Chapter 20: First steps

***Jane***

Agnes and I spend the morning with Kota, Rosalie, Rosalie’s baby Emile, and Evan, fighting our own anxiety from our lack of activity.

In all my life, I had never had a moment to rest, to just sit and watch a movie or play games without a care in the world.

Even if there was chance that I completed my chores, my mind and self-hatred would torture me relentlessly.

As a pup, my father put me through rigorous schooling and speech therapies to make me the best Alpha I could be.

Of course, I could never live up to his expectations.

He would make me stand before him once a week to recite the history of our pack or the laws that governed it and the kingdom.

If I faltered in my pronunciation, I would be struck with a whip.

There was never a day that I made it out of a recital without shedding blood.

My mother would weep sorrowfully, begging my father helplessly to have mercy.

She would sometimes be beaten herself for attempting to shield me.

It hurt my soul to fail her so miserably but no matter how hard I concentrated, my tongue would only grow stiffer, and my words would slur like a drunk.

After I was demoted to Omega status, I became a field hand, carrying weapons for the warriors in training or helping maintain the equipment in the hot sun or cold winters.

As I grew older, I learned many things to make myself useful such as plumbing, mechanics, painting and other basic maintenance jobs.

Agnes is no different.

With her hearing gone, she had to make herself useful to earn her meals.

No one wants an extra mouth to feed.

She was beaten relentlessly by other Omegas if she slipped up.

She learned to be quick in the kitchen, never resting for fear she would be cast out or killed by the Omegas.

So, as we sit comfortably on the couch watching Aladdin with Kota, Agnes and I find it hard to rest, wondering if at any moment, this pack’s kindness would run out.

Even Grayson could not find the words to soothe my racing thoughts.

Feeling myself about to break, I get up quietly and search for a pen and paper before approaching Rosalie with a note.

“Are you sure there is nothing we can do to be of service 2” Rosalie reads aloud before raising an eyebrow at me.

“Are you bored?” She asks nervously.

“W-we can go to the park if you like.Kota could stretch his legs and play with some other pups.Let me just get the stroller for Emile,” she says as Evan gets up from his spot to find said stroller.I shake my head at her, writing out my response.

“We just don’t want to be a burden.”She stares at the note before smiling up at me.

“You are our guests, not a burden,” She chuckles.

“Gwen asked for this favor and need,” She smiles.

“Just relax and enjoy yourselves. Take this a small vacation while Gwen finishes up her work.”

Just then we hear the door open, and Natalia appears on her own, a thoughtful look in her eyes.

“You’re back!” Rosalie chirps.

“How was the walk? Did you see all of River Moon?” She asks with a cheerful smile.

Talia smiles sheepishly, her eyes staring at her hands.

“It was …eye opening…” she replies quietly.

“Aurora just had an emergency to deal with.”

There’s a serious tone in her voice and Rosalie appears to understand the true meaning behind her words.

“Well, you’ve come just in time.I think Kota might enjoy some time at the park,”

She gestures to Kota watching the movie on the floor with Rio lying lazily next to him.

“Yeah, mommy!” Kota cries, scrambling to his feet.

“Can we go to the park?”

before giving her consent, Kota

returns with the stroller for Rosalie’s pup, some blankets,

and explaining their purpose to us to keep the

like a hawk whenever he runs ahead of us with Rio reassure

arrive at the park, I help Evan set up a picnic for the girls, spreading out a blanket with snacks

races with Rio through the open field to the playground, several pups gathering around

and they begin a game of sorts where they run after

my heart that I could help comfort in some way, but I

She is already frightened.

need to

park, picking flowers, thin sticks, and

her nimble fingers delicately folding the flower stems and blades

watches with awe over her shoulder, praising her incredible weaving

then presents the crown to Rosalie, placing

Rosalie asks with a smile as she puts her now

you,” she says, remembering the ‘thank you’

another flower crown and

the gesture, having been so focused on her

Agnes “Sorry,”

with a

few moments before taking the flower crown and squeezing Agnes’

just scared me, is all,” Talia apologizes, turning to

smiles nervously and apologizes once again for

question I had been asking myself since I first met my

asks bluntly, placing

attacked?” Talia shifts uncomfortably on her pillow and shakes

she says with a

“How old is he?”

lips in a tight line, as

months old… almost

proudly before her face

had a hard time talking to us

us.But just FYI, you are safe here so you can stop looking at us like we’re going to eat you,”

hurt you already

remains silent and watches Kota play

to keep them to herself for the time being.We remain at the park for lunch and a few hours thereafter until Kota and Rio

I can see the hurt in her eyes at

me to stop and walks on ahead of us to the guest house can feel a small pain in my heart as we make the small trek in silence and try to think of something I could do to make her feel

Maybe hold her hand…

Grayson suggests.

pick up my pace until I walk alongside her,

I touch her hand, Talia flinching away at the sensation of

I mentally prepare for her to snap at me but instead, she

to apologize when she suddenly takes my hand, interlocking our fingers

arm, but I can still feel her hand shaking in

as a small whimper escapes her throat and she squeezes my

onto me for a

sorry,” She explains, holding her

wiping a few

her face and holds her head

just tired,” She whispers,

She

warm bath for Kota, but he begs her to let me wash him in her place.Talia looks like she might burst into tears after being rejected by her son for the second time today but nonetheless, appeases

it?” She asks, her voice

returns as

little boy for breaking his mother’s heart, but I know he is truly unaware of how much his simple request is hurting her.I accept and Talia hands me his

let him stay in there too long,” she

likes to splash you so be firm and have him help you clean

alone with the cheeky pup grinning at me

eagerly undresses and climbs into the bubble filled tub, grabbing a handful of bubbles and throwing

wash him so that he can enjoy the bubbles before the water

but I grab his two little hands and place them

Kota,” I say

the plug in the tub, the water slowly draining down the hole much to Kota’s dismay glance at

that we are alone, I dress the little boy in a

yo-your mommy is s-sad,” I whisper to him, sliding his socks over his

sucks on his thumb, his blue

is mommy sad?” He asks, a patient look in

miss-misses

“Oh,” he sighs.

I hide my smile and finish putting on

like i-it

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