Caught Between a Mate and Love

Chapter 13: I'm Sorry

Sarah took me back to work with an apologetic face that I refused to look at. I knew this was going to happen, or at least the back of my head knew; what else could I have expected? I should have given up on Zack a long time ago, because in the end I always knew this would happen.

My stomach felt awful in her stuffy car and my head was pounding so hard that I was glad to stumble out of the little thing and into my own car. Once again, I would be going home in the middle of the night, but this time I wanted to be alone. I wasn't given that option. After taking twenty minutes to sob alone in the parking lot, I sobered up some and decided I was ok enough to make the short drive home. I wiped my eyes and reapplied some concealer around them and on my nose to cover up the swelling and redness, yeah, I'm an ugly crier. It sucks.

When I parked in front of the house the lights were all on, as if they were all waiting for me. Fantastic. I tied my apron on as if I just finished cleaning, grabbed my bag and cautiously walked into my house. I was a ticking time bomb-if someone said one word about my lateness I knew I would burst into tears and fall to pieces.

I heard loud voices inside but I walked in anyways. Instantly I was engulfed in voices-but not the usual shouts, this was between Chris and April. My mom, dad, Tony and Hannah were all sitting around the dining table, speaking in hushed tones. They all looked up when I peeked in.

"Come," My father called from the table head. I looked at the floor as I shuffled closer and took a seat next to my mother. "Don't go near your room for now, they haven't stopped fighting."

"About what?" I bit my lip. I knew what. Everyone uncomfortably shifted in their seats and took turns giving me worried looks. "Where are the kids?"

I dropped my bag and keys on the table and tried to look sad, so maybe they would stop staring. My mom squeezed my hand.

"They're at Debbie's house," she answered. Chris and April were quiet for a moment. Thank God. I didn't have to hear her accusations and his apologies or his resentment and her crying, all around guilting me into a deeper pit of unhappiness. I wanted to go in there and kick April out even though I just got my heartbroken.

"Why didn't you tell me?" My father asked, looking disappointed at me. "About Alpha Theodore?"

"Dad," I sighed, "I didn't know what to do. This is all weird and wrong! He's married and..."

I choked up. Tony had a murderous face. "That human hurt you, didn't he?" Tony stood, heating up. "This is why we told you they were no good!"

"Sit down!" My dad yelled, slamming a hand on the table. We all quieted, even the Theodores. "Look at your sister!"

"I am! She let herself fall in love with that kid! And now she's depressed. She hasn't been the same since him," I felt instantly connected with Tony for once. Finally, I could see that my older brother did love me and he was always just irrationally angry. "I see you're hurting, Rita, but God, if you just listened for once you wouldn't be tangled up like this.."

My eyes watered. He was right, despite how I wished he wasn't.

"What's done is done," my dad said. They started talking in lower voices now, but I could still hear them, as I'm sure everyone else did. We tried to ignore them. "Now we have another issue. If this creates a problem between our two clans-"

"That's all you can think about?!" I shouted, outraged. Seriously?! He could see me bawling over here and his first thought is alliances and war?!

"Joseph!" My mother's eyes widened and she clenched my hand tighter.

"Mari, just let me say this!" My dad huffed. "I know, it's not the time, but it will never be with these fucking McClellans! So now or never! You have to know that we need the Theodores and if this is too much of a problem, we will lose!"