The Princess & Her Alphaholes by Renee O’Roark

Chapter Eight

Poppy

Four years ago…

“Rosa!” Nonna exclaims when I stumble into the kitchen, tears streaming down my face, body shaking from shock. “What’s wrong? What’s happened?”

“I…he…” Unable to say more, I collapse into the safety of her arms and sob.

She holds me close and presses soft kisses to the top of my head, whispering words of comfort. Leading me up the stairs and into my room, she guides me to sit on the bed. “Now, tell me what happened.”

So I do.

Somehow saying the words aloud makes everything feel so real, and yet I still can’t grasp the enormity of what I’d just witnessed. As I describe what I’d seen, the color drains from her face, and she grips my hands tightly. Seeing the horror and fear in Nonna’s eyes, the woman who has been my rock and anchor in the wake of losing my mother, only serves to heighten my own panic, and I begin to shake anew. “What do I do?” I cry out.

“I had hoped…” Her voice cracks then fails.

“Hoped what?”

Searching my eyes for a beat, she nods once, seeming to have made a decision. “Pack a small bag, just the basics, and I’ll be right back.”

“What? But why?”

“No time for questions. We must hurry.”

I gape at her. Pack a bag?

When I don’t move, she cups my cheeks and says, “Rosa, please.”

The urgency in her voice breaks through the fog, and I nod shakily. Grabbing my paint-splattered backpack, I throw in a few outfits and some toiletries. When my bedroom door opens, I jump, my heart racing, and spin to face it.

“It’s just me,” Nonna says, her voice low. “Have you finished?”

I nod and take a shuddering breath. “Nonna, what’s going on? Why did I need to pack a bag?”

“Good, we must hurry,” she says again, ignoring my questions.

“But why?”

“There’s a taxi waiting for you, out front.”

“A taxi?” I question, bewildered.

“Here’s a little money that I’ve saved up,”—she hands me a folded stack of bills and a piece of paper—“and this is where you’re going. Her name is Millie, and she’s a friend of mine; you can trust her. She’s expecting you.”

“But, Nonna—”

“No, we don’t have time.” She leads me to the front door and walks me to the idling car.

“Nonna…” Another sob is torn from me as the reality of what she’s arranged crashes over me.

She cups my face and meets my watery gaze. “You’ll never know how much I love you.” She kisses my forehead. “Now go.” Closing the door behind me, she keeps her hand pressed to the glass until the car pulls away.

I twist around to look out the back window, keeping my gaze fixed on my grandmother’s heartbroken face until she disappears from the view. Turning in my seat, I finger the small bundle she pressed into my hand, my thoughts chasing each other around in my mind. How did it all fall apart? How could I have been so blind? So naïve? What happens now? What will happen to Nonna when he finds out she helped me?

Eventually, my mind quiets and tears dry, leaving me drifting into a detached numbness. I gaze, unseeing, at the passing landscape, and even the sky seems to mourn as the dark clouds over Seattle release their heavy burden.

* * *

Four years. I’ve managed to fly under the radar for four years, and now I have to run, again. “Goddammit!” I scream, slamming my fist down on the steering wheel. I throw the car in park and jump out. As quietly as I can manage, I open the door to the small bungalow that’s become my home, not wanting to wake Millie, but I stop, surprised, when I spot her curled up on the couch watching a movie.

“You’re home early. I thought you were closing?” She looks at me over her shoulder, and her eyes widen behind her square-framed glasses. “What’s wrong? Is it him?” She rushes to my side, glancing fearfully at the closed door behind me.

I shake my head, tears streaking down my cheeks. “Brennan wolves came into work today. I have to leave.” My voice cracks and a sob breaks free.

“Slow down. Take a deep breath.” She grabs my hands and pulls me to the couch. “Tell me what happened.”

“There’s not much to tell, Millie.” I shrug helplessly. “They know I’m a wolf and that I’ve been living on Brennan land without permission. I broke council law. I can’t stay here. I can’t risk drawing attention.” A shudder runs through me at the prospect of what such attention might bring to my doorstep, to Millie and Ava.

“Oh, honey,” she says, pulling me in for a hug, her lavender and mint scent filling my nose.

I cling to the woman who has become like a mother to me, my body shaking from the force of my sobs. I don’t want to leave this life I’ve built. I don’t want to leave Millie and Ava. I don’t want to run again. But I don’t have a choice. I pull back and wipe at the tears. “I need to start packing.”

“It’s eleven o’clock, Poppy. Packing can wait until tomorrow. You can’t drive like this. You can’t drive while you’re this upset.” She shakes her head and grips my shoulders, her brows knitting together.

“I can’t risk staying any longer, Millie. They’ll find me, I know they will, and I can’t let that happen. I won’t let that happen,” I say firmly, fear hardening my words.

She scans my face, and her kind blue eyes fill with worry and grief. Reluctantly, she nods.

Blinking back fresh tears, I whisper, “I love you, Millie.”

She cups my face, wiping the tears away with her thumbs. “Oh, honey. I love you, too. So much.” Standing, she holds out a hand and helps me to my feet. “Alright, let’s go get you packed.”