it stop me, though. I was stronger than my pounding head.
“That’s enough.” I commanded, hitting them with my Influence.
The crowd went silent.
“You’re all here because I set your women free. I helped them to leave, so go ahead and hate me.” I would’ve folded my arms, but I thought it would throw me off balance. Instead, I stepped forward and grabbed the railing of the porch.
Dean howled, and I waited for him to quiet down before saying anything else.
“I’m not gonna give you a speech, because I know you won’t listen. I’ve been mistreated by men before too, and I know that you won’t change because of what I say right now.
“You should know, though, that every woman who left tonight left because she felt mistreated.” I picked up one of the jars off the porch. “She was neglected, disrespected. Underappreciated.” I lifted the flower so they could all see. “In her own words, Dean, a wilting flower.” I glared out at the group of men.
“They didn’t leave for me, and they definitely didn’t leave for you. They left for themselves, so they could bloom again. This is what they want to be.” I waved the flower in the air. “This is how they want to be treated. Every woman is a flower.” I gestured to the plants all around me. “And every woman needs to be cared for like one.
“You forgot how valuable your females are, and now you’ve lost them.” I put the jar down on the stairs, and hobbled out into the crowd, pushing my way through the glaring and growling men with my Influence. “I bet you can still smell which one came from your mate.” I said softly.
“They’ll come back if you ever learn what they’re worth.” I dragged my cast behind me, protecting myself with Influence as I climbed on Holly’s golf cart. “And if you kill me, you’ll never get them back. I’m their Alpha and their Omega now.”
I hit the gas pedal with my left foot, jerking forward before speeding away. The door to the townhouse was broken, but the door to the bedroom still locked.
So, I locked myself in and waited for the unavoidable. Ty would want to talk to me eventually, and I was pretty sure a yelling match would ensue.
I wasn’t sure if my staying was a good thing or a bad thing. Yes, Ty would stop the males from hurting me. Even if he hated me, he wouldn’t want me dead. I was still his mate. On the other hand, he was probably more than a little hurt. Though I was also really hurt, I wasn’t looking forward to hearing him tell me about his pain.
I pulled some pillows behind my back, leaned against the bed, and pulled up Instagram on my phone. The night wasn’t over yet, no matter how much I wanted it to be.
I listened out the window to see if I could hear Ty, but when all I heard was howling, I figured it would be a while before he came to find me.
So, I called my friend Cosette, the chimp shifter.
“Oh my gosh, Leah. No one’s heard from you in ages!” Cosette exclaimed.
“I know, Cozy. I’m sorry.” I apologized. “A lot’s been going on.” I gave her a rerun of the past few months of my life. Being chased by Rockies and forced to be the Omega of a pack of wolves, and everything else. “So, I have a story for you to put on our channel. It could get huge.”
“I’m in.” She agreed. “Forrest is gone, you know. He’s been gone for months, so you can come here to film.” She suggested. “We’re all eager to see you.”
“I wish I could.” I sighed. “I miss all of you too. He might be gone, but I don’t want to risk it. My old Alpha made it clear that I have to stay away from your town.”
“You can stay with Marley.” Cosette offered. “You know the Grizzlies will protect you. She’s helping run the pack now anyway, so it’s safe.”
“I can’t.” I frowned. “Is there any way you can come here?”
“Umm…” I knew she would be playing with her hair. “I can be there in three days, if that works for you. Otherwise, I’m booked all over the world.”
“That’s perfect. Call me when you know what time your plane arrives, and I’ll come pick you up.” I glanced down at my pink cast, then remembered my car at the bottom of the mountain. “Or pay a cab for you.”
“Alright. I’ll see you in a few days. Stay safe.” She said.
“I will.” I promised. I hung up the phone and looked down at it. When I looked up a few minutes later, Ty was leaning against the wall next to the door.
I jumped when I saw him.
“How did you get through the lock?” I asked.
“It’s my house. I know how to break in.” he studied me, not moving from the wall.
“Go ahead. Yell at me, cuss at me, get angry. I’m not bringing them back.” I folded my arms to match his.
“How’s your leg?” he changed the subject, walking over to me and pulling the blankets off my legs.
“Don’t touch me.” I warned him. He ignored me, picking up my foot. I guess he didn’t like what he saw, because he winced.
“That looks painful.” He remarked.
“Well it is.” I glared at my mate, but he didn’t seem to mind.
He put my foot down, then looked at me and sighed.
“I’m not going to get mad at you.” He told me. “I know you well enough to understand why you did what you did. I just want to know how you did it, and why you didn’t talk to me first.” He stayed calm, which I thought was a miracle.
“I didn’t figure it out, all the other women did. They’ve been studying all the books in the pack library, and they figured out that the Omega was the only one who could release them without allowing their mates to find them again.
“When I stood up to your Alpha, they realized I would fight for them, so they planned everything out. You left me alone after that ceremony, and Holly took me back to her place.” I shrugged, figuring nothing I told him could do him any good when it came to bringing the women back.
“How did you hold everyone back at Dean’s house?” he checked.
“Before I even got to Holly’s house,” I corrected him, “I learned about the female version of dominance. It’s called Influence, and it’s even stronger than dominance because it’s powered by love rather than force.” I said. “I cared about the women who came to me, and so I have all this influence now.” I held out my hands and shrugged.
“Huh.” Ty nodded. “I always wondered why females didn’t have any power. Why didn’t you talk to me about it before?”
“Why would I have told you, and when would I have told you?” I asked, getting worked up all over again. “You sent Kyle to pick me up, knowing I had a hurt leg, and told him he couldn’t carry me so no one would judge him.
“I had to use crutches to get there, after Kyle left me all alone in the dark. Even after Holly rescued me, you just watched while I struggled up to the front, my leg killing me and my armpits thoroughly bruised because of all the walking.
“I’m supposed to be your soulmate, your one true love, yet you just stared as I hobbled around in pain. Then, to top it off, you just left me there after it was all over, cold, and in pain, and alone.” I glared at him. “If it hadn’t been for Holly, I would’ve had to limp on those torture devices all the way back here, cold and alone, in the dark again.
“Why would I trust you with anything after everything that happened today? All you’ve done is leave me and ignore me ever since you brought me here, and honestly, I’d rather be with the rest of the women in the wilderness right now than sitting here with you. If I could shift, I’d be long gone like the rest of them.”
Ty stayed quiet, but I could see the realization on his face. H
e understood how I felt, and he saw that he had mistreated me.
“I’m sorry.” He finally said softly. “I’ll take the couch. We can talk again tomorrow, if you want.”
He walked out of the room. It hurt my heart, a little, to see him leave. But I knew he had to learn just as much as the rest of the males did, and I couldn’t just let him off the hook. He’d hurt me, emotionally and physically.
The next day, the mood in the pack was sober. It was a Friday, Black Friday, actually, since Thanksgiving had been the day before, so all the males were off work.
They moped around town or stayed in their homes to mope, and you would’ve thought someone had died.
The Alpha did die, though, so if you thought that, you’d be right.
Okay, bad joke, I’m sorry.
Anyway, the mood in the pack was sober, but I woke up to loud piano music and the smell of waffles.
When I made it downstairs (yes, I had to crawl like a toddler), I found that Ty had fixed the front door, and was in the kitchen cooking for me. He turned when he heard me, and then turned the music down.
“Listen, I’m really—“
“I don’t want to hear an apology.” I folded my arms over my stomach.
Then, Ty dropped down on one knee. He looked around for something to hold, then gripped his spatula in his hands.
“Look, Leah. Fine, I won’t apologize, but I am sorry. I should’ve done everything different from the moment we met, and I know I already said that, but once again wish I had. I can’t go back and fix anything, but if you’ll let me, I promise I can do better. Please, give me another chance?” he begged.
“Get up.” I sighed, pulling at his shirt to try to get him to his feet again.
“No. I’m not going to get up until you agree to forgive me and let me try again.” He said, determined. “I’ll kneel here for weeks if I have to, I’ll even sleep here. I know I haven’t been cooking for you, or taking care of you, or loving you the way I should, but I swear, from here on out, things will be different.” He vowed.
“I’ll be the man you always dreamt of.”
“What if I never wanted a man?” I asked, folding my arms.
His eyes widened, and I stepped my good foot closer to him.
“What if I wanted a wolf?” I asked softly.
“Then babe, I’ll be a wolf every day for the rest of forever.” He stared up at me. “As long as you’ll be mine for that long, too.”
Instead of answering him, I leaned down and pressed my lips to his. What started as a soft, gentle kiss, became rough, hot, and incredibly fun.
He picked me up, cast and all, setting me on the edge of the counter and taking my face in his hands, taking control of the kiss as he did so. His tongue explored my mouth, and mine explored his, our bodies flush against each other and plenty warm.
I would’ve kept going for hours, if my foot hadn’t started throbbing.
“Ow, ow, ow.” I winced, gently easing away. “I’m sorry, it just kills.” I frowned, and Ty lifted my leg up.
“I’ll keep it elevated.” He promised, holding it up and moving forward to kiss me again.
Before our lips touched, the smoke alarm started going off. Ty jumped, dropping my leg and then catching it again before it slammed into the cabinets under me.
He looked over at the smoking waffle iron and cursed. After depositing me in a chair, with my cast resting on another chair, he hurried over and opened it. The smell that erupted when he opened it was so foul we both started coughing.
Ty unplugged the machine, rushing it over to the trash can and trying his best to scrape the blackened waffle out. He moved it to the sink, after, and filled it with water.
When he turned off the sink, he looked over at me with a grim expression on his face.
“I don’t care how long that smell stays in here, that was worth it.” He decided. I burst out laughing, and he did too. We laughed together for a few minutes, and Ty wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
“I’m sorry, again. This is what I want, just so you know. Even if it means giving up my place as Alpha because the pack hates us after what you did, it’s worth it. You’re worth it. You’re the woman the Creator gave me with the missing pieces of my soul, and I’m sorry that I treated you as anything less. Please, let me keep falling in love with you.” He pressed a kiss to my temple.
“I already told you I would.” I smiled, closing my eyes as his head rested against mine, warm and comforting.
Ty and I were just starting to learn how to love each other, but he already felt like home. I guess that was the Creator’s plan all along. He made us so we needed each other and complimented each other, but he made it so we would have to work hard to figure it out. Love was never meant to be easy, especially true love.
True love takes work, and one heck of a lot of it.
That day, I came up with an idea to create fliers with quotes about love and relationships on them, and Ty helped me pass them out. We were going to change our pack one way or another, and we were going to do it together.
Chapter 16
The next two weeks passed pretty quickly, and luckily, no one tried to hurt and/or kill me for helping the women escape. Ty was always with me, which probably helped my case. Cosette took a video of my pack’s story, and uploaded it to YouTube so the world could see.
“Hey girl, you’re never going to believe this.” Cozy laughed before she even told me her news. “So your video has been on for a week and a half, right? 12 million views. 12 Million! Isn’t that crazy?”
“What?” I dropped my spoon to my plate, my jaw dropping with it. “You’re kidding.”
“No, for real. People are inspired by what you have to say. Check the comments on YouTube.”
“I will. Thanks for telling me, that’s insane.” I shook my head. “Wow.”
“I know!” Cosette laughed in disbelief. “Alright, I have pictures to take. Gotta fly, love you!” she said, hanging up before I could say anything else.
Unfortunately, my phone was dead, so I couldn’t read any comments. Also unfortunately, the time came for Ty to have a meeting with his second and third, Kyle and Dean. They met at the old Alpha’s house, leaving me alone in the townhouse.
The first twenty minutes were fine. I sat on the couch and continued reading the Omega book, which I had picked up for the second time. I wanted to understand my role so that when the women came back I could represent them in the pack.
Though I really wanted to read the comments, I forced myself to focus until my phone was charged enough.
I was deep into Omega history when I heard a noise in the kitchen. It sounded almost like a window opening, so I got up to see what was going on. When I got to the kitchen, I found a middle-aged man I didn’t recognize sitting on the counter in front of the window. His arms were folded.
Though I had Influence and could’ve used it, it wasn’t my first response.
The front door opened next, and I hurriedly hobbled over to it. There, I found a younger guy standing in front of the door with his arms folded. I immediately recognized him as the second half of the adorable couple from the feast. His mate had left with the others, and he looked like a mixture between furious, anxious, and desperate.
I heard a noise upstairs, and of course, a third male came down the stairs.
This one, I recognized immediately. It was Dean, and he looked much angrier than the other two.
“You don’t want to do this.” I warned, holding up my hands and gathering my Influence.
“Tell the Rockies we said hello.” Dean said, his voice cold.
“Ty will—“
The man behind me injected a needle into my neck before I could finish. I passed out only seconds later.
When I woke up, it was cold and dark. There were no windows in the room, and I could smell dirt. Looking around, I could tell I was in a basement of some kind, though even without much light I knew it was an unfinished one.
“Hello?” I called out.
My voice was only a little scratchy, so I couldn’t have been unconscious for too long.
“I’m going to kill you.” Dean stepped forward and growled at me.
“We’ve been over this.” I sighed. “If you kill me, you’ll never get Holly back. I’m her Omega.”
“I know.” Dean snarled and walked over to the wall, punching it a few times. Dirt flew everywhere, and I wondered how safe the basement was.
“Where are we?” I asked, cautiously. I didn’t want him to explode and actually kill me, so I had to be careful.
“The Rockies’ Alpha house.”
My face paled.
“Why would you bring me here?” I demanded, immediately getting started on gathering as much Influence as I could. “I get that you hate me, but what will it accomplish to let them kill me or use me for their pleasure?” This time, I was the one who snarled.
“I brought you here.” Dean growled. “The Alpha promised that if I brought you here, he would make me part of his pack. I thought that would mean I could find her again, since she’d have a new Omega.” He said.
I sighed, my anger draining away. Though I wasn’t upset anymore, I continued to gather my Influence, remembering once more why I had helped the women run away.
“She’s not connected to you anymore, so it would never work. She’s on her own, and she’s mine. If I die she can choose a new Alpha, and it sounds like she already has one in mind. If you want her back, you have to realize what you did wrong.” I pulled my messy hair over one shoulder, relaxing my body so I’d be ready to stand in a few minutes. Once again, my leg was throbbing.
“It’s too late now.” Dean said, darkly. “I already joined the Rocky pack. Ty should be meeting with my new Alpha right now, discussing the terms of the kidnapping. This Alpha doesn’t plan on giving you back.”
“Well that was stupid of you.” I muttered. Dean clenched his fists and stepped forward. I slid to the ground, bracing myself for impact. He stepped forward and I held out a hand, stopping him in place.
“You’ll never make it outside.” Dean snarled.
“Watch me.” I glared at him, dragging my cast over to the stairs. It took a few minutes to crawl up the steps, but I managed.
