Page 2 of Denied By the Alphas

Even if I knew where Ruby went, I would never tell Henry. He was officially out of his mind.

My legs shook once the adrenaline wore off. I managed to walk to my mini work table in the corner of my living room, which was covered in papers.

Glancing at the schedule, I saw that I was assigned to care for an omega and her newborn baby overnight, but I was far too shaken to handle it.

Picking up my phone, I dialed Gracie, one of my beta workers.

“Hey, Gracie,” I said hesitantly. “I’m really not feeling upto sitting tonight at Luna’s house. Would you mind taking over for me?”

“Of course!” Gracie replied cheerfully. Her passion was babysitting, and I was so happy to have found her to help. “Take care of yourself. Don’t worry about it, okay?”

“Thank you so much. You’re a lifesaver,” I said, breathing a sigh of relief as I hung up the phone. With my evening free, I decided to visit my family, only two blocks away.

It had been a while since I started my babysitting business and even longer since I’d seen my family.

I quickly removed my nose ring in the bathroom mirror, knowing it would only trigger a rant from my mom about how trashy it was. I just wanted to see my siblings, not spend time arguing with her. Dealing with Henry today was exhausting, and it was one of those moments when having a pack of alphas to protect me would have been wonderful.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have a pack.

I made sure to lock up after I left since I was living on the sketchier side of town.

As I stepped outside,I was glad to get away from my home for a bit. I needed to forget about Henry and his ambush. He was an asshole, and thinking about that helped me avoid crying or breaking down.

I made my way between the closely packed buildings as the sun began to set. The gritty sand crunched beneath my feet with each step, and the air carried a faint scent of sweat and dust. I knew I was getting close to my mother’s apartment when I heard Francine’s excited shrieks.

My nine-year-old sister was always staring out of the window people watching.

“Carmen!” she squealed, throwing open the door before I could even raise a hand to knock. “You’re here!”

“Hey, Franny,” I smiled, ruffling her hair affectionately as I stepped inside.

My mom's voice immediately rang out from the depths of the apartment.

“Take off your shoes!” she snapped without looking up from the couch, where she was meticulously applying nail polish. I complied silently, not wanting to upset her. Our relationship had always been tense, and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt like I’d done something that made her happy.

Her alphas, who were my fathers, had left her years ago for another omega, and it was just us. I was pretty sure that had made my mom bitter over the years, even worse than she usually was.

As I walked into the living room, I was greeted by a giant portrait of Henry. Mom loved our alpha leader for some reason, and his image seemed to cover every available wall space. My stomach churned just thinking about how awful and selfish he was.

“Come,” Francine said as she tugged on my hand, leading me towards the small bedroom she shared with Lena, my nineteen-year-old sister. Lena was sitting in front of her vanity, applying makeup with shaky hands. I noticed a small bruise under her eye and frowned in concern.

“Hey, Lena,” I said softly, trying not to startle her. “Where are you going tonight?”

“Um, I’m meeting the alpha I’ve been dating,” she replied nervously, avoiding eye contact with me. I instantly wondered what the hell was going on and if she was okay.

“What happened to your eye?” I asked.

“Nothing, I ran into a branch like a dumbass,” she said quickly. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Who’s the alpha you’re dating?” I persisted. She’d never dated a pack before, and I was officially worried for her now.

“I’ll tell you when I’m sure of him.”

“Will we ever find out who he is?”

“Maybe,” she said evasively, quickly applying foundation over her bruise.

Francine and I exchanged worried glances as I sat on the bottom bunk next to her. My little sister changed the subject, sensing my concern.

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