Chapter Seventy-Nine

I stomped up after him and got to my seat. “What is so funny?”

Ronnie laughed harder. “You learned so much this summer, pup, but there is one thing you still need to work on.” I tilted my head, and he leaned over the aisle and flicked my nose. “Work on your poker face.” His chuckle broke up at his words. “Your face was priceless. Pure disgust as you texted him.”

“Well… come on.” I shot him a sidelong look, and he bent over his knees, laughing harder.

“I know, but in all seriousness. He is an alpha, and most have egos bigger than a house. If you have that look on your face when he is trying to hit on you, or even talk to you, he will make your life a living hell in that pack.” Ronnie’s face fell serious. “You don’t want to offend him if you can help it.”

I nodded. “You’re right.” I wiped my face and settled into my seat. “But that is a worry for when we land.”

“True.” He settled back, and Lynn peeked her head over the seat.

“Alphas are hard to deal with. I transferred from my previous pack because of a similar situation. Some men don’t handle it, take no as an answer.” She took a deep breath. “Be careful how you handle the situation. Hopefully, you do better than me.” She settled back into her seat, and then the door to the plane was closed.

I took my phone and scrolled up to the top and started into the novel my mom sent me. I was lost in her messages within minutes. It started off normally. She messaged about her day, asked me about mine, but things took a turn after the first week. I felt my face tighten as I read further.

The plane had reached cruising speed, and the flight attendant came around. “Did you need a snack or drink?”

“Give me a glass of red wine. Whatever is on hand is fine,” I growled out.

Ronnie’s head snapped my way, but I ignored him. I was fuming, and I needed a drink to calm my nerves. This had gone so sideways.

“What’s wrong, Alm?”

I just held up my hand. I needed to finish reading. Ronnie nodded and waited.

The flight attendant brought me my drink, and I downed it, handed her back the glass, and she cut her eyes to Ronnie, but he just shooed her away.

I continued reading, growing angrier as I went. “How dare they?”

“What’s wrong?” Ronnie leaned closer, trying to read the texts. I just closed my phone since I was finished reading. “Amy, talk to me.”

“I don’t even know where to start,” I muttered as I turned to face my uncle. He gestured for me to go on, and I shook my head in disgust. “It started normally. She was checking in, wondering why I wasn’t answering. But then, after about a week, Shannon spiraled.”

“Why?”

“The alpha commanded her to stop going into my room. I figured out the day I left she was going in and stealing some of my clothes to wear around Brandon. They initially started dating because of my…” I trailed off and looked at Lynn, but I had to be honest with her eventually. “My scent. He thought Shannon was his mate, but in reality…”

“You are,” Ronnie finished, and I nodded.

“So she spiraled. She threw tantrums to my mom, trying to get her to get something from my room to keep up with her charade, but my mom stood firm.” I rubbed my hand against my eye. “But then she attacked her.” I felt the snarl build. “My mom wouldn’t stand up to her because of her father and the alpha, so she has been just taking it.”

“You’re joking.” Ronnie flopped back into his seat.

I nodded. “She says it’s fine. That she is weak, and it isn’t painful, but she sent pictures for documentation.” I snarled as I opened my phone and shoved it into Ronnie’s hands. Lynn got up and looked at the pictures with him, her face a mask of calm.

“I’ll kill her.” Lynn’s voice was dark.

“You can’t.” I took a deep breath. “She’s the beta’s daughter and my mother’s stepdaughter. The Oakenfang pack doesn’t discipline abuse within the family.” I bared my teeth as I choked out the first secret of the pack.

Ronnie reeled. “What the fuck do you mean?”

“I mean that if anyone in the family touches or hits another, the alpha looks the other way because he believes that the family will work past their disagreements. He says it’s below his station to deal with petty squabbles between family members.”

Ronnie and Lynn scoff, but Lynn grabbed my shoulder. “This works in your favor.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, you can dish out the same treatment to Shannon and her father for allowing it.”