Page 4 of The Alpha: Part Three
“After what they just went through, a little blood isn’t going to bother them too much. Did you call their families?”
“Yeah,” he says, lifting Cody off my back and helping him get steady on his feet. “Your parents are going to be here soon. Are you hurt?”
Cody shakes his head.
Ben squeezes his small shoulder. “You did a brave thing. All of you. Me and Michael used to take care of Desie when we were your age. I’m really proud of you.”
Then Talia pushes around us to get to Trent. Iris reaches for her and Joseph reluctantly lets her go. Trent puts him down, but his knees wobble a little bit too much and Trent picks him back up and carries him into the house. He settles Joseph onto the couch. “Stay right here. Your mom will be here in just a minute.”
Chapter four
Desie
“She wouldn't have been in danger in the first place if we didn't have to come here for you. None of these kids would have been in danger. Talia wouldn't have to have the baby thousands of miles from home if we didn't come here. And now this.” Jasper spits, gesturing toward Iris and the two boys on the couch.
Seth looks at the floor. That's it. I’ve had enough. I'm done with Jasper and his antagonistic behavior. I put myself in front of Seth, blocking Jasper's line of vision. “I've had about enough of you. Everyone has been so worried about you and how you feel for so long that nothing and no one else seems to matter. You are so spoiled, Jasper. Seth has lost parts of himself for you and your pack. Mental and emotional pieces, gone. Literal, physical chunks missing. For you specifically. What will it cost? How much more will he have to pay? How much does he need to suffer for you?”
Silence falls around us like ashes.
Finally, Jasper licks across his bottom lip. “What do you mean? He's been in counseling to help with hisapparenttrauma.”
“If you ever roll your eyes about what he's gone through and what he deals with every moment of his life again, I will knock you out myself. Do I make myself clear? We have to fight for every single minute with him, Jasper. He has to fight against himself just to be able to touch me. Your alphas can be with you whenever you need them with no trouble. Mine can't. We have to work so hard for everything. You're not allowed to lessen us just because you don't understand and you don't know everything and you want to throw a tantrum.”
I watch delayed realization flicker in his eyes as he moves them from me to Seth to Devon. “What do you mean, physical chunks missing for me?”
“Desir'ee,” Seth starts, but I cover his mouth with my hand and kiss his forehead. “You've done your part, Seth. You protected him. You protected Talia. This has gone on long enough.”
Michael and Ben step behind the chair Seth is hunched in. Michael crosses his arms, anticipation bouncing down our bond. We don't need another fight right now, we really don't. But he's ready for one. I reach out and press my palm against his chest. “It's alright. Jasper needs to know, and he's going to listen. His alphas need to know if they don't already. It's time.”
Seth catches my wrist and he pulls it against his mouth to whisper. “His story isn't mine to tell.”
“No,” I say. “You're right. It isn't. But everything else needs to be in the open. Let me do this for you.”
He brushes a kiss against the inside of my wrist and nods.
I square my shoulders and turn to face Jasper and his pack. Part of them have to know at least some of the details by now and I don't understand why they wouldn't have told Jasper. If he knew what Seth allowed to happen to himself and what he put himself through to protect him, he'd have a different attitude. That's the only excuse I can come up with to explain away this vitriol.
“The rogues that took Seth had him for weeks and weeks. They took his fingers, one little piece at a time, because he wouldn't tell them about you. They forced him to listen to the horrible things they were doing to the omegas they were holding. For weeks. Then they took his eye when he refused to talk to them about Talia. He lost whole parts of himself in a very painful and visible way to protect you and your pack.”
Jasper's mouth tightens as he looks back at Seth. “What did they want to know about Talia?”
Seth shakes his head. “Everything,” he whispers.
“Everything?” Jasper asks.
Seth holds his gaze for a long moment, his shoulders slumping even further. “They asked for details about…” he trails off, his eyes flicking away from Jasper. “They were looking for details that would prove that she was an omega.”
Jasper looks down at the table, nodding slowly. “How much do you know about me?”
Seth stares at the table too. “Enough. Too much. I've never told anyone anything.”
Jasper's eyes shoot to mine and I shake my head. “He didn't tell us. And we didn't ask him to. It's your business.”
“You know...about my family? How?” Jasper's eyes are all for Seth now.
Seth sighs and tries to rub at the back of his neck but he winces and lowers his hand back down to his lap. “My dad kept files. I was a nosy asshole. I wasn't looking for your file. It was just laying there and I saw it and flipped through it. I never said a word to anyone. Not Jay or Derek. Nobody.”
Jasper takes a breath and looks back at Devon. “Do you know?”
