by Hazel Gower
Guilt overwhelmed him, and he felt sick to his bones for the way he was treating her, but he was just so angry. It wasn’t that she was another species altogether, it was that she didn’t tell him. She didn’t tell him what she could do. She didn’t tell him all that she knew. He had to find out what she was in front of his sister-in-law—who found out before him—and brother. She’d had chances to tell him. For fuck’s sake, he’d stuck up for her, thinking that she couldn’t handle herself.
He wallowed in self-pity and blocked the pack as best he could using wolfsbane, which he knew wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but it was the only thing that worked to dull all the emotions and feelings he was being sent from the pack. He knew he had a responsibility to the pack as an omega, but right now he couldn’t find the energy to care. He tried not to get as bad as his brother Arden had been, but Griffen now understood better what Arden had gone through and why he drank to drown his feelings.
Pet had awoken from her healing sleep, and he went by her room often, he even stuck his head in to make sure someone was with her, but he couldn’t bring himself to face her. He still hurt and felt angry at himself for hiding away in the house from her.
* * * *
Pet
Griffen wasn’t there when Pet woke up. She wasn’t sure if she expected him to be after him finding out what she was and the lies she’d told. She was surprised to find Ava there when she woke. Pet couldn’t talk yet. Her energy wasn’t up for that at the moment. But Ava was talking to her, although she wasn’t facing her; she was gazing out the window.
“Faith is pissed with him too. Griffen’s sulked the whole week you’ve been out. Now, I’m not saying he doesn’t have a reason to be mad. I mean, you kept something mega from your mate, but he...we all thought he would have calmed down by now and at least come and sat with you.” She sighed loudly. “He’s popped his head in once or twice when I’ve been here, and Faith, Remy, Sara, and Sandra said he’s done it with them too, but he hasn’t sat with you like we have. You know, I’ve never said this before, but I’m getting sick of the sound of my voice. Kane has been monitoring you. Well, he’s done his best to as Kane’s not sure if your anatomy is different from humans. We couldn’t take you to the hospital and risk them finding out you’re different. We had a meeting, and one thing everyone agrees on is that what you are will stay between us and the human military, and anyone we don’t trust won’t know.”
Pet listened to what she said and wondered for a moment if she was talking about this stuff now, what had she been talking about while she’d been out for the week. Curious, she cleared her dry throat and mumbled, “You’ve been with me while I was out?”
“Pet!” She jumped up as best she could with her huge belly. “You’re awake?”
Pet nodded, unsure if Ava really wanted her to answer that. “Water please,” she croaked.
“Oh, of course.”
Ava waddled over to a table, and Pet watched as she poured water into a glass with a straw and made her way back. She held it up to Pet’s lips so she could sip.
“I’m glad you’re up. We’ve been worried. Kane is so grateful for what you’ve given Faith and how happy she is now that she has power she can control, that he’s been checking on you too and has no issues with Faith coming here and watching over you for an hour or two. Faith says she’s been using the time while she watches you to learn the level of power you’ve given her and test its boundaries.”
“The prophecy needed help to come to fruition,” she rasped out.
Ava raised her brow. “Now that we all know you’re an alien, a lot of strange things about you make more sense. Your survival so long with demons for instance.” She shook her head like she was trying to shake something out of it. “I was going to say something about you being young, but crap, you’re not. Faith said you’re like a century or so old.”
Nodding, Pet debated what she should tell her. She closed her eyes for a moment before opening them, realizing that it was time to only tell truths. No more lies. No more hiding.
“I’m almost two—well, two human centuries. Time, for me, has passed differently, or at least it has felt like that. Truthfully, since being with your family I have lived more in these months then I have in many, many years. The time has flown by. I think that was why I held off so long from giving Faith what she needed. I could have done it the first night or the next after being set free, but I grabbed hold of my time being human.” Pet used some of her slowly returning strength to point out the window toward the houses where the humans lived. The shifters weren’t human, but were close, or they were in their human skin. “I wanted some peace, even if it was just for a couple of weeks or a month. When I realized I was free, I wanted to be human, just for a while.”
The more she talked, the huskier her voice got. Pet wasn’t used to talking so much. She’d learned to stay quiet as much as possible. The demons thought it was fun to torture her, with liquids that burned as they forced it down her throat, or they’d choke her until she’d passed out. They weren’t allowed to kill her, the demon king had decreed it, but they found all sorts of creative ways to punish her.
“I say now that you’re awake give Griffen a couple of extra days to cool down and he’ll be in a more forgiving mood.” Ava touched her shoulder, leaned down, and surprised her when she kissed her cheek. “Thanks for bringing Faith back. I don’t really know what you did, but she’s sane, or at least as sane as Faith gets. Faith tried to explain what you’ve given her, but truthfully, I didn’t really understand. I just know you helped her. Thank you.” She kissed Pet’s other cheek. “My brother may be an arsehole for a while, but he’s hurt, and men have pride, and when that gets hurt it takes a while for them to get over things. So, just be patient. I know you’ve had it rough all your life and you don’t deserve any more shit thrown your way but…be patient. I’ll come check on you again in a day or so. Remy, Faith, and the others will come too. Rest. Regain your strength.”
Pet watched her walk out of the room. She shut the door halfway as she left, and Pet closed her eyes and hoped her skin had stayed at least a human color. She wanted to fit in, and looking human was the way to do it. Maybe now that she’d given her premonition power to Faith—well, Pet could still feel a little power flowing through her, but not even an iota of what she’d had—she could live a normal life, or what would be normal for her.
Opening her eyes, she raised her hand and sighed as she saw her changing skin. She was still drained and couldn’t hold a form. Closing her eyes again, she honed her hearing to search for Griffen. He was in the loungeroom, and his breathing was slow and not the usual steady beat.
Pet took a deep breath and sorted all the scents that assaulted her—antiseptic, bleach, alcohol, and the strongest odor of all was wolfsbane. Her eyes immediately popped open. Oh no, what had she done? Griffen was an omega. Other than the alpha, he was the most important person in the pack. His was the heart. He shouldn’t ever take wolfsbane.
Easing out of bed, she was so weak she had to crawl to the loungeroom. The sight that greeted her had her heart sinking, and sorrow like nothing she’d ever felt washed over her. Her body shook, and tears rolled down her cheeks as her stomach rolled at the sight of Griffen. He was covered in a scruffy beard, looking gaunt and sickly, his skin an off-white, but it was his gaze that scared her—it held nothing, his eyes looked dead. No warmth. No strength. The alpha may be the leader of the pack, but the omega was the strength, warmth, heart, and everything a pack needed to hold it together.
This was her fault. She should have given everything to Faith and let herself go, passing on to the afterlife to see her mother and her people again. Crawling back to the room, she climbed up onto her bed and let go. She cried for her mother, her people, the life she never had, the lives she’d destroyed, she cried for every last person on every world she’d helped destroy.
Chapter 3
Griffen
A month passed slowly.
Griffen felt
like shit. He hadn’t left his house and basically stayed in bed, avoiding the pack, his family, and Pet. This wasn’t what he expected when he found his mate. He knew it wouldn’t be easy, he’d seen his brothers and sister find and be with their mates, but he didn’t expect what he had with Pet, or more accurately, what he didn’t have.
He’d learned from Arden not to stay in his wolf form all the time or to drink bottles of alcohol to drown the pain, but wolfsbane wasn’t just good for getting rid of unwanted pregnancies, it also numbed.
Bang!
Startled as the front door slammed open, Griffen darted upright and debated getting out of bed to see who the hell had let themselves into his house. His mother knew to stay away from him at the moment. His dad had come by a little over two weeks ago, and after he’d told him everything and that he just wanted some time to breathe, to sort out what he’d learned and figure out what he needed—no, wanted to do, his parents left him alone.
“Griffen. Griffen, get your arse in here now,” Remy yelled.
He fell back on his bed. Groaning at the sound of his brother’s mate’s voice, who was also the biggest pain in the arse, he picked the pillow up next to him and covered his face.
“Don’t hide in your room,” Faith shouted.
“Fuck.” Not those two together.
The sound of knocking on his bedroom door had him moaning into the pillow, and then he heard, “If you don’t get your butt out here now, I’ll drag you out.” Ava growled.
“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” He screamed into the pillow before he threw it across the room. “I’m coming.”
He didn’t want his sister in here, because pregnant or not, she would drag him out. Getting out of bed, he rummaged through the clothes he had, sniffing them to try to find the least dirty ones.
The knocking, or more like banging, started again, and he picked up a shirt before him, not caring about the smell, and slipped into boardshorts.
“Ava, I’m sure he’s coming. Stop banging on the door.” The sweet voice of Kirby, his brother Rane’s mate, had a small smile slipping over his face for a moment. So, all the women were here.
Opening the door, he found Kirby and Ava standing just outside his door. His sister looked him up and down and frowned, but Kirby, with her massive pregnant belly, was smiling at him. She was overdue and huge, but her eyes held pity. He hated that people felt that for him. Before Pet he’d never known people felt that for him, or seen it in their gazes, but maybe they did and he’d just ignored it.
“You look and smell like shit, brother.” Ava took a step back.
Remy came down the hall, and for the first time he noticed she had a tiny baby bump now showing. Unable to stop it, a smile spread over Griffen’s face.
“Stop standing around. Let’s get this shit done. I’m hungry again.” She patted her small baby bump. “This one likes to eat. She takes after her daddy.” Remy shined with love as she hugged herself and had a dreamy gleam in her eyes.
Focusing on the pack, Griffen stilled and grunted when it took him a lot longer than it ever had to link to them, but he found it after the longest time and followed it to Remy; love flooded him, unconditional, overflowing, glowing love. It was a feeling he hadn’t felt in a while. For the first time in weeks Griffen focused on his family’s links and found all the women around him deliriously happy—well, with their mates and friends, but with him, not so much.
His strength returned to him, and his pity party stopped. He kept his focus on them and moved to his loungeroom to see Sara, Nara, Lexie, and Sandra sitting with Pet, who looked ready to bolt and was barely resisting blending into the furniture. That was something he didn’t think he’d ever get used to.
“We are all here to help you get your shit together.” Remy, not one to beat around the bush, whacked his back as she went by and sat on his recliner, which meant he would be sitting on the floor as all the women took the sofas.
“I bet she doesn’t hear this often, but Remy is right.”
“Fuck you, Ava.” Remy glared at Ava, but there was no heat, and she was still happy, and Griffen knew Ava and Remy had become really close. “We’re all sick of your moping. Pet is awesome, and you shouldn’t give a fuck that she’s an alien. I think it’s so cool.”
Of course she did. Remy wasn’t one to follow the rules, or do what she was told. Damn, he’d watched her tell a high-ranking military officer to go fuck himself. She liked to be different. She loved being unpredictable.
“I agree with Remy.” Faith grinned at her friend and then set her gaze on Pet. “You are beyond amazing. What you’ve given me, I can never repay you for. I have my life back.”
“Yep. She’s totally not crazy anymore. Well, she’ll always be a bit loopy, but…” Remy smirked. “Now, she’s at least in the here and now about eighty percent of the time.” Remy dramatically winked at Faith then looked at Griffen. “We’re not here to talk about Faith though, so let’s get this over and done with. Here’s what I think we should all say—Griffen, stop being such a pussy and sulking. Man up. Pet is worth taking time to get to know.” She turned her gaze to Pet. “Pet, stop crying and start living.”
Faith rolled her eyes. “What Remy said is why we’re here, but not all of us are here to say it the way she did. I know you’re hurt and that she…” Faith jerked her head to Pet, not willing to call her that name. “...lied and kept what she was from you, but I understand why she did it. Think about it. Why would she show us what she was when she’d just met us? We weren’t ready to learn that. We all needed to get used to her, and she needed to settle here and trust us before she could reveal herself. Even more than that, she needed to recover. My God, you saw the condition she was in when we found her and brought her home.”
“You mated Pet. You need to start being a mate.” Ava held her hand up. “Don’t say you were before you found out what she was...er, is, because you weren’t. You were more like her caretaker, or even a parent. Pet doesn’t want you to be her father or brother, she needs you to be her mate,” Ava added before she turned her focus on Pet. “Pet, you need to stop sulking. Everyone here knows you’re not human, and not one of us cares. We are all beginning to love you. You need to start living your life though. You’re not a prisoner anymore. Start getting out there. Explore. Live.”
Lexie stood and held out her hand to Sandra, who took it and eased off the sofa, with Nara and Sara following her. Sandra caught Griffen’s gaze. “We’re going to leave, but you and Pet need to talk. It’s been several months since you mated her, and a month since you found out she’s an alien. You need to talk this out, and we all think it’s time you do that.”
Nara and Sara both nodded at Pet and Griffen and walked toward the door. Sandra gave a chin lift to him and Pet before leaving too.
Ava, Faith, Kirby, and Remy stood too, but they didn’t leave.
“Sit. Talk. Move forward.” Ava smiled at Pet and then glared at him. “You need to move forward, not just for your relationship, but for us all. Griffen, you’re the omega, the pack needs you.”
His sister was right, and he hated it, because she was his little sister, he should be the one doling out advice. He was the pack’s omega, and he’d been neglecting his duties.
“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.” Pet’s husky voice had Griffen turning his focus on her. “Please forgive me. I’m sorry more than I could ever voice in words.” She stared at him with her golden eyes, and his stomach sank and his heart felt like it was about to beat out of his chest. “I’m sorry that I deceived everyone, but most of all, I’m sorry I lied to you. I want to be your mate. I want you to trust me, but I know that after what I’ve done, you might never be able to trust me. I am sorry, but I’m learning. I want to be the mate you deserve. Please forgive me, or tell me what I need to do so you do forgive me.”
That was the longest Pet had talked for, or at least the longest that he’d heard her speak. Apparently, when she went to Faith’s and told her what, or who, she was, she’d spoken a lot the
n. Normally, Pet was a listener and gave short answers when she did talk.
Griffen knew he needed to move forward, and he’d been ready to before he found out Pet had lied to him and concealed what she was. Would he be able to truly believe in her though? Griffen knew she’d had a rough life. He had heard her nightmares. The state she was in when she was rescued showed anyone who’d seen her how bad she’d lived. Could he cast his pride aside? He sighed loudly. That was what this was really about, that Pet was his mate and he didn’t know she was an alien and he hadn’t been the first to know her secrets.
“I understand, or I’m trying to. I am slowly getting over you lying to me for months, but…” Standing, his gaze locked on hers, and he came and sat next to her on the sofa. He darted his eyes around the room, not at all surprised to see his sister and sister-in-laws had left. “No more lies or hiding things from me. I’ll move on if you promise me there will be no more secrets.”
Tears rolled down the light olive skin of her cheeks; she’d changed her skin color to match his. “I’ll try. I’d like to say I promise, but when you’ve lived as long as I have and seen all I have...I don’t know if something will come up or I’ll miss something important that I should have told you.” Hesitantly, she grabbed his hand and threaded her fingers through his. “I have things I need to tell Faith and you. I’m sure you have questions you want to ask, and I know Faith and others do too, they’re just waiting for us to sort out the mess I’ve gotten us into.”
She was right. Pet would have a lot of info, and they’d all been treating her with kid gloves, him especially. Maybe if he hadn’t held back for so long, she might have told him. He remembered her asking to see Faith, but she didn’t tell him why. Would he have believed her if she had revealed why she needed to see Faith? If he had worked on their relationship and not held back, maybe everything would have been different. Not all the blame should be heaped on Pet. They needed to learn to communicate.
