Page 53 of Alpha Reid

“You can,” Astrid says gently, setting her hand on top of mine again. “You need to tell him so he can help you. The two of you need to trust each other if we’re all going to survive what comes next.”

As if Reid would ever trust me after what I’ve done.

“Trust is hard to build back up once it’s broken, so you need to start now,” she continues earnestly. “The two of you need to have a strong, united front when the shadow pack arrives. We can win this, but we need both of you in order to do that.”

“Why would you needme?” I grumble. The tears have stopped and now I’m just… numb.

She shrugs. “You’ve got a role to play. I’ve seen it. I only get snippets sometimes, so I don’t know all the details, but I know that you and Reid are standing strong together when the shadow pack arrives.”

I stare down into my lap again. “And after?”

“I wish I could tell you,” she frowns. “I’m still not sure. But I do know Reid and the other alphas, and I know they’ll help you get your sister back.”

I nod slowly. Maybe she’s right. Maybe I should tell him. Is it worth the risk? She leaves me with way too much to think about when she heads inside to find Brock and the two of them depart. I sit outside for a while after she leaves, turning over everything in my mind. If Astrid’s seen a future where we all make it out of this, then maybe there’s hope-real hope. For the first time in so long, I can see a little glimmer of it through the darkness.

This has gone on so long that I feel like I don’t know right from wrong anymore. I’m not sure if I can trust my own instincts. I’m terrified to do something that could jeopardize the lives that hang in the balance. But that includes Reid’s now, too. And his friends’. All the people here who have shown me so much kindness when they didn’t have to. Maybe I owe it to them to do this; to try to right the wrongs I’ve already committed. Atone for my sins while there’s still time.

I feel like I can trust Reid. Despite everything, he’s always been there for me. He’s always been patient and kind, even when I don’t deserve it. If he just hears me out, maybe he’ll understand why I had to do what I did. Maybe he’ll forgive me.

Fuck. Here goes nothing.

I finish off the latte and rise to my feet from the sectional, determined to go straight to him and just lay it all out there- rip off the band-aid, so to speak. My heart is thundering behind my ribs as I make my way to the patio door, mustering every ounce of courage I have. I can do this.

I want to do this.

“Reid?” I call as I walk inside, looking around. My heart sinks a little when I don’t see him anywhere. I head down the corridor to his office, but he’s not in there. Maybe he went out? If he did, I hope I don’t lose my nerve by the time he gets back.

Feeling a little deflated, I head upstairs and down the hallway toward my room. I step through the doorway to see Reid sitting inside, perched on the edge of my bed. I open my mouth to greet him, but stop short when he looks up at me, his eyes colder than I’ve ever seen them.

Then he holds out his hand.

He opens his fingers, and right there, resting in his palm, is the thumb drive.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Reid

After seeing Brock and Astrid out, I glance through the big picture window in the back of the packhouse to see that Serena’s still out on the patio. She’s curled up on the sectional with her knees pulled into her chest, brow furrowed, worrying her lower lip between her teeth. I’m not sure what she talked about with Astrid, but she’s obviously deep in thought, so I decide to leave her be for now. We need to talk, but it can wait a little longer.

I stroll into the kitchen instead, grabbing the rest of the latte that Astrid brought for me and carrying it over to the sink to pour it down. As I go to pop the lid off, though, it catches on one side and I wind up splashing it all over the front of my white button-up shirt.Fucking great. I curse under my breath, pouring rest of the offending beverage down the sink and tossing the cup before I head upstairs to change.

On my way to my bedroom, I pass by the door to Serena’s. She typically keeps it closed, but today she left it open and I can smell her sweet scent emanating from inside. My wolf perks up and I’m distracted from what I was up here doing, wandering into her room instead and taking a deep breath in through my nose. Vanilla and tangerine.Serena. I fucking love the way she smells.

Without thinking, I wander further inside, sinking down to sit on the edge of her bed. It was nice waking up with her here this morning. I wonder if it’ll be a regular thing now- me staying in here, her coming to stay in my room. The two of us moving into the same room, even. I hope so. Once we figure out our shit, of course. I suppose I shouldn’t make plans until I get some answers from her, but I just have a feeling that everything is going to work out. It feels too good between us for things to go bad.

Alright, I should probably change this shirt. I move to stand from the bed, my foot hitting something on the ground as I do- a pair of Serena’s shoes. One tips over, something falling out of it and onto the floor. I stoop down to pick up the small piece of black plastic that tumbled out of the shoe, straightening as I bring it closer to my face to see what it is.

When I realize what I’ve picked up, it feels like all the air leaves my body. I collapse back onto the edge of the bed, staring down at the USB drive in my palm.

And that’s when I know.

Some part of me always did, but I didn’t want to believe it. With the evidence staring me in the face, though, there’s no way I can continue to deny it. Serena was behind the virus in IT. The virus planted by the shadow pack. Which means that Serena’s working for the shadow pack.

I’m dizzy from the array of emotions that overcome me all at once. Bile crawls up my throat as my mind claws through the disbelief. I turn the thumb drive over in my palm, trying to sort through what the hell I’m feeling right now. Rage pushes past the other emotions, bubbling up inside of me and spilling over. I’ve been nothing but kind to Serena, and this is how she repays that kindness. All along, she’s been working for the enemy. Even after everything that’s happened between the two of us…

I’m struggling to tamp down my anger- trying to think first and react second, like I’ve been taught to do. But I don’t have time to effectively do that because I hear her come in from the patio, calling my name from downstairs.

I don’t call back to her. I can’t.

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