Page 100 of Home: Posy 5

"You said she didn't ghost me. But she was alive until—"

"She was in a coma," he said bluntly. "The accident happened in March. Show me the last text she sent you."

"I deleted it," I lied, the same fib I'd been spouting for months, although I was fairly sure Elijah saw right through it. "Got rid of anything connected to her."

"Unlock your phone and give it to me."

Unable to deny an alpha command, I pulled it out of my pocket and did what he said. I closed my eyes, knowing he'd find the hundreds of pictures and thousands of texts I couldn't bring myself to delete.

It took him a few minutes to scroll past my many pathetic attempts to get her to answer me, but he finally found our last exchange and sighed heavily after he read it.

"She most likely never saw that good morning text," he murmured and handed me back my phone.

"Is that why Alpha Quake was here?" My head finally decided to do some thinking and dot connecting. "To tell you what happened?"

"Yes, and to findyou. She left something behind for you."

"What?"

"You shouldn't have slept with her, Bridger. You were both only fifteen." His face went back to its usual blankness as he stood up. "There are laws for a reason. Just as you found out when you burned that dumpster, breaking them carries a cost. You're not ready for this, and I'm sorry about that."

Maybe my brainwasn'tgoing to connect any dots, after all. I was clueless about what he was implying.

His eyes fogged over, and Alpha Ash opened the door a moment later. He walked slowly and carefully, even remembering to duck as he came in, and held a small bundle of cloth against his chest. Whatever it was, he looked down at it like it was more precious than diamonds and gold, and a terrible suspicion cramped my stomach.

"Meet your daughter," Alpha Mason murmured.

Pup?gasped my wolf, Max.

"No," I whispered, shaking my head. "No, that's impossible. We only did it one time."

"One time's all it takes, buddy." Alpha Ash met my eyes. "Are you ready to meet your pup?"

I shook my head, the familiar anger rising up inside me like a flame and burning out all other emotions.

"I don't want it!" I snapped as I jumped to my feet. "This wasn't supposed to happen! Brynn wasn't supposed to leave me! She wasn't supposed to die! And therefor damn surewasn't supposed to be a baby!"

I want my pup, Max barked.Get my pup, Bridger!

Shut up!I shouted.We don't even know if itisour pup! Brynn could have—

You shut up!Max roared. You know she wouldn't do that. Now get my pup! I want my pup!

Drowning in rage, grief, and panic, I backed into a corner and hit my forehead with my fist over and over and over until a big hand wrapped around my wrist and pulled it away. Then heavy arms engulfed me in a tight hug and held me together as I fell apart.

"You're not alone, Bridger," Alpha Mason murmured. "We'll help you get through this."

He squeezed the life out of me, and I couldn't hold back the tears any longer. The last person who hugged me like this was my dad, and that was six years ago. I didn't realize how much I missed it, how much Icravedit, until now.

After hours and hours of sobbing, which was probably only four or five minutes in reality, I got myself under control, but didn't move. For just a moment, I let myself lean on someone, more exhausted than I'd ever been in my life.

"You needed to do that for a long time." Alpha Mason's voice was soft and kind, and I blinked in astonishment.

Soft and kind were not words anyone ever said about Alpha Ice.

Finally, I took a deep breath and moved away, and he dropped his arms the second I did. Then he guided me to the bathroom, told me to take all the time I needed, and pulled the door closed behind him.

After I blew my nose and splashed water on my face, I stared at myself in the mirror. Who was this red-eyed stranger? How had his life gotten so screwed up?

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