Chapter 10

Everly POV

We settled in the room, and I washed Valerian down with a wet cloth. It was a little too cold today for me to give him a bath right now. Once Valarian had settled and was napping, I had the longest, hottest shower in ages. Trying to wash the memories of last night away.

I found my mate, saw him, and he didn’t recognize me. But worse still was knowing he was with another woman. The agony that it caused as I ran home was heartbreaking as well as painful. When Marcus took me there, I hoped that he would recognize our son and get the help we needed, that maybe everything could be fixed, especially once I realized he was my mate. Allowing hope for the first time in ages, and I caught a glimmer of it only for it to be taken away, and now I was failing my son once again, that much I did know. I was failing my son; he would never have a father. I would never again have mine and how I longed to go home, where I was loved and the cherished Alphas daughter. Instead, I am now ashamed and scum, forbidden to speak to my sister in my father’s eyes. Not even my mother would fight her grandchild or me. I knew she was hurting, but I could never choose anyone over my son, so how could she choose Dad over me?

My life had fallen apart; I didn’t think it could get much worse, but then it ripped my heart out too. I thought my luck was changing when he stepped into the bathroom. Every piece of me, screaming for him. I truly realized how powerful a mate bond is for the first time. Nothing thrilled me more, well, until I saw the look on his face.

The way he yelled at me and ordered me off his territory. Only to have my father toss me outside in the rain afterward. Forcing me to watch my son being looked after through a d**n window out of reach because I no longer deserve Human decency from my own family.

I thought I could do this. I thought I was stronger than this but everyone breaks. Everyone has a breaking point, and I have reached mine, everything d*n thing weighing me down suddenly becomes too much, and I break. At least no one could see how F*cked up I really was while I cried in the shower, letting the shower wash away my sorrow. Wash out the pain I felt until it brought me to my knees.

Making it startlingly clear how alone I was.