Page 30 of Cruel Alpha Beast
Lacey is staring at me like she’s trying to make sure I’m unhurt, but I avoid her gaze. Though Violet’s flames didn’t burn me, her words from earlier are still stinging deep inside.
“Go ahead,” Violet goads Danielle. “Tell Penelope whatever you want. I’ll tell her the wolf started this fight. I’ll tell her I was only defending myself. I’ll tell her that you sided with him over me. You and your impotent sister.”
“Try it all you want,” Monroe hisses back. “There are witnesses. Your story won’t hold up for a second.”
“You really think I care?” Violet snickers. “Besides,everyonesaw you walking around with him yesterday,welcoming him into your home. Who do youreallythink they’ll believe?”
The crazed witch turns to look at me, fire still in her eyes.
“You got lucky, mutt,” she says in a now controlled anger. Then she turns to the twins. “And you… You saw Lacey push me. Are you still sure she’snota traitor?”
And with that, Violet turns away, slipping back through the trees and out of sight.
“Thank you,” I say quickly, though it feels strange to thank a witch. “You, uh, you saved me.”
Shivering, Danielle creates light in her hands once more and eyes me cautiously before nudging Monroe with her elbow. “We should go home. All of us.”
Monroe nods, waving goodbye to Lacey. The latter sidles up next to me, so close I can feel the heat from her body.
“We’ll keep researching,” Danielle murmurs to the woman beside me. “And we’ll get in touch with you if we find out anything else.”
“And we’ll keep an eye on Violet, too,” Monroe whispers loud enough for us to hear her.
I nod my head and watch them retreat through the woods. Lacey looks at me with regret in her eyes.
“So,” I grunt out. “What’s the story with that Violet girl?”
Lacey sighs. “The story I heard was that she was found wandering through the woods alone as a kid, and she was raised in the coven. She, uh, she was always kind of an outcast, though.”
“I think I can see why,” I mutter, checking my arms for any signs of singed hair.
“Let’s just say, she would have made me look like I was the most popular girl in the valley,” Lacey continues, giving me a playful smile.
I nod solemnly. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
Silence falls over us like a heavy, awkward blanket. The street lamps cast long shadows ahead of us as we walk back toward the house. I can tell that Lacey is trying to get my attention, that she wants to say something, but it’s not until the house is in sight that she has the bravery to speak up.
“Sawyer, I’m really sorry—”
“Thanks,” I cut her off. She looks at me, confused, so I continue. “I would have been toast if you hadn’t saved me back there.”
“Oh,” she mumbles. “I wasn’t even thinking. I just… I couldn’t let you get hurt like that. I mean, you could have lost your life back there if I hadn’t been quick enough. I had to do whatever I could.”
When I look at her in the light from my porch, I see that her eyes are glistening. These aren’t tears of guilt. No, these are genuine tears.
She saved me.
She cared enough to do that much.
Despite her lack of powers, she did all she could to fight against an unhinged witch. All to save me.
“Lacey,” my voice rumbles out.
All I can feel is this magnetic pull toward her. All I want is to touch her skin again. I need her, and I think she needs me.
We enter the house and find Greg sitting in the kitchen, helping himself to a bowl of cereal. He finishes his last bite, dumping his milk in the sink.
“Everything all good?” he asks in a thick voice.
