Page 21 of Sold to the Alphas

I hesitated at the base of the porch steps, my fingers trembling slightly as I knocked on the door. The sound echoed in the stillness.

The door creaked open, and there he was—my father.

“Elisabed,” he said flatly.

“Father,” I replied, keeping my voice even, our last conversation hanging over our heads.

He stood there for a moment, as if debating whether to let me in, but a quick look at August behind me convinced him to step aside.

There was tension in the air, but neither of us said anything. My mother was sitting at the table, her back stiff, her hands folded neatly in front of her. She didn’t look up as we entered, and I could feel the weight of her silence press against me.

Before I could say anything, I heard small footsteps running down the hallway.

“Lis!”

Now that my mother wasn’t keeping her in check, Mily’s small body collided with mine, her arms wrapping around me with the force of a small hurricane. I caught her easily, pressing her close,trying to steady myself against the rush of emotions flooding my chest.

“I missed you,” she whispered, her voice muffled by my coat.

“I missed you too, Mily,” I said, my own voice shaky.

She pulled back, eyes wide and searching. “Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be with the council alphas back in neutral territory? Where are you going? You’re not staying here, are you?”

I forced a smile, even as guilt twisted in my chest. “It’s...complicated. But no, I’m not staying here. I just came to see you.”

Her lip quivered, her brow furrowing as she processed my words.

“Has anyone given you any trouble?” I asked, dropping my voice to a whisper.

“We haven’t really seen anyone,” she whispered, glancing over her shoulder to make sure no one was listening. “We’ve just stayed inside and kept to ourselves since we got back.”

I frowned. “Has Raol tried anything?”

“No,” Mily reassured me. “He’s stayed away. Dad says he’s busy with pack stuff.”

Relief flooded through me, and I hugged Mily tighter. “Good. I’m glad you’re okay. But you have to promise me something, Mily. You have to stay away from Raol. And if he gets too close...justdo as I taught you. Are you still carrying the little blade I gave you?”

She nodded solemnly. It broke my heart the day I handed Mily a blade and showed her how to use it. I managed to sneak it out of the store I worked at despite every bone in my body saying it wasn’t right—Mily was too young to think about blades and fights—but I knew I had no choice. Raol was taking an interest in my family, and I wouldn’t leave Mily defenseless.

It was the one benefit I got from my silent wolf. Raol didn’t see me as a worthy omega if I couldn’t shift, so he let me work as long as he received part of my wages. It was a better fate than that given to most mature omegas in my pack.

“I carry it everywhere with me. I’ll be okay, Lis,” Mily said, though her voice wavered with uncertainty. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

I cupped her face in my hands, my heart aching. “I’m always going to worry about you, Mily. I need you to stay safe. Promise me.”

“I promise,” she said softly, which was enough for me.

With a deep breath, I finally looked at my parents. They watched our exchange with unreadable expressions and scowled when I turned to face them.

“I don’t expect much from you, but now that I’ll be far away, youmustprotect her. Don’t let her out of your sight; always accompany her everywhere. Please.” My voice broke at the plea. Even if they trusted Raol, it shouldn’t be a hardship to stay withMily. They were her parents, for fuck’s sake. I shouldn’t even have to tell them this.

They didn’t seem pleased, but at least my mother nodded.

“We’ll keep an eye on her,” my father finally muttered, but it felt like an empty promise.

My throat was tight with emotion, and I excused myself, unable to stay in front of them any longer. The house felt suffocating now, the walls too close, the silence too heavy. I walked upstairs to my room, trying to gather my thoughts and not to drown in the emotions that threatened to overwhelm me.

My old room still smelled faintly of lavender and dust. The bed was unmade, the nightstand piled with books I hadn’t touched in years. I spent all my spare time working or with Mily, and I never had time to read. I opened the wardrobe and pulled out a bag, packing a few things—familiar things. There was something comforting about my old clothes, even if I didn’t need them anymore—Finn had seen to that.

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