Page 40

THIRTY-FOUR

“Bon appetit,” Kendall says, placing the cheesecake on the table. His new recipes have been outstanding, but if I have to eat another sweet, I might fucking lose it.

“I never thought I’d want an apple for dessert,” I joke.

“Oh.” Kendall scratches his head. “I could make you an apple pie?”

“I’m only teasing, Kenny.” I give him a smile, trying to convey my gratitude. When Kendall is stressed, he spends more time in the kitchen. I can’t fault him for working through his emotions in the only way he knows how.

He returns my smile before sliding a piece onto Stacia’s plate. She gives him a small thanks before digging in.

It’s been about a week since the party incident, and we’ve mostly put it behind us. Still, there’s something that’s been bothering all four of us, and that thing is a very abusive, toxic alpha that Stacia’s best friend has nicknamed Dickwad.

None of us want to be the person to bring it up.

Mainly because we don’t want to talk about him at all.

He doesn’t deserve to take up any space during our quality time with each other.

We all wish our issue with our frat brother would just go away, but that isn’t how things are handled in a healthy pack, so we’ve decided it’s time.

And I drew the short end of the stick.

I cough slightly, trying to find the courage before blurting out the words. “Can you tell us more about your past relationship with Derek?”

The clinking of silverware stops. Stacia tenses beside me before placing her fork down on her plate.

Atlas reaches over and takes her hand, squeezing it accordingly. “We just want to understand everything. We know he did some shitty things, but we think it was worse than you’ve described. Can you please tell us more?”

Uriah speaks up. “No pressure though. We know it’s hard to talk about. We just wanted to put it out there, start a conversation. And let you know that we are here for you, in every possible way.”

She looks off, like she’s stepping back into many uncomfortable memories, before looking at Atlas’ hand still squeezing her own.

“We were together for about two months before things took a turn,” she admits.

“He’s very good at hiding, angel,” Atlas voices. “We’ve known him since freshman year, and he only recently started showing his true colors. He’s less calculating, more abrasive. It surprised us all.”

She nods. “I think Rory was the only one who saw him for what he was. She said he was never fake with her, always being mean behind my back.” She swallows.

“It was after one of your early games this past year. I came to the game even though I didn’t want to.

We hung out afterwards, and he was suddenly…

not the person I thought he was. He made a comment about me smoking, threw my stash away…

and then he picked up the book I was reading at the time. He didn’t like what he read…”

She trails off, and Atlas pulls his chair a little bit closer.

“Why didn’t he like your book?” I ask. I absolutely love the books she reads. The ones Atlas gives me are wicked and saucy. I’ve never had so much fun reading before.

She doesn’t need to know that yet, but it’s blasphemous to me that anyone would critique them knowing how much she enjoys and cherishes them.

She breathes deeply through her nose before letting the air out slowly. “He didn’t like that I was reading smut, especially smut that involved a pack. I told him before we started officially dating that I wanted one, but I guess he didn’t take me seriously.”

Uriah shakes his head sternly. “No, baby. He knew what he was doing. He’s not built for pack life, and if he does ever find one then let’s make sure we never fucking meet them because one of him is enough. But he knew .”

Stacia only shrugs. “Still, he called me all kinds of names, told me I was selfish and not thinking of him. It turned into a huge fight. Well, really he yelled. I tried shutting it all out. It reminded me of my parents…” She shakes the thought away.

“That was the first time he ever physically hurt me.”

Our dining room fills with alpha growls. I’m almost inclined to join them but I’m frozen with shock.

“He fucking touched you?” Uriah growls, looking like he wants to jump out of his seat.

Atlas’ fury is a quiet one. He keeps his hand around hers, offering silent support, but I can see the danger he has lurking beneath the calm. “How many times did that happen, Stacia?”

She bites her lip, her free hand toying with the table cloth.

“Only a few times. He never hit me in the face or anything, but he’d hold my wrist if I tried to get away from him.

Sometimes, he was too rough during sex…” She winces in embarrassment, and I don’t have to look around the table to know my pack mates are thinking about the consequences of murder.

“But mainly, he’d yell… say derogatory things.

After a while, it didn’t matter. The numbness would kick in and I’d step out of my body.

That was a lot of our relationship after that first night. Him, angry. Me, not really present.”

I knew we needed to know, so we could better help her with her dissociation problem and so our relationship could blossom more evenly. But it still fucking hurts .

Our scent match went through hell , and we were all right here, completely oblivious.

“This first night,” Atlas starts, “when you went to his game. Did you come to the locker room to get him?”

She meets his curious gaze and nods. “Yeah, I didn’t normally do that. I think that’s the only time I did.”

I see the instant anguish on his face. Then it hits me, the reason for our prime being this distraught, but our omega continues talking before I can offer him any solace.

“Then the night I met you.” She looks at me, and despite the hard conversation, there’s a sparkle in her eye. “I was too messed up to take things further, to let you care for me the way you wanted.”

The memory takes me captive as I remember the first time I saw her face, the first time I smelled her. As horrible of a night as it was, that portion of it will always be glorious to me, and now I know it’s the same for her. It meant something to her.

She laughs, but there’s no humor. “I didn’t even know I was at the frat house that night.

I went looking for a party, just like I did the other night, because I was thinking too much about something Derek had said to me that day.

I had no idea I was at the place he freaking lived .

” She shakes her head. “I don’t regret it, because running into Ciro was exactly what needed to happen, but I must have been really out of it beforehand. ”

“I got home, and I was glad I was in my bedroom before my trip kicked in, but then… he texted me. He was angry that I was ignoring him and that I was speaking to Ciro instead of him at his own house. Then he sent a video of him fucking someone else just as my trip started. After that, the night took a turn for the worst.”

I feel bile come up my throat, and based on the reactions from the others, they’re feeling just as sick and furious.

“He sent you that?” Kendall says through gritted teeth. He’s seconds away from tossing his cheesecake across the room.

She nods. “After Rory helped me during my bad trip, she investigated and read my texts. She asked me to end it… she told me it was time, and I agreed with her. I shouldn’t have let it go on for that long. I just didn’t want to… deal with it.”

“It’s over now, angel.” Atlas cradles her head with his free hand, rubbing it softly. “You did deal with it. And now we’re here, and it’s over .”

Her eyes well up with tears, like she was trying to stay strong long enough to get the story out. “It’s over,” she whispers back, her lip quivering. “Fuck, I’m so fucking glad .”

She falls into Atlas’ side, letting the sobs take over. He rubs her back, kisses her hair, does everything to soothe her.

“We’re never going to let him hurt you again,” he tells her, and it’s the fucking truth.