Page 19 of Corrupt Me

“No. Who I choose to spend my time with is my choice. I did nothing wrong.” Imagining my new pack standing around me gives me a little boost of confidence. They made me feel beautiful and wanted like no one else has. I want what they’re offering.

“Then you don’t have a place in this house. Go share that place with your brother. You’ll realize soon enough that you’ve made a mistake and come crawling back here. When none of those awful Alphas you’ve spent the night with take you in, when your brother decides you’re not worth the trouble, you’ll be back on my doorstep asking me to let you in.” My father is completely serious, his anger palpable. He’s never thrown me out before. We’ve had our share of arguments and shouting matches which results in me locking myself in my room.

But he’s never thrown me out.

“You’re kicking me out?” I ask to clarify.

“You couldn’t be satisfied with being a pack Beta, Camila. The path you’re going down is a dangerous one. Just accept Teo’s offer.”

I want to keep fighting but then we’ll have this argument next week or next month. So, I bite back the tears threatening to surface and make my decision. I have enough money to spring for the motel across the street from the art gallery and then I’ll figure out what to do from there. I should have moved out a long time ago but I fell for the comfort that this house provided—the lingering feeling of my mother still present. I can’t stay here, though, not at the expense of my sanity.

Especially knowing that I have three men ready to love me out there.

Add in the fact that my father almost hit me and I can’t stay here. I won’t. I deserve so much more.

Throwing my shoulders back and angling my chin up, I face my father. “Teo will not be my Alpha. I’ve made my choice. This is goodbye.” Then I march up the stairs and grab a suitcase to stuff my favorite clothes in. There isn’t much I keep around because my most precious items are my paintings, ones I keep stashed at the art gallery. The owner allows us to use the backroom occasionally so I keep the canvases and sketches there to protect from my father’s ridicule.

He hates my degree, says it’s useless and he’s told me more than once that my drawings won’t amount to anything. So, now, I don’t even bring them home.

When I’m satisfied that I have enough to last me a week or two, I swipe my toiletry bag from the bathroom and then return down the stairs.

“Where are you going at this hour, Camila?”

“You said that you won’t have me under your roof acting out. You told me to choose Teo. I’m not acting out and I’m not choosing an Alpha that tried to assault me twice so this is me leaving.” I hold up my bags and shake them to show him that I’m not bluffing. My father’s mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water but I don’t stay lest I lose my nerve. This is the dumbest idea, leaving so late but I want to make a statement.

I want him to understand that he can’t control me. Just like he couldn’t control Ethan.

I say a silent goodbye to my mother, to her ashes sitting in a petite urn just above the mantle. Maybe one day I'll be able to take her with me and free her from the confines of this place.

It isn’t until I’ve stuffed everything in my little car and am halfway down the road that I realize I’m barefoot. The range of emotions swirling in my chest explodes against my wishes. Excitement. Fear. Anxiety. Fear. Terror. The tears I’ve been holding back break free, the sorrow of leaving a chapter behind weighing on my soul. My father has never been so mean, never been so hateful toward me. He wouldn’t even listen when I brought up Teo. It’ll take a miracle for him to believe that Teo is an awful Alpha but for tonight, I’m not under my father’s roof.

The silence starts to drag as I speed down the road, turning on the radio to cover it up. An angelic voice with a thick beat accompanying it fills my car, the heartiness of her words hitting me hard. Somebody to Someone plays, her words remnant of what I want. I just wanna fall in love. The tears flow down my cheeks as I sing along, my heart cracking a little. I want to believe that I can just fall into Amiri, Sasha, and Kolsen’s arms but is it truly that easy?

The song pauses when my phone rings. I press the green button on the center console, Violet yelling into the earpiece. “Where are you, bitch? Did you know that Teo got fucking kicked out? Like banned. The big guy—oh wait, isn’t he your Alpha? He had him dragged out and told him not to come back in. God, that man is sexy. Your Alpha, not Teo. The afterparty moved to Teo’s place.”

“Yeah, I know. Teo said a few choice words and I throat-punched him before leaving. Don’t be mad,” I laugh bitterly. That isn’t even half of the truth but I can’t go into a deep explanation right now.

“Not mad. Proud of you for clocking him. He deserved it. He was handsy all night and not with just Penelope, the bastard. Did you at least meet your mates?”

“I did and everything was really great. I just… need to decompress.” My voice drops down to a whisper and I pray that Violet catches on to my need for a little silence.

“No worries, babe. I’ve got to go grab Sofie before she climbs onto the stage and starts dancing. You know how she gets when she’s had too much. Sofie! Fuck. I’ll catch you at work tomorrow and get all the dirty details. Hopefully, your father wasn’t too angry when you got back. Love you.” The phone goes dead but I’m not surprised. Sofie is a handful sober but I wouldn’t have her any other way.

The dreary road stretches on, the song coming back on just as a text scrolls across the screen.

Goodnight, buttercup. Dream of us.

The thought of telling them about my predicament is gone as fast as it comes. We’re not there yet. As much as I want to curl up with them and let the world fall away, there’s no way I could ask that of them. Kolsen already had Teo thrown out of Temple, something I’m sure that I’ll hear about tomorrow when Teo is sober enough to remember it.

The next call I make is a little harder to follow through with, which is why I call Reid instead of Ethan or Zana. “Hey sis, was wondering if you were ever going to come up for air. Having fun?”

“I’m… I went home.”

“Everything okay? Why does it sound like you’re driving? Mila, talk to me.”

“I don’t want you to do anything about it which is why I called you and not the others. You can tell them but please just don’t do anything. A lot of things have happened today, too much to tell you over the phone but I’m okay. I’m safe and I just needed to decompress a little.”

Reid snorts. “None of that is reassuring.”

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