Page 48 of Who We Were

I shiver, my body enjoying my alpha's protectiveness in such a vulnerable moment. My mind, on the other hand, feels scrambled and like I don't deserve for him to be treating me so well.

The officershouldbe annoyed with me. He rushed over here just to find an adult woman freaking out about a damn nightmare.

Yup, I'm embarrassed.

"Vince," I whisper, lifting my head, but before I can peer behind me to see him, movement draws my attention to the door.

Everything and anything I might have said to my alpha explodes in my throat at the sight of the man who's supposed to be my beta.

Like the pieces of my soul, Oliver's knees slam into the floorboards of my porch at the same time my glass of water shatters at my feet. Then, similar to my anguished scream that probably brought him to my door, I feel his roar rattling my throat.

"EMMETT!"

Unbidden, tears burn tracks of sorrow and longing down my cheeks. The horror in his eyes steals my breath and shoves it backwards into my chest, making me ache and splutter out a sob.

My omega slams against my breastbone, yearning for the mate on his knees before us. I can't contain her when Emmett comes to a screeching halt behind Oliver. With one final quake, my knees give out as a whine rips from the depths of my soul.

They're here! Why are they here?! They shouldn't be here!

My thoughts ping-pong around until my omega chokes on the realization that Samuel isn't here too.

'Mate?'

“No, no, no," I whimper, curling in on myself only to realize I'm sitting on a chair and the calming heat of Vincent is gone.

"YOU!"

Cold seeps into my bones with each inch of space Vincent puts between us.

"LEAVE!"

I'm frozen trying to hold my pieces together, but it’s impossible not to feel rejected by theonemate who has wanted me from the beginning.

'Alpha, come back,'my omega whimpers for her mate. Not Emmett. Not Oliver. But Vincent.

'Need him.'

I watch, completely stunned, as his fist flies into Emmett's face. A phantom pain strikes me in the face and hand, my system reacting to the physical blows my mates just received. Then his foot shoves Oliver onto his back and my breath puffs from my lungs.

I don't know what to do or how to feel. I only know one thing, and it's what my omega needs.

"Vincent," I whine. Shock fills me when the piercing omega instinct rises an octave higher than I've ever heard.

Everyone stiffens, even the officer currently rushing the guys on the porch. To my utter confusion, Emmett and Oliver don't fight Vincent. Nor do they rise to his challenging growl.

"If I ever see you again, you'll be dead before you can even utter my mate's fucking name," Vincent warns.

"Alright, gentlemen. Break it up before I have to file another report," the officer grumbles.

Fear pierces the ball of stress in my throat, making another whine slip free as I stumble to my feet.No, Vincent can't get in trouble for me!

"Omega!" Vincent gasps, turning his back on the men who have done nothing but break my heart. Then I'm wrapped in my alpha's soothing lemon scent. "Shh, little mate."

"Ama—"

I hear the officer tsk at Oliver's attempt at gaining my attention. "Off the property, boys."

The door closes with a click that ruins the meager amount of emotional control I have. I break, once again, because of the mates who I thought would always love me.

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