Alpha, Beta, Omega

Chapter Twenty-Two

Kali sat in the living room of Thornton's house, curled up on the couch next to a boy she had known nearly all her life.

Ephraim Mallard was the youngest brother of Chloe's friend Ryan, the one who had shot Kay, and he had always been such a sweet boy. A few years younger than herself he was kind and generous and because of that Ryan, and everyone the Beta had associated with, Chloe included, had bullied Ephraim. Kali honestly couldn't remember Ephraim ever fighting back. He just took each beating or insult and carried on.

It made her sick to know that Ryan had forced Ephraim into helping him and Chloe.

And she knew he had because she'd cornered him once the pack had locked him in the cells beneath town hall, threatening to castrate him, with her fangs, if he didn't tell her the truth.

It was the reason Ephraim was with her and not locked up with the others.

Well, that and the fact that Samson had, quite literally, pulled Thornton aside when the Alpha had tried to order the boy be placed with the others. She hadn't been able to hear what Samson had said, saw old the wild gestures in Ephraim's direction, but she'd seen the shock on Thornton's face and had a pretty good idea what was going on. But instead of dwelling on that she remained focused on Ephraim.

He was quiet and shaking and looked absolutely terrified. Especially since Samson was standing on the other side of the room, watching him intently, eyes blazing with his wolf.

Shaking her head but unable to bring herself to tell Samson to back off or go in another room she reached up and pulled the quilt off the back of the couch, gently wrapping it around Ephraim, who jerked slightly and stared at her with wide, frightened eyes.

"It's okay, Ephraim," she said softly. "Nothing is going to happen to you. I promise."

Ephraim let out a soft whine and shook his head even as he pulled the quilt tighter around his shaking shoulders. "But I...I...I attacked you...I..."

"Ephraim," Kali reached up, gently cupping his cheek, not surprised that he flinched, wishing she could take away his fear, wishing she could wipe away every bruise and hurt. He was a good person. He didn't deserve everything that had happened to him. "Sweetie, Ryan told me everything. What he threatened if...if you didn't go along with Chloe's plan."

Ephraim whined again, the sound full of fear, and Kali saw Samson twitch in response but she quickly wrapped her arms around the boy, hugging him tightly, trying to convey nothing but kindness and comfort.

"It's going to be okay, Ephraim," she whispered in his ear as she gently brushed his hair back, seeing Kay step into the room out of the corner of her eye. "I promise."

He whined, loudly, and leaned into her, face pressed against her shoulder and she gently rocked him when he started to cry. She kept whispering that it was going to be okay, that she was sorry she hadn't been able to protect him before but she would protect him from now on and, after a while, his breathing evened out as he slipped into a fitful sleep.

Moving slowly she gently lowered him to the couch, tugging the quilt around him so it covered him better and tucked a pillow beneath his head. The moment she stepped back Samson was there, kneeling next to the couch, hand gently running over Ephraim's hair, murmuring softly. Kali smiled and slowly turned away, crossing to where Kay was still lingering in the door way.

As she reached her Beta mate she saw his curious expression. "Are they..." he started, nodding towards Samson and Ephraim and she gave a slight shrug, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Probably." She bumped her shoulder gently against his shoulder as she passed him on her way into the kitchen, knowing he'd take the hint and follow her.

Once in the kitchen she wasn't surprised when Kay suddenly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back against him.

"Kay..."

"Was so fucking scared out there," he whispered against her hair. "Thought...Kept thinking something was going to happen to you. That I...That I was going to lose you before I could tell you how sorry I was for being such a prick to you about...about what Shawna told us."

Kali rumbled faintly and started to pull away, wounds opening again at the reminder of her mates' doubt in her, but Kay wasn't about to let her go. Not yet.

"Shawna told us everything after she saw what Thornton did to your sister," he said, nuzzling at her hair. "She told us Chloe paid her, gave her the photos. Guess she was afraid of meeting the same fate if we learned the truth on our own."

Kali let out a low whimper.

"Did...Did she say why did agreed to do it?"

"The money. She had debts, debts no one knew about, and she figured it would be a way to wipe her slate clean." Kay hugged her a little tighter. "Thornton banished her from the pack. I thought...he looked like he wanted to rip her head off. And I...I'm so sorry, Kali. I'm sorry I didn't trust in you. I'm sorry I didn't at least ask...press...about the issue."

Kali let out a soft sound as she reached up and covered Kay's hands with her own.

"The man...in the photos...he's my friend Amy's mate," she said softly, not hearing when Thorton walked into the kitchen. "He...He'd just told me they were going to have their first baby." She felt tears prickle her eyes. "Amy and Roy were the only people who never treated me different. They...They were my only friends. I'm sorry you thought..."

"No."

Thornton's voice startled her and she nearly jerked out of Kay's arms.

She watched, warily, as her Alpha mate approached her, his gaze soft and, when he reached up to cup her face between his hands, she barely kept from flinching, remembering how angry he'd been, how he'd all but accused her of hurting Kay.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," the Alpha said gently. "We're...I am sorry. For not listening. For not trusting. I let my anger and jealousy and fear cloud my judgement. And I'm sorry for everything, Kali. I...I will spend the rest of my life trying to earn your forgiveness. Making things up to you."

Kali felt the tears spill down her face. "Thornton..."

He pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"There are not words enough for how sorry I...we...are, Kali," Thornton said, giving her a soft look, wiping her tears away as Kay nuzzled at her hair, then her neck, trying to calm and comfort her. "But I promise we will do whatever it takes to make this right."

Kali let out a soft huff of breath, nearly laughing, and shook her head, mindful not to hit Kay whose head was resting in the slope of her neck.

"Just...Just hearing you say you're sorry is...is more than enough," she said, fresh tears spilling down her face. "You...You are...This is the first time someone's ever apologized to me and really meant it."

She saw Thornton's eye widened and suddenly she was being embraced, tightly, by both her mates. Both kept talking, trying to be heard over the other, apologizing and promising to do better, to be better, to never hurt her again. And all the while she stood there and cried, clinging to Thornton with one hand and Kay with the other.

She didn't know what the future held but, for the first time in a long time, she felt like things were going to be alright.