Page 40 of The Omega Switch: Part 1
Phillip nodded. “I agree. I was going to tell you privately, but as you can see, what happened to Arabella isn’t something we can hide. I agree it’s best if you keep your distance from Ivy until she’s learned to control herself.” He said, his voice gruff. Arabella’s shoulders sagged with relief.
“Thank you for the support, Hunter.” She practically purred as she held my arm. “She doesn't mean to be that way, but she’s just… not right.” I pulled her closer to me, rubbing her arm as I tried to comfort her. I kept waiting for the ache in my chest to ease more now that my mate was here. But it stayed tight, and even after dinner was done and over with, I still felt the pain of loss deep inside me. Loss from what? I wasn’t sure.
Back at our home, I sat across from Ronan and Elias, the entire night fresh on our minds.
An uncomfortable picture had begun forming about Ivy. She was clearly lonely and emotionally unstable. She became attached too easily and was extremely jealous of her stepsister. And now, we found out she was capable of violence. The scratch on Arabella's face was shocking.
“I think we know where Arabella’s trauma comes from,” I said as we sat at the table, all of us feeling the weight of the revelation.
“I never, ever would have thought her capable of that,” Ronan said, almost to himself. “I should have seen it. There was no sign of it.” He said, his voice low and incredulous.
Elias finally spoke. "I'd like to hear Ivy's side of it."
My head swiveled in his direction. “What? Why?” I growled. Elias’s brows creased over his soft grey eyes.
"Because something feels off. Omegas do sometimes attack each other under extreme stress. But everything I’ve seen so far indicates that Ivy was the one more likely to submit in that pack hierarchy.” He said, his voice thoughtful. “I’ve also seen signs that she over-used descenter. There’s something going on, and I think she might need professional help, rather than discipline.”
I leaned back in my chair, my teeth clenched. "She hurt our mate." My words came out terse.
"I know. But something happened. I’ve never seen signs of delusion or jealousy in Ivy, and I’ve been working with her all this time.” He said, his grey eyes pleading as he looked at me.
"We won’t be working with her again,” I said, and I knew he didn’t like that.
"I think she's struggling," Ronan said quietly. I turned toward him, and his words irritated me even more.
“Have you all forgotten that our mate is also struggling? The extreme trauma she endured is probably because she lives with a psychopathic omega who hates her. She might be struggling, but she can struggle somewhere far away from our mate.” I practically yelled.
I almost never lost my temper, especially with my pack mates. But I knew how volatile a family could be when the pack structure was wrong. We had the opportunity for the perfect match, and I didn’t want to risk Arabella.
"I don’t want that girl around Arabella. Our mate shouldn't have to worry about being attacked." I declared.
"No one's arguing that," Elias said.
"Good. I think Ivy needs space," I said finally. "She needs ample time to calm down. She doesn’t need to be near me, or our pack, or Arabella for the time being. For her sake.” I added. The others nodded at me, knowing that deep down I was right. But in our bonds, I could tell each of them felt conflicted. Whereas just a few weeks ago we were closer than ever, now I felt the bonds fraying. We should have felt invincible with our mate nearby. Yet despite our night with Arabella, I somehow felt further away from them than ever.
Chapter 25
Ivy
I heard my bedroom door crack open, then a small noise as the plate was placed on the floor. I blinked as I looked over, my eyes swollen and crusty from dried tears. I could barely see the plate of food left for me, and I had no appetite to even eat any. But I forced myself to move, slowly, as I crawled over toward it.
Ever since I’d been banished to my room, the days had blurred together. By all estimates, it had been two weeks since my father had alpha barked at me to stay in here, a punishment for scratching Arabella. But in reality, it wasn’t punishment for the scratch - it was because I dared to stand up to him. I hadn’t just stood up against Arabella and Clara, but the entire family pack. That was what earned me this punishment.
The first week had blurred together into a haze of exhaustion, heartbreak, and pain. I’d spent the first two days curled up on the floor, sobbing in agony at the horrific alpha bark he’d delivered. Knowing Pack Vale was truly my match was such a shock that I didn’t have any time to even enjoy the moment before it was all taken away - again. Now, my mouth choked up when I tried to speak about it. Not that I had anyone to tell.
My phone had been confiscated, and I spent my days dragging myself between my bed and the bathroom, all the while thinking only of the pack and what they were doing. Every morning I woke up with the same crushing realization that Pack Vale was still out there courting Arabella while believing she was their mate. Every night I lay awake imagining them together - what their dates must be like with Hunter holding her, Ronan protecting her. Elias talking about his research with her as she happily nodded along, faking every moment to get her prize pack. The idea of it made my chest ache like it was being torn apart.
I still couldn’t believe that I’d been so lucky to match with them. My profile didn’t even mention my defective scent glands, and it had been so good that I almost felt silly for having doubted myself. Especially in comparison to Arabella’s profile - her personality was so poor that she wasn’t even allowed to enter the matchmaking system. In hindsight, I had such low self-esteem that I had allowed the opening for Arabella to steal my identity. If I had just opened my file and submitted it, this would never have happened.
Meals were brought to my bedroom door three times a day, usually by household staff. Occasionally, Clara or one of myfather's packmates would bring them personally, lingering long enough to check whether I had finally come to my senses. I barely touched most of the food.
I couldn’t do anything but sit with the knowledge of what was real. Every time I even thought about telling the pack the truth, the alpha bark wrapped around my throat like a chain. My father had ordered me not to speak to Pack Vale about what happened, and my omega instincts obeyed whether I wanted them to or not. Even thinking about contacting them made panic claw through my body. A father’s alpha bark was particularly strong - it was supposed to be for safety when a child was young. A parent’s alpha bark would immediately stop them from doing something dangerous. But I’d been lorded over ever since I was a child, and now I realized I’d never been awarded any independence. My own family still controlled me, and I had no idea how bad it was until now.
A few days into my confinement, Clara visited. She stood in my doorway looking irritated, her eyes moving over my unwashed hair and the untouched meal tray sitting on my desk.
"It smells disgusting in here. You look terrible," she said. I looked over from the bed, my eyes red and puffy.
"What do you want?" I croaked.
