Page 70 of Her Arranged Alpha
She nodded her head. "She did. She dropped out of school and began working full-time. We lost our family house, and there were times we almost lost the apartment we rented."
I tried to think of connections when it clicked. "Wait, how did Frank know about this?"
"Marsha went to the Alpha a lot…she had no idea what she was doing. At least that's what she'd always said to me. Frank's dad was Alpha, so Frank was often asked to stop by and check on us."
My eyebrows went up. "Really?"
She nodded. "Yeah, he dropped off groceries and asked Marsha if there was anything she needed. I was scared of Frank for a long time until I was a little older and figured out he'd been helping."
That explained why he looked at her like a little sister.
"How about you? You said your folks died when you were young."
I shook my head. "My mom died when I was younger. She had difficulty after the birth and never really recovered. She died when I was three from a weak immune system. My dad died when I was twenty. He was a heavy drinker. He never got over my mom. His liver failed."
I watched her frown. "Didn't…. didn't you say the previous Alpha neglected the town?"
I nodded. "My father wasn't a great Alpha near the end. The town really needed him, and he just wasn't there. After my mom's death, he kind of… spiraled out. I took over the role at a young age."
"How young?"
I sighed, trying to think back to it. I joined meetings as soon as I was eight and able to understand. "I ran the meeting by age fifteen."
She looked stunned. "Holy shit. That's…young."
I nodded. "My father was absent. I know he loved the pack, but…he loved my mother more."
She offered me a sympathetic smile. "So, you're cleaning up your father's mess?"
I nodded. "In a way. My father didn't exactly have a guiding hand with his role. The previous Alpha never had an heir to take the role, and when my father started his training, he wasn't taught how to do everything right."
She nodded her head. "That seems like a lot. I'm sorry you had to go through all of that."
I pulled her closer. "We both had to go through hard times."
She leaned against me as we walked, both of us falling into silence. There was nothing but the sound of our footsteps on the pavement. It was nice. I leaned into her and soaked up the moment.
Chapter 22 - Jillian
"Nina, I've got to go." I tossed my purse into my car and slammed the door as I pushed the keys into the keyhole, starting the car up.
"What do you mean you have to go?"
"I'm meeting the girls for lunch and I'm already running a little late."
I could hear Nina whine at the other end. "Who exactly are the girls you're having lunch with? I don't recall getting an invitation."
I chuckled. "It's just with the witches. Don't get your panties into a twist."
She grunted on the other end. "Okay, fine. But you'd better call me when you're free."
I chuckled, nodding my head. "Okay, I will. I'll talk to you later."
I ended the call and pulled the car out of the driveway. I smiled as I drove, thinking about how much life had changed when I moved here. I couldn't help but feel like things were great, better than I could have ever imagined.
I never would have thought that I would be married to Maddox and be happy about it. I loved my job, even though I was just starting out. The group I was working with was amazing, and they loved every idea I came up with.
I had great friends and was starting to feel settled in this town. I missed Frank's pack, but I had a good system in this new one.
