"I want you to remain calm..." Ryan stated, putting his folded hands on the table, and his eyes trying to persuade her to listen to his words carefully. However, his words gave her an opposite reaction, whenever someone told you to be calm prior to explaining something, it almost always was bad.
"Whats happening?" she questioned, her voice dropping in tone and her eyes shifting back and forth between Dominick and Ryan.
"Lizzy, things are not as they appear. This life you have built for yourself, has been built off of a lie. Alpha Ryan, Alex, myself and even Aunt Shelly have all been maintaining this lie since your infancy." Dominick spoke, just as slowly and just as calmly as Ryan had started the conversation.
"What are you talking about?" her hazel eyes widened in confusion, having absolutely no idea what he was alluding to.
"You're not a normal girl, Lizzy." Dominick sighed.
"Can you please just tell me what the fuck is going on?!" her voice rising again as she began to panic, feeling Jason's hand tighten on her thigh in response to her cursing again, giving her a warning squeeze. The gesture being missed by her as she was truly transfixed on her Uncle, her eyes trying to pry her question out of his.
"You're a werewolf." Ryan stated succinctly. Just ripping the bandaid off and watching for her reaction.
"Are you delusional?" she scoffed incredulously and watched the serious faces her Uncle and Ryan both shared. Jason had tilted his head to the side so that he could watch her reaction as well, interest sparked on how the news would be taken.
"I am not, and I'm your Alpha, please mind your manners when speaking to me." he said, his tone clearly showing that he didn't like her combative question.
"You were her Alpha." Jason's eyes diverted to Ryan with a stern glare. "I'm her Alpha now." he said, slowly putting his nose into the crook of her neck and placing a soft kiss on the skin, having been wanting to do it for what seemed like ages. Her close proximity to him, and the amount of physical contact they had during this meeting was driving him insane, having to shift his position slightly to keep his hardened member at bay. Her scent was intoxicating, and it more than likely was a contributing factor to his calmer demeanor. That, and the fact, that the asshole Alex was now out of the room. "And she can speak to you anyway she wishes." he said, his eyes looking back up from her neck and planting another kiss on the same spot. "But no more curses, its unattractive."he whispered in her ear sternly.
"What's really going on here?" she said, her cheeks flushing from Jason's delicate contact with her neck. Finding it difficult to divide her attention elsewhere as her core tightened and she shifted in his lap trying to knock the sensations he was causing. And how uncomfortably embarrassing it was, that she was unable to free herself from him. However, her own will not urging her to do so either.
"He's being honest." Dominick said, his eyes falling to the table where he took to staring at his own large hands, unable to look at her. "You have an abnormality, that means you cant shift. But you have over the years displayed signs of some of the abilities of us wolves." his eyes finally rising to meet hers, his heart literally breaking as this massive lie he had kept for years was crumbling before him in the form of watery tears shedding down her cheeks.
"Am I going insane?" she said, raising hands to her cheeks, almost pinching them as if to wake herself up from this moment.
"You heal quickly, you recognize the scents of those close to you, your night vision is well beyond average... While all these tendencies are greatly muted in comparison to a wolf able to shift, they still make you above average in the human world." Dominick said as if all the words were one long sigh. Though internally he was crumbling, he secretly felt a relief of finally coming clean to her through all the lies and deception.
Him pointing out these little odds and ends of hers, only seemed to intensify them in the moment. The overwhelming smell of eucalyptus and mint overpowering her nose as she put her hand over her mouth and instinctively leaned back into the large body behind her. Her body without thought seeking comfort from the only available source, Jason.
"We decided to keep you in the dark, when we realized you wouldn't be able to shift. You had already lost your mother and father, and we didn't want a life of alienation for you. We wanted you to have a chance at normalcy." Dominick added, looking at her hopefully for some understanding, but finding none of it in her eyes.
"You didn't want me to live a life of alienation and yet you forced me to live a life of alienation? I don't even know who or what I am!" the anger was evident in her voice and betrayal was deeply formed in her, her body leaning forward and slamming her hands down on the table in frustration, shoulders slightly shaking.
"It was for your protection!" Dominick pleaded still seeking a level of comprehension from her.
"Bullshit!" she yelled back, Jason choosing to ignore the curse only because he was relishing in the satisfaction of her clear anger response. "I have lived my entire life under your protection, and I have lived in isolation because of it!"
"Elizabeth, calm down." Ryan stated looking at her in sympathy. "We thought we were doing what was best for you, and looking in hindsight we miscalculated." he said responding in a logical explanation.
"Miscalculated?! No, this is not a miscalculation! This is a deliberate affront!" Finally, standing as Jason released her and leaned back in his chair, enjoying this little episode entirely too much, giving her the freedom of her own body as he watched in baited anticipation. She was so hot right now.
"It was not our intentions..." Dominick said but was quickly stifled as she continued to glare across the table at him.
"My entire life has been a lie. And fucking Alex was in on this too? What did you make him date me to keep me occupied and complacent?" She demanded over the table, leaning further over in anger, her mind buzzing with thoughts, not knowing what to believe in anymore.
"Alex was your protection, and his affection was not our choice." Ryan stated back simply. Not intimidated by the young woman in the least, but minding his manners to not incorporate the other Alpha back into the conversation, preferring Jason quiet and wanting to wipe that stupid fucking smirk off of his face. Jason's presence was filled with arrogance and just put a bad taste in Ryan's mouth.
"I mean, you lied to her about a lot of things. How can we really be sure Alex wasn't a planned distraction?" Jason quipped from behind her, an arch of an eyebrow only highlighting the salt he was pouring over the wound.
"This conversation is becoming unproductive." Ryan responded, looking directly back at Jason. His steel reserve slowly being unwinded as he was beginning to lose his temper.
"Oh, I'm sorry! Is my life breaking down in front of you inconvenient for you? I had to get kidnapped by this fucking psychopath for you to tell me that this life has been a web of lies that you guys spun for me! I'm just some pawn you've manipulated, and now that you can't keep it up, you want me to be understanding?!" She spat out intensely, her hand gesturing back to Jason with a thumb jerked in his direction annunciating her little pet name for him.
Well, now, Jason was pissed, his eyes hardening and brows straightening as he stared at her, not appreciating the comment. Ryans eyes taking small pleasure in his anger. Nobody, was in Elizabeth's favor right now and she clearly was unconcerned about anybody in this room. Paying no mind to the other Betas as she continued on.
"This is just fucking perfect. Just fucking perfect. My life is a mess and you all just want to continue on as if any of this is rational." She took a step back from the table, her hand sweeping in a pointed measure to everyone present, placing blame on each and every one of them, save for Joseph, who just like her was another pawn.
"Stand down, Elizabeth." Jason said in his deep voice his eyes darkening as he stared at her as she used her venom on everyone in the room, really only caring about how it was also directed towards him.
"Tell her, Alpha." Ryan smirked at Jason, receiving glares from Jacob, Mark, and Cane in singularity.
"Watch yourself." Jason's eyes diverted to Ryan only momentarily in warning, and then returned back to her immediately. "I said, stand down." he repeated in a slower deeper manner.
"Go fuck yourself!" she said as she began to storm to the door, knowing it was unlocked and would not be a prison like the bedroom had been. She was getting the fuck out of here, all these men were complete assholes and she wasn't going to be controlled anymore.
Or at least that was the idea she had, before she found herself being pushed up against a wall, Jason had sent his chair flying backwards and he came upon her so quickly to shove her forcefully against the cold cream wall, her cheek squished at the pressure he was applying. "You will not speak to me in that way." he whispered in her ear harshly behind clenched teeth. "Go sit your ass back down in that chair, right fucking now." he said gripping her by the arms and shoving her back towards the table.
He was so intensely focused on her, that he had not realized all the men at the table standing up and locking eyes with hands pressed on the table. His forcefulness with the young woman finally shattering the closely monitored tension in the room.
"I think this meeting is over." Beta Jacob said in his cool manner.
"I agree." Ryan stated with a stiff nod, not breaking eye contact with the opposing Master Beta.
"Get the fuck off my territory." Jason said in finality, his eyes not leaving Elizabeth as she collapsed into the chair and broke down with her body shaking from tears. She was absolutely, and hopelessly trapped with this monster, and nobody was willing to help her.