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
returns with the stroller for Rosalie’s pup,
different buildings and explaining their purpose to us
to me, watching Kota like a hawk whenever he runs ahead of us
finally arrive at the park, I help Evan set up a picnic for the girls, spreading out a blanket with snacks and
Rio through the open field to the playground,
ease, and they begin a game of sorts where they run after each other and freeze
heart that I could help comfort in some way, but I know better than to push her
She is already frightened.
to scare her any
picking flowers, thin sticks, and
pile of foliage and begins weaving them into crowns, her nimble fingers delicately folding the flower stems
watches with awe over her shoulder,
crown to Rosalie, placing it on top
me?” Rosalie asks with a smile as she puts her now sleeping pup away in his
she says, remembering the
weaves yet another flower crown and places it
with fright at the gesture, having been so focused on her pup and not noticing Agnes
Agnes “Sorry,”
signs with a trembling hand,
her for a few moments before taking the flower
you just scared me, is all,” Talia apologizes, turning to
smiles nervously and apologizes
their interaction with intrigue before asking a question I had been asking myself since I first met my
asks bluntly, placing her chin in her hand and
Talia shifts uncomfortably on
says with
“How old is he?”
her lips in a tight line, as if holding her tongue, before turning
months
before her
hard time talking to us about her story,” she says with
it if 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 says with a
hurt you
and watches Kota play with the
lunch and a few hours
I can see the hurt in her
us to the guest house can feel a small pain in my heart as we make the small trek in silence
Maybe hold her hand…
Grayson suggests.
pick up my pace until I walk alongside her, Kota
drop of courage I have, I touch her hand, Talia flinching away at the
prepare for her to snap at me but instead, she just stares at my
my mouth to apologize when she suddenly takes my hand, interlocking our fingers
my arm, but I can still feel her hand
as a small whimper escapes her throat
me for a
holding her hand as
wiping a few stray tears that rolled down
hardens her face and holds her
tired,” She whispers, avoiding my
room,” She instructs as she walks
house, Talia prepares a warm bath for Kota, but he begs her to let me wash him in her
you do it?” She
as she looks at me with glossy brown
boy for breaking his mother’s heart, but I know he is truly unaware of
there too long,” she says
firm and have him help you clean up
disappears down the hall, leaving me alone with
undresses and climbs into the bubble filled tub, grabbing a handful of bubbles and throwing them up in
wash him so that he can enjoy the bubbles
but I
Kota,” I
protest, I pull the plug in the tub, the water slowly draining down the hole much to Kota’s dismay glance at the door and listen
that we are alone, I dress the little boy in a pair of
I whisper to him, sliding his socks over
on his thumb, his blue and brown
mommy sad?” He asks, a patient
miss-misses home,” I
“Oh,” he sighs.
I like it here.” I hide my smile and finish putting on his other
i-it
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