Chapter11
1096 Words
"You're being paranoid, Georgia."
The words echoed in her mind, sharp and biting.
She exhaled slowly, forcing her fingers to unclench. Her pulse was still racing, her instincts screaming, but there was nothing. No figures lurking in the trees. No shadows slipping through the night.
Just ghosts.
Old memories clawing their way back to the surface.
"Damn it."
She hated how easily this place could shake her.
A hand touched her arm, and she nearly flinched.
Anna.
Her Friend’s face was lined with worry. “Are you okay?”
Georgia let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. “What do you think?”
Anna sighed. “I get it. I do. But you’re not alone this time.”
Georgia swallowed the lump in her throat and looked over at her children. The triplets were standing a few feet away, Kelsey and Keira whispering while Kelvin watched her with quiet intensity.
Her son was always the most perceptive. Always the one to notice when something was wrong.
She needed to pull herself together. For them.
Straightening her shoulders, she pushed forward.
The village was just as she remembered, stone cottages with thatched roofs, the scent of burning wood in the air, and narrow dirt paths winding between the homes. A few villagers paused their tasks to glance their way, some curious, some wary.
She ignored them.
Her steps didn’t falter again until they reached Anna’s family home.
The large wooden house stood at the end of the village, its porch wrapped in vines, lanterns casting a warm glow across the worn steps.
The last time she had stood here…
No.
She wouldn’t go there.
The door swung open before they could knock.
And then there was movement fast, warm, overwhelming.
A woman rushed out first, her face breaking into an emotional smile. “Anna!”
Anna barely had time to react before she was engulfed in an embrace. “Mother”
“I thought I’d never see you again,” her mother whispered, voice thick with emotion. “Oh, my baby…”
Georgia shifted uncomfortably, watching as the woman clung to Anna.
Then Anna’s father stepped forward. Unlike his wife, his face was more composed, though his eyes betrayed the guilt he carried. His gaze flickered to Georgia, then to the triplets, before settling back on Anna.
“You’re home,” he said quietly.
Anna hesitated, her body stiff in their mother’s arms. “For now.”
Their mother pulled back, eyes damp as she finally turned her attention to Georgia.
For a long moment, she said nothing.
Then she inhaled deeply. “Georgia.”
Georgia held her ground, chin lifting slightly. “Mrs. Williams.”
The woman flinched as if expecting something softer, something more forgiving. But Georgia had nothing to give her.
Instead, she turned toward the triplets. “Come on, babies. Let’s get inside.”
The tension in the air was suffocating, but she refused to let it crush her.
Not anymore.
—✿—✿—✿—✿—
Inside, the warmth of the home contrasted with the cold weight in Georgia’s chest.
Anna’s mother immediately focused on the children, showering them with affection. It was strange, seeing one of the women who had once stood by and watched Georgia suffer now, treating her children like precious treasures.
Georgia didn’t trust it.
But she let it happen.
Because for now, they were safe.
The night moved in a blur of food, awkward conversations, and forced smiles.
Then, after the triplets had been tucked into bed, the real conversation began.
Anna’s father cleared his throat. “I need to say something.”
Georgia stiffened. She knew what was coming.
Sure enough, he looked at Anna with rare sincerity. “I… I regret many things. What we did to you.”
Anna’s hands curled into fists. “Which part?” Her voice was quiet, but there was steel in it. “The part where you tried to force me into a marriage I didn’t want? Or the part where you never once looked back after I left?”
Her mother flinched. “We thought we were doing what was best”
“Best for who?” Anna’s voice cracked. “Because it wasn’t me.”
Silence.
Georgia’s throat tightened.
Anna was stronger now. But the wounds were still there.
After a long pause, her father sighed. “You’re right.”
Anna blinked, clearly not expecting that.
“We were wrong,” he admitted. “And I don’t expect forgiveness, but I want you to know that we regret it.”
Georgia studied his face, searching for deception.
She found none.
Anna exhaled shakily. “I appreciate the words. But I haven’t forgotten.”
Her father nodded, accepting that.
Then he said the words that changed everything.
“The Alpha is coming in two days.”
Georgia’s stomach dropped.
Anna’s eyes went wide. “What?”
“He’ll be staying here for a short time,” their father continued. “And he wants to meet you.”
Anna shot to her feet. “Not.”
Her father’s expression hardened. “You don’t have a choice.”
Anna’s voice rose. “I’m not some pawn to be used for pack politics!”
“This is bigger than you, Anna. The Alpha is close to the King. If you win his favor”
“Win his favor?” Anna’s laugh was hollow, bitter. “You’re doing it again. Trying to sell me off like a damn prize!”
Her mother looked pained. “It’s not like that—”
“It is like that,” Anna hissed.
Georgia had been silent, but now she stepped forward. “If she doesn’t want to do it, she won’t.”
Anna’s father turned to her sharply. “This isn’t your concern.”
Georgia’s lip curled. “If Anna wants out, I’ll make it my concern.”
Tension crackled between them.
Finally, her father exhaled. “Anna, just think about it.”
Anna’s hands were shaking. “I don’t need to think. I already know my answer.”
Her father’s jaw tightened. “Then I suggest you find another way to survive.”
Anna’s face paled. “What does that mean?”
His expression turned cold. “It means the Alpha isn’t a man you say no to.”
S
ilence.
A heavy, suffocating silence.
Then, after a long moment, Anna turned to Georgia.
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“Please, Georgia… help me.”
Georgia’s heart clenched.
There was only one answer.
And she already knew it.
- Writer
