The Alpha King's Wrath

20 Please

"Was that really necessary?!" I hiss, catching up to Ryker. He, however, acts completely unphased, like he didn't just make a scene in the middle of a store by scolding me like a runaway child.

"You wanted to go, we left. There really is no pleasing you, is there?" He grumbles, crossing his arms over his chest.

My throat tightens and eyes burn, threatening tears at any moment.

There's no reasoning with him.

For whatever reason, he's decided I'm some terrible burden and as much as I wanted to get to the bottom of it, now I just want to get through the day and not have to deal with him ever again if I can help it.

"This way," Jenna whispers, grabbing my hand and leading me away from the scowling man. A short walk later, we stop at an unassuming store and when we walk in my eyes are assaulted with bright floral prints and pastel colours all too common in plus-size clothing.

"Oh," I mumble, at a total loss for words. Everywhere I look, clothing that my grandmother would wear hangs on display.

Ryker clears his throat, lifting the sleeve of a particularly hideous coral flower print blouse and gives me a pointed look. "This is more your taste?" He asks with a mix of disgust and disbelief.

"Can you just not right now?!" I snap. "Please, just give me some space."

He rolls his eyes but throws his hands up and takes a step back, scanning the nearest clothes and frowning. My head aches with pent up pressure, making it even more difficult to keep the energies at bay that surround me. The hot mess that is Ryker feels like a kid hammering on a pot, while Jenna's jumpy, eager to please energy is like a rattle, and the three other women I didn't even realize were in the store are boiling with excitement and anxiety. The combination threatens to overwhelm me.

"Over here," Jenna says, waving me to follow her. In the back corner of the store, I find a small sliver of hope, seeing basic staples, plain T-shirts, tanks, yoga pants, leggings, and sweats.

Thank God!

I quickly leaf through, finding my size, bumping up one, then picking out an assortment of tops and bottoms, only striking out in the jean department.

Somehow bedazzled jeans seem to be a big thing here and the last thing I want to do is to bring more attention to my ass and hips.

Not bothering to try anything on, I bring my load of clothes to the register and pull my credit card out, eager to pay as quickly as possible and be on my way.

I tried, I really did, but I can't handle anymore.

"There you two are," Rebecca calls from the doorway, walking in like she owns the place. Her eyes go wide and she clutches her chest dramatically as she takes in the limited selection. "This?!"

"None of those other stores carried anything over a ten... Not all of us are thin," I defend, hating that I have to state the obvious.

"You know Jess, I can put you in touch with my personal trainer. She's helped me stay in great shape over the years for Barron... You do want to keep Chris happy right?" she asks, picking up a pair of my sweatpants, her gaze flickering between me and them. Her insinuation is too much right now, making my chest tighten painfully.

I know all this woman wants is for me to break down, but thanks to these damn pregnancy hormones, she may very well get what she wants. The energy in the room is stifling, my head is splitting, and suddenly I'm feeling nauseous.

"Jenna, can you finish this transaction for me?" I ask, turning briefly to the timid woman. "I need some fresh air." Thankfully, she nods and I force myself to walk instead of run out of the building.