Page 51 of The Pack Next Door
Her look of relief was everything I needed, and yet that came at a bitter price. My heart clenched in my chest, my heart racing as I saw my parents’ look of disappointment, particularly Mum’s, in my mind’s eye.
“If I could get all the alpha packs in position at the different points on the perimeter?” Adam said. His omega now held the rabbit in his arms.
“This way,” Briar said, turning on her heel and marching away.
And I followed. Before my mate was shamed before the entire town, but that would not happen today. The other packs competing didn’t even register, just Briar. I stared into her eyes when she came to a stop at the perimeter, wanting to explain. The past was done with, but we’d make clear to everyone in this town what a mistake the rejection was. Her eyes flashed with irritation, a natural wariness born from trauma, but right before I could say something about it, a voice called out across the park.
“The trial begins now!”
Chapter 26
Briar
“There she is!”
When we arrived at the park, Jacinta waved us over, but it wasn’t just Mum she focussed on. Her smile, her attention, was directed at me and that had all the other women turning.
Uh-oh.
Was it too late to skive off home? I did have a mountain of work to do. It was Mum’s fingers gripping the cane tightly that kept me where I was, following closely by her side.
“Stop hovering!”
Mum flushed and shot me an apologetic look, obviously not meaning that to come out that harshly. Adults, I reminded myself. We were both adults, so I backed off, letting her hobble over to the group of ladies she liked to socialise with.
“Here, darl.” Jacinta produced a folding chair and that had me wishing I’d thought to do the same. The relief on Mum’s face as she lowered herself down was palpable. “And here’s our Briar.”
“You must be excited about today,” one woman said, beaming up at me. “Your alphas are participating in the trial.”
“My. Alphas…?”
Before I could say more, someone else spoke up.
“They are a big, strong pack.” She shook her head. “Usually I would’ve said a pack of three alphas wouldn’t have a chance. The Kennedy’s have five alphas competing today. More alphas, bigger advantage, but I don’t think they’re a patch on your boys.”
My boys? Oh no, no, no. Moon River was just like any other town. Its economy might run on agriculture, but the real currency was information. The gossip mill had obviously been working in overdrive.
“I hope they win,” another far older lady said. “Damien’s been a rock for this community and I admit I was worried about the omega that would come after him. But a local girl.” She turned and nodded at me. “It’d be a relief to know someone born here would be the one to succeed him.”
For a second, I was shoved back into a role I’d left behind when I moved to the city. As a child, and even as a teenager, I was expected to listen more than speak and mind my elders. Well, I wasn’t either of those things anymore, so I sucked in a breath and addressed the crowd.
“I understand your concern. A shift in power anywhere creates anxiety, but especially in a ruling pack.” I glanced out over the park, seeing the entire town had gathered. “Unfortunately, I’m not the one to alleviate that. I have a home now, in the city, and as soon as Mum is better, I’m going back to that.”
For a second, you could hear a pin drop. Younger me would’ve frantically tried to fill that space, but now that I was a woman grown, I could tolerate that unspoken tension. If it was a matter of choosing the town or choosing me, I’d choose me every time. For a second it felt like they heard that.
“That’s just the hurt of being rejected talking,” someone said.
“That was a terrible business. What were the Forrests thinking, not saying anything?”
“Thinking with their knots, not their heads, is what happened.”
“It was a terrible thing, Briar. A terrible thing. I told your mother as much many a time.”
“You were always such a lovely girl. I knew you’d become the ruling omega as soon as your designation revealed itself. It’s fate. You’ll run those boys of yours in circles and then you’ll accept the bond and take your rightful place here.”
“Damien will be relieved to hand over the reins to someone he can trust.”
“Can you imagine the babies they’ll make…?”
