Page 57 of His Arranged Plus-Size Mate

“You’re not a disgrace,” my mother snapped. “Stop saying that word. Can we all just please calm down?”

“She doesn’t deserve to be a part of this pack.” My father yelled, the words shaking the walls.

“Are you kidding me right now?” I asked, my anger hitting its peak. “You have no idea the things that she has done to help this pack. You have no right to come in here and act all mighty. She’s done more for this pack than you have ever done for your business. If anyone deserves to be here, it’s her.”

“You don’t see it,” he seethed. “You are blind to it.”

“Enough!” I snapped. “She is my wife, and you will not talk about her like this.”

My father straightened and narrowed his eyes. “If you honestly expect me to believe that you stand with her about this. Your marriage is a shame. Don’t act as if she matters.”

“I care about her,” I growled. “And if you don’t respect that decision or her, I will have no problem cutting you off from my life. She will come before you.”

My mother’s eyes were wide. “Asher, please let’s talk about this.”

But I was done talking. I turned to Hazel, but froze. The space was empty. The front door was open, and I knew she’d run for it.

“Honey.” My mother’s voice was broken as she moved closer to me. “Please, we….we…we just worry about you. Can we please all just talk calmly about this?”

“This isn’t worrying,” I snapped. “This is disrespectful and jumping to conclusions without knowing everything.” I looked at my father for a moment before looking back at her. “And I’m done allowing him to act like he’s all mighty.”

I slipped out the door. I could hear the elevator dinging, and I hurried after it.

Chapter 20 - Hazel

I rode the elevator down feeling like more of a failure than I already was. I knew that I was to blame for the attack and all those deaths. I ached to turn back time and fix what happened, but there was no way to do so.

I heard the elevator ding, and I stepped off onto the main floor. I headed out the door and down the street. I wasn’t even sure how I was going to get home, but I knew I needed to leave. I didn’t want to listen to his father go on and on about how I was the reason everyone was dead.

I walked down the street, feeling my head spinning. I kept seeing the deaths of the guys playing over and over in my head. I couldn’t forget their screams of pain or the sight of their blood being spilled. It would haunt me for the rest of my life.

I arrived home and threw my shoes aside. I was on my way up the stairs when I heard the front door open and shut. “There you are! I have been looking for you.”

I turned as Asher came inside, looking out of breath. His hair was a mess, and he looked panicked.

I chewed on my cheek, feeling that self-pity kicking in. “I don’t…”

“Why did you leave?” he asked, shaking his head. “I was taking a stand and putting things in place, and you just left. You were the one who told me you wanted me to stand up and not let my father tell me what to do. I was doing that. And you....you just left. You didn’t even let me finish.”

“He wasn’t even listening to you. Your father wasn’t taking anything you said into consideration.”

“You didn’t even give me a chance to get a hold of the situation.”

I sighed, having no energy left in me. I felt like I’d been fighting and trying to be understood, and I didn’t want to anymore. I didn’t want to fight. “I’m tired, Asher.”

“No. You’re not running off. Talk to me. Make me understand why we couldn’t stand together as a team. I thought that was what we both wanted. I thought that was what you wanted.”

I shook my head. “I don’t want to fight, Asher. I’m exhausted. I don’t want to go into your folks’ house and have to fight more than I already do. I am already fighting to feel like I deserve to be here. I am constantly trying to fight to prove I’m a witch and that I can help. I feel like a failure enough of the time, so I don’t need help feeling worse.” I sighed, rubbing at my eyes. “I’m tired of fighting.”

He moved closer. “I want us to stand together. Don’t you want that? I thought we both wanted that.”

Did I? Did I want him to have to fight right alongside me?

Watching all of those people crying over the people they love. Watching them lose someone so important without being able to say goodbye. I didn’t know heartache like that. Of course, I wanted to stand together with him. Asher made me feel safe and like I was seen for who I was. I knew deep down it wouldn’t be easy to step away from him.

But after the way his father reacted, I didn’t know if we would ever be able to stand together. Last night was proof that I would always be seen as the villain. My nightmares made a connection to the darkness, and that made me dangerous. His father would never accept us. I knew his father was making connections in town, and people would agree with him.

It would only be a matter of time before people would start thinking I had brainwashed him or that he was just as dangerous as I was. I couldn’t allow that. I wouldn’t let them tear him down to. That was another type of torture.