Page 55

Beth

I t was a calm and easy morning. Jensen was back at work, and Cullen was overseeing things at the restaurant while Joey was at school.

Gideon needed to go to the office, but he refused to leave me at home with Zoey on my own. Even though I was perfectly capable of handling a few hours, it comforted me to know he was near.

After a lot of debate, we had come to the compromise that he would work in his home office while Zoey and I relaxed in the living room, wrapped up in a pile of blankets and watching trashy TV with a snack plate.

Actually, my amazing, intellectual mate had been adamant that documentaries were the best thing for my daughter’s squishy little brain, but I wanted some cheap drama. Surely the baby wasn’t old enough to really hear and understand what I was watching?

Maybe a nature documentary or two wouldn’t hurt.

We were twenty minutes into a show about the rainforest, and I was about thirty seconds away from falling asleep, when a knock on the door jolted me to reality.

Blinking, I checked on Zoey, who was fast asleep in her bassinet.

I knew that Gideon had a work call, and it was likely just a delivery driver with even more baby items, so, getting up and stretching, I padded toward the door.

Unfortunately for me, instead of a delivery driver with presents, my fathers stood on my doorstep.

Thankfully, there were no brothers this time, and the pair of them looked more sedate than usual, but I wasn’t happy to see them in the slightest.

“What do you want?” I snarled, standing in the doorway and refusing to let them come in. “I see you opted to forgo the police escort this time.”

“Beth…” Richard frowned. “This is so unlike you.”

“We want you to come home,” Frank, said, crossing his arms.

“Yeah, that’s not happening.”

“I know the way we went about it last time was a bit extreme, but we were just worried…Did you have the baby?” he asked, furrowing his brow as he took in my drastically decreased bump.

I couldn’t help the loud snort that escaped my chest. “I did. You have a granddaughter. Congratulations. Now get the hell away from my house.”

“Can’t we see her?” my pa asked.

Shaking my head, I planted myself firmly in the doorway so they couldn’t get past. “You are not allowed near my daughter.”

Both their faces fell. What did they expect—that they would try to forcefully remove me from my pack by bringing the police to my door, and I would just let them in for a snuggle session with my baby?

“This is insane, Beth. What would your mother say? You ruined Hayden’s relationship with that call. Tearing down your family isn’t like you.”

Those words stung, deep and painful. Normally, my reaction would be sadness, tears, but instead, what rose in me was pure, unbridled rage.

“You want to know the truth, Dads?” I asked, cocking my head to the side.

“The truth is, I hated coming home. Hated it with a vengeance. Do you know why? Since the moment Mom died, I became the catchall for everything in our house—the cleaning, the cooking, the emotional labor. I was a fucking child who lost my mother, and you turned me into the surrogate mother of our household. Even now, my brothers are grown-ass adults, yet when I come home, I have to cook for them and do their laundry?”

Both my fathers appeared startled at my outburst.

“Beth, you can’t mean that. I thought you liked helping…”

“Liked helping?” A laugh escaped my chest. “No one likes being a domestic slave for their family. You pay for my brothers to have anything they want. But you wouldn’t pay for me to go to school because you couldn’t stand the thought of losing your housekeeper!”

Frank opened his mouth to say something, but I held out my hand.

I was on a roll, and nothing was going to stop me.

“No, you don’t get to speak right now. I am speaking.

For years, I have put up with your mistreatment.

I have been killing myself, working two jobs so I can get my degree.

I’ve been doing everything on my own, with no support from any of you!

Fuck—do you know, the entire time I’ve been at college, I’ve only ever dated betas?

Because I took one look at the way you guys treated the women in your life, and I never wanted that for me. ”

“We don’t…” Richard said, but he had a shell-shocked look on his face.

“But you do, and you raised my brothers to be exactly the same. You want to know why I talked to Hayden’s girlfriend?

Because I didn’t want that poor, sweet girl to be subjected to a life with an alpha who is pathetic and can’t even wash his own underwear!

You have coddled my brothers, to the degree that you let one of them commit a felony and steal my identity.

Do you not see how fucked up that is? Do you really just view me as something to be used for your own benefit? ”

“The vacation wasn’t like that. He was going to pay you back…”

Another cackle released from me. It was like something inside me had snapped, and I was losing all my sanity.

“He can’t keep a job for longer than three months.

He can’t save up fifty bucks for minor repairs to his truck.

How the hell was he going to pay me back for maxing out my credit card while I accrued a bunch of interest?

My god, you are fucking stupid or just willfully vicious. So, which is it?”

Taking a deep breath, I looked at each of my dads in turn.

“Do you want to know the truth? If Mom could see us now, she would be goddamn ashamed of you two. The way you let my brothers degrade me and say vile things about my child, your first grandchild? I found a pack, a good pack of men who take care of me. They don’t run me ragged doing their errands, and we are going to raise this baby together with love and respect, which is more than I ever got at home!

I will never, never allow anyone to treat my daughter that way. ”

A hand touched my lower back, and I didn’t have to look to know it was Gideon standing by my side. His scent was a dead giveaway, and I leaned into his touch.

“I think Bethany has said all she needs to say. Are you okay, my love?” he asked gently.

“I’m good,” I grumbled, deflating slightly.

Gideon chuckled. “You’re supposed to be healing. Stress isn’t good for you.”

“My family isn’t good for me.”

Gideon broke into laughter, kissing the top of my head before turning to my fathers. “It’s not my place to talk about how Beth feels. She is a strong, amazing woman with her own mind, but I think it’s time for you to leave our property.”

“You don’t understand, Beth. It was so hard raising you alone. We didn’t know what to do…”

Gideon held up a hand, a warning growl escaping his throat.

“I’m going to stop you right there. As the father of a little girl who is likely an omega with no mother…

I can never imagine not paying for her college and supporting her in every single one of her dreams. I don’t know how you justified doing it, but don’t you dare put the blame on Beth.

She is brilliant, stunning, hardworking, and caring, despite everything.

She deserves to have alphas around her who will care for her and love her unconditionally—I know I sure as hell do. ”

I leaned into Gideon, my body humming with joy as he spoke.

“We will never stop trying to convince you to come home.”

I shrugged. “I am home. You can’t even pull a pathetic attempt at a legal case again, because we are officially bonded. No court is going to separate us.”

My fathers’ faces dropped. “What have you done?”

I smiled. “I chose myself for once. To be happy, be loved, and live the life I want to live. I wish you the best, but I don’t want you in my life right now.”

“But we’re family…”

“Family cares for each other. I think you stopped seeing me a long time ago. Honestly, I wish you and my brothers the best, but I won’t be setting myself on fire to keep them warm anymore.

Maybe in the distant future, if you can pull your heads out of your asses, you can have a relationship with your granddaughter, but as things stand right now, I don’t see that happening. ”

My words were final, and the devastation in my fathers’ eyes almost made me cave.

Almost.

It wasn’t only myself I had to look out for now; it was Zoey and Joey too.

My babies, who deserved the world and a family who would do anything to ensure they were safe, happy, and loved.

“We won’t leave,” my pa said, shaking his head.

I sighed. “Pa, I don’t want you here. I know this may be difficult, but for once in your life, can you listen to what I, your daughter, actually want?”

Gideon growled softly next to me. “And if you won’t listen to your daughter, I will sue you into the ground so fast, your grandchildren will still be feeling the legal repercussions. Not Zoey—we will ensure she’s safe and well—I mean the child of whatever poor omegas your dumbass sons knock up.”

I bit my lip, but I couldn’t help it. A snort escaped my chest.

For a moment, my fathers looked like they wanted to say something before they looked at each other, desolate, and turned to leave without another word.

I watched as the car disappeared down the driveway.

“I thought seeing them would hurt more,” I admitted.

Gideon turned me so he could give me a full-on hug. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired…maybe hungry. Zoey is going to need to eat soon, so maybe we should get some snacks and feed the little milk monster?” I asked, cocking my head up at him. “Mostly, I’m just excited to spend time with my real family.”

“I must say, I feel quite the same.”