Page 59 of Defiant Beta

She grips my arm. “I’m here to take you home.”

Everleigh might be the forgiving type. Not me. I want nothing to do with the mother who failed us so badly.

I try to shrug her off, but she clings tighter. “No. I’m not going with you, Mom.”

“You were always so stubborn,” she snaps. “And look what happened. Someone nearly kills you and you still?—”

“Is there a problem?”

I turn to the doorway at the familiar male voice, struggling to believe what I’m seeing.

My math professor, of all people, steps into the room, wearing the tweed coat that had all the girls at Haven googly-eyed.

Except, there’s something about him that is not communicating professor vibes. He’s more commanding than before.

My mom puffs up her chest and glares at him. “I don’t know who you are, but this is nothing to do with you. I’m here to take my daughter home.”

“I’m not going with you,” I deny.

“You need me.”

“You sold your last daughter to an abusive alpha. Do you honestly think I want anything to do with you?” I pull away from her so hard that my world spins.

Someone catches me and steadies me, then nudges me back onto the bed.

I blink, bewildered, as Professor Vincent stares my mother down. “Leave.”

“I’m her mother,” Mom cries.

“Which is the only reason I’m asking nicely instead of opening a window and pushing you out of it.” He steps forward. “Keep this up, and I will not be asking nicely again.”

My eyes pop.

Wow!

Mom looks from me to Mr. Vincent and back again.

“You can’t let him speak to me like this. Della, I gave birth to you. I brought you into this world.”

“Whichyouchose to do. That doesn’t mean you get the right to treat me like shit. Get out. You stopped being my mother the day you sold Everleigh.Leave.”

“You’ll regret this when you have nowhere to go. Everleigh has her alphas, and you? What do you have?”

Mr. Vincent steps up to my mom, blocking my view. “I’ll see you out.”

Mom doesn’t move.

“I wasn’t asking for permission.”

Whether he crowds her out or she realizes she’s not going to win this confrontation, I don’t know. But she leaves, and so does Mr. Vincent.

Alone, I take a second to recover.

I can’t stay in this hospital even if I wanted to. If those alphas learn I survived, those jackasses will come looking to shut me up.

Knees shaking and wobbly, I push myself to my feet. My world spins.

I don’t recall falling.

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