Page 42 of Alice and Her Shifters (Dirty Paranormal Fairytale Haremlan 2)

As it was, my euphoria was ruined by Milo. I was beginning to believe he sabotaged everything that was good. I still couldn’t fathom how he honestly believed he had any say over me and my body.

“I’m sorry,” Calvin said.

I turned to face him. He reached out to me as he said, “He shouldn’t have said those things to you.”

“No. Don’t.” I shook my head and stepped out of his reach. “Don’t you dare make excuses for him.”

Calvin nodded, holding his hands in the air as though to ward off an attack from me… maybe it was just in surrender. A sign of him backing off and giving me the space that I needed, maybe. I was too frustrated to figure it out.

“What is his deal anyway?” I asked, tossing a thumb over my shoulder in the direction Milo disappeared to. “Who the hell gave him permission to say who I could and could not sleep with? I sure as hell didn’t.”

Aidan approached us. “Might be easier to choose just one.”

I stared at him and scoffed. “Did you seriously suggest I choose one of you to be with?”

He nodded. His lips smiled, but his eyes held worry and sorrow.

“You have got to be joking,” I said. “What is the point in me choosing one of you to be with? It’s not like I’m making a life for myself here.”

Aidan shrugged and took a stand against the side of the mill. “We’re all damned regardless.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked. “What are you not telling me?”

Calvin put his hand on my shoulder. I spun around to face him. He held up his hands in defense. “Sorry. Perhaps, it would be best not to spend any more time worrying about this. At least just for the night. You’re still healing, and Milo needs time to calm down.”

“You’re right I need the rest, but I also need time to calm down.” I let out a sarcastic laugh. “And Milo needs a lot more than time. He desperately needs an attitude adjustment. And he also needs to get it through his thick skull he cannot control me. He doesn’t own me, and he has absolutely no say on what I do in my life.”

“You’re not wrong,” Calvin agreed. “But nothing is remotely close to such is going to happen tonight or anytime soon. Your best bet is to take a deep breath, let everything go for now, and get some rest.”

“I’m not tired anymore,” I said through a groan. “I’m too flipping angry to sleep!”

“Then let me help you calm down enough so that you can,” Calvin said and took a step closer to me.

I threw up my hands to stop him. “You’ve done enough already. I’ll go inside and I’ll lay down if it will make you drop the matter. But I will not guarantee sleep. I can never sleep when angry. Especially this angry.”

“Fair enough,” Calvin said with a nod. “Let us know if you need anything from us.”

“I will,” I said and headed back inside the mill. I wasn’t going to sleep, and I was nowhere near ready to lay down. I had to think and calm down before laying down was anywhere close to an option.

Once I was inside the mill, I paced the floor trying to figure out what to do from here. I refused to allow Milo to continue believing he had any control over my life. He needed to get it through his head that I was my own person, and I had no qualms over putting him in his place. But why did he have to continue to make everything a mess?

Anger boiled over within me and I screamed at the top of my lungs.

Calvin rushed in. “Is everything all right?”

I snapped my attention to him. “I’m fine. I was only releasing some steam.”

“You really should try to lay down. I can’t guarantee you’ll get much more time to rest before Milo cracks the whip on us hitting the road again.”

“Milo can kiss my ass. I’m done doing things his way. I’m done with him altogether. He can fall off the face of the earth and save me the trouble of having to see him again,” I said.

Calvin sighed. “You don’t truly mean that. Do you?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “What do you think? I mean, does Milo really have a snowball’s chance in hell of cutting the shit and backing off on what I do in my life?”

He shrugged. “I honestly don’t know.”

“Well, I doubt he has the capability. He’s got it into his head that I somehow am his to control.” I sighed heavily. In a calmer tone, I added. “I just want to be done with him and go home.”

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