Page 10 of The Silver Pact

Three years and one month ago

Iwasn’t going to show up, but I promised, and there is something about them that dares me to step out and take a chance. Onyx is going to be mad. I snuck out again, and they were so happy to see me. I kept waiting, but nothing bad happened. They are really nice. No one broke my ribs or held me down. No one called me a whore and slapped me until my face was numb. Is this real?

Present Day

There is a bond mark on my wrist.

No matter how many times I rub at it, it’s not coming off. Ian fucking Vore bonded me. He barked at me and made me bond him. I can feel him inside my chest, his rage, the cold and icy disdain he feels every time he looks at me. It’s like he’s projecting all those feelings up into this giant wall, so I can’t actually feel that he’s a person. Ian has simply become one massive ball of ‘I hate Silver’.

Yeah! I hear you! “Asshole alpha,” I grumble when he shoots a glare in my direction.

I sniffle and swipe at the tears. I hate feeling this vulnerable and weak.

I sit up and swing my legs over the bed. It’s been a day or two, I think. After he left, I collapsed and passed out. When I woke up, there was water beside me and Onyx.

For the first time in years, we were within speaking distance. It was strangely absent of all the pain I’d been expecting. I kept waiting for her accusations, her recriminations, but Onyx didn’t do any of that. My sister wrapped her arms around me and helped me to the toilet. She said nothing as she helped me drink the water and take the painkillers, either. We stared at each other, and I’ve never felt so far away from her as I did in that moment. Onyx is like an angel, and I’m from hell.

“Go to sleep, Silvie,” she’d whispered like we were still sisters. Like we still cared and had a connection. Like I was someone she cares about.

Today is a new day with a bright morning in the Vore household, and she’s not here. I can hear people moving deeper in the house. The Pack doing daily things. This is their home. Their scents permeate the air, the surfaces, and even me. It makes a girl want to cry.

Ross smells like roasting chestnuts. It’s such a warm and snuggly scent, and it makes my mouth water. I remember being at camp before everything went to hell, while a boy showed me how to cook them. I don’t remember his face, but I remember that feeling of joy. That’s what Ross’s scent reminds me of; joy.

Ian’s smell fills the air and invades every single space. Sandalwood. It’s a scent I want to draw into my lungs and keep ingesting. Strong, sensual, homey. The first time I met him, I was sneaking around the resort while Onyx was in training. I bounced into his chest and started to fall. He caught me and smiled. It was the most swoon-worthy moment. I felt safe and thrilled. Ian was the promise of a new chance.

The twins, though…they have different types of scents. Subtle. Quint’s scent is more like the scent you smell just before a huge thunderstorm hits the city, while Weston’s is the scent before snow hits the city. They are unstoppable forces, ungoverned by the laws of humanity or designation. Bringing change and excitement.

Both are two of my favourite scents in the world.

I frown. They never used to be. I hated storms. But that was before. Storms are my friend now, I can hide in a storm. I can vanish in a storm.

I climb out of bed and notice the IV has been removed from my arm. A tiny little band aid has been put over the wound. Somehow, I don’t think it was Ian.

I find my bag and quickly go through it. I find a pair of jeans that don’t smell quite so bad, and a jumper. It’s warm today, but everything else is dirty. I’m just going to make do.

I pack everything up, duck into the bathroom, have the world’s quickest shower, and get dressed before anyone can come and yell at me.

I peer around the house as I tiptoe out of the room. There’s no one in sight, but I’m shocked by the wealth. I didn’t pay attention in my room, but now I can see it. I think the floor is granite. It’s modern, one of those beautiful showplace homes. Everything is sleek lines, with perfect finishes. There are pieces of the pack everywhere. A bracket on the wall holds a plant with huge leaves. Shoes at the end of the hallway, outside a bedroom.

The hallway I’m in opens into an open plan space. There’s a sliding glass set of doors framing a garden paradise, a kitchen with silver and black appliances, and a huge stove. The fridge is covered in photos, and there are stickers on two cupboards. A huge dining table takes up a massive portion of space and manages to look tiny inside the enormous room. There’s a laptop left behind, sitting on the table with a coffee beside it. I wonder if someone just stepped out of the room.

I stare at the fridge. My stomach seizes, groaning loudly. Maybe I could just steal some bread? I mean, they hate me anyway. What does being a thief matter on top of being a selfish waste of space omega?

Two steps towards the kitchen, and I’m frozen, unable to do it. I don’t want them to think worse of me. With a regretful sigh, I turn on my heel, heading towards the sliding glass doors. I hitch my bag up on my shoulder and slowly crack the door open.

“Silver?”

I freeze with one foot through the door. I could run now, but I don’t think I’d get far. My body is shaking already. I need to eat, but I have no money.

Fuck.

Desperation has me slowly turning back to the alpha who called my name.

“Where are you going?” Ross asks gently.

“Home,” I say belligerently.

“You have somewhere you’re staying?”