Page 35

Beth

“ W here did you get those?” I asked, my voice tight as everyone gathered around him, checking out what was in his hand.

“That doesn’t matter,” he growled.

“Considering the only way you would have them is if you were rummaging through my stuff, I think it does,” I pointed out.

My brothers had never respected my personal space.

“Bethany. Are you pregnant?” Pa asked, turning to me with wide eyes, dinner forgotten. His face was pale, like this was the worst news he could have possibly received.

Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself for what I was about to say. Not mincing words, I said, “Yes.”

Every member of my family gaped at me in shock.

Danny shook his head, a disgusted look on his face. “Great, just fucking great. Who is the father?”

“None of your business,” I said, crossing my arms. His accusatory tone put me on edge.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Dad asked, his brow furrowed. “I assume you’re coming home?”

“Of course she is!” Hayden said. “She’s going to have to rely on us to financially provide for her bastard child, because there’s no way she can finish college now.”

I shrank back like his words were a physical blow. They were cruel, even for him. “You know what, Hayden? Get fucked. I have no intention of moving back here. I intend to stay in California with the fathers.”

“Fathers?” Dad asked quietly. “Are you dating a pack?”

I sighed. “It’s a long story.”

“She probably doesn’t even know who the father is,” Hayden said.

“You know what? That’s a lot of judgment from someone who had to go to the free clinic when he was only sixteen because he had slept with so many women, he needed a shot of penicillin.”

“It’s different for men,” he argued.

Well, that was a shitty double standard.

“I didn’t come home to be berated or to run around, cooking and cleaning for you guys.”

“Well, clearly, you’ve lost your way, whoring yourself out over there. We never should have let you leave!” Hayden thundered.

“ Let me?” I asked incredulously. “I don’t know who you think you are, but you have no fucking say on what I do or where I go.”

“We are your family. Of course we do! You’re an omega and clearly too stupid to be left to your own devices.”

“You know what? I don’t need to put up with this bullshit!” I growled.

Danny’s eyes widened. “You think you’re so much better than the rest of us, just because you go to a fancy university!”

“No, I think I’m better than you because I can wash my own freaking underwear!”

Danny glowered at me.

Hayden spoke up. “Seriously, Beth, this isn’t cool. You fucked us over, and now you’re dropping this in our lap.”

“I came home less than twelve hours ago, and all I’ve done since then is run around, doing jobs that everyone in this house is too incompetent to do.”

“Okay, I think we are all getting a little heated…” Pa started to say.

“How far along are you?” Hayden asked, a look of pure fury on his face. I didn’t recognize the man in front of me. My brother was long gone and replaced by an angry alpha.

“Why is that any of your business?”

“Because if you’re not too far along, you can get rid of the fucking thing.”

I stilled, staring at him in abject horror. Everyone turned to look at him, shocked at his words. Had he really just said that?

“Seriously?” I said, my voice quiet.

“Honey…Do you really think you’re ready for a child?” Dad asked quietly.

I turned on him. “Are you agreeing with him?” I asked, my voice deadly calm. Although I expected a certain level of bullshit from my brothers, my dads were a different story.

“Well, you’ve clearly made some bad decisions. You can correct them…We can’t afford another mouth to feed.”

Staring at my father, at his wrinkled eyes and his salt-and-pepper hair, a sort of stillness washed over me.

It was as though all the years of emotional neglect crashed down upon me in a single moment.

Not once had they asked about how I was feeling.

They were only concerned about what my child would cost them .

Fear was acceptable—I understood fear—but this wasn’t that.

It was callousness that I didn’t expect from my own family, and it stung more than I ever could have imagined.

“You know what? I don’t need to entertain this conversation,” I said calmly, turning to the stairs toward my room.

“That’s it. Just fucking run away like a child,” one of my brothers shouted after me.

My only answer was to slam the door behind me.

As soon as I was in my room, I let the tears fall. I wasn’t sure if they were tears of anger or sadness. Probably a combination of the two.

I had expected anger, but witnessing my fathers agreeing with the idea of terminating a child I was already in love with was a blow I hadn’t been expecting. My breathing was jagged as I raked in breath after breath, trying to get my tears under control.

Grabbing my phone from where it was charging on the bedside table, I opened my chat with Jensen.

Beth:

Is that offer to join you in your hotel room still open?

Jensen:

Of course. Want me to come get you? Your family already pissing you off?

Beth:

They found my prenatal vitamins.

Jensen:

Shit, how did they take it?

Beth:

They insulted me for a while, then acted like I needed to go to an abortion clinic.

Jensen:

Excuse me?!?!

My phone started ringing, but I ignored it, opting instead to gather my clothes and shove them into my bag. Why had I even bothered to unpack? I should have known my family would pull some bullshit like this.

Taking several deep breaths, I did my best to cool the simmering rage threatening to overtake me. That much anger couldn’t be good for the baby.

Within ten minutes, my bag was packed, but I wasn’t ready to face my family again just yet. So I sat on my bed and quietly simmered, all the anger I felt toward them only intensifying.

They probably thought I was cooling off, but it was quite the opposite.

I had no idea how long I sat there, but eventually I knew I had to move. I had to leave. Grabbing my bag, I stormed down the stairs, making a beeline for the exit.

“Bethany, what are you doing?” my dad asked, shocked at the sight of me carrying my duffel.

“I’m leaving,” I said simply.

“You can’t just leave—this is your home.”

I sighed. “Look, I’m not gonna hang around just for you and my brothers to scold me. None of you are perfect, but you expect me to be?”

“It’s not like that, Bethany,” my pa insisted.

“Isn’t it?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

As I was speaking, Hayden entered the room. “Hey, I know I may have gotten a bit angry, but I only want what’s best for you. We both know you can’t support a child.” His words were soft, like he was trying to be understanding, but he had the self-awareness of a fucking wombat.

“I can support my child just fine. I’ve been looking after myself for a long time, unlike you. Plus, my baby’s fathers are on board.”

“And you trust them? They knocked you up without bonding you. That says everything about the kind of people they are.”

I wanted to laugh. And being unable to clean up after himself didn’t say a lot about the person he was?

“They are good people, and I’m happy about this baby,” I said.

“Are they rich? Is that why you decided to get knocked up?”

I grimaced. “The fathers’ financial status has nothing to do with you. Weren’t you just accusing me of needing your financial support a few minutes ago?” I shook my head. “Look, this is giving me a headache. You guys clearly need time to come to terms with this. I’ll see you at Christmas.”

Hayden’s eyes widened. “You’re leaving? You can’t go! After Thanksgiving, we need to make sure we have a good family meal with Heather.”

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, trying to steel myself. “Then you will have to figure out a meal yourself. I refuse to stay here after you suggested I get rid of my baby!”

“Of course I’m going to suggest that. You’re ruining your life.”

“Or maybe I’m seeing things clearly for the first time in a while.”

My brother’s face grew red with anger. “You. Can’t. Leave. Dad! Say something!” He turned desperately to our dad.

“Bethany, you really should stay and help out after everything. After all, your brothers only want what’s best for you. They’ve invited people over this weekend, and those people will be disappointed if we don’t have a nice meal for them.”

I turned toward Dad, my own anger rising. “Then make the meal yourself!”

“You know we can’t do that. Your mother was the cook, and after she left, you took over.”

“You say that like I had a choice! All of you refused to lift a finger, when it came to cooking and cleaning. You still do! I’ve only ever done what I had to, and I’m sick of it!

You all are grown men, and if you can’t figure out how to make even a simple damn meal, then good freaking riddance. I’m done being your housekeeper.”

Hayden scoffed. “I swear, you have become so fucking selfish since leaving for California. I don’t even recognize you anymore. Mom would be ashamed of you for abandoning your family like this.”

His words hit just as hard as he intended them to. My strong stance deflated at the mention of our mother. Would she really be ashamed of me? I had spent years looking after my family, only to be treated like this.

“I think it’s time we leave.” A familiar voice from the doorway made me look up from the floor.

Jensen was standing in our kitchen doorway, wearing jeans and a blue button-down, looking as amazing as ever. The waft of salty air that followed him hit me like a ton of comforting bricks. His scent meant safety, and my inner omega was obsessed with it.

“J-Jensen?” I stammered. “What are you doing here?” I had given him my family’s address in case he needed to reach me, but I hadn’t expected him to turn up!

“You sounded upset in your messages. There’s no way I was going to let you grab a cab to the hotel.” His expression turned hard as he glanced at my brothers and father. “Obviously, it’s a good thing I came.”

“Who the hell are you?” Hayden asked, his voice accusatory.

Jensen raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. Even though they were both alphas, Jensen was clearly the more powerful one. He stood almost a head taller than Hayden, and he was obviously the more mature of the two.

“I’m the father of the baby you told your sister to abort,” he said, his voice so low and menacing that all my family stood to attention.

Hayden’s eyes widened. “You’ve got some nerve, showing your face here.”

Jensen shrugged. “Bethany is upset—there’s no way in hell she’s staying here.”

“You can’t just come and demand she leaves. We are her family!” Danny piped up.

Jensen turned to my dad. “I assume you’re one of her fathers?

I’d intended to meet you when Bethany was ready to tell you about the pregnancy.

Now, as you can see, she is upset, and I’m not going to stand around while your sons try to shame her when she’s twenty times more responsible than they are. ”

“That’s not fair…” my father sputtered.

“Isn’t it?” Jensen asked coolly.

“Let’s just go,” I said, walking over to him. He nodded, taking my duffel bag.

We both took a step toward the door when a hand clenched around my upper arm, dragging me back. “You’re not leaving with a fucking stranger.”

Danny.

I cried out in pain at the harsh tug backward, stumbling over my own feet.

The next three seconds were a blur of movement as Jensen plucked me out of Danny’s grasp and launched himself toward Danny, his fist making an impressive sound as it connected with his cheek.

“Don’t you ever lay a fucking hand on her again. You hear me?” Jensen snarled. Gone was his usual happy-go-lucky golden retriever personality. In its place was a seething, furious, and dangerous alpha.

Despite the severity of the situation, my stomach did a little flutter.

Angry Jensen was hot .

Danny was crouched over, holding his face with unbridled horror in his expression.

“Let’s go,” I muttered, tugging the back of Jensen’s shirt.

He glanced at me, the anger subsiding slightly but not leaving his expression entirely. With a surprisingly gentle grip, he took my hand in his and pulled me toward the door. His rental was sitting outside, and we both ignored the shouts from my family as we got in.

Danny watched in horror, still unable to compute that he’d just gotten sucker punched.

We were quiet for a moment when we pulled out of the driveway. Jensen was still radiating anger, and I wanted to give him a moment to calm down.

“Thank you,” I whispered eventually, tears still running down my cheeks.

He didn’t have to come for me, but I appreciated that he had. I could have gotten myself to the hotel just fine, but having him there to support me meant more than he probably realized.

He reached out, taking my hand in his. There was still an angry tension in his jaw, but I knew that wasn’t directed at me.

“Let’s get you home.”

Home.

That sounded about right.