Page 107 of Drown My Sorrow

Ezy lets out a sob. I pull him into my arms as a grin spreads across my face.

The son of a bitch did it!

We can accomplish the most amazing things when we try. The biggest, the cruelest, the more generous. We can do those when we’re inspired. I think of that day in the jungle. I felt the same high that I feel now.

“That’s it.”

“What is?” Beau asks Gael.

“We’re retired. It’s over. I’m so…” he pauses, searching for the word, “relieved.”

I’m shocked. I don’t know why I expected their competitions to go longer.

Aspyn is frowning at the massive waves, her brow pursed.

“I’m not ready to go home yet. We need somewhere quiet, for just us.”

My attention focuses on her, but she’s not giving anything away.

Gael turns and looks past me to Ezy. “We might know a place.”

Chapter twenty-six

Aspyn

AspynAged18

There’s no work.

Sorry, no work.

We have nothing for you.

Over and over.

In this small village, there is apparently nothing that I can do to earn money.

My stomach growls. I put a hand to it and reach out quickly to catch myself as the dizziness hits hard.

I miss and fall down, smashing into a trashcan and spilling the contents across the road. A half eaten sandwich sits on the ground in front of me. It still looks okay. My stomach growls harder, but then I remember the people.

When I look up, there’s a crowd of people watching. Judging me.

I struggle to my feet and right the trash can, swipe the sandwich, ignoring the comments and looks. I have no shame.

Then I limp home.

Defeated again.

PresentDay

I stand at the massive glass window of the hotel and stare out at the night view of the beach. The stars light up the sky. My alphas all appear to be asleep in the bed behind me.

I heard what Ezy and Keagan talked about. I’d followed them and was at the door, my hand raised to knock when the conversation had come through, and I’d felt Ezy’s longing. We all had.

With a sigh, I scrape my hair off my face and into a ponytail. In the reflection, I see my scar, but for the first time, it’s not all I see.

Ezy sees a future with us. All of us. He wants it so bad it made my knees tremble. I’m having trouble being angry at them, staying angry at them.

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