Page 25 of My Ruthless Alpha

Yet, something about his offer was still appealing. It was too gentle and welcoming to pass up, especially when it felt like I needed to get it off my chest to free me from the guilt.

With a sigh, I watched Margo again and kept my voice quiet enough for just the two of us to hear. “Do you remember Sydney Abernathy?”

He nodded simply. “Your best friend. Of course.”

“The day I left the pack, I left because of her,” I began, still feeling that dull ache in my chest. “She came to me to let me know Colton wanted to see me…he had been looking for a mate, and he wanted me. Of course, I wouldn’t have been able to keep Margo, so thanks to Sydney’s warning, I packed up our things and ran.”

As I spoke, I could feel the irritation steadily rising within Beau, especially at the mention of Margo. Regardless, he kept his expression contained. “So she helped you?”

I nodded. “Yes…more than just warning me, she covered for us too. She stayed back and made sure I had the chance to getaway. She said she planned to lie about me already being gone, and I can only hope that Colton bought it...”

He listened quietly, nodding his head now and then. Even if he, too, seemed worked up by the idea of anyone wanting to harm Margo or me, Beau still tempered his feelings and listened.

“And now that I’m here, safe and sound with Margo, I can’t help but feel so guilty. I don’t want her stuck there any longer than she needs to be,” I explained, unable to keep the sadness out of my features. “She’s done so much for me and always continued to do so regardless of what I was going through. Sydney has been my rock for longer than I can remember, and I can’t stand what she might be experiencing in Colton’s pack.”

Beau took it all in, nodded to himself, then seemed to take on a decided air. Despite how simple his statement sounded, he was completely serious. “You should reach out to her…Invite her to stay here.”

My heart skipped at his words, and I blinked back at him, surprised by how quickly he came to that conclusion. “Really?”

“Absolutely. It might be a small town, but we have more than enough room for at least one more,” he said sincerely.

I could only look at him for another moment, both grateful and astonished by the offer.

A small part of me wondered if he was just saying it like a throwaway comment he didn’t intend to follow up on—something to ease my nerves at the moment. But I knew better than that.

There was no kind of deception in his gaze, and at once, my skepticism dissolved.

“Thank you.”

A pleased smile crossed his face as he nodded. “It’s no problem, really. Reach out to her, and I’ll see what I can do.”

More than happy about the offer, I found myself smiling in return, and a surge of appreciation moved through me.

While there was no guarantee that he would follow through with it or that it would even be possible to get Sydney in town, it felt like the start of something—a promise to make amends and help me feel better about the situation.

Eventually, while Beau kept Margo busy, I pulled out my phone, which I had seldom used since arriving in town, and texted Sydney.

I hesitated at first, silently worrying about potentially getting her in some sort of trouble. If Colton were to get a hold of her phone or see the message by chance, there was a big chance she would end up in more trouble than I even wanted to consider.

But at the same time, by not reaching out to her and never opening the door for her to leave, I was risking her never getting a taste of that freedom and peace. I didn't think I'd ever forgive myself if she were stuck in that pack for the rest of her life with Colton as her alpha, especially if anything happened to her.

There were risks with either option, but I knew I couldn’t just give up on Sydney.

I had to pass the offer along and at least try to get her out of there. She deserved it.

She deserved to know I wasn’t just leaving her behind forever.

Finally, I pressed the send button and silently hoped to hear back from her sooner rather than later.

Chapter 12 - Beau

It didn’t matter what it took; I needed to show Faye she had every reason to trust me again.

I knew how delicate of a thing it was and how badly I stomped on that trust she once had in me, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me.

If anyone deserved to see that I meant every promise I would ever make, it was Faye. After everything I put her through, she deserved every moment of pleading and groveling I had to offer her.

To show her how serious I was about regaining her faith in me, I wanted to extend my kindness to Sydney, too.

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