In the Alpha’s Arms

Stack Attack

Lita finished her drink in one swallow, Fuck it, she needed to rip off the band aid sunner or later, “I was in the car.”

“What car?”

*THEE cat….

James‘ car… that night… when he died.” It was like all the s heartbeat. All she could hear was blood rushing to her head.

sounds around her went out the window, giving way to that pulsing heat of her

Are hid his surprise well but the pity was harder to mask. He hugged her and didn’t say a thing. Then they just stood there, watching the city move below them as the weight of her words kind of floated in the air around them.

Thanks,” she whispered as the noise around them slowly filtered back into her, “I didn’t realize how much I needed to just say it.” He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She wasn’t crying. The grief hadn’t come back to swallow her whole. She just existed. A girl who’d watched her brother die and lived. The memories didn’t have to kill her. But what about the guilt?

“It was my fault,” she blurted.

to take her baggage wherever she went but there it was, the crux of her: her fucking guilt, her fucking misery. If no one had seen that bruise, her brother would still be alive, Lita just

probably older than he should have been. But I didn’t see any of the signs for what they were, didn’t listen to any of the red flags.” Lita rubbed at her arm, grabbing his drink and downing that one too, “Anyway when

instinctually wrapping an arm around her waist to

be flipped his shit, determined to beat the guy’s ass. And followed, trying to convince him not to. We were speeding down the highway, arguing about the whole thing. He didn’t see the car come over the divider until it

spoke, turning her back

he didn’t really have to. The force of his words said it all. Lita understood him

pulled her face back up, I can tell what you’re thinking. Nothing’s ruined. It’s okay to be

before, you know, all this,” she

fun,” Ace set their drinks down and they retreated back into the main room, heading

a motion to the tableman and the dice ended up in his hand, “Lita, blow on these for good luck okay? She rolled her eyes, laughing a little as she blew

the tableman yelled as applause

now you can’t stop,” Ace smiled, dimples on full display,

tables for a while, gambling and laughing. Lita threw back rum and cokes like they were going out of style. She saw Jax and Stace across the room, leaving nothing to the Imagination on the dance floor. They waved and sent her thumbs up. She absent–mindedly thumbed her phone, wondering when Cole was going to arrive. Her

it wasn’t Cole. She stared at the message icon from