Chapter 59

Moving to the rear of the car, the women crowd around, and I hear Elena trying to regather herself. Trying to slip a facade she has worn for too long back on. Clearing her throat, she moves to take one of the blankets her mother rushes out with.

Opening the rear door, Sondra grabs her vodka bottle, and I pick her up, moving to the front of the car. Only when I do, Elena’s entire pack is on their knees, baring their necks to Sondra. Sondra smiles and then shivers, Elena moves to wrap the blanket around her, and I start climbing the hill.

However, when we reach the top, Sondra speaks. “I was wrong about you,” she tells me, making me glance down at her.

“Now I know you’re dying. You just admitted you’re wrong about something,” I tell her, and she chuckles softly. I sit on the ground, and I prop Sondra between my legs so she can lean against me. Elena sitting beside me.

“You’re nothing like your father, I used to think you would be just like him, having grown up in his image, but now I see you were just another of his victims,” Sondra tells me, and I swallow.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t save her; I couldn’t save any of them. If only I had the courage to do what I did to Floyd back then, we may be having a different conversation. Maybe none at all.” She muses.

“You couldn’t have predicted the outcome of being with your mate, Sondra,” Elena whispers.

“You’re right, but I could have stopped it before he took more lives. I had plenty of opportunities. I just didn’t take them. Same as your fathers, I could have ended them, but I didn’t. Instead, I convinced myself I would be the same as them if I did. Instead, I was the same because I sat back and did nothing.” she sighs. Elena shakes her head, but Sondra reaches out and grips her hand.

of your father’s. Defeated them, conquered the trauma instead

is yet to be seen,” she

seen it,” Sondra tells her,

You didn’t use your boys as an excuse to stay. You used them as your excuse to leave. So I know you will do the right thing by them if you’re willing

mean no offense by that. I’m not just referencing you, but her father, she

did, but it’s

No, he would just beat her down until there was nothing left but a compliant shell of a woman. Therefore you are not the same. Elena is not beneath you. She is your equal. That is people’s biggest

hers. “It was only when I grew older that dad

answers, dear? She put all

realized she was lying to herself. Just like me with Floyd,” Sondra tells her. She lifts the bottle to her

thought you were so depressing drunk? Give me that.” Elena tells her, taking the bottle and swigging from it. Elena chokes,

is that,

I once fired my tractor up with this shit,” Sondra tells her, taking

life for love,” Sondra says. Elena’s brows furrow, and

wasn’t really love, just some twisted version of what I perceived as love. You two will be different because both of you

to realize I hated the person I also loved-years of living a step behind him, becoming and morphing into his shadow while mine faded away. So caught up in everything to do with him that I forgot what I wanted. Forgot who I am

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