Page 80 of Our Deceptive Heat

“But-”

“You and Tyr are easily manipulated. Let me deal with her.”

“It’s not your job.”

“You and Sita are my pack’s family. It’s my job as pack to look after us. Let me take care of her for you.”

“How long will she be in?”

“Twelve months or longer.”

Claudia wipes at her eyes and sniffles. “She will hate me.”

“No, she will hate me. That’s what I’m saying, let me be the bad guy for you.”

Claudia bites her lip and looks into the distance for a good while before she nods her head. “Okay.”

I exhale in relief, watching as the car pulls up and the staff get out. An ambulance appears a minute later.

I sign the paperwork while my pack sit in the van watching. Claudia cries, but I ignore it, focusing instead on Sita as she’s dragged to the ambulance.

“NO! No! You said I could have a choice! You said-”

I smile. “Do the rehab and stop hurting people, Sita, or things will get worse. If you need me to be the monster, I am more than willing to step up to the plate.”

“Mum, you can’t let them, Mum, please help me!”

I ignore her as I turn and walk to the car and my pack.

The next week passes slowly. There are lots of phone calls. Raines’ legal team threatens us six ways to Sunday. Sita is in the center and getting the help she needs. But we wait and wait.

Until Tony comes to us with the news. Our plane is ready. We’re getting back on the tour.

And we’re going to see her.

Chapter twenty-four

Envy

Why does everything yousay have the ability to send me to heaven or drag me to hell?- Envy Fate

She’s not talking to us. It’s been three days, and she has avoided us, ignored us and is barely making eye contact. I stalk down the hall and then jog. She doesn’t notice me, not until she’s swiped her key and opened her door.

I shove her inside, follow her in, and kick the door closed.

She whirls, and her eyes widen as she sees me. She backs up before she forces herself to stop. Her eyes have shadows, and she looks miserable. I’m sure she’s lost weight.

Her suitcase is near the door. There’s no food, no drinks, just the dark. She hasn’t even been taking care of herself.

And that just enrages me.

“How long are you going to ignore us?” I snarl at her. “How long are you going to punish us?”

She shakes her head. “You have an omega.”

“So you keep saying. And we’ve told you they are okay with you. They know all about you. So how about you choose another excuse like you’re afraid we might abandon you or ghost you or I don’t even know. Just pick something new because the omega bullshit doesn’t mean shit because, at the end of the day, I know how you feel about me. And you won’t walk away from me that easily. Not twice.”

I snarl and stalk towards her, ignoring the way she attempts to evade me, until I have her in the kitchen's corner, pinned between the wall and the counter.

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