Page 84 of Unbreak Me

I couldn’t take his nasty laugh any longer. I swung and hit him square in the jaw. I’d trained in kickboxing for years at Archer’s suggestion, and my punch had an effect. Even though he had at least five inches on me, he dropped like a sack of bricks. His lip split, blood streaming from his mouth as he lost consciousness.

The omegas around us changed instantly. They began to smile, clap, and even cheer. I felt a little foolish because I hadn’t done this to be some kind of hero—far from it. It was pure anger. I’d never planned to be in the spotlight.

All my life, I’d hidden in the shadows, avoided confronting other alphas, kept my head down. I wasn’t savior material.

And yet, here I was—the reluctant hero. I just wanted to deal out justice and quickly step back into the shadows—but in this dream, I found myself at the center of it all.

Bright lights shone on my embarrassed face, intimidating me. I took a step back, then another, low-key missing being ‘the beta’ again, but they grabbed me, shook my hands, and patted my back.

"Jan, thank you! If it weren’t for you, this domino would’ve never fallen…"

Embarrassed by their overwhelming gratitude, I turned to run, desperate to escape their kindness. But when I looked back, I saw Day standing behind me.

He smiled gently. "Jan, open yourself to this. Let yourself be appreciated. Let yourself be a real alpha—the kind who stands on the right side of things."

I shook my head. "I didn't do it for applause. And it didn’t take courage from me. You’re the heroes," I said, gesturing toward the omegas surrounding us. "You endured the suffering. You stood up to fight! I didn’t need to find courage within me—just anger. But all of you… you had to find so much more. The real heroes are you."

Day smiled again. "Exactly. A true hero isn’t the one who wins for himself. It’s the one who makes others say, ‘We did it ourselves.’ A true hero gives strength and inspiration to others, not just building his own glory. He works behind the scenes, letting others shine…"

I blinked, and suddenly, opened my eyes! I was still lying on Day, and he was watching me.

"What happened?" I mumbled, startled a bit.

He smiled. "You were talking in your sleep."

"What was I saying?"

Day chuckled softly. "Important things."

I snorted, amused. "And did you answer me?"

"I did. It was an interesting conversation," he said with a wink.

???

A few hours later, we were watching the local news. Snuggled up on the bed, we sipped chokeberry juice I’d made myself and munched on crackers. At one point, the broadcast switched to coverage of Ferguson’s arrest.

For a moment, I hesitated. Did Day want to watch this? But I knew better than to try pulling him away—he was glued to the screen.

We both watched as Ferguson was led out of a building—maybe his office?—his hands cuffed behind his back. A group of police officers guided him toward a squad car, while reporters and onlookers crowded around, shouting questions. Ferguson kept his head down, as if trying to hide his face.

Then, suddenly, an omega grabbed his arm and shouted,

"You can run, but you can’t hide, kitty!"

I froze and glanced at Day. He looked just as shocked. That phrase—Ferguson had said those exact words to him once. Was that his go-to line for the omegas he abused?

On-screen, Ferguson turned toward the omega, and the camera caught his face. His lip was split—just like in my dream! The wound looked fresh, the cut still red, as if the scab had only just formed.

I blinked in disbelief, but Day nodded in approval.

"I hope Jared did that."

Too shocked to comment, I stayed quiet. It was strange, but I couldn’t deny the odd sense of satisfaction bubbling up inside me. Whoever did it—well, he did a good job.

Day looked at me. "He got what he deserved, Jan. And this is just the beginning!"

He smiled wide, pulled me into a hug, and held me tight.

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