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?”

Rosalie and I before giving her consent, Kota bouncing with excitement while Rio jumps at his

with the stroller for Rosalie’s pup, some blankets, and Rio’s

pointing out different buildings and explaining their purpose to us to keep the walk from

me, watching Kota like a hawk whenever he runs ahead of us with Rio reassure her that her pup

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

field to the playground, several pups gathering around

with ease, and they begin a game of sorts where they run

that I could help comfort in some way, but I know better

She is already frightened.

need to scare her any

perimeter of the park, picking flowers, thin sticks, and long

crowns, her nimble fingers delicately folding the flower

with awe over her shoulder, praising her incredible weaving

the crown to Rosalie, placing

as she puts her now sleeping

says, remembering the ‘thank you’

weaves yet another flower crown

fright at the gesture, having been so focused on her pup and not noticing Agnes getting

Agnes “Sorry,”

signs with a

moments before taking

you just scared me, is all,” Talia apologizes,

apologizes

interaction with intrigue before asking a question I had been asking myself since I first met my

afraid of werewolves?” She asks bluntly, placing

you attacked?” Talia shifts uncomfortably on her

lovely pup…” she says with a

“How old is he?”

in a tight line, as if

four months old… almost

proudly before her face

time talking to us about her story,” she

you don’t want to tell us.But just FYI, you are safe here so you can stop looking at us like we’re going to eat you,” she

hurt you already

and watches Kota play

to have more questions but decides 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 tire themselves out and lifting his

forces a smile, but I can see the hurt in her

to go to his mother, Talia shakes her head 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

Maybe hold her hand…

Grayson suggests.

until I walk alongside her,

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

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

when she suddenly takes my hand, interlocking our fingers

my arm, but I can still feel her

as a small whimper escapes her throat and she squeezes my hand with all her

for a

She explains, holding her hand as

not… f**k!” she groans, wiping a few stray

and holds

just tired,” She whispers, avoiding

She instructs as she walks ahead

wash him in her place.Talia looks like she might burst into tears after being rejected by her son

She asks, her voice

heart returns as she looks at me with glossy brown

know he is truly unaware of how

in there

clean up if he makes a mess.He needs to learn that there

leaving me alone

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

that he can enjoy

Talia forewarned, Kota tries to splash me many times, but I grab his two

Kota,”

draining down the hole much to Kota’s dismay glance at the door and

the little boy in a pair of blue

mommy is s-sad,” I whisper to him, sliding

blue and brown eyes blinking

He asks, a patient look

miss-misses home,”

“Oh,” he sighs.

hide my

like i-it t-t-too,” I

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