Chapter 10


    Everly POV


    We settled in the room, and I washed Valerian down with a wet cloth. It was a little too cold today for


    me to give him a bath right now. Once Vrian had settled and was napping, I had the longest, hottest


    shower in ages. Trying to wash the memories ofst night away.


    I found my mate, saw him, and he didn’t recognize me. But worse still was knowing he was with


    another woman. The agony that it caused as I ran home was heartbreaking as well as painful. When


    Marcus took me there, I hoped that he would recognize our son and get the help we needed, that


    maybe everything could be fixed, especially once I realized he was my mate. Allowing hope for the first


    time in ages, and I caught a glimmer of it only for it to be taken away, and now I was failing my son


    once again, that much I did know.


    I was failing my son; he would never have a father. I would never again have mine and how I longed to


    go home, where I was loved and the cherished Alphas daughter. Instead, I am now ashamed and


    scum, forbidden to speak to my sister in my father’s eyes. Not even my mother would fight her


    grandchild or me. I knew she was hurting, but I could never choose anyone over my son, so how could


    she choose Dad over me?


    My life had fallen apart; I didn’t think it could get much worse, but then it ripped my heart out too. I


    thought my luck was changing when he stepped into the bathroom. Every piece of me, screaming for


    him. I truly realized how powerful a mate bond is for the first time. Nothing thrilled me more, well, until I


    saw the look on his face.


    The way he yelled at me and ordered me off his territory. Only to have my father toss me outside in the


    rain afterward. Forcing me to watch my son being looked after through a damn window out of reach


    because I no longer deserve Human decency from my own family.


    I thought I could do this. I thought I was stronger than this but everyone breaks. Everyone has a


    breaking point, and I have reached mine, everything damn thing weighing me down suddenly bes


    too much, and I break. At least no one could see how F*cked up I really was while I cried in the shower,


    letting the shower wash away my sorrow. Wash out the pain I felt until it brought me to my knees.


    Making it startlingly clear how alone I was.


    Loneliness was deafening and cold, no one to tell you it would be alright , no one to help you pick up


    the pieces, no conversation, and I had lost my sense of self. I was no one now, just a mum, just


    another rogue whore for everyone to look down at. Even though I am not. He is my mate, who didn’t


    see me. I realize how small and insignificant I am to everyone except my baby boy.


    Hearing a knock on the door, my head jerks up from where it was pressed to my knees. I get up


    quickly, shutting the water off and grabbing a towel.


    “Everly dear, open the door for me.”


    “Sorry, just a sec,” I call back, checking Valerian before tugging a shirt over the towel to try to appear


    presentable.


    I open the door to find Valerie standing there with a tray in her hands and two tes on it.


    “Thought I woulde to join you in here. The time must have slipped you by,” Vrie says. I quickly


    take it from her, and she steps inside, walking to the small table.


    “Oh, I am so sorry, I didn’t realize how much time passed, ” I tell her, ncing at the old analog clock


    on the wall. Was I really in the shower that long?


    “It’s fine dear, I could hear you were upset, so I thought I woulde and be an ear to listen, ” she


    says, and my brows bunch at her words. She points behind me to the bathroom.


    “That vent there is directly above my kitchen. It echoes through the pipes. I keep meaning to get


    someone in to fix it, but no one wants to help a rogue whore” she says. My face heats, and I touch my


    cheeks.


    ” I ‘m sorry. I didn’t realize; I hope I didn’t disturb you,” I tell her; she waves me off.


    “You forget I have been where you are, I would have put you in another room, but this is the nicest one


    left and is functional. The ce is falling apart, ” she says. Valerian starts fussing, and I move to get up


    when Vrie does.


    “Go get your pajamas on; I will watch him. Isn’t that right, Sugar? Yes, I love me some baby cuddles, ”


    she says, smiling brightly down at him as she scoops him up into her arms.


    “Go on, get dressed, and then we can talk, ” she says, and I nod, quickly digging through my bag and


    grabbing some clothes out before rushing to the bathroom. I dressed quickly and came out with my hair


    wrapped in my towel.


    “He is such a sweet boy,” Vrie babbles to him. He eventually drifts off, and she ces him back in


    bed.


    “So, what makes you upset? Why the tears?”


    “It’s nothing. Everything just got to be too much, ” I tell her as we unwrap our dinner from the aluminum


    foil.


    We tuck in eating, and I tell Vrie everything, bleeding my heart and soul out to her, the pressure


    lifting off my chest. I didn’t realize how talking to someone who listened could feel relieving. Vrie also


    told me she found her mate when she was my age.


    Because she was an Omega, he didn’t want to tell anyone because it would bring shame to her mate’s


    family. These days it was umon for someone to be so prejudiced over Ranking. The most


    heartbreaking part was he never rejected her, kept her around, refusing to let her go because he


    couldn’t handle knowing she would belong to someone else.


    She said she became just another side piece so he would stay strong; rejecting mates weakens us, yet


    I thought it was disgusting he would force her to endure that agony of being alone.


    When she fell pregnant, he took her son, said it was better if he raised him. She said besides pictures,


    she hadn’t seen her son since he was a baby. He doesn’t even know she exists because her mate told


    him she died during birth. Her story was tragic and gut- wrenching, yet she still loved him despite it.


    ” Have you thought of moving on?” I ask her, and she shakes her head.


    “He stilles in every couple of weeks to stay the night,“ She tells me with a shrug like she never


    thought about finding anyone else.


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    “Can I ask you something, something a little personal? ” I ask her. I needed to know; I needed to know


    if I would be tortured my entire life.


    “You can ask me anything, but then I want to ask you something,” she says, and I nod.


    “When I found my mate, he was with another woman. The pain… I mean, does it feel like that all the


    time? Will it feel like that every time he is with someone? ” She swallows, her eyes turning ssy.


    Vrie sits back in her chair, looking towards the window, and she gulps.


    “You will learn to endure it. After a while, even wee it”


    “Why would I wee it?”


    “Because it makes you angry, I love my mate, but I also hate him. Sometimes hating them hurts less


    than realizing you will never have them. It reminds you to keep on living despite what they did to us.


    Hold onto that anger because sometimes it is the only thing that will keep you going, ” she tells me.


    “I get a script though, powerful painkillers, they help take the edge off, but if he’s anything like my mate,


    it is over quickly before the drugs set in” Sheughs.


    ” Bloody two stroker, tosses his mate and wonders why he can’t F*ck right,” sheughs to herself, and I


    snort at her foulnguage, trying to hold my own giggle. She sighs, and I smile sadly at her.


    “So, what’s next for you?” She asks.


    “Unsure, probably go back to my car, see if I can get my old job back, though he said nost time I


    asked”


    “How about I hire you? I need help here; not that much can be done to save this dump now” she


    laughs, and I look around the room.


    “What do you think? Or do you think it is too much work? I could always burn it?” Vrie says with a


    laugh.


    ” I have been tempted to, but before me, it was my mother’s, so I am attached to this ce, ” she tells


    me.


    “I think it just needs a clean-up, new linens and carpets and some paint” I could go on, but the list


    would be never-ending.


    “So if you are interested, you can live here for free, and I will provide meals and a wage, say 3zs an


    hour? ” She says, and I nearly choke on my spit. I wasn’t even making half that an hour at the


    Restaurant when I was working.


    “Are you serious?” I ask, a little shocked.


    “Very, I could use thepany and the help. I don’t even know where to begin, and honestly, I lost


    motivation to do it years ago. We can fix this one up first for you and Valerian, ” she says, looking


    around. Tears well in my eyes at her generous offer.


    “Don’t suppose you got any friends; this might even be a bit much for both of us,” she mutters, breaking


    off a piece of the table, the wood crumbling in her hand. I think of Zoe and Macey from the maternity


    ward.


    I might know two other girls from the maternity unit; I could try and contact them,”


    “Rogues?” She asks, and I nod.


    “Good, tell them I will give them $25 an hour. I am good for it. I have more money than I can spend in


    this lifetime, so it would be good to get some help. It would be nice to see this ce up and running


    again;


    it used to be the most popr Hotel in the City when my mother had it. Also has a function room out


    the back, weddings used to be held here but not since it started falling apart.”


    “So no onees out when you ring?” I ask her, what is wrong with people? Who would turn her


    away?


    “Nope, I organize workers, and they never show up. My mate keeps tabs on my phones; he is


    paranoid. I know it is he’s doing, ” she says with a sigh.


    “Well then, I will try to call the girls and see if they are looking for work. Would it be an issue if they


    brought their babies to work?”


    “Of course they can; there is even an old y center off the side of the Restaurant downstairs, we


    could fix it up for when they are older and can y. Take turns watching them. While they are little, we


    can just strap the babies to us.”


    “Macey, I know has family, Zoe though I think is like me, she was a little quiet and young, so I am not


    sure if she could get a sitter.”


    “Well, if either need somewhere to stay, there are plenty of rooms, there are units outback, but they


    need a lot of work, ” She tells me.


    “Well, I will let you rest, and let me know when the girls can start if they are interested. Come down for


    breakfast in the morning too. Here“ She says, handing me a key.


    “That will let you into my studio, so you have ess to the kitchen if I am not here, which is rare; I have


    nowhere else to go, “ She chuckles.


    “Thank you, Vrie. You have no idea how much this means to my son and me.“ “No need to thank


    me, Everly. So I will see you in the morning, and we will start ordering supplies, should be a pen and


    paper in the drawer. If the moths haven’t eaten them, write a list of what needs doing that you notice,


    and we can go over it tomorrow, “ She says before looking down at Valerian on the bed. She brushes


    her finger down his little nose, her eyes softening before she clears her throat and nods to me before


    walking out.