Page 158 of Broken Dreams

I can tell he meant it when he said this city has changed him.

My heart hurts, because I don’t know if it’s enough. I’m confused by what I’m feeling, and I know I need to pull myself out of this deepening depression.

A gentle touch through my hair surprises me, making me flinch. I’ve become jumpier than normal since the vote happened, a day and a half ago. Since I’m often lost in my head, I’m unaware of my surroundings.

Fuck, I’m going to get myself killed tonight if I can’t pull out of this funk.

“It’s just me,” my mother murmurs. The only reason my hair is clean is because Linus has been forcing me to shower. This is hitting me so fucking hard. “You’re worrying everyone, honey.”

Sighing, I nod to show that I heard her. It feels as if I’m in a deep hole where water keeps pulling me down, and kicking and clawing at it just makes it worse. If anyone was due for a breakdown, it would be me.

“I do have contacts in this world, Quinn. If I thought it would help, I’d have Christian killed,” Mom offers.

Tipping my head back to see her, I raise my brow. If I hadn’t seen the way my father pisses her off, I would say she didn’t have a mean bone in her body. He’s changed her though, made her more determined to gain her freedom.

“I mean it,” she says, her lips twisting to the side. “Is Christian a cruel alpha?”

Thinking about it, I pull my tablet into my lap. This deserves an answer, though I keep the voice portion off on it.

No. But there's cruelty in negligence,I tell her.We were easily accessible, fuck toys.

Mom winces, coming around to sit by my feet.

“I heard he’s been invited tonight,” she says. “Diedre called me. Apparently, people are talking about what happened the night of the vote.”

I can’t even fall apart in private. I still live in a fishbowl,I mutter, snarling.

“Maybe, but I think they’d be talking either way. It’s not every day you get to see a love story play out,” Mom murmurs.

Side eyeing her, I shake my head. Do I love him? I saw him at Slick Dreams for sixteen years. God, if I’m honest with myself, I’d say he was the best part about my time there, other than Linus.

The time I clinged to in order to survive.

Maybe that’s why this hurts so much. It feels like every cell in my body is screaming at me to find him, but that feels wrong when I have a pack who adores me. Is this considered greedy and ungrateful?

Biology sucks.

I need another scandal to happen so I’m not as interesting,I grumble.

Mom chuckles under her breath, her gaze now on Linus.

“Is he okay?” she asks softly, watching as his hands rake through his hair.

I can feel how charged his bond is between us. Linus’ body is fighting to break free of the remnants of medication in his system. His skin felt really warm when he carried me outside, and he’s really irritable. Most of that irritation is being thrown at his routine. He’s being very critical of every movement.

No. I think he’s very close to going into heat,I say honestly.Linus is in denial because of the party and everything else.

“It’s going to be a long day,” she says. “Get up and help him. No more wallowing, Quinn.”

Glaring at me, she waits as I throw my legs to the side and pick up the water bottle on the ground. Mom pulls away the tablet I’ve already forgotten about while I take a sip of water and stand. It feels odd to be upright, and I have to stay still to ensure my legs will hold me.

I need to move more than the paltry stretch exercises I’ve been doing. My feet take me to Linus, and I hand the water bottle to him. Gazing at me with his beautiful green eyes, he takes it with a dare in them.

“Show me what I’m doing wrong,” he says, stepping away to drink some water.

He’s not actually doing anything wrong, and I roll my eyes at him. Pulling off my frumpy top to reveal my sports bra, I toss it at him with a small smirk. My hand ghosts up the pole, slowly walking around to gain momentum. There’s a freedom in this, especially when I leap, my feet extended, as I hold onto the pole.

My body feels weightless as I move through Linus’ routine, my muscles complaining at me as I make them obey.

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