Page 84 of Beta Lies and Cursed Lives
Part of me feels bad. Not for how I yelled at my father, but for running past all the people working so hard to clean up the battle. Using their curses to pile bodies, make them vanish to who knows where, and remove the blood and sinew from the ground.
I sit by the line of forest that’s walled into the campus grounds, right where Colt and I had our first kiss. All of the floodlights are on across the grounds, chasing the darkness into shadowy corners. Some scouts use flashlights or their powers to light the corners in search of more spots to clean.
When Nyx and Arlowe join me, they sit in silence on either side of me on the ground.
Nyx’s voice offers softly, “Maybe he had a reason to lie.”
Arlowe huffs on my right. “I’d be just as pissed as you, Mi. Probably more pissed.”
“Lowe!”
“What?” she leans forward to look around me at Nyx, incredulous. “I’d want to kick him in the nuts!”
The laugh that erupts from my body is a surprise, but a welcome one. “I love you guys.”
My head swivels back and forth to find them grinning at me.
Nyx leans back on her hands and looks up at the moon. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
“We’re free.” Arlowe’s voice is distant, her head shakes. “But how do we help the rest of the world?”
“Like Willow said, the road isn’t going to be easy. Are you two going to fight with us?”
Arlowe lets out apfftas Nyx says, “Do you even need to ask?”
The longer I think about it, in light of all that’s happened, my father’s betrayal starts to feel meaningless. Our battle to end this tyranny and liberate our people worldwide is far more important.
But I won’t forgive him quickly or easily.
“Excuse me, ladies.” I turn to find Jory approaching us from the academy, something in his arms. When he’s a few feet away, he squats down and extends his hands to me, a small white ball of fluff in his grasp. “He missed you.” Jory smiles. “He was frightened, so I helped him hide during the fight.”
Joy. Pure and utter joy is all I feel as I take the little snow hare and lightly embrace him against my chest. My friends coo and aww at him, and although I can’t communicate with him like Jory, I get the feeling he’s basking in their attention.
“Mi gets all the good stuff,” Arlowe jokes, poking me with her elbow.
Jory winks at me, stands, and goes back in the direction he came.
“I’m so sorry, Bunny.”
When I return to the academy, my mates are all waiting for me. Colt nervously pets my fuzzy friend’s head—I still haven’t chosen a name for him and decide to ask Jory if he already has one—as he peers into my eyes like he’s willing me to understand. But it’s not necessary.
“I know,” I say. I’m not angry with him, and he can feel it. “It wasn’t up to you to tell me. But I appreciate you pushing the person who needed to.” I send a sideways glare to my father across the foyer, who’s standing with Willow, Caius, Jory, and Laurant. They’re in a deep discussion.
My Alphas take that moment to gently embrace me as one, careful not to squash my friend.
“Let’s go to Colt and my room,” Aubrey suggests. “We can push the beds together for now.”
“For now?” I ask, peering up at him.
“They’re discussing pack rooming,” Rai tells me, gesturing toward the group with Willow. “The plan is to clear out faculty bedrooms so all packs can be comfortable and stay together in larger, private quarters.”
There’s a surge of happiness in me as I look around to find various groupings of Cursed all around us, making me wonder just how many packs there are here.
“A lot more than I ever would have guessed,” Colt supplies. “I never picked up their thoughts, which leaves me with a lot of questions.”
“Maybe their bonds protected them,” Rai offers. He looks at us all. “Our connection is new. We’re still discovering its effects.”
It’s strange to think that our bond is new. The sense of belonging with my Alphas is so strong, it’s like we’ve been together forever. And looking at each of my Alphas, I know they feel the same way.
