Page 14 of Petals and Strings
“Again?” Ledger cut me off, looking unhappy. He’d seen the way they treated me firsthand. He was the only alpha who didn’t dismiss or belittle me here.
Everyone else acted as if I was stupid, no real thoughts or feelings. I was lost, adrift, not fucking dumb.
Hate welled in my chest for the beta that was more harmful in his therapy than he was helpful.
Not that our protests did anything. Who would we tell? He was in charge of our entire lives alongside Dr. Malik.
“Eat, wildling. You’ll want a full stomach to take any meds he gives you.”
“Do I have to take them?”
A question I asked myself daily. The answer was always the same.
“Yes. Otherwise there are consequences,” I said with a sigh.
Isolation. Lost privileges. Forced medication.
She let out a weary sigh but didn’t argue. It was impossible to deny the truth.
The rest of the meal was finished in silence. She didn’t ask more questions and what could we really talk to her about?
This place? Talk about a depressing topic.
Ledger and I cleared the table together, tossing the trash in the bins and putting the trays on the line, before leading our new group-member to the infirmary and making sure Caspian made it back to his room.
The moment I was away from her scent, I was hollow again. I had felt almost normal for a moment at dinner. Present, at least, and that was close enough.
It shouldn’t affect me. I’d been bonded before. The woman in the painting had to be my mate. Not many were scent compatible beyond your mates. It was likely not real. A fluke.
Maybe she was simply the first bright spot in an otherwise dull world. My brain trying to find more ways to ruin me.
Chapter Six
Audrey
“They were never your pack, Audrey.” The words rattled around in my head as I stared back at my therapist, trying to find the punchline.
“No, I remember it just fine,” I argued, shaking my head. “Every touch, every heat.”
My eyes drifted closed and I brought up the images, daring them to betray me. There they were, smiles just for me, soft touches and kisses, lingering scents I’ll never forget.
“No. It was all in your head.” Theo said the words so gently, but their impact was like a bomb dropping. The shrapnel exploding out and taking out any and every hint of the reality I thought I knew. “They’re hers.”
He handed over a folder of news articles and PackVlog posts. My hands shook violently as I picked up the article, terrified to read the words on the page.
“No,” I tried again, my voice even more pathetic now. “I remember.”
“Our minds can do a lot to protect us,” he explained. “It was your brain’s way of protecting you.”
I blinked back the tears forming in my eyes so I could keep reading. Every single one had a cute, little curly-haired omega with the pack that was mine. Announcement of their bonding ceremony and life together.
No, this isn’t right. She shouldn’t be there. I should be.
Did they leave because of my past? No, they couldn’t be that cruel. I knew them. They were sweet, attentive, commanding.
“They were cheating?” I asked, tears welling in my eyes that I couldn’t stop this time. I blinked them away quickly so I could study the group again. There was obvious chemistry in the pictures. The alpha’s eyes were soft for her, the others touching her in small ways.
They belonged. It looked so natural.
