Book Smart

Fifty Eight

"Look, I'm not saying she's right! You know that Agatha and I have never been on the same page about how she treats you, but she's upset and all alone now. "

"She's not all alone. She has the entire pack all under the same roof as she is, and the only person who should be upset over what happened yesterday is Silas."

"Addy, I just think you should call her and give her a chance to explain-"

"No! So she can explain what? How she's still not sorry about making me cry yesterday? Or for the fact that she soaked Silas in vodka? Or that she asked me to reject him."

"She was just in shock. I think she wants to apologize..." Quinn isn't used to me being so resistant. He's so used to me being the more passive of the two of us because normally it wouldn't take much to make me bow my head and let myself to be towed along into whatever idea he thinks is ingenious and exciting when the moment strikes but today I will not. Over this, I will not. If it was only me she had been mean to I could overlook it out of love. But she wasn't just mean. She was disrespectful to Silas and I will not enable her to be mean to the man that so far has only wanted to make me happy.

"She had her chance and instead of apologizing she tried to tell him off right in front of me! There is no justification for acting like that. If I did any of the stuff she did yesterday she would have yelled at me until I cried. If she wants me to start taking her calls she needs to apologize to Silas first." I stun my friend into silence and he finally lets the subject drop, but not soon enough.

Looking away from Quinn with tears of frustration trying to bubble up in the corners of my eyes I find Silas leaning against the wall, arms crossed with the box he must have been carrying at his feet, an extremely tender smile on his face.

...
Silas
...

I don't get choked up over small things normally, but at the moment there is a warm lump currently forming in the back of my throat as my sweet boy stands his ground on the matter of Agatha and exactly where we both think she can shove her non-apology. He's doing more than just defending me... He's standing his ground to someone without seeking shelter in the safety of my arms. Yesterday he had held his own against the piece of work that is his grandmother, but he had done it while I had been wrapped around him... While he felt secure and safe and right now even while he knows I'm not far away, he's still uneasy asserting himself.

Holding the woman who raised him responsible for her actions and not letting her bully him by proxy, the emotions swelling in his chest warm and determined... Or the rush he feels that time from staying firm on his position on the matter... Either way, I'm so proud of him.

It's not hard to see that the effort takes a toll, his beautiful lips getting sucked between his teeth and chewed while he trembles with the effort it takes to keep his frustrated tears at bay.

All it takes is me opening my arms right where I stand and he's up and off the couch, his small feet bringing him careening into my chest.

...
Adrian
...

I get the tightest of snuggles from Silas and it puts my squirmy soul right back into place. I love it when he squeezes me so tightly... It feels so right. Right enough to know that I'm not in the wrong for requesting that she apologize properly to Silas first before we talk again. She can't bully me anymore, and she sure as heck can't bully Silas. He had restrained his instincts as an alpha to slam her and her boldness back into their proper place and he had done it for my benefit alone. Somehow he had known that with everything going on I wouldn't have been able to handle an actual fight between the two of them... Not that it would have been much of a fight. Grammy has spunk and attitude but even a copious amount of both can't change her wolf's station this late in her life.

My tears disappear just as quickly as they had tried to form, evaporated by the feel of two warm hands rubbing themselves up and down my back, playing with the ends of my curls every time they come up to my shoulders. I get to hide and nuzzle and get sweet kisses pressed onto the top of my hair for a few moments before Quinn finally had the nerve to speak again, this time to apologize, "I didn't know she asked you to reject him, Addy. I... I wouldn't have tried to... To help her if I did. You know that I wouldn't... Right?"

Quinn's voice is watery, but I can't tell if it's from me raising my voice a little bit to try and stop it from shaking or if it's just from me resisting something he probably thought would be an easy fix for my little family.

Agatha had most likely bullied him into agreeing to plead her case conveniently leaving out the worst of her offenses in order to better convince him to help. Unfortunately raising me gave her knowledge of all the right ways to manipulate kind-hearted omegas who have it ingrained in them to want to help so I can't actually be mad at Quinn for his effort, " I know you only want to help, but you need both sides of the story first, Quinn. You know how she is."