Page 111 of The Beta's Bargain

His eyes jerk up to mine.

“I always knew you were there,” I admit and swallow hard. “You were more real to me then.”

His mouth opens, but Grayson growls and puts his hand on Dylan’s arm, effectively ending whatever moment I was having.

“You’re wrong, you know,” I say and reach for the jug of water. I fill a glass and take a sip. “You’re so wrong about all of it.” It doesn’t even matter what they think of me. Nothing can hurt more than I'm hurting right now.

“What are you talking about?” Silas growls.

“I don't care what she’s talking about. I want her gone!” Gray snarls so viciously my heart starts to race.

I close my eyes. I could tell them, but they wouldn’t believe me. And if they did, I’m just a beta. They made that clear.

“It doesn’t matter. Congratulations on your happy ending.” I stand up. “I truly wish you the best. Be happy, Dylan. Don’t come back into my world anymore, you don't belong there.”

I leave before I start to cry. People watch me, I can feel them staring holes into my back, but I don’t even care. They will whisper and talk about me, but at the end of the day, when the next scandal happens, no one will remember my name.

Falcon catches me just outside, swinging me around and staring into my face. “What were we wrong about?”

I peer up at him, exhausted and sick of seeing the accusation in his eyes. “All of it, Falcon. You were wrong about everything, and you won’t even hear it.” I shake my head.

He growls, “Tell me.”

“And you’ll believe me? You’ll convince the others?” I peer up at him and see the truth in his eyes. I bark out a laugh. “No, you won’t risk them, not a third time.” I exhale heavily and look at the buttons on his shirt.

“It’s my duty to protect my pack.” Falcon says succinctly, “Tell me, Beta, or don’t. I'm simply curious.”

I shake my head. “What’s the point? We all deserve better than this.”

My answer annoys him, and before I can move, his fingers thread through my hair, messing it up, holding me in place. His lips hit mine, hard and demanding. His tongue invades my mouth. The kiss is punishing. It’s cruel. It’s what my happiness is made of.

Then he’s stepping back, his brows furrowed. He searches my face as if looking for the answers to a problem he can’t solve, and I do something I'm not proud of. I run away.

It’s late. People are leaving. I’m still here, I'm not sure why, but I'm sitting in the shadows outside the hotel watching as Treyfield Pack sees off their guests.

“They work well together, don't they?” Only one person has a voice that mercurial.

I look up and find Vienne Hastings walking towards me. She plunks her ass beside me on the bench I’ve claimed. She leans both her hands on her walking stick. Her eyes narrow as she watches the pack with a satisfied grin.

“I wasn’t happy about the boy, but he’s a better choice than most. There is something alluring about him. I will happily change my mind over him with you gone. Though it will need some finagling in the future. He has class,” Vienne says with curiosity.

“Better than my sister?” I snarl, but my heart’s not in it. I truly just want this horrible bitch gone.

“Oh, your sister was never a serious choice. She was just a means to an end. I would have had her killed before allowing her to bond with my son’s pack.” Vienne clucks her tongue and pulls out a cigarette. She lights it and inhales deeply before smoothly blowing it out. I briefly think about seizing her walking stick and beating her to death with it.

I lift my head and angle my body slightly so I can study her better without her knowing.

“What was the purpose of driving him away?”

“A male omega can’t reproduce the way I'd like, but there are surrogates and artificial insemination. We can organise other options. Originally, I was against the idea of having some no-one, no-name bitch birth the scions of our family. But no beta will carry the bloodline of three empires. I won’t allow my grandchildren to be bred in such an inferior womb. A no-name male omega would be better than a beta any day of the week. I’ll buy them a womb. Everyone has a price. Hell, for the right amount, I could drop a whelp in the Waters bitches’ womb herself.”

My disgust at this woman grows to a level that has me barely able to speak. I grind my teeth and force my hands into my lap and clench them so I don’t do anything stupid. I’ll kill her before she touches Hazel.

“That’s ridiculous,” I hiss with loathing. “Who the hell cares about all that in this day and age?”

“I care!” Vienne Hastings snaps. “I care. When the entire world will look to us for our advice, for where we walk, how we talk, what we do, what stocks we buy or sell, every choice scrutinised, and we pin all our hopes and prayers for the future on not just a beta, but a beta with no breeding, no money, no class, you don’t even have a home.”

I wince.

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