Chapter Seventeen

                                    

                                          
Kali returned to Lawton roughly an hour later, having spent the time packing and talking with her mother. And while she hadn't forgiven her mother for lying to her for her entire life, she had listened as Renee told her why they'd kept the truth of her rank from her.

Her parents had seen, years before her birth, how an Omega had been treated, how, despite being such a crucial member of the pack, the poor man had suffered endlessly because his Alpha had treated him like a doormat because his natural instincts had been to protect and help the members of the pack, at any cost, even if it meant sacrificing his own life, which, in the end, was exactly what happened. Her parents had not wanted that to be her and, with help from their Alpha, they'd kept the truth from not only her but the entire pack.

She sat outside Samson's apartment building, just sat in the truck, hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles were white and she felt tears prickle her eyes.

She felt like her entire life had been nothing but a lie.

She understood her parents and Alpha Deucalion wanting to protect her but they could have told her at least. Could have explained why it was so important that she keep the secret. She had the right to know her own rank. And that three people, three very important people in her life, had kept it from her both infuriated and saddened her. They hadn't trusted her and that, more than anything, hurt.

Leaning forward she closed her eyes and rested her forward against the steering wheel, feeling the tears pooling in her eyes, a pained sound bubbled up from her chest and she tried to force all the hurt, the anger and disbelief, into a tiny corner of her mind. She knew she had to deal with it, work through it, but she just kept thinking of all the pain and anger and heartache she'd suffered. All the times she'd been bullied. All the times she'd been called freak or told there was something wrong with her.

Her parents had tried to protect her, to keep her from sharing a similar fate to that of the Omega they had known, but in shielding her they had caused her the very suffering they had tried to spare her.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when someone tapped at the window.

Looking up she found Suzie standing beside the truck, looking concerned. Kali waited until the woman had stepped back before climbing from the truck. "Hey...Hey, Suzie," she said as she shut the door behind her, leaning back against the truck and hoping the female Beta wasn't here to pick a fight. Because in her current mood and state of mind she wasn't certain that she could be the passive she-wolf she had always been.

"Heard through the grapevine you were moving in permanently," Suzie said, face completely unreadable and Kali fought down the urge to growl. She wasn't just some lowly pack member. She wasn't just some weak ass Omega. She was the Alpha Mate and if Suzie thought she was going to be walked all over than the Beta had another thought coming. "Didn't figure it would be to an apartment building halfway across town."

Kali frowned.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Suzie's expression finally opened up, becoming one of disbelief, and the other she-wolf's eyes widened. "You're the Alpha Mate, Kali," she said as though it should have all be completely obvious. "You...You're place is with Thornton. With Kay."

Kali bristled. Apparently her Alpha mate hadn't told his pack what had happened between them. "My place," she snapped as her hands clenched at her sides, fighting down the urge to growl. "My place?! You may want to go ask Thornton about why I'm not living with him and Kay before you start talking about what my place is."

Suzie frowned. "Kali...Kali whatever happened I'm sure Thornton is sorry and..."

"I don't care how sorry he is!" Kali shook her head, feeling her wolf press upwards against her skin, claws prickling at her fingertips and fangs starting to slip down from her gums. "I could have died saving Kay and Thornton has the gall to think I had something to do with Kay being hurt in the first place! So he can go rot for all I care because I'm not living with him!"

Suzie opened her mouth and closed it several times, looking much like a landed fish, but before she could say anything Samson was there, no doubt having seen them from the apartment and had come out to see what was going on. "Suzie," he said, voice deep and rumbling like thunder, causing the she-wolf to look at him sharply. "I think it's time you left."

"This doesn't..."

"If you say this doesn't concern me, Suzie, I'm going to put you into the dirt." Samson crossed his arms over his chest and stared her down. Gamma or not he wasn't backing down and, clearly, his actions surprised Suzie because she took a small step back, staring at him with wide eyed curiosity. "Now get going. Kali needs to get settled in."

Suzie nodded though she looked at Kali, waiting for her fellow she-wolf to nod, before she finally turned and headed off down the street. Samson waited until she was far enough away before turning his attention to Kali, reaching out to lightly touch her arm. "Are you okay," he asked as she looked up at him. "You're pale. Really pale."

"I'm...I'm fine," Kali said, though she wasn't certain if she was trying to convince him or herself. "Just...Just a little shaken up."

"After everything you've been through in the last twenty-four hours I think you're allowed to be a little shaken up."

She chuckled and leaned into his touch, thankful that she had someone who was on her side. Because she had a feeling that she was going to need someone in her corner in the coming days.