Page 62 of The Twelve Knots of Christmas
“Everything fell apart, but it doesn’t matter. I’m still on track to head to California.” I broke our embrace and headed to the stairs, glancing once more down the corridor at Jason and Ozzi who stood like watchdogs ready to leap at their mistress’ command. “I’ll text you with Miss Eloise news.”
“Okay.” Lyla slowly started back towards her Alphas, but clearly she wasn’t moving fast enough for them. They made a beeline for her, and Ozzi picked her up and cradled her against his chest as her blanket started to slip off.
I thrust that image out of my mind and hurried to the kitchen. I packed a small tote with snacks and drinks. If I was going to spend the night with Miss Eloise, I should have packed a bag for myself, but I wasn’t going back upstairs. The fact Alphas were in Primrose House still poked at my gaping wound.
Lucian opened the door for me as I returned to his pickup. He looked back at the house. “Where’s Lyla?”
I set the tote on the floor and climbed in, ignoring the surge of jealousy that shot through me when he showed concern for my friend. I know he was more worried about me, but my damn Omega self still thought he was mine.
I shut the door behind me. “She’s otherwise engaged.” In ways that I didn’t want to talk about, but with Lucian’s confused expression, the melty part of me sighed and gave in. “She’s in heat and she has her Alphas helping her.”
“What?” Lucian blinked. “Is she okay?”
“She will be. Let’s just go.”
“Are you all right?” Fuck, his genuine concern was going to kill me.
“No, but I will be.” I guess it was my turn to lie.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE - Jasper
“Fucking hell, Bal. You fucked everything!” I was just as culpable, but I needed to rage at someone. We’d lost our Omega, and I found I couldn’t think of a future without Mariska in it.
“We need to go get her. Tell Lucian to bring her home.” Balthazar was already pulling out his cell to text him.
“She’s gone. Fucking gone.” I slapped it out of his hand, and he snarled, taking a swing at me. Dodging, I punched him in the gut. He hissed out with it and sent me stumbling back with a hit to the shoulder.
We stood in the living room, staring each other down. Our chest heaved. Everything in me was ready for an all-in battle. I wanted to deal pain and receive it. Anything other than having to feel the breaking of my heart.
“You drove her away with bringing her shitty family here and your insane baby talk.” I’d agreed to it, and I hadn’t bashed her father into the floor when he started getting stupid. Yet Mariska had held her own and then some. She’d called us all out, and she was right. Our immensely brave and furious Omega. Fuck. “I love her.”
“I love her too.” Balthazar grunted and then sighed. “Did you tell her?” When I shook my head, his shoulders sagged. “Neither did I. I don’t think Lucian did either. We should have told her. She needed to hear it.”
Would it have made a difference? I wanted to believe it would have, but seeing her face when she realized her family was here and then hearing the little lie Balthazar told them…
“Do you want a beer?” I didn’t know what else to do. Stalking into the kitchen, I glanced back at Balthazar as he followed. Maybe I could get drunk enough to numb my mind and heart, and keep that drunk going through Christmas.
“We need to go get her.” Balthazar repeated and ignored me as I held out a beer to him.
“And what? She won’t come with us. We’d be lucky if she even let us talk to her.”
“Shehasto listen. She belongs with us.” Balthazar paced the length of the kitchen. Back and forth. “She’s ours.”
“And if you come at her with that, she’ll call the cops on us.” I twisted off the cap and took a swig. The beer roiled in my stomach, and I pushed the bottle away from me.
“I should have gone with her and Lucian.” Balthazar wouldn’t stop fucking moving. My cheek twitched as he stalked back and forth.
“She wouldn’t have let you.” I gripped the edge of the counter. Mariska had made herself clear. I was betting she would have walked rather than ride with Balthazar or myself. I was a little jealous that she allowed Lucian to drive her, but at least I knew she was safe with him.
After she and Lucian left, I had to stop Balthazar from raging at the Belmonts. Not that they didn’t deserve it, but they looked like the type of jerks who would sue someone because of one foul word. I escorted them out of our house and told them never to come back or to contact Mariska again.
Her mom got a little uppity and dared to say, “You can’t tell us what to do when it comes to Mariska. She’sourdaughter.”
“You lost the privilege of calling her that years ago.” I should have listened to Mariska. If I had nixed this plan to bring her family to us, none of this would be happening. “She’s cut you out of her life for good now.”
“You too. She’ll never see you again.” If Evelyn thought she was rubbing salt in my wounds, she didn’t understand how deep the pain already reached.
“And we deserve it.” I wasn’t one to shy away from responsibility. Not like the fucking Belmonts here. “We invitedyou here under good faith. We thought if you had an ounce of the goodness that’s in Mariska’s heart, everything would work out. Turns out that you’re every bit as petty as she said you were.”
