Page 6 of Brutal Alpha Bully

“Silence!” Declan booms theatrically. You can see from the way he pauses that he loves the attention. Scowling, he says, with an undercurrent of laughter, “Your request is denied,Winward. We will not be using pack funds to help a little bitch like you. In fact, let’s take this as an opportunity to make it official—you are not permitted in this pack center. It is for dedicated pack members, of which you are not. Step foot in here again, we will be sure to make a clear example of you for all other magic users.”

The video is shaky and grainy, but I can feel through the lens just how much Seraphina wants to say something else. Or maybe I still know her well enough to sense her discontent.

In fact, it seems like there are others in the crowd who are unhappy with this decision, shifting in their chairs uncomfortably, looking around to see if anyone else is going to say anything.

But nobody does. The group acts together, justifying their cowardice through the inaction of others.

And yet, can I blame them, from this far away? When I moved across the country to avoid the responsibility of the pack? The crushing pressure of my and my family’s mistakes?

The video ends with Seraphina turning and walking out of the room, and I stare at it for long enough that I see when the next notification from Kalen comes in.

Kalen:Declan takes the house in two days, X

Kalen:Whole west side of town was taken out by daemonic fires

Kalen:They’re getting worse, and he won’t disperse any aid

I grind my teeth and stare at the messages, just more in the long history of him texting me and me sending nothing in response.

But this time, it’s different. It’s Seraphina. Does that mean her house is gone? Where is she sleeping? Is there anyone to take care of her? I think of her family and shudder at the thought of her going to them for help, if she wasn’t living with them already.

My fingers are moving before I realize what I’m doing, and seconds later, I’ve sealed my fate with thewhooshsound of the text flying out into the void, headed straight for my brother in Silverville.

Xeran:Leaving for FR tonight.

Chapter 4 - Seraphina

“I hate coming here.”

Blinking, I tear my gaze away from the house and turn, reaching out for Nora, running a hand over her hair.

“I know, love, and I’m sorry,” I murmur, gaze swinging back to the house again, my mind only half on my daughter’s discomfort.

It makes sense—I hate coming here, too. Hate coming home to this ramshackle house on the hill, reminding myself of what it was like to grow up here. To scrape my knees on the gravel driveway and pick out the rock chunks later, washing rubbing alcohol over the burns and gritting my teeth to keep from crying out.

Running from my brother in the backyard, first in play, then later realizing it was much more sinister. That my ability to run was the only thing keeping me out of unsafe situations with them. Watching him bring in unidentified substances, people, crates, and bags until my home didn’t feel like my own. Until there were enough strange men leering at me from doorways and alcoves that I sequestered myself to my room, becoming a ghost, becoming invisible, but never quite getting away with being unseen.

“Mom?”

I jump, realizing Nora has been trying to talk to me. Turning to her, I ignore the metallic taste in my mouth. “What is it?”

“I just… I want to go.”

“I know, darling. When that car pulls away, I’ll run inside, and it will only take me a minute.”

“You’re going to talk to your mom?”

Nora is too smart for her own good, too observant. Only one other time have I done something like this—coming back here and going to my mom for help. Back then, Nora couldn’t have been more than a year or two old.

“Yes,” I say, because I’ve promised myself never to lie to her. Once again, my eyes drift back to the house. We’re perched behind it along a long gravel road that leads to a lifted crest in the mountains. Far enough away that, with a little magic, they can’t see us. But close enough that I can see the house perfectly, can watch when my brother gets in the car and leaves. Which I am very much willing him to do.

As the daylight dwindles and Nora and I wait in the humid car, I start to worry more and more that we’ll be sleeping in this car tonight. And that’s something Ineverwanted to make her do.

Sitting back in her car with ahumph, Nora crosses her arms and looks out the opposite window. A long moment passes, and I keep on staring at the car until I’m sure it will be permanently burned into my retinas. Then Nora speaks again.

“Why don’t we just leave?” she whispers, and without asking, I know what she means. Why don’t we just leave Silverville? Get out of the place where nobody wants us?

I bite my tongue, knowing the reasons are dwindling. It used to be that my grandmother was the only thing keeping me here—the one person who had ever shown affection to me, even if limited and strange. Other people made it clear that my magic-wielding was disgusting to them, but the way my grandmother looked at me was almost like she understood.

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