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,

returns with the stroller for Rosalie’s pup,

chatters away, pointing out different buildings and explaining their

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

I help Evan set up a picnic for the girls, spreading out a

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

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

wish with all my heart that I could help comfort in some way,

She is already frightened.

not need to

park, picking flowers, thin sticks, and

pile of foliage and begins weaving them into crowns, her nimble fingers delicately folding the flower stems and blades

with awe over her shoulder, praising her incredible

to Rosalie, placing it

this for me?” Rosalie asks with a smile as she puts her now sleeping pup away in his

she says, remembering the ‘thank you’ sign from

flower crown

having been so focused on her pup and not noticing Agnes getting near

Agnes “Sorry,”

with a

blinks at her for a few moments before taking the flower crown and squeezing Agnes’

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

smiles nervously and apologizes once again for scaring

intrigue before asking a question I

of werewolves?” She asks bluntly, placing her

shifts uncomfortably on her pillow and

says with

“How old is he?”

lips in a tight line, as if holding her

four months old… almost

smiles proudly before her face

to us about her story,” she says with

you are safe here so you can stop looking

hurt you already if we wanted

silent and watches Kota play with

being.We remain at the park for lunch and a few hours thereafter until Kota and Rio tire themselves out and lifting

I can see the hurt in her eyes at

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

Maybe hold her hand…

Grayson suggests.

gulp but pick up my pace until I walk alongside her, Kota mumbling

her hand, Talia flinching away

nearly stops as I mentally prepare for her to snap

open my mouth to apologize when she suddenly takes

arm, but I

whimper escapes her throat and she

a little while longer before

sorry,” She explains, holding her hand as

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

and

just tired,” She whispers, avoiding

to the room,” She instructs as she walks ahead

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

you do it?” She asks, her

my heart returns as she looks at me with glossy brown

little boy for breaking his mother’s heart, but I know he is truly unaware of how much his simple request is

him stay in there too long,” she says

clean up if he makes a mess.He needs

hall, leaving me alone with the cheeky pup grinning at

filled tub, grabbing a handful of bubbles

so that he can enjoy the bubbles

Kota tries to splash me many times, but I

Kota,” I

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

alone, I dress the little boy in a pair of blue

I whisper to him, sliding his socks

on his thumb, his blue and brown eyes blinking

He asks, a patient

miss-misses

“Oh,” he sighs.

I like it here.” I hide my smile and finish putting on his other

like i-it t-t-too,” I

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