The Alpha's Gamble - Chapter 16: Chapter 16
You are reading The Alpha's Gamble, Chapter 16: Chapter 16. Read more chapters of The Alpha's Gamble.
MADELINE
Moving was a challenge, lifting my fingers without reliving my broken knuckles or moving my feet without wincing from the pain of kicks and cuts was impossible and because I didn’t have my wolf, I wasn’t healing as quickly. All of me was aching but that wasn’t the worst of it, ever since I woke up two hours ago to a brand-new day, in my bedroom, it hit me like never before how lonely I was. It was like the pain wasn’t enough, I had to also jump down this road of self-discovery where there was nothing but signs displaying ‘table for one’ and ‘damn that’s a lonely bitch’ and ‘Did you really think someone cared about you?’.
Thank God for reality checks, they kept my ego from overflowing…like that was a thing I had to worry about.
My neck ached when I turned to look at the fixed door and then I watched the big floral bouquet by the bed. It was the only one there. I reached over and pinched the note, the cursive letters were hand-drawn, and in the corner was a red heart: Hope you feel better soon- Jack.
If Jack knew what happened, it meant that my mom did as well. That was not a meeting I looked forward to. Even before Dad left, she had been a psychotic perfectionist, wanting everything to look perfect all the time- or at least as long as people were watching. When the doors closed and it was just the three of us, she would sit us down and explain everything we did wrong, if I talked back I got slapped, if I argued in public, oh boy, the discipline behind the doors made the slapping seem like my happy place and my father was always just to…weak. He never spoke up against her, never told her off for the things she did, he practically made mental notes of everything she told him to perfect and fix, and then he made it his life’s mission to impress her by implementing those changes. She would give him a look during social functions, and he would know he had to fix his tie, or she would pat him twice on his shoulder and he would straighten his back which I never understood how he did it because the man didn’t have a spine to straighten.
The thought of having to talk to her about this made my body fill with cement and I sunk deeper into the mattress, letting it cover me in a warm hug.
I desperately wanted to wrap my arms around my body, but my broken ribs wouldn’t allow it- that was how I always comforted myself, she wouldn’t hug me so I hugged myself.
Whenever I cried from her inflicted pain or from the silent treatment she adored when I was younger, she would warn my father not to check on me: ‘She has to toughen up and she knows it.’
Oh yeah, he listened every time. Actually, no, there was one time when I was around five or six that he sneaked into my room with a finger across his lips and he hunched down next to me under my desk where I’d hidden. My sobs turned to sniffles and though he didn’t say anything, just knowing he was there did something to calm the little heart in my chest and the sobs turned to hiccups as he held me close.
It lasted for a few minutes before my mother came in. He jumped up like she was the reaper coming for his soul and she told him that if he ever disobeyed her again, she’d leave him.
My father took her words to heart. It turned out that she wouldn’t be the one to leave, he did, all on his own, and left me behind with Satan herself.
Static noise sounded in my mind and Noah’s voice filled my head.
‘You’re awake’ he said through the mind link.
‘I hate that you know that’ I said.
‘Come down stairs’
‘I can’t walk’ I seethed.
‘Suck it up’
I took another pillow and pressed it over my face, screaming bloody murder into the silk cover. Why couldn’t they just have killed me? They almost did, if they had continued a while longer the damage would’ve been too great for me to heal without a wolf, and I would’ve died. Someone had it out for me, death was the kinder alternative, something I clearly didn’t deserve.
With slow movements and pain striking up every part of my body, I slowly stood to my feet and limped over to the closest chair where I had put a pile of clothes. Probably dirty but I honestly couldn’t care less. I put on the shorts and the hoodie, looking like a hot mess- I clutched my ribs. It felt like they were coming off, scraping against my skin which they probably weren’t but I had never been in so much pain.
It took longer than I thought to walk downstairs, but not long enough when I saw who waited for me in the kitchen with a tray that she was filling with finger sandwiches, tea, and something foul-smelling in a bowl. It looked like cherry-colored sewage.
I wrinkled my nose and turned my head.
Mom didn’t look at me at first, it was Jack who came up and carefully wrapped his arms around my shoulders.
“I’m glad to see you up on your feet,” blame your son.
He pulled back but his hands were still on my shoulders weighing me down.
“I’ve talked with my sons, Noah and Logan will never again involve you in any of their games. I also talked to the Alpha of the Timber Pack and we managed to reach an agreement on how to repair the damages to their pack.”
Shit.
The fire.
“I-I’m sorry,” the guilt swallowed me quickly, especially when I didn't see one ounce of blame on Jack’s face.
“It’s not your fault; my boys know the rules that I set forth when I first caught wind of their… leisure activities. They can fuck up all they want but they will not pull you down with them,” he warned, a clouded vision of seriousness in his eyes.
My mom’s manicured hand circled his shoulder, and she smiled lovingly up at him.
“It’s not their fault, my love. They’re boys, they’re just having fun. Maddie should’ve known better,” she said without looking at me.
“As should they,” he responded and shifted to face her with a hand on her waist.
Mom giggled, took the tray, and placed it in his hands.
“Will you take this outside? I’ll join you in a minute,” she said in her sugary sweet tone. Gag.
After a kick peck, Jack walked out leaving me with the queen of hell.
And I could already feel the flames burning my skin.
There was a moment of silence before she turned her head, her eyes dark and deep with a fit of anger so bright it could fill the entire house.
Her soft features turned rough, and she glared into my soul.
Moving was a challenge, lifting my fingers without reliving my broken knuckles or moving my feet without wincing from the pain of kicks and cuts was impossible and because I didn’t have my wolf, I wasn’t healing as quickly. All of me was aching but that wasn’t the worst of it, ever since I woke up two hours ago to a brand-new day, in my bedroom, it hit me like never before how lonely I was. It was like the pain wasn’t enough, I had to also jump down this road of self-discovery where there was nothing but signs displaying ‘table for one’ and ‘damn that’s a lonely bitch’ and ‘Did you really think someone cared about you?’.
Thank God for reality checks, they kept my ego from overflowing…like that was a thing I had to worry about.
My neck ached when I turned to look at the fixed door and then I watched the big floral bouquet by the bed. It was the only one there. I reached over and pinched the note, the cursive letters were hand-drawn, and in the corner was a red heart: Hope you feel better soon- Jack.
If Jack knew what happened, it meant that my mom did as well. That was not a meeting I looked forward to. Even before Dad left, she had been a psychotic perfectionist, wanting everything to look perfect all the time- or at least as long as people were watching. When the doors closed and it was just the three of us, she would sit us down and explain everything we did wrong, if I talked back I got slapped, if I argued in public, oh boy, the discipline behind the doors made the slapping seem like my happy place and my father was always just to…weak. He never spoke up against her, never told her off for the things she did, he practically made mental notes of everything she told him to perfect and fix, and then he made it his life’s mission to impress her by implementing those changes. She would give him a look during social functions, and he would know he had to fix his tie, or she would pat him twice on his shoulder and he would straighten his back which I never understood how he did it because the man didn’t have a spine to straighten.
The thought of having to talk to her about this made my body fill with cement and I sunk deeper into the mattress, letting it cover me in a warm hug.
I desperately wanted to wrap my arms around my body, but my broken ribs wouldn’t allow it- that was how I always comforted myself, she wouldn’t hug me so I hugged myself.
Whenever I cried from her inflicted pain or from the silent treatment she adored when I was younger, she would warn my father not to check on me: ‘She has to toughen up and she knows it.’
Oh yeah, he listened every time. Actually, no, there was one time when I was around five or six that he sneaked into my room with a finger across his lips and he hunched down next to me under my desk where I’d hidden. My sobs turned to sniffles and though he didn’t say anything, just knowing he was there did something to calm the little heart in my chest and the sobs turned to hiccups as he held me close.
It lasted for a few minutes before my mother came in. He jumped up like she was the reaper coming for his soul and she told him that if he ever disobeyed her again, she’d leave him.
My father took her words to heart. It turned out that she wouldn’t be the one to leave, he did, all on his own, and left me behind with Satan herself.
Static noise sounded in my mind and Noah’s voice filled my head.
‘You’re awake’ he said through the mind link.
‘I hate that you know that’ I said.
‘Come down stairs’
‘I can’t walk’ I seethed.
‘Suck it up’
I took another pillow and pressed it over my face, screaming bloody murder into the silk cover. Why couldn’t they just have killed me? They almost did, if they had continued a while longer the damage would’ve been too great for me to heal without a wolf, and I would’ve died. Someone had it out for me, death was the kinder alternative, something I clearly didn’t deserve.
With slow movements and pain striking up every part of my body, I slowly stood to my feet and limped over to the closest chair where I had put a pile of clothes. Probably dirty but I honestly couldn’t care less. I put on the shorts and the hoodie, looking like a hot mess- I clutched my ribs. It felt like they were coming off, scraping against my skin which they probably weren’t but I had never been in so much pain.
It took longer than I thought to walk downstairs, but not long enough when I saw who waited for me in the kitchen with a tray that she was filling with finger sandwiches, tea, and something foul-smelling in a bowl. It looked like cherry-colored sewage.
I wrinkled my nose and turned my head.
Mom didn’t look at me at first, it was Jack who came up and carefully wrapped his arms around my shoulders.
“I’m glad to see you up on your feet,” blame your son.
He pulled back but his hands were still on my shoulders weighing me down.
“I’ve talked with my sons, Noah and Logan will never again involve you in any of their games. I also talked to the Alpha of the Timber Pack and we managed to reach an agreement on how to repair the damages to their pack.”
Shit.
The fire.
“I-I’m sorry,” the guilt swallowed me quickly, especially when I didn't see one ounce of blame on Jack’s face.
“It’s not your fault; my boys know the rules that I set forth when I first caught wind of their… leisure activities. They can fuck up all they want but they will not pull you down with them,” he warned, a clouded vision of seriousness in his eyes.
My mom’s manicured hand circled his shoulder, and she smiled lovingly up at him.
“It’s not their fault, my love. They’re boys, they’re just having fun. Maddie should’ve known better,” she said without looking at me.
“As should they,” he responded and shifted to face her with a hand on her waist.
Mom giggled, took the tray, and placed it in his hands.
“Will you take this outside? I’ll join you in a minute,” she said in her sugary sweet tone. Gag.
After a kick peck, Jack walked out leaving me with the queen of hell.
And I could already feel the flames burning my skin.
There was a moment of silence before she turned her head, her eyes dark and deep with a fit of anger so bright it could fill the entire house.
Her soft features turned rough, and she glared into my soul.
End of The Alpha's Gamble Chapter 16. Continue reading Chapter 17 or return to The Alpha's Gamble book page.