Page 74 of Saved By The King's Gamma

I know, I know little about who I am, but I trust Kyson will eventually teach me. As much as he angers me, I do trust him. And after today and him letting me have control, I trust he will also one day let me find my voice. The one that was squashed and was suppressed living here. So with those thoughts in mind, yes, I am ready to go home. Home is something I never thought I would have, but now I realize home is anywhere Kyson is.

We meet up with the bus at the first service station on the way out of town, which is waiting parked on the side of the road for our convoy. The bus follows us back to the castle. I feel terrible for all the children being cooped up on the bus that long. Although we do stop twice to let them burn off some energy, and at the last stop, the children were becoming too rowdy, so Liam climbs on the bus with them. When we finally reach the castle, it is early morning. We have arrived and are pulling into the castle when Kyson shakes my arm to wake me.

“We are home, Love,” Kyson whispers, and I yawn. It is still dark outside, but the castle is lit up like a Christmas tree.

“Clarice and everyone set up the ballroom as a sleeping quarter for the children,” Kyson tells me, and I am glad he thought ahead. I was too busy sleeping and forgot they would need somewhere to sleep. Kyson however, seems to think of everything.

I climb out of the limo, and Kyson grips my arm to steady me since I was still half asleep. The bus door opens, and Liam stumbles out, nearly getting knocked over as the kids rush out behind him. He stumbles past us. “I need a fucking drink!” he growls, looking worse for wear as he makes his way inside.

33

Clarice tells me Azalea has kidnapped the orphanage children. Hearing this, I finally leave the room. I want to see the kids, and I want to help. All day I spend building bunk beds and setting up the ballroom, and we change it into a makeshift orphanage, though it is far more glamorous than anything they were accustomed to. My mind keeps wondering if Tyson will be among them. I refuse to have hope. Kade had promised to get him for me, and I now realize it was only ever a way to get me to comply. A false promise, another lie he fed me, and I foolishly believed.

What if he isn’t amongst them? What if Mrs. Daley killed him with her cruel punishments? He was just a boy. My sweet boy.

I can’t bring myself to ask Gannon. Some part of me doesn’t want Tyson to be used as a weapon against me, another false promise and another way to crush me. I know Gannon is nothing like Kade, yet that fear lingers that I will be blinded by my heart’s desires, which we all now know overrides any logical or rational thought. I don’t trust my own decisions, don’t trust my instincts anymore because they are constantly wrong.

Gannon follows me everywhere, helping wherever he can, and it feels good doing something. It occupies my mind and removes the memories, even if only temporarily.

“You okay, love?” Gannon asks, touching my shoulder. I flinch, not hearing him sneak up behind me. He is helping drag in toy boxes from the Lycan community. They all sent any spare clothes and toys up to the castle until the king can order things in.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I tell him while fitting the sheet to the bed.

“Abbie, you haven’t stopped. You should have a break,” Gannon says. I shake my head, grabbing the pillowcases and pillows.

“Abbie!” Gannon says, gripping my wrists. “Stop. You need to have a break,” he says just as the guards yell out that the king has returned. They’re here! Excitement and hope bubble up within me. Gannon sighs loudly and lets me go when I try to pull my wrists from his grip. I race across the castle, hearing them piling out, their excited voices growing louder.

“What the heck is going on out here?” Clarice yells out. The kids, not hearing her, continue to rush around, and the castle staff look overwhelmed when I walk out. I stick my fingers in my mouth and whistle loudly, calling for their attention. Something Azalea and I used to do when they got too rough or too loud back at the orphanage.

The kids freeze and glance in my direction. The way their eyes light up makes emotion choke me before they rush at me. I smile and I’m nearly knocked over when they spot me, all trying to hug and touch me. Reaching for them, I try to say hello to each one, grabbing them and hugging them. That’s when I hear a noise I have only dreamed of hearing again. Tyson weaves through the crowd, hands flapping as he makes his grunting noise.

He is alive! He is still alive. I reach for him, grabbing him from the ground, clutching him tightly. I bury my face in his neck and inhale his scent. His hand moves to my face, brushing my cheek. He is skinny, skinnier than when I left him. I can feel all his bones, yet he is here.

“I missed you, mister,” I murmur, and he makes his grunting noises, bouncing in my arms when I notice Azalea. I try to move to her but can’t, so I have to wait for her to come to me since I am still trapped under her command.

She wraps her arms around me, and I hug her, tugging her closer. “You got them out,” I whisper, wiping my tears. Azalea nods sadly. But now we have to find homes for them all.

“Katrina?” I ask.

“Now, Alpha,” she tells me, and I struggle to hide my shock, yet I am happy regardless. She will be an excellent Alpha. The king comes up behind her, and I glance at him. He places his hand on her hip and pecks her cheek before he reaches over and messes with Tyson’s hair. Tyson stares up at him before sucking on his thumb.

“They never have to go back?” I ask worriedly as I look at all the kids rushing around.

“Nothing to go back to,” Azalea tells me. I stare at her, wondering what she means.

“I made them burn it to the ground. It’s gone, Abbie. All of it,” she tells me, and tears burn my eyes, flooding my vision.

“We are never going back?” I choke, tears slipping down my cheeks.

“Never! We are home now,” she tells me, and I clutch her tighter, pulling her into a hug with one arm.

“More than my life,” I whisper.

“Forever more than my life. We have a home now, Abbie, and we have set them free,”

“We are free,” I say, sniffling. Though what was free? Because I know I am, but somehow I am still trapped in the past.

“Free,” she repeats. I wipe my face before clearing my throat. Glancing at the children who Clarice is trying to get their attention. Azalea and I both stick our fingers in our mouths simultaneously and whistle. They stop, all freezing.

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