Page 34 of Alpha Chase

“Stop it. You know you can stay as long as you want to,” she says, ushering me inside.

As always, the interior of the house is full of commotion- two of Nessa’s brothers are chasing each other around the living room with foam swords, while the other two playing video games keep yelling at them to stop running in front of the TV. Her littlest sister is prancing around in a sparkly yellow princess dress, while her pre-teen sister is tucked on an armchair in the corner, chatting away to someone on the phone with her hand cupped around it to muffle the sound of the chaos around her.

“Vee!” The tiny princess squeals when she sees me walk in, rushing over with her arms outstretched.

I drop my duffel, stooping to catch her as she barrels into me and lifting her in the air. “Well if it isn’t Princess Belle,” I laugh, resting her on my hip.

She scrunches her nose, furrowing her little brow. “I’m not Belle, I’m Mia,” she insists, as if I’ve forgotten her name.

“But you’re dressed like Princess Belle, aren’t you?” I ask, ruffling her yellow dress. “Where’s the beast?”

Mia throws her arm toward the living room. “My brothers areallbeasts.” Even at four years old, her eyeroll is on point.

I laugh, bending to set her back down on her feet. “All boys are, kid. Best to learn that now.”

I straighten, glancing over at Nessa only to see that sympathetic look in her eyes again.

“Not my daddy,” Mia argues, throwing her hands on her hips.

I look down at her, grinning at the level of sass this child already has. “No, not your daddy,” I agree.

“He’s a prince!” Nessa’s mom calls from the kitchen, peering around the doorjamb with a warm smile on her face. “Vienna!” She gives me a once-over, her smile falling. “Have you been eating? You look skinny.”

“Yes, Mrs. Diaz,” I laugh, shaking my head. She always asks me that, as if I’m just one home-cooked meal away from hitting a miraculous growth spurt. I’m already eighteen, so I’m pretty sure that ship has sailed.

Nessa stoops down to grab my duffel from the ground, slinging it over her shoulder. “We’ll be upstairs!” she calls to her mom, waving for me to follow her. “Gonna get Vee settled in.”

I amble up the staircase behind Nessa, following her into the bedroom that she shares with her twelve-year-old sister, Elena. She waits for me to enter before closing the door behind us, then crosses the room to toss my duffel onto her bed, sinking down beside it.

“You wanna talk about it?” she asks, patting the spot next to her on the bed.

I pull my lower lip between my teeth, dragging my feet as I cross the room to join her on her bed. “Not really,” I admit as I flop down, tucking my legs underneath me.

She just gives me a single nod in silent understanding. I’m lucky to have a friend like Nessa- she doesn’t push or pry, just waits until I’m ready to talk. We sit there in silence for a few minutes as I wring my hands in my lap, chewing on my lip.

“I just…” my voice trails off, breaking as I squeeze my eyes closed, burying my face in my hands. “I can’t stay there anymore, Ness.”

Last night comes back to me in flashes- short, cruel bursts of memory. The way my mom stormed into my room as I was getting ready to leave for the Stillwater Tap, looking half-crazed as she accused me of stealing her booze. The mess she made of my room as she rifled through my things. The way I found her when I got back, passed out on the couch and barely breathing as I crouched to cover her with a blanket. The sharp sting of fear that ran through me as I straightened and felt a large hand close around the back of my neck.

I spent a cold night in my car, waiting until the sun came up before calling Nessa to take her up on her prior offer of a place to crash.

“Maybe we should go to Alpha Brock,” Nessa suggests cautiously.

I pick my head up from my hands, shaking it adamantly. “No. I don’t want the whole pack involved in my family drama.”God, that would be mortifying.It’s bad enough I have to deal with it, but if everyone else knew what it was really like? I try to act like I don’t care about what people think, but deep down, I do. I can’t help it.

My dad has been gone for years, but the Vega name is still respected among our pack. He pulled rank as the top enforcer, second to only the alpha and beta. That respect would be gone in an instant if the pack knew what has gone on behind closed doors in our home since his death.

Nessa slides her hand over mine, giving it a little squeeze. “There’s no shame in asking for help.”

“I’m here now, aren’t I?” I gasp, gesturing around the room before falling back on my elbows with a heavy sigh. “I’ll figure things out. There was a waiting list when I applied for housing a couple of months ago, but maybe I’ve moved closer to the top. And if not, there’s still the possibility of getting on the squad.”

Nessa leans back, pulling her legs up onto the bed and resting against the wall. “Have you heard any more about Gray’s decision on that?”

“Not yet. But I’m not going to ruin my chances by looking weak, that’s for sure.” People have always made assumptions about me based on my stature, assuming I’m just some fragile little thing. That’s probably why I’ve always overcompensated by trying to prove I’m tough and strong and can handle my own shit. If they see me as fragile, I want them to know that I’m not fragile like a flower, I’m fragile like a bomb.

“So what happened to you last night?” I ask, peering over at Nessa. “I thought you were coming out for Serena’s birthday?”

“I was going to, I just… I wasn’t feeling well.” Nessa looks down at her hands, picking at her fingernails.

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