Chapter Six
She wasn't going to just let her fairy tale romance end over a couple of misunderstandings. Amelia kept an eye on her speedometer, making sure she went right at the speed limit. The last thing she needed right now was to be pulled over by the highway cops.
Trying to explain over the phone wasn't good enough. She needed to see Timothy and Xavier and explain to them in person. The Alphas were too special to give up. She knew that now.
And I might lose them because I let my past prejudices get the best of me. Why couldn't I just trust them?
She turned off the highway into the long road that would take her to the packlands. The landmarks already felt familiar to her, even if she had only been here once before, and she found the Alphas' house quickly.
Her heart dropped to her stomach when she saw Lucinda sitting on the front porch swing, long legs curled underneath her, a book on her lap. The werewolf's eyes narrowed when Amelia got out of her car, but the human wasn't going to let herself be intimidated this time. She hadn't told Xavier what Lucinda had told her, but she was going to get the truth from her Alphas, not this female.
"Amelia," Lucinda greeted her. "I didn't expect to see you again."
"I'm certain you didn't." Amelia fought to keep her voice calm.
"Can I help you?"
"Yes. I want to talk to Timothy and Xavier."
Lucinda cast a critical glance down her body. "We've already replaced you. You would have made a good nursemaid, and I'm sure my mates would have found a great deal of pleasure in you, but—"
"But I want to talk to them." Amelia strode up the steps. "Not you."
"Hey!"
Amelia opened the door and walked right in, calling for the two Alphas. There was no response. When she checked the garage, she found that it was full of vintage vehicles in various states of repair, but the Malibu she remembered the Alphas driving on their first date was missing. Where had they gone?
"I told you, we don't want you here," Lucinda started, but a low growl behind them interrupted her.
Amelia whirled, her heart jumping to her throat when she saw Timothy. She wanted to launch herself into his arms and kiss him hard, begging his forgiveness for the misunderstandings that they had suffered. His gaze flickered over her briefly, a shocked look coming over his face before his eyes narrowed on Lucinda.
"What are you doing in my house?"
"Me?" Lucinda gasped. "What about her?"
"She is none of your concern. Xavier and I have told you and your grandfather both that we would rather never have a mate than take you into our bed. Stop coming to our house unless it's for official business."
Amelia could have crowed in triumph. She was right; Lucinda had lied to her! But her triumph didn't last long. Even after Lucinda had slunk out, Timothy's gaze didn't soften.
"Amelia."
"Timothy—"
"Why are you here?"
Amelia swallowed hard. "I needed to see you."
"Why?"
"I need to explain what happened yesterday. It's not what you think—"
Timothy turned on his heel and walked away. Amelia stared after him in shock. She knew he was angry, but after what she told Xavier, she had hoped that he would be at least willing to listen to her. A familiar feeling of frustration welled up inside her and she marched after him, her hands clenched to fists at her side. This was not how this was going to end. He was not going to refuse to listen to her and she was not going to take it lying down like some meek little kitten afraid of some thunder.
"I am talking to you, Timothy Pond," she said. "You walked away from me once and I am not letting you do it again. You told me you wanted a woman who called you out, and here I am. Listen to me."
The Alpha stopped. His own hands clenched. Amelia took a deep breath, trying to maintain her composure, and walked around him, facing him.
"I know what you think you saw, but you have it all wrong."
"Xavier told me what you told him. But I've heard it all before, Amelia. I don't believe you."
She forced herself to speak calmly. "Why not?"
"Because it's things like that… 'He kissed me against my will; I was trying to make him leave; he's just a friend; it was only one time…’ The same sort of things my mother would always tell my father when he came home to catch another man in the house or their bed. She always made me lie to protect her, no matter how many times that man had been over. I was afraid she'd leave…"
"It's not your fault."
"I know. If I could go back I would have told my father the truth. It would have been easier on us all if he had made her leave. Regardless, I am not going to be him. I'm not going to let you break my heart. This ends now."
"So, because one woman lied, all women lie?" He tried to move past her, but she blocked him, stretching her arms out to either side of the doorway. "If I followed that same logic, then the only reason you were interested in me in the first place was to get me into your bed or kitchen so that I could do everything for you! That's the type of men I've known!"
Timothy shook his head. "Just leave, Amelia."
"I am leaving," she snapped back, too angry to think clearly. "Because I deserve a better man than you. I deserve a man who will listen to me. Not somebody like you, who believes only what he wants to believe and will tear my heart out without stopping to think that maybe I'm in as much pain as he is!"
"I want to believe you!" Timothy shouted at her. "I want to believe you so much that it is killing me not to, but I would rather feel the pain now than when we have children – when they are in the middle being torn apart as well."
Amelia took a step back. She shook her head. It was happening again. Everything was falling apart.
Maybe she just wasn't meant to have lasting relationships. She couldn't take this anymore. Timothy was being a stubborn fool, and she was right – she deserved better than him. How will I ever find someone better than him? She stormed past him, her teeth clamping down on her cheek, determined not to cry.
At least not until she was safely away.
After half an hour on the highway, she pulled to the side and broke down. Her whole body rocked with the force of her sobs, but she was glad to cry it all out. Timothy was never going to forgive her. And while she knew this whole mess was her fault, she had come to a conclusion. She wasn't going to grovel and beg for him to take her back. She had gone to put her heart on the line, and this is how it had ended.
If they would fight over this stupid misunderstanding, what else would they fight over? He was right… it was best that their ugliness came out now while they weren't emotionally attached before she fell in love.
But that itself was a lie. Amelia broke into fresh sobs. She was already in love.
What am I going to do now?
***
Xavier waited on Amelia's front steps. He had driven out here so that they could work through this, and for him to explain both Timothy's past and his temperament. When he found that she wasn't there, he hoped she was at work. But she wasn't. As the hours ticked by, he sat on her step, two equal fears warring in his brain.
One: Timothy was right, and she was with another man.
Two: she went to the packlands to try to talk with them.
When she pulled up and he saw the tears streaming down her face, Xavier knew which one it had been. His shoulders slumped as he stood. She had seen Timothy, and he had lashed out, as he was prone to do. Amelia's expression was a mix of disbelief and anger when she saw him. He let out a slow breath. His years of being with Timothy helped him know how to handle his partner's outbursts, but Amelia would have no idea how to. No doubt she pressed, making it worse.
"Hi," she mumbled when she got out of her car. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to talk with you. You've seen Tim, haven't you?"
"How could you tell?"
Xavier sighed. "Whatever he said—"
"—Doesn't matter because I can't be with someone who thinks I'm a liar and a cheat and won't listen when he's angry." She walked past him and stomped up her steps, keys clinking together in her hand as she searched for the right one. "I deserve better than that."
"Yes. You do. Timothy isn't usually like this. He has issues, yeah, but he's learning how to work through them. It's just because he feels vulnerable."
Amelia dropped her keys. She stared at them for a long moment before she just sat on the steps and shook her head. "I can't take it. I thought… I thought that maybe I would finally meet someone who respected me. I can't handle this."
Xavier silently picked up the keys and unlocked the door.
"I can do that myself."
"I know that."
Amelia bit her lip. He offered her a hand and gave her a small smile. "Let's go inside and talk. Please?"
Amelia's lip trembled, but she accepted his hand and nodded. "Okay."