ANMELDENSeven years into my marriage to Sebastian, we had our first child. On Logan's first birthday party, one of the old friends Sebastian had known since prep school rattled a little velvet cup of dice in Logan's face and laughed. "Come on, Mrs. Forsythe, humor us. Let the birthday boy roll. A game. For old times' sake." Logan giggled and slapped at the cup. "If he rolls a six," the groomsman went on, grinning sideways at Sebastian, "Sebastian goes and picks Serena up from the airport tonight. Deal?" The moment I heard her name, my blood went cold. I turned to Sebastian. He'd been keeping in touch with her behind my back. All this time. He caught my eyes. He covered my shaking fingers with his and frowned slightly. "Don't be jealous over nothing. We're all friends. It's just a ride from the airport." And then, without quite meaning to, he nodded. Permission given. Logan laughed and opened his little fist. The dice clattered across the linen. A six. "That's fate!" someone whooped. "Serena's flight lands in two hours. You'll make it!" The room erupted. Glasses up. Backs slapped. Sebastian surrounded. His face softened and he turned and went for the door. Watching his back disappear through that door, I didn't do what I used to do. This seven-year bet of mine — I had lost it, completely.
Mehr anzeigenMAEVE'S POV
“Hey! Watch it!” I said when my bag fell to the floor because a girl bumped into me. She was surrounded by two other girls, and I knew they thought they looked put together to themselves, but they just looked like a hot mess to me with their cakey makeup and tacky clothing.
The main girl who had pushed me laughed and looked at her ilk for support.
“You watch it, girl. Can’t you have some respect?” Her voice was shrill and it almost made me raise my hands to my ears.
I knew what was happening, of course. I had run into the HBIC (high-bitch-in-charge). Just my luck, huh?
“You were the one who bumped into me, girl.” Of course, I knew what I had to do. I had to establish myself as the Higher-Bitch. Nothing else would do.
“Seems you don’t know who you’re talking to, huh?” Minion number 2 said with a smirk.
“I don’t know, and I don’t give a shit. Now get out of my way.”
“Or what?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “What’s your name?” I asked the HBIC.
“Oh, now you’re afraid huh. Well, you should be. Because I'm Ashley Jefferson, and Blackwood University is my turf. So, if you don’t want to make your life hell here, I suggest you get on your knees and grovel. Maybe I'll forgive you.”
“You really are a dumb blonde Ashley. You should apologize so I don’t make your life a living hell.”
“Bitch, what did you just say to me?”
There are two simple rules I follow in life. One, never let anyone get the upper hand on me. Two, wield the Collins name like a knight with no mercy.
Right now, rule number two was in play because I had to teach this girl a lesson.
“I said you should apologize. It's rude to bump into people and act all high and mighty about it.” I said, and the girl and her horde of witches laughed.
I knew girls like her. The ones who thought they were untouchable because their daddy was rich, and he always bailed them out of any ditch they got themselves into. Well, not this time.
I took my phone out of my bag and called my father’s secretary, Ali.
“Hey Maeve. What's up?” She asked as a greeting.
“Nothing much Ali. Do you happen to know any Jefferson family?”
The girl frowned, but I just smirked at her. I had only just gotten started after all.
“Yeah. Has a daughter named Ashley, needs your father’s funding for a project. What is the matter?”
“I think you’ll have to tell daddy dearest that the Jeffersons no longer need our assistance. His daughter is a raging bitch.”
Ali finally caught my game and laughed. She didn’t say anything, but she stayed on the phone. Of course, I couldn’t influence what deal my father signed on or not, but Ashley didn’t know that, and her white face brought joy to my heart.
“What the hell are you talking about bitch? Is this some form of joke? Who the hell are you?”
“Ah Ashley. But that should have been the first question you asked. I’m Maeve Collins.”
Minion number 1 swallowed. “Like Collins, as in the Collins empire?”
I smirked at her. “The one and only. It seems one of you has some brain in your head after all.”
“Shit Ashley!” We've fucked up. Her family is one of the richest in the country. And their connections to people in power are unmatched. She can ruin our lives!”
Ashley’s eyes widened as she took me in again, and I knew my dressing was deceptive. The weather was hot, and I had some jorts, a crop top, and some pink sneakers on. My silver hair was packed into a messy ponytail, and my headphones hung off my neck. I looked plain and boring, and that was exactly the point. I didn’t want attention, because I was so not ready to find my place on the Omega food chain in Blackwood, but only if wishes were horses.
“I’m so sorry! It's just a bit of harmless fun amongst girls!” Ashley stuttered out and ran before I could say a word.
I knew word would spread, and everyone would leave me alone just like I wanted.
Bliss finally.
Standing in front of Blackwood University, I knew this would be the perfect place for a girl like me to thrive. I looked back at my driver who had been quiet for the whole encounter and rolled my eyes at the look on his face.
I didn’t overpack for today. I wanted to map out the territory first and know if I would be staying on campus like my mother wanted, or if I would be looking for accommodation elsewhere.
But with my first encounter with miss HBIC, I knew I would absolutely not be staying on campus.
“Hey Nick. I’m going to take a look around. You can take my box to my assigned room and go home.”
“Okay Miss Collins.”
“Tell Mommy Dearest I’m alright, will you?”
“Of course, Miss Collins. But you know she will prefer to hear from yourself.”
“Yeah yeah. Tell her I'll call once I'm settled. Drive safe.”
And with that, I began my exploration into my new home, Blackwood University.
Blackwood University was one of the few that accepted Alphas, Omegas and Betas all together. Other institutions tended to separate the ‘aggressive’ Alphas from the ‘weak’ omegas, and Betas were admitted into these segregated schools.
Right now, as the scents of different omegas and alphas assaulted my senses, I kinda saw a little reason for the segregation. But i would never say that out loud of course.
My mother had to be convinced I her I wasn’t going to leap onto the first Alpha I saw and make him mark me. My mother was a beta who had married an alpha, and she had given birth to two omegas, and an alpha. Poor woman.
I shouldn’t be thinking of my mother right now so I put the thought out of my mind and skipped halfheartedly across the hallway till I burst into a field where the freshers seemed to be a field where the freshers seemed to be socializing.
I was about to go make myself some new friends when I felt goosebumps rise on my skin. I paused and looked around to find the person.
My eyes collided with a man standing by himself with his hands in his pockets. He had the stance of someone who was used to getting everything he wanted. He was very obviously an alpha, and when his scent drifted to me, I stumbled.
Even beneath all the suppressants I used, I could smell him vividly.
He smelt like... my mate???
Three days after he died, his lawyer found me.The lawyer brought a thick folder, and a little boy.Logan."Ms. Pemberton. This is Mr. Forsythe's final will."He slid the folder across the table toward me."Everything left in his personal trust — everything that wasn't liquidated — goes to his son, Logan Forsythe.""And he named you as Logan's sole legal guardian."I looked at the tight, uneven signature at the bottom of the will.I could picture how badly his hand had been shaking when he signed it."Did he leave a message?"I asked.The lawyer shook his head."Only one thing. 'Once the boy is with her, I can rest.'"I looked down at the boy pressed against my coat.He didn't fully understand what death meant yet.He was clutching the hem of my coat, eyes wide with unfamiliar-place fear."Mommy."He said it small.I sighed. I crouched down and pulled him into my arms."It's okay, Logan. Mommy's here."I signed the stack of legal paperwork.I took custody of Logan, and of the trust tha
I exposed the long, vicious scar that ran almost all the way across my throat.Then I pushed both sleeves up and laid my arms flat on the table.Pale skin. A grid of old wounds — some deep, some shallow, none of them forgotten.His pupils blew wide.He stared at them. His breath started coming fast and shallow."Nora—"He reached toward me, shaking, and stopped himself halfway."Two suicide attempts.""Once with pills. Once with a blade.""Three full years of severe postpartum depression. Every single day, I was trying to figure out how to die."I watched his face come apart and kept going."I was on high doses of psychiatric medication for years. My body never recovered."I looked him dead in the eye and dropped the last one."The doctors told me I'll never be able to have another child. Ever."He slumped back in his chair like his strings had been cut."No — how — "He covered his face with his hands. A small, strangled sound came out of him."What kind of pardon is big enough to cov
After that, he stopped camping outside my building.But he kept engineering chances to put me in the same room with Logan.The next time I saw Logan was six months later, on a weekend.He'd been flying a kite on the main lawn. The string had snapped and the kite had lodged in a tree.Logan could say "Mommy" clearly now.He ran over on short legs and looked up at me."Mommy, the kite flew away."I crouched down and touched his hair.Sebastian came up from a little further off with a bottle of water in his hand.He looked at me, and in his eyes was a suffocating amount of hope."Nora."His voice was scratchy."In another two years, Logan starts preschool."He crouched to match me. Tried to catch my eyes."If you never turn up to a single parent-child event—"He paused on purpose, and his voice took on a faintly moralizing edge."Are you really going to call yourself a mother?"I looked at him. I didn't answer for a while.The wind moved a few dry leaves around."I know I'm not a good mot
I stopped. I turned around.Sebastian was standing in the shadow of a gold-leafed ginkgo, a few yards off.He'd lost weight. His eyes were sunken, stubble shadowing his jaw.He looked like someone who'd been sleeping on park benches.And by his knee — a small boy in overalls."Mommy."The little one said it, uncertain.Something in my chest clenched hard.It was Logan.I started forward, smiling before I could stop myself, reaching for him.And then my eyes skipped up to the man standing behind him.The smile died. My face went cold.I stopped a step short. I didn't reach out."What are you doing here?"There was no warmth left in my voice.Sebastian's eyes went red instantly."Nora. I finally found you."He stepped forward with his hand out, trying to take mine.I pulled back like he was something diseased."Don't touch me. It makes me sick."His hand hung in the air. The look on his face was like it was actively breaking apart."Nora. I'm sorry. I know I was wrong."His voice had cra
I was in the departure lounge when my phone started vibrating.Sebastian's name lit up on the screen.I stared at it until it went to voicemail.Then he called again. And again.I sighed and picked up."Where are you?"His voice had a thin edge of agitation to it."At home," I lied."I'm worried abo
"You—" His face closed over. My tone had thrown him."Think whatever you want."He dragged a hand through his hair, frustrated, and turned to leave.He'd just made it to the doorway when Serena, in my silk robe, drifted into the hall."Sebastian. We're going to be late."She hooked a hand through hi
"Ms. Holloway. You win."I was staring out at the dark. My voice came out flat."He never gave me his heart.""A bet's a bet. I'm leaving for graduate school overseas.""Go, then. Who's stopping you? Sebastian can't wait to see the back of you."Serena laughed into the receiver and cut the line.I s
"Figures — nobody's kid. Can't even hold on to a husband."Sebastian had barely stepped out of the ballroom before the voices started up behind me.One of his friends lifted a glass and looked me up and down."Seven years clinging to him like a barnacle. You didn't deserve the seat. Of course you lo












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