Page 119 of Pack Owned
“Did he do this to you?” My voice is a blade, sharp and direct. “Did Gary break your arm?”
Her eyes shift away, find a spot on the floor to study as if it holds all the answers. “It was my fault,” she murmurs, a rehearsed lie that makes me sick to my stomach. “I walked in on him...with an Omega. You know how Alphas can be and I’m just a Beta.”
“Like hell,” Ryker interjects, his voice low and steady, a counterpoint to the fear curdling in my gut. “Not all Alphas are like that. A man—Alpha or Beta—has no right to hit a woman. Ever.”
Tears spill over onto my mom’s cheeks, carving wet trails down her face. “I don’t know what to do, Kayla. I want to leave, but Gary...he won’t just let me go. And I’m afraid.”
Ryker steps forward, then squats in front of her. “He won’t come after you. We’ll make sure of it.”
Mom’s eyes widen. “You’re not going to kill him, are you?”
Liam chuckles, a sound that’s more dangerous than comforting. “Nah, we’ll just make him wish we did.”
“Trust us,” I say, reaching out to squeeze her hand. “We’re not going to let you suffer anymore. I promise.”
The door bangs open and Gary stumbles inside. He stops cold when he sees Ryker’s bulk rise from the couch. Then he looks at Dane emerging from the kitchen, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits, and back to us as Liam’s lean form unfolds from his relaxed slouch. Their movements are silent warnings—predators awakened.
“What the hell you’ve done now, Carol,” he spits out at my mom, blaming her. “Always causing me trouble.”
I’m on my feet before I can think, my fury a live wire snapping through the air. There’s a flash, a sickening glimmer of lust that passes over Gary’s features as his gaze latches onto me. It’s there and gone, replaced by a twisted attempt at paternal concern that makes my skin crawl.
“Lay a finger on my mother again, and I swear to God, I’ll cut off your cock and shove it down your throat,” I snarl.
Gary’s face turns an ugly shade of purple, hands balling into fists as if he’d like nothing more than to strike something, someone. But Dane’s hand is quick and sure, landing on the back of Gary’s neck with an unspoken threat.
“How about the four of us have a nice, long chat,” Dane says, his grip undoubtedly iron beneath his calm exterior.
“Who the fuck are you?” Gary blusters.
“Rude of us not to introduce ourselves,” Liam chimes in, standing up and stretching nonchalantly, the sound of his neck cracking a punctuation mark. “I’m Liam, Kayla’s Alpha.”
“Ryker.” His shoulders rolled back like he’s fought a million times. “Also Kayla’s Alpha.”
“Kayla has two Alphas?” Gary sputters, disbelief and panic mingling in his bloodshot eyes.
Dane’s chuckle is low and dark. “Nope,” he corrects, and I see Gary’s body jerk slightly, a sign of Dane’s unyielding grip tightening. “I’m her third Alpha, Dane. Let’s all go get to know each other. Outside.”
In that moment, the power balance shifts. The men who encircle me aren’t just protectors; they’re avengers, and Gary is nothing but a cornered rat.
My mom’s lips part like she’s going to protest. I touch her shoulder gently.
“He hurt you, Mom. He’s not a good man. I’m sorry, but he’s not.”
She inhales sharply, her body shuddering as tears spill down her cheeks and she scrubs them away with her hand. “I-I know. But I had nowhere else to go.”
“You do now.” Carefully, I wrap my arm around her, mindful of the cast encasing her broken arm. I pull her in for a hug, feeling her tremble against me and it makes me wish I wasoutside beating the shit out of my stepdad along with my Alphas. “You don’t have to worry about Gary ever again, Mom. I promise.”
She clings to me, and in that moment, something inside me shifts. The past, a gnarled tangle of fear and resentment, starts to unravel. There’s no place here for the helplessness that once consumed me.
With the strength of my Alphas behind me, and the resolve hardening inside me, I feel a surge of power I never knew I had.
I’ve survived. No, more than that—I’ve thrived. And now, I’ll make damn sure my mom will too.
I let go of the past, its weight falling from my shoulders like chains breaking free. I am Kayla, an Omega no longer defined by weakness or fear. I am surrounded by Alphas who empower me, protect me, love me. But most importantly, I am my own strength, my own salvation.
Healing for both of us can finally start, and I know we’ll do it together.
I’ve lived under shadows long enough, let doubt and dread dictate my steps. But standing here, in this rundown house that reeks of past pains, I know I’m done with looking back.
