Page 42 of A Chance at Redemption for the Alpha

“Oh, come on,” Nova grins. “She is just not into the more hands-on approach. Not everyone can be like that.”

“You are,” Cassian mutters.

“Yeah, but I am your sister, and for the record, many people think I am weird, so there’s that,” she says. She turns to me. “Isla has a crush on Cassian, which is why he is so prissy.”

Marcellus tosses a pitiful gaze at Cassian. “Poor you,” he says softly. “Being chased by beautiful women. Here, have a shoulder to cry on.”

“Oh, shut up,” Cassian groans.

“Come, Alpha Heartbreaker,” Marcellus says. “Let’s begin our meeting!”

“That’s your fault,” Cassian growls towards Nova. “I won’t ever hear the end of it from that prick.”

“I am sorry, Cass,” Nova says, not sounding sorry at all. She waves at the two men before linking our arms. “Now you can show me around.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I say.

“Goddess, you didn’t just call me ma’am,” she groans.

“I was just trying to be polite,” I mutter. Fuck my social anxiety. I am a complete screwup at everything.

“Not necessary,” she says. “My brother is the alpha. I am just his sister, a normal pack member.”

Listening to her talk, I imagine she must be quite popular in her pack. She is the type of high-ranking pack member who doesn’t let her rank or privilege show. “Are you part of the warrior training?” I ask.

“I do train with the advanced warriors,” she explains. “But I’m just a mediocre fighter. I only do it so I know how to defend myself and lower-ranking pack members, in case of an emergency. I am more of a tinker.”

“A tinker?” I ask.

“That’s what Cass calls it,” she chuckles. “I like handiwork. Honestly, if it were up to me, I wouldn’t go to college at all. But I am already rebellious enough as it is, so I wanted to spare my parents yet another gray hair on their head.”

“What are you studying?” I ask her.

“Social studies,” she explains. “What about you?”

“Well,” I clear my throat. Here it comes. The most embarrassing part about me. “You know where I come from and who I am?”

She nods. “I assume you didn’t have any access to education.”

“I did finish high school,” I explain. “But other than that, my father didn’t want me to learn anymore.”

“And do you want to learn something?” she asks.

“I am not sure,” I say honestly. “I have not decided yet on what I am going to do. I just know I want to take up my training again.”

“That’s cool,” Nova nods. “You are an alpha’s son, you are prone to be good at fighting. I bet you could be a pretty good warrior.”

“I hope so,” I say.

Nova tilts her head. “I like your honesty, Benjamin,” she states all of a sudden. “Don’t let anyone look down at you. You are not a bad person.”

“Are you sure?” I ask her. “You know what I did, don’t you?”

“I know what happened to you,” she says. “It’s easy for people who weren’t in your shoes, and never faced the trauma you did, to judge.”

“I don’t want it to be an excuse,” I admit, wondering why it’s so easy for me to talk to her and so hard to explain it to anyone else. “I could have done things differently.”

“Maybe,” she says. “But maybe you wouldn’t have been alive then. Maybe you would have made things worse. You were tryingto survive like everyone else. I always quarrel with my dad, but he is a doting father. I can’t imagine being abused and bullied by him, or by anyone. My parents and Cass gave me that self-confidence,” she pauses. “Do you have any other family?” she asks.