Chapter 5 Chapter 5

Stephanie- “No. No. No. No. No. This can’t be happening right now. I can’t take anything else. This is too much. Why is this happening?”

Anthony- “Hey, I know this is too much. I know about Alpha Michael. I just want to be here for you. Let me be here for you. No expectations.”

Suddenly his arms were around me. He was hugging me. Everything in me started to ease. The tears were still falling, the pain was still there, but everything was calming. The panic was slowly disappearing.

Stephanie- “There’s part of the story I haven’t told anyone.”

He pulled back just enough to look at me. He looked so worried about me.

Anthony- “Hey, you don’t have to tell me. You can. You can tell me anything, but you don’t have to.”

Stephanie- “I want to.”

I can’t bring myself to pull away before I start talking.

Stephanie- “He started cheating early. I know we know that based on the age of Stephen and Sarah, but she knew. My mom knew. I remember them fighting. Her calling him out on the cheating. Him screaming it was none of her damn business. I remember him hitting her. He took me with him when he would see Jessica. She was mean. I remember her hitting me and telling me how worthless my mom and I were.”

I started sobbing again. I was so devastated at the person my “father” was and is. My biological parents were never a topic I felt a need to investigate. I never needed to know more. I just painted a picture of these imaginary people in my mind. They loved each other. They went on with life and had kids and a beautiful life. I never thought it would be this. I never let myself think it would be anything ugly.

Anthony- “You have nothing to be ashamed of. None of his choices have anything to do with you. A man who can cheat on his fated mate, hit her, and take you with him to that doesn’t deserve you. He’s a real piece of shit.”

I listened to him. I felt the truth of his words and the care he had for me. I took another minute in the comfort of his arms before I pulled away.

Stephanie- “I am not ready to deal with this. With us.”

Anthony- “Hey. Hey. Hey. We have all the time in the world. Just know that I am here for you. I always have been and I always will be. I know that things have been different for a while, but I never stopped thing about you. I never stopped caring about you. I want this and I am willing to wait to have it.”

I was speechless. The earnestness in his voice. The desperation in his tone. I knew he meant every word. I wanted to tell him how much I love him, how I always had but now wasn’t the time. I needed to get through this mating ball. I needed to get through this time with the Black Mountain Pack. I would tell him. I would let myself have this chance. We would talk about the past and how we got to this point.

Anthony- “I am here for you. I will help you and your family get through this. You have my support. I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. You have worked too hard and too long to let these people derail all that work.”

Stephanie- “Thank you.”

It was all I could say. I wasn’t sure what else would spill out if I said anything else.