Alpha Brothers - The Cold Hearted Sister (book 5)

Chapter 29

Chapter 29
Allie
After a long, hot shower and dressed in proper clothes, I headed down to the dining room. I didn't know what worried me more. The fact that Nick refused to leave my room or having dinner that would probably end in tears. Well, they won't be my tears.
Knowing the way like the back of my hand, I walked down two flights of stairs, down a hall till I got to the dining room door. They were all in there, I could smell them.
Taking in a deep breath, I opened the door before I had a chance to back out. All eight of them froze, trying to see if Nick was with me.
With a scoff, I told them, "He's not comin'."
Half of them even looked disappointed as I made my way to my seat next to Archie. I bet you can guess which half.
"How are you doin', Allie?" Liv started, before we fell into silence.
I made the quick decision to not tell them about the details of how Hector tortured me and branded me and almost rapped me. I wasn't strong enough to say the words out loud.
"Never better," I said, making everyone frown, "I mean, I just had an hour long shower and I've never felt so refreshed."
They all snickered, clearly expecting me to say that. Half of me was glad that they didn't question me but another part was annoyed that they didn't really know me at all.
"So, nothin's changed then," Archie chuckled, next to me.
"Not at all," I said, with a big smile, "It would take a lot more then Hector Macangus to break me."
"Maybe just a Macangus Mate."
I dropped my knife making it clang against my plate as I burned Graham's skin with my eyes.
"Graham," Callum warned.
"We're havin' a nice family dinner," Liv told him, "You're not allowed to say anythin' mean about him."
"Oh, Liv," he sighed, "You really don't know me at all."
"He seemed nice when I was talking to him," Bleu spoke up, surprising me almost as much as she surprised him.
She had definitely changed. When I left, she was still the shy little witch but now she looked as if she could take on a whole army.
Looking on the verge of losing it, Graham growled, "What? I told you not to talk to him."
"And I ignored you," she openly admitted.
"But –."
"What did I just say?" Liv asked, annoyed.
"Yeah, we don't want to be witnesses to a domestic," Amy added.
I couldn't help but scoff, "Pot kettle black."
Her mouth dropped, offended, "Allie."
"It's true," I giggled, "You two are always arguin' or makin' out."
"Which is equally disturbin'," Malcolm muttered.
"Oh like you two don't argue," Archie snapped.
He shrugged, accepting it lying down.
"Hey, we have a baby," Tarna argued for him, "Of course we're goin' to argue."
We chuckled, leaving it there.
"But, what's been happenin'?" I asked them, "anythin' new?"
"Just Baby Bee," Liv piped up.
I was about to speak when the look between her and Callum silenced me. There was a small smile on both their lips but none said anything. I would have questioned them but I feared their answer.
"Come on, there has to be more. Archie?" I asked.
There's always something new with him.
"Ah," he hummed, "the trainin' with the wolves have become more intense."
I smiled, wanting to find Hector and scream at him, I told you so! I guess I did have faith in my brothers, more than I realized.
"Has Hector made any threats?" I asked.
"Only takin' you," Tarna said.
"Should we be worried?" Liv asked.
I shrugged, "I think we all should be worried. Hector said that you guys were gettin' closer and that he was runnin' out of time. I don't think he would take it lightly that his prize and his brother ran away."
"So, we should be shitting ourselves," Amy clarified.
"We need to warn the pack. Get them trainin' harder," Callum said to Archie.
He nodded chewing his mouthful, "I'll go see them after dinner. Also apologise for your earlier behaviour."
Callum exhaled looking annoyed but he didn't say anything.
"It might do them good to be yelled at," I stated, "You know, keep them on their toes. Actually take you seriously."
He frowned, "they take me seriously."
I couldn't help but scoff as the others snickered.
"They respect you but sometimes they don't take you seriously."
He cleared his throat, trying to get past the news.
After a few moments of silence, he changed the subject, "Allie, how would Nicholas feel about goin' around with us tomorrow."
Everyone's gaze fell to him, not sure if we had heard him right.
"What?" Archie asked first, clearly not on board.
"I thought we were havin' a no-talkin'-about-Nick-night-because-it-is-extremely-awkward?" I asked.
"This isn't about that. It's about gettin' to know him," he told me.
"But, he's a Macangus," Graham stated as if that was a real argument.
"Exactly," Callum said, some reason happy about that, "we need to stop seein' him as a Macangus and what better way to do that than to teach him our ways of doin' thin's."
"Because I like my head where it is, thanks," Graham said.
"I can think of another place where you can put it," I muttered, winning a glare from him.
"Enough Graham," Callum said, "I said he was on probation and I meant it. A part of that involves gettin' to know him as our sister's mate. Not as an enemy."
Graham shrugged, "well, he can be your responsibility."
"Aye, I already knew that," Callum said, going back to his dinner.
I sat there, still, not sure what had just happened. Did Callum just invite Nick on a play date?
After tea, I wondered the halls of my home, trying to tell what was different. The paintings were the same, the walls and the floors were the same, the furniture was the same. But I was different. As much as I wanted to believe that I hadn't changed, I had. I couldn't say that it was for the worse or for the best because I didn't believe any of it. But it was the first time I was seeing everything so clearly.
The world's troubles were real and there were people like Macangus everywhere. Heroes and gods had their flaws and one decision, good or bad, could impact the lives of so many for so long. Relationships, no matter how messy, how imperfect meant everything. And brothers, no matter how annoying, could mean life or death to your soul.
Once I had reached the fourth gallery, all I wanted to do was go to bed with Nick next to me. But I just couldn't do that yet. Taking a right, I walked down the gallery till I reached Callum's and Liv's bedroom. I didn't open the door because I had never planned on going in, in the first place. Instead, I knelt my head against the door and listened in on their conversation.
"I am sorry about today," Callum said, walking around the room.
"Callum, I knew you weren't perfect when I married you. But we're supposed to run this pack as a team remember," she said.
"And we are," he argued, "but sometimes somethin's are too dangerous for you."
"Why, because I'm human," she snapped.
"No," he chuckled, "because of the other thin'."
I frowned as the room went silent. What other thing?
"Can't we just tell them?" Liv asked.
"We can't risk it gettin' out, we've talked about this," he told her, "what Allie was sayin' was right. Hector has lost his advantage. There's nothin' from attackin' him and now that we have Nicholas, we might actually have a chance."
"Do you think we can trust him?"
There was a pause.
"I don't know," he admitted, "for Allie's sake if anythin' else, I hope we can. But, Hector is exactly like Nathair in every possible way. Why shouldn't Nicholas be the same?"
Because he just is! I wanted to shout at him.
"Because he's Allie's mate," Liv suggested making the room go silent again, "something else is bothering you."
"It's nothin'," Callum said, putting it to the side.
"No, it's somethin'. Tell me."
"It's just somethin' Allie said earlier," he paused, "do you ever think that one decision in your life could change your life forever."
"Of course, I mean if I didn't make the decision to go on that art tour, I would never have met you and I wouldn't have the family I have now."
"No, that's not what I meant," he said, "did you think it was right, to banish Hector instead of lettin' Malcolm kill him."
There was a small pause, "it seemed right at the time. I mean, Nathair was dead and Malcolm wasn't stable."
"But, what if Malcolm could have handled it?"
She scoffed, "we both know he wouldn't have. He just found out that someone else was responsible for Bonnie's death. Where is this comin' from?"
Another pause, "I didn't think it through. I thought by banishin' Hector, he would be out of our lives forever. I should have known that he would try and get revenge for his father. I would have."
"Callum, you couldn't have known - none of us could have known. Hector was supposed to take it as a second chance to take his pack somewhere else and restart. But he chose not to. None of us could know that he would return, that he would take Tarna or kidnap Allie. The same way, we couldn't have known that Bleu was Graham's mate or that Adin Hudges or whatever his name was would come back. It's just life, Callum."
"Well life sucks," he argued, making her giggled.
"Yes, life sucks."
With that, I left them alone turning in the direction of my room. As I walked, the door to Graham's room opened and Bleu came through.
She jumped when she saw me, not expecting anyone to be up.
"Oh Allie. You scared me," she said, clutching her collarbone.
"Sorry, I was just walkin' around," I told her.
"Can't sleep?" She asked.
"I haven't tried."
She nodded, looking as if she understood.
"Why are you up?" I asked.
"Oh, I was goin' to get a drink of water."
"You know, we have maids that brin' some up," I reminded her.
"I know, but I would rather to it myself."
I nodded, accepting it. I guess it was hard for all the girls to change to this sort of life where everything was given to you on a silver platter.
"You know Allie," she started, "if you want to talk about what happened -."
"I'm okay," I quickly told her, "I really don't by the whole talk-about-your-feelin's-and-it-will-be-better thin'. So please don't offer it."
"I know. But I saw your face when Liv asked about how you were doing. So if you don't want to talk to them about it, that's okay," she reassured me, "but if you ever want to talk about it to someone that isn't Nicholas. I'm always here."
I was about to ask her what made her different when I remembered. She was kidnapped too. She knew what it was like to be taken from everything you love without having the power to stop it.
I smiled and nodded, accepting her offer. She smiled too before taking three steps to the stairs.
Sighing, I made my way to my room. I couldn't help but smile when I spied Nick in bed with the tv above the fireplace on. He looked quite at home.
"What's wrong?" He asked straight away, turning off the tv, "you look like hell."
I giggled, nodding, not even having the energy to fight back.
Crawling on the bed, I said, "I know that you wanted to have sex tonight but it's been a really big day and -."
"No, of course not," he told me, "what happened?"
"Well," I started, curling next to him, "Callum wants you to hang around him tomorrow, show you how we do thin's around here."
He went silent.
"If it's important to you," he stated, giving me his answer.
"I don't know if it is. I'm not sure of anythin' anymore," I paused, thinking, "wouldn't it be easier if we just left."
"Maybe," he stated, "but that doesn't make it right."
At that, I was brought back to Callum's and Liv's conversation.
Without control, I asked, "do you ever think that one decision in your life could change your life forever."
"Maybe," he answered, "any decision in particular?"
"Callum banishin' Hector," I answered truthfully, "I might have said he was a horrible person for lettin' Hector go."
"Why would you say that? I thought we've talked about this?"
"I don't know, they were sayin' thin's about you and talkin' to me like I was the only person that's ever made mistakes," I explained.
"Well," he started, "do you believe it?"
I paused thinking.
"I don't know. I wouldn't have met you, that's for sure. And the turnin' point in Malcolm's and Tarna's relationship was when she was first tortured by Hector. Bleu might not be here and maybe not even Amy."
"Well, I know that your brother probably did what he thought was best and that you're not goin' to change anythin' now."
I nodded, agreeing.
"But you need sleep, Allie."
I nodded agreeing with that as well. Resting my head on his chest, I closed my eyes and fell asleep