Page 177 of Defiant Beta

“I’m okay,” I assure him with a faint smile.

And I genuinely mean it.

Vincent, Levi, and Xavier are silent, their gazes laced with concern, as if they suspect a breakdown is imminent.

They couldn’t be more wrong.

A deep furrow forms between Vincent’s dark brows.

He doesn’t believe me.

Time to ease their concern.

I set my mug down, watching the chocolate slide down the rim of the cup as I tell them all about the things those predatory alphas did to me.

The pain. The terror. The utter helplessness. All the reasons those alphas needed to die, and why it needed to be me who killed them.

My voice is quiet as I release all the pain in my heart, the gentle snores of the diner owner serving as my background music.

Ithurts.

I want to stop, stuff all the pain back into my heart, lock the door behind me, and pretend it isn’t there.

But I can’t.

Because it exists, and if I don’t look at it, doesn’t mean it’ll go away.

My sister taught me that. So did Pack Madden losing Aly, their omega. Even Ms. Huffman, who carried the pain of her cheating husband for so long that she destroyed him for it. And herself.

My cheeks are wet and the front of my hoodie is damp when I’m through.

Levi wraps his arm around my shoulder and tucks me against his side as I sniff, using the sleeve of my hoodie to wipe the last of my tears and my leaking nose.

“Sorry, I’m being gross.” I apologize.

He kisses the top of my hair. “You’re not being gross.”

Xavier grabs a napkin from the metal holder next to the window and hands it to me. “Here.”

“Thanks.” I take it with a grateful smile, and I blow my nose.

We sit in silence for the next several seconds, our hot chocolates forgotten.

“Kylian killed Ms. Huffman,” Vincent says quietly.

“I thought so,” I say. “None of you seemed concerned about going after her, and when he disappeared from the school and no one asked where he was, I figured it was him.”

Vincent continues, “We were trying to protect you from trouble at the school. It’s why I was so relieved when you said you’d stay with your sister. He got things out of her that she wouldn’t have willingly admitted. I didn’t ask how, and he didn’t volunteer the information either. But I thought you would ask, and I was trying to protect you from that.”

Surprisingly, I don’t want to throw my hot chocolate at his head for admitting to ditching me. “I’m not used to someone protecting me.”

“I’m not used to asking for help," he says quietly. “But I've finally learned, so tonight you got justice instead of spending ten years chasing answers like we did.”

Xavier looks at Vincent. “When we were kids, he wasn’t so closemouthed, Della. I havestoriesto tell. Stories he made me swear I would take to my grave.”

I smile, hugging Levi. “And you’ll tell me?”

“You’re a Madden,” Vincent says, his eyes intense.

---