Chapter 25

Twenty-Five

JADE

" J ade, I want to know why you left," said Caleb in a low voice.

"Nothing, I was burnt out from the job," I said, my keys burning into my palm from how hard I was gripping them.

My parents looked perplexed seeing all four alphas in the living room for me.

"Is this why you quit your job?" my mom asked me- looking back and forth between us. I shook my head. At this moment, I really wanted to die. I wanted to keep the secret between Caleb's pack and me a secret to the grave, but everything was out in the open now. "Is this why you've been crying all night? I thought I taught you better than that daughter."

Fuck my life.

"You've been crying?" Dravin turned to me. The familiar warmth in his eyes made me want to break down in tears.

"No," I said briskly. "Can you all please leave? Everything's over between us."

"No, it's not," said Caleb, stepping towards me until he was in front of me. He lifted my chin with his finger. "Did any of it mean anything to you?"

"It did until I saw your phone," I said, gritting my teeth. He was forcing me to say it. I didn't want to show that the texts hurt me.

"What did you see?" he pressed. His finger on my chin seemed to burn through my skin as I stood there, trying not to let the tears fall. His nearness had my heart thumping uncontrollably in my chest.

"You were arranging for another alpha pack to have me after we slept together," I said.

I heard my mother gasp.

Damn it . I forgot she was there.

Caleb looked surprised, and the rest of his pack glared at him.

"Get the fuck out of our home. You hurt our daughter," said Rob, his beard shivering with his rage.

I didn't stop my dads from pushing all the alphas out of the door.

"I can explain," growled Caleb as Rob wrestled him to the door. They were like giants in the living room, knocking over furniture. I knew Caleb could put up a better fight, but he wouldn't ever get my father's blessing if he hurt my dad.

"Don't you dare growl at me, pup," roared Rob, shoving Caleb out the door.

Rob shut the door after the pack left, and all my dads were staring at me with their arms crossed.

"Why did an alpha pack show up at our door?" asked Seth.

"You have some explaining to do," said Mom.

"It wasn't anything serious," I said. "I had a fling, and that's all. If you don't mind, I'm tired."

Ignoring their protests about leaving them mid-conversation, I headed to my room. My chest was physically aching, and I felt sick to my stomach. Seeing my fathers push the alphas I loved out the door hurt me. Wait … I loved them . Maybe I was just delusional, but the feelings had crept in over the time I stayed with them during the rainstorm. I couldn't deny my feelings for them, but I needed to bury it.

I heard two soft knocks at the door.

Ugh.

"Yes?"

"It's me. May I come in?" said Mom.

"Yeah," I said, even though I wasn't ready to talk. Like at all. With my head on the pillow, I watched her as she sat on the end of my bed.

"Do you still have feelings for that pack?" she asked.

"I don't know."

"As a mother, I don't like to hear you cry every night."

"Well, I'm not."

"Don't lie Jade sweetheart," said Mom, resting her hand on my ankle. I didn't trust her. Sometimes she'd act all concerned as a ploy to get me to talk. "I think you should follow your heart."

"What are you talking about?"

"It doesn't matter about your job anymore. You already quit," she said. "A job or career isn't everything in life. If you think this is the alpha pack of your heart, maybe you should explore it."

Was this even my real mom talking? I sat up in bed, resting my back against the headboard.

"But you always said…"

"I know what I said," she whispered. "When I was your age, I missed the opportunity to be with the pack I truly desired. I fell in love and thought the smart thing to do was stop it immediately to pursue my career. I never followed my heart. Don't get me wrong- I love your fathers, but an omega's power is also knowing who her true pack is."

This was the first time she ever opened up about her past relationships. I could feel the pain radiate from her body, and she looked towards the closed door furtively, hoping my dads didn't hear her.

"I didn't know," I said. "I'm sorry, Mom."

"Don't be. I'm happy now, but not as much as I would be if I just listened to my soul," she said, her fingers tightening around my ankle. "Do it, Jadey. I will support you a million percent. Follow your heart, and don't let anyone stop you. If the pack came looking for you, it should tell you something. And that Caleb guy…he's not horrible-looking either." She winked, and I smacked her hand away, laughing.

"Thanks, Mom," I said. "But what if they're just using me?"

"A pack obsessed with you will not. I don't believe for a second he would be willing to give you up easily."

When she left the room, I laid there for a few moments, pondering over what she'd said. I pulled my phone out and started listening to the hundreds of voicemails that Caleb, Dravin, Bruce, and Nick had left me.

"Where are you, Jade? Why are you playing games with me?"

"I don't know what I did wrong. If you are listening to this, Jade, please come home. The house feels empty as fuck without you, babe."

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I listened to each voicemail. My heart ached more and more with each one. The voicemails were frantic at first and then into sad acceptance. I didn't want to be apart from them either.

I decided I needed to go visit them tomorrow for closure.

I had to know.

The next day, I parked my car a few streets down, away from the alpha's old house. I needed time to think before I got there. I undid my seat belt and stepped out of the car, my heart beating in anticipation. I hoped I wouldn't run into any of them right now.

I had to gather my thoughts. To figure out my life because I had no idea what I was going to say to them.

As I walked towards the home, I freaked out several times, ready to turn back. I straightened my black sweater and adjusted the hoodie over my messy ponytail. It wasn't raining anymore, but there was a small drizzle. I had on jeans and black sneakers. I wasn't exactly dressed to impress today. I wanted to get down to business without them getting distracted by my boobs. I wondered if it would be awkward to say hi and stroll in.

I rehearsed what I would say several times in my head.

Hey guys, so I just wanted some closure, you know? So that we can both move forward in our lives.

It sounded okay but also lame in my head. I wanted to hear what Caleb had to say about the text and if they were really serious about matching me up with a pack for their Enchanted Nests business. I was a viable single omega, after all.

When I reached the driveway, sweat beaded down my back. Something stopped me as I passed by the guest house. An older woman with gray dreadlocks, a torn white dress, and a frail-looking body stared at me as she stood outside the house. Was this Caleb's mother? I couldn't believe how she was kept in such a dreadful state. She waved me down as I approached her.

"Hi," I said.

"You're the omega that my son is infatuated with," she said, her voice raspy.

"I wouldn't say he's infatuated ," I replied, rolling my eyes.

"Please have tea with me," she said. "I would like to have some company."

"I don't really have much time," I said, hedging away, but she grasped my wrist. The smell of rotten meat emanating from her body made me want to vomit. But I felt sorry for this old lady. No one was taking care of her, and a spark of fury went through me at the treatment of her.

"Please, just for a few moments. I'm very lonely at times," she said. "And I'd love to meet the love of my son's life."

"Alright," I said, walking alongside her to the guesthouse. Her words made me a little more hopeful, but I was still wary. "What makes you think I'm the love of his life?"

"I know things, young lady," she as we walked inside. "Let's go to this room, here. Shall we?"

I followed her into the second room and was alarmed to see no sunlight shining into it. I walked further inside and gasped when I saw a large drawing on the ground written in red chalk. It looked like a picture of a pentagram. I knew that wasn't a good sign. When I turned back to look at her, she had disappeared from the room and had shut the door.

"Excuse me?" I said, walking to the door and turning the door handle. It was locked. "Listen, lady. This isn't funny. Let me out."

"Hold on, I'm just making tea for us," she said from the other side of the door, breathing hard. Why was she acting like this? She must have really lost her mind, and I began feeling sorrier for Caleb. I couldn't imagine this happening to my parents at all, and I began to appreciate what I had.

I heard scratching sounds on the wall behind me, and I quickly spun around. If there were mice in here, I was going to scream.

But something far worse was happening.

A pool of shadow was forming on top of the pentagram sign on the ground. Heart racing, I tried to turn the doorknob frantically with one hand while my back was pressed to the door.

"Please open the door!" I shouted. I watched as the pool of shadow began to take shape into a tall human-shaped body. The face and body of a large male appeared before me.

He wore a large black hooded robe, and his face was littered with scars. His red eyes landed on me, and his thin lips twisted into a wide smile.