The Light in Us

62. Fallon

62

Fallon

I snap at the male in front of me with my teeth when he takes a step.

“ Stay away from them .”

The room is silent, Fox’s fury the only noise behind me. His hand brushes my back.

I don’t know what this is. I’ve never felt this before – this surge that feels like electricity in my veins, lighting me up from the inside. Like a dormant volcano, suddenly come to life and crushing every submissive instinct under a wall of flowing lava.

Because I’m so angry that I take another step toward the far more dominant alpha, and I growl. My scent twists in the air, the nutmeg suddenly overwhelming. Spice and anger and heat as I spread my arms out. “Leave them alone. They didn’t do anything.”

And even my voice is deeper. More guttural.

Behind me, there’s a frantic flurry of whispering. Rowan’s voice comes from beside me, aimed at the men trying to hurt my pack. “You need more damn proof? Here she is. Safe and well. And scent-matched .”

They’re here for them. For my mates. For Rowan. For Teddy.

I growl again, snapping my teeth.

I don’t move. But I allow Zeke to come up behind me, to press his chest to my back, to stroke down my arm. “Fallon.”

I can hear the anger in his voice. But there’s fear, too. “Nobody is in danger, love. They’re just checking to make sure you’re alright.”

To make sure the Quill pack hasn’t kidnapped me.

I can’t back down. Can’t lower my arms. My whole body is nearly vibrating with the frenzy that tears through me. “ You’re not touching my pack .”

A rumble of approval through the room.

Someone edges in front of me, and I snarl. Hands land on my face. Gentle. Familiar.

Wilder’s jaw is tight. His eyes are edged with gold. “We’re not going anywhere, mate. Everyone is safe. None of us are in trouble. You understand?”

He throws his next words over his shoulder, his tone icy-cold. “ Tell her .”

The male behind him sighs, and I tense. “Damn pack politics. Miss… Matthews. Fallon, is it? We’re just doing a welfare check, as requested by the Smith pack. Your… mate, is right. Nobody is in trouble. We can see that you’re here by choice.”

A welfare check.

And it’s Teddy who laughs, but it’s edged with rage. “Where was your damn welfare check when Fallon was with them ?”

The violence in my body recedes slightly. I shift, lowering my hands an inch.

“That’s it,” Zeke murmurs in my ear. “It’s alright, Fallon. Nobody’s going anywhere. Nobody’s in trouble.”

It recedes further, until I can think clearly. I press back into Zeke, leaning on him as the strength drains out of my body.

But the anger is still there. Still seething.

“Teddy is right.” My voice is hoarse. “Where was your welfare check when they stole my life ?”

The males around me growl, even Rowan.

Wilder shifts enough for me to see the male. He looks older. Mid-fifties, maybe, with graying hair and a stern expression that flickers with surprise. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand.”

I take a breath. “When the Smith pack took over. When my parents died. Where was my check then? When they took my identification and closed down my bank account? When they locked me in a house and punished me if I stepped out of line?”

I’m shaking. A tear trickles out of my eye. “Where was your damn welfare check when Ellis Smith put me in a cold shower and used his bark to keep me there?”

The atmosphere drops. Behind me, Zeke goes rigid. “Fallon.”

But I can’t stop. Can’t stop the words. “Or when I lost a dollar – one dollar - from the grocery shop change, and they cut up every piece of clothing I owned and threw my things away? Where the hell were you then?”

The male looks stunned. “I – well—,”

“But you come here,” I snarl. “When I am finally happy , and you try to take me away from this pack? My pack?”

“Fallon,” Teddy whispers. And he’s crying, his eyes dark and his cheeks damp.

“You tell them this,” I say hoarsely. “You tell the Smith pack that if they ever come near my pack again, I will come after them for every penny of what they took from me. And I will tell everyone I can that the Smith pack took an omega into their care and abused her for seven damn years. You tell them that, in the results from your welfare check .”

I can’t do anymore. I spin, folding myself into Zeke. His hand is shaking as he rubs my back, but his voice is tight with anger. “What can we do? Detective?”

The male – the detective – stays silent for a minute. “We can take a statement. Put it on the record. And we can investigate any abuse claims.”

“But only five per cent of domestic abuse claims result in conviction in this country.” Ice drips from every word as Wilder slips in front of me, keeping me tucked between him and Zeke. “Isn’t that right, detective?”

A sigh. “Unfortunately. But we can still pursue it.”

“I’ll make a statement,” I whisper.

To protect myself. To protect my pack. “What if they do it to someone else?”

Wilder’s hand slips into mine. “We’re staying. All of us. Unless Fallon wants some space.”

I shake my head. I can’t think of anything worse than facing this alone. But with them beside me… “Can we do it now?”