Page 77 of Isla

Isla

Ithadbeennearly two weeks that I stayed at Tilly’s home and my body ached from the amount of crying I had done.

I stared at the news highlights on my phone and I realised how honest Polly was. She really was Paula Ernesto, daughter of Ronaldo, and King used to be under the care of her father, until his aunt fought for him.

“Is that her?” Tilly asked, looking at my phone.

“Yeah, that’s her,” I said, handing my phone to Tilly. I told her all about King trying to deceive me and, worse, that he had done it once before with Paula.

“She’s pretty,” she said.

“I know,” I whispered.

Paula already proved that she was King’s ex-girlfriend. She texted me photos of herself with King and there was nothing for me to not believe.

It was King that lied to me and only he who tried to get me to tell him my scent, all so he could make me believe we had matching scents. He was just another lying alpha in my life.

And I couldn’t believe that I wanted him to be the father of my unborn child. But that no longer mattered because I didn’t go into a full heat, therefore I didn’t get pregnant and I didn’t know if I was happy about that or desperately sad.

I could try again on my next heat. Next time I could find a club in London. Or fly to Vegas and shag Harrison.

Same pack. Same lies.

A shiver travelled down my spine. I didn’t know how I picked them. I really liked Harrison and Finn grew on me. But looking back, I was stupid to go as far as I did with King. I should have refused him the minute he talked about perfumes. He knew the rules. At least I now knew why he was so adamant.

Damn, it hurt my soul just thinking of him, thinking he was different, but he was just an alpha who tried to use his wily ways to get what he wanted. And I gave him everything. Gave him much more than I wanted or should have given.

“You don’t have to go home,” Tilly said, pulling me in for a hug.

I didn’t think she would be happy for another omega staying at her home, but I’d been here now for the past two weeks, and it had been lovely and felt like home.

Her pack protected her, and she was safer than the Queen, which, for now, meant I was too.

“I need to be alone for a little while. I need to process everything and heal,” I said with little conviction in my voice.

“I don’t know how I feel about you leaving. Noah knows you’re back,” she confessed. Her steely façade cracked as tears fell down her cheeks. “You’re not safe in that apartment.”

“I sleep with a knife under my bed,” I said, with a laugh that was supposed to make her feel better. “And Jackson had the locks changed, so I’ll be fine.”

“Isla, don’t pretend you’re not scared,” she said.

“I need to get on with my life. Noah will be as angry as my father when he finds out I’m married, but at least they’ll leave me alone to get on with my life.”

“I can’t believe you felt you had to do that. I wanted you to be happy like me, and I feel so sad for you. You nearly had it all.”

My eyes laced with unshed tears, but the moment she reached out and dragged me against her, wrapping her arms tightly around me. I broke down and sobbed.

“My heat just faded away,” I said as Tilly held me tight. “I really am a dud.”

I glanced at Georgia in her crib, and the tears flowed like a broken dam. I dropped my face against her shoulder, my body shaking with convulsions.

“Oh Isla, I’m sorry. Let me take Georgia to one of her dads and I’ll be back.”

“No, it’s fine, and I need to go home and get over this blip in my life. Then I’ll come back stronger,” I said, wiping the tears away.

“I’m here for you,” she told me as I pulled away from her and tried a weak smile.

“I’m going to pack. Thanks for caring for me.”