Page 46 of Omega's Virtue: Part One (The Hartwell Sisters Saga 2)

“There you are! Mama wants us,” the rich, husky voice of my sister interrupted what I was about to say. Hippolyta stood in front of me. “Are they giving you any trouble, sister? Shall I send someone… Jude, I know, is bored and would so love to play knight in shining armour.”

“Hippolyta,” Jack gave her a deep bow. “Queen of the Amazons.”

“No. Just Queen of the High Toby. Colonel, you should be wary, those who seek to tangle with my sister and not accept—“

“Hush, sister. You said our mother wishes to speak with me? Let’s go!” I tugged at her elbow, grateful for the excuse to leave.

“Dear Beatrice, you can fight your own battles, I am sure. But I would like to remind these alphas that you are not friendless.”

“So speaks the Faerie Queen,” Jack’s smile was fond. He’d called her ‘faerie’ when we were girls because she’d been so small and mischievous. “Until later, Trix. I hope… I hope you will always come at me button off.”

I gritted my teeth. Both alphas looked at me, each as fair in face and form as they were wicked in deed and thought.

“I’ll not fall for your tricks. Not again.”

Hippolyta looped her arm in mine and led me in the opposite direction of our mother. “I see you are not reconciled with your mate. It has been ten years, Bea. You should hear him out or kill him. But be mindful. If you take one, you will need to take the other as well.”

“Keep your observations to yourself. That alpha left me and the other wishes to buy me.”

“Do you… Do you still think Jack would leave you of his own will? Your Tod? Of all the alphas in the world, after knowing him your whole life, you believe he left you of his own will?”

I ground my teeth together. She should not be calling my mate Tod. Only I had that right. I swallowed away the reprimand and focused on her question. “And yet he did. Our parents said he claimed he was unworthy… There has been time enough for him to… Polly, today is a day of celebration. Let’s not go over old ground.”

Polly met her beta’s eyes.

“Shoo Jude.” She waited until he stepped far enough away that our conversation could not be heard. “Tell me, Bea. How has it been? Does seeing Vi… does it bring back memories of that time?”

I’d not pretend to misunderstand her, but we were in public so I kept my reply as ambiguous as possible. “No. I hadn’t considered… Only that I am not naturally maternal.” I crossed my hands over my stomach. “If things had worked out differently, perhaps…”

Polly held my gaze steady, a little frown creasing her brow. I never knew how she’d come to be so intuitive, how her mind seemed to know all before it happened. But I liked her the better for it. At times, even looking at oneself in the mirror didn’t reveal the answers Polly could provide without asking any questions.

“Bea, you are displaying a willful ignorance of your own feelings. You are riding for a fall, and I do not like to see it.”

“There are no feelings. There is attraction, to be sure, but that is animal. I’d be stupid not to recognise their physical perfection. However—“

“They could break your heart.”

“My heart? Surely if I had one to break, Jack would have broken it, and I’d hate him. I don’t hate him. I know in my soul that I don’t hate him.”

“You forget I know about your lovers’ circle. You are true mates.”

“A fairytale.” I dismissed her. “I’m too… wild and frivolous to create a deep affection.”

“Careful. You are… I shall hold my peace. Do as you will, but I shall buy you a pretty hat to eat when the time comes.”

“I wish to go inside. The heat is too much.”

“You can’t run forever, Bea. One day you will have to tell him what happened.”

I nodded. She was correct. Ten years was a long time to carry that burden, but I’d been better at burying the memory of my loss than I had the memory of my mate.

“Beatrice.”

I turned my head and sucked in a breath of annoyance. It seemed I would not be permitted to escape.

“Mrs Markham.”

“How long until you call me Cordelia?”

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