Page 110 of Patiently Yours
I look back at my pack. Uriah is growling as quietly as he can. Atlas has a gentle hand on Uriah’s chest, willing him to calm his beast. He looks at me and I can hear what he’s thinking like he’s speaking it right to me.
Let her do this. She needs it to heal.
I give a subtle nod before turning back to our omega. She’s taking deeper breaths, like her next response will take all her energy. She finally looks back at us and the adoration on her face causes a purr to start in my chest.
Stacia looks back at them, more determined than before. Her strength is radiant. “They’re my scent matches,” she says defiantly, “and they’re helping me move in with them today.”
I wish I could take a picture of her parents’ faces for later.
As soon as I think it, a very audibly click happens beside me and I turn to see Ciro holding his phone up, not giving a shit about discretion.
They look at us but there’s no smite, only confusion. They either don’t care that our beta is mocking them or they’re too surprised by this new side of Stacia.
She’s looking at them, embracing the disobedience she would have shied away from as a kid. Even as a teenager.
But now she is a full grown and proud omega, ready to fight for her pack. Ready to fight forus.
“We’ve talked about this.” The words spill from the corner of her mother’s mouth. “You have a pack. A ratherrichand…nicepack.”
“Shut it, Loretta,” Stacia’s father says in a harsh whisper, eyeing us suspiciously. Her mother winces but continues talking anyway.
“I’m just saying, there are setplans, Robert.” She turns a hardened eye on her daughter. “You can’t keep making decisions based on your unrealistic whims whenever you want. That’s not how the real world works, Stacia.”
“In the real world, parents actually love their children. Whatever sick and twisted world you live in, Mother, I’m not interested.”
Her mother’s face hardens further, her manicured nails clutching her purse so tight I think she’d going to poke holes through it.
Maybe the expensive material will prevent it though, I don’t know.
Loretta is about to speak again, but shuts it when Stacia’s father steps forward, his face wears a look of bothered annoyance.
“Stacia.” His stern tone is meant to sound menacing, but to all of us alphas, it’s like a mouse squeaking at a cat. “We’ve already talked about the consequences of this. Youwillbe bonding the pack we chose, and if you don’t do it willingly, I will make sure your inheritance is given to your alphas instead of you, do you understand me?”
Now my own growl sounds from my chest. I can feel the aggression bubble up, my control quickly falling away.
I’m not the only one, we all take a step or two closer to Stacia, feeling the instinct to protect her from the nuisance threatening to steal her away.
“I won’t. Unless you drag me away clawing and screaming, that willnothappen.”
The look on her father’s face raises the hair on my neck.
“You think I won’t?” he hisses. “I told you before, I will bring you home forcibly if need be. In fact.” He turns to her mother, giving a knowing nod. “Call them, Loretta.”
I can see the panic on Stacia’s face as her mother starts to pull out her phone and turn away. Uriah puts an arm around her protectively, keeping her locked to his chest.
Atlas is trying to control his breathing, although it looks like a struggle. He faces them as he puts his body between us and her parents. “Stopmoving,” he barks at them, and her mother halts her movements immediately. They stand still, their body language still full of cruelty and hatred. When they can finally resume their autonomous movement, they look at our prime like he’s an abomination.
“How dare you bark at me!” Robert howls, disgust all over his face. “That’s the problem with alphas. You think you can do whatever you want. You always have to squash us betas beneath your feet.How fucking dare you?!”
Atlas looks calm, but I know there’s an inferno boiling inside. Stacia, however, is shaking, her body in obvious distress. I get as close to her and Uriah as I can, scent marking her shoulder with a soft caress.
Ciro steps away from us and stands proud beside Atlas. He huffs a huge sigh. “Sir, you obviously have a lot of hatred for alphas and omegas. Honestly, it sounds exhausting and I feel bad for you.”
“Feel bad forme?!” Robert sputters in his shock. I would normally laugh at his expense, but I’m full of so much anger that I can’t muster any amusement over this. The entire situation is too fucked up.
“Loretta, call them. We’re putting an end to this right fuckingnow.” His wife starts to follow his order again, but then another voice speaks up.
“Hold on a second,” Sam says, not with a bark but the tone is commanding enough for the two betas to stop and turn. They tilt their heads at him like they hadn’t seen him standing there the entire time.
