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“What are you feeling, sweetheart?” Cam asks, rubbing her back.
“Everything,” she whispers. “I’m sad and angry, but I’m relieved, too. And I feel guilty for being relieved. They were the only family I had left.”
“It’s okay,” I tell her. “That’s natural. You’ll probably grieve them, even after what they did. It’s not going to feel easy, but we’re here. We’re not going anywhere.”
She takes a deep shuddering breath, but nods her agreement.
Memphis looks over her shoulder at the armed men waiting behind us.
“I’ll talk to them,” I promise.
By putting down their guns, these guys forfeited what was probably a pretty hefty paycheck. They also just saw their boss plummet to his death. They’ll probably want to be paid off in exchange for their silence. I walk over to the auburn-haired mercenary, ready to cut a deal.
“Look,” I say. “We don’t expect you to?—”
The mercenary raises his brows. “Such a horrible accident, huh?”
Behind him, a tall, skinny guy shakes his head. “We saw the whole thing. Can’t believe the rock gave out under them like that.”
“Such a shame,” the auburn-haired man says again, then extends his hand to me. I shake it heartily as the understanding passes between us. Nobody’s going to say anything about our final confrontation with the Castles. The official story will be that it was a tragic accident.
“Thanks,” I say, hoping they understand my gratitude. “I don’t know what’s happening with Castle’s money, but if we can find a way to pay you for your work, we will.”
“Appreciate it,” he replies. “Now, we’re under contract to get Miss Castle home. We’ll have to deliver the news—three new mates. Too bad Castle didn’t get a chance to share his approval before the accident.”
“Yeah.” I can’t help my grin. “Too bad, huh?”
THIRTY-FIVE
—
B R O O K L Y N
Weeks ago, I was living in the woods, in a shelter I built myself, wearing clothes I stole from unsuspecting hikers and eating whatever I could forage. Now, I’m in a five star hotel suite overlooking the glittering skyscrapers of downtown Seattle. I’ve got silk pajamas in the drawers, but I put on one of Denver’s massive shirts instead.
When I think about how much my life has changed, it’s almost too overwhelming to take in. I’m safe, but I don’t have a home anymore. My family’s gone, but now I’m part of a pack. I’m finally free, but I have ties to people that are stronger than I ever expected.
Before I can get too deep into my thoughts, Memphis lets out a gigantic snore. He’s passed out on the king-sized bed, long limbs stretched across the entire surface. Memphis doesn’t like leaving me for long, and since I’ve mostly wanted to rest in the hotel room, he’s made himself at home.
Being around crowds of people has been overwhelming. I’m comfortable in small groups, but walking into a store or a hotel lobby crowded with people makes me shut down. I like it better when things are quiet.
The other Alphas have stayed busy. Denver took charge of my legal appointments, conducting them by phone from the room whenever possible.
I did have to go to the police station to give them an official statement, which wasn’t as stressful as I feared. Considering Denver practically growled whenever somebody so much as asked me to confirm an earlier statement, the whole process was relatively painless.
In the end, I decided not to report Grayson’s forced bonding. I didn’t want to go through reliving what he did, and it’s not like he could hurt anyone else now. As far as the public is concerned, I got lost on a hike and managed to survive. Hopefully, they’ll leave me alone while I “grieve.”
While Memphis snoozes, I sit on the hotel couch, idly sketching with some colored pencils. Camden picked them up for me when he stopped in a store for supplies. Camden has acted as an errand boy, preferring to be on the move than shut up in a room. He picked up new clothes for all of us, along with any trinket he thought I might enjoy. I now have a small pile of art supplies on the hotel desk, waiting for my use.
Right now, he’s at the Castle mansion. I couldn’t bear going back there and facing the terrible memories that drove me into the woods. That said, there were a few things I wanted. The first blanket I ever knitted, my old journal, a few sentimental items of clothing. Mostly, I wanted the photos of Momma from my nightstand. Hopefully, Papa didn’t move anything after I left.
The mansion is mine now. As my father’s last living relative, everything he owns is mine. For the most part, I don’t want it. The Castle corporation will be sold. I don’t want any part of anything they built. And I’ll sell the house, too, though I wouldn’t care if it burned to the ground. I plan on donating almost all the money to charities helping abused Omegas like the one in the forest we gave a Viking send off to.
On my lawyer’s recommendation, I agreed to wait a few months, to make sure I wouldn’t change my mind once I’ve had time to sort out everything I went through. I doubt I’ll change my mind, though. I’ve seen the so-called happiness money brought Papa and Grayson. I don’t need that.
I hear a slight knock on the door, smiling when I see Denver and Camden entering. They have room keys, of course, but they still like to give me a heads up before coming in. I’m easily startled by people, after so much time being away from them. Denver promises me that it’ll pass.
Camden puts a cardboard box down in front of me. “Found everything you asked for,” he says at a normal volume and I reach out to pull his face to mine for a soft kiss. My fingertips brush the edge of the still-healing wound on the left side of his face. It’s nothing more than a jagged line now and I know the reddish pink skin will soon fade to moonlight white. Memphis is right, it does suit him in some strange way.
