Page 52 of Knot Your Romeo

19

Beck

My Alpha roared whenI saw her walking along the road, shoulders hunched against the world.

Even now, she looks so fragile, so broken as she stares at the road ahead.

“Emmie.” She jumps, startled by my voice.

When she turns, my heart breaks seeing the tear tracks on her face, the redness around her eyes. But it’s her hair that shocks me most—chopped unevenly, the once waist-length locks now barely reaching her chin in some places.

Her scent fills the car. The honey-sweet Omega notes are now laced with distress, but beneath that is the sunshine warmth both Eli and I detected. It’s stronger now, less masked, as if her emotional state has stripped away some of her careful control.

I grip the steering wheel tighter, fighting the urge to pull her into my arms and promise that no one will ever hurt her again.

“Why did she do it?” I ask.

She touches what’s left of her hair self-consciously. “Stupid fucking Beta thinks being pretty is what Romeo is attracted to.”

My heart breaks for her casual acceptance of the cruelty. “I need a word with my son.”

Her eyes widen slightly, then narrow. “Don’t get involved. It doesn’t matter and it’ll make it worse. I’m fine.”

“It matters to me,” I hiss.

She turns to look out the window, silent for so long I think she might not speak again. When she finally does, her voice is so quiet I can barely hear it. “Cerise and her friends. They... they held me down and cut it off. Then threatened to kill me if I didn’t stay away from Romeo.”

White-hot rage courses through me. It’s so intense I have to focus on breathing to keep me from turning the car around and hunting down Cerise Hamilton myself.

“It’s not a big deal,” Jolie says quickly, clearly regretting her admission. “Just girls being mean.”

“That’s not meanness, Jolie. That’s assault.” I pull over to the side of the road, too angry to drive safely. Turning to face her fully, I reach out, gently running my fingers through what’s left of her beautiful hair. “Who else was involved?”

She flinches at my touch initially, then surprisingly leans into it, her eyes fluttering closed for just a moment. “This time it was just Cerise, Amber, and a girl I’ve just seen around. But please, don’t make it worse. They’re already targeting me because of Romeo.”

“What exactly did Cerise say to you?”

Jolie looks down at her hands, her cheeks flushing. “That Romeo belongs to her. That she needed me to not be so pretty.”

“And Romeo? What has he said to you?”

The flush deepens, creeping up her neck, and her silence is answer enough. My son has been pursuing her despite herobvious discomfort, despite having a girlfriend, despite every social convention that should have stopped him.

“I’m going to have a very serious conversation with Romeo,” I say, my tone leaving no room for argument. “And with the school about Cerise’s behavior.”

“No!” Jolie grabs my arm, panic flashing in her golden eyes. “Please, don’t. It will only make things worse. I’m already the weird new girl. If the owner of half the town storms in demanding justice, I’ll never fit in.”

I cover her small hand with mine, struck by how delicate she feels, how much trust she’s placing in me despite our history. “Jolie, what they did isn’t acceptable. There have to be consequences.”

“Please,” she repeats, her eyes pleading. “Let me handle it my way. I’ll stay away from Romeo, lie low for a while. It will blow over.”

I study her face, seeing strength beneath the vulnerability. She’s survived worse than this—I can see it in the way she holds herself, the way she’s already planning her next move.

“Fine… For now. But if anything like this happens again, I won’t stay out of it.”

Relief washes over her features. “Thank you.”

We sit in charged silence. The air between us is thick with unspoken tension. I should start driving, take her home, maintain the boundaries I promised myself I would respect. Instead, I ask, “Where were you headed?”

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