Page 19 of For All My Effort

Every instinct in my body rejected the words. Not the truth, the idea of being pulled from my alphas. We were bonded. It wouldn’t just turn them feral, but me too.

My words were caught in my throat, wanting to come out to argue yet stuck.

Sebastian didn’t have the same problem, continuing his speech. “If I’m honest, this representative is doing us a favor. He’s turning the attention away from you. He might be using your designation, but not you specifically. It’s like hiding in plain sight.”

“If he wins…” I whispered, just barely able to get my voice to work.

“He won’t. We won’t let him. But we have time. Time to fight this battle on a different front, using your designation, not you, specifically. Let us try, princess.”

“What do we do, then?”

Sebastian pinched my chin, his gaze a mix of sadness and determination. “I don’t know yet. But I promise you, we won’t stop trying to protect you and other omegas. Trust us.”

He was looking for my agreement, for reassurance that I wouldn’t go around him and talk to the media anyways wielding a metaphorical sword to this very real battle. As much as I hated it, I easily agreed. Old Hannah trusted these alphas, and so far, I did too. They weren’t keeping me out of the decision, just telling me to wait.

As much as I felt like the power of my honest words would be enough to persuade everyone to believe me, to believe in my cause, I’d learned the hard way it wouldn’t be enough. What would an interview on TV do that a protest didn’t? That a sit-in didn’t? That a march or provocative dress didn’t?

“Okay,” I told him. “I’ll wait.”

“Good girl, princess.”

A delicious shiver ran through my body at his words. I felt the hairs on my arms raise, also excited by his tone.

“So,” it was Koda’s long, drawn-out word that finally pulled my attention from my blond alpha, “does this mean I can come see you. I’d really like to check you over with my two eyes.”

She had a bit of a whine in her words, something her mates seemed to notice too since they all squeezed closer to her and more in frame.

“Hannah is going to be starting her heat, soon,” Zeke said.

“I’ll be really quick.”

One of her mates growled, “I don’t like the idea of you near alphas whose mate is about to go into heat.”

Koda and I both looked at each other, mentally mapping out his verbal route.

“My mates don’t mind, do you?” I looked around the room, expecting four nodding heads. I found none. Their scents were already rising, becoming territorial. “Uh, maybe after my heat?”

Then everyone seemed to nod.

Koda and I hung up after I promised to stay in touch. I could tell by the look on her face that she was worried I wouldn’t. Maybe it was wrong, but I wasn’t feeling as disconnected with Koda as I was with my mates. I still hadn’t remembered her. It was just easier to accept a new friendship with her than forever with four alphas.

Although, easier, didn’t mean easy.

My finger hovered over the button to delete all of my saved messages. Jokes that I wouldn’t get, and references that would confuse me, or plans that I’d forgotten. I didn’t want them there, lurking over me like a possibility that may never happen. Memories were impossible to see in the brain, so no one knew whether I’d get mine back. And it was that bastardly speck of hope that had me backing out, keeping all the messages and pictures of another life.

Annoyed with myself, I shoved my phone into the couch cushions, content with the little phone prison.

“I’m hungry,” I declared, getting up to make my way to the kitchen.

All four of the alphas spoke at the same time, asking what I wanted, demanding I sit back down, wanting to know what I was craving.

I had to press my lips together tightly to keep from laughing. Considering they were bonded to me, my attempt at hiding my amusement was impossible. Still, I answered, “Something savory. Like a potato but smothered in cheese. Or maybe some of that round pasta with a cheese sauce? Oh, oh, maybe breaded cheese that we can fry up?”

“I’m sensing a theme,” Zeke said. He lifted me up onto the kitchen island, standing between my legs like it was a totally casual thing for him to do.

Han was looking through the massive fridge while Seb opened a door that went into a walk-in pantry. My jaw dropped at that.

The alpha in front of me chuckled. “There’s five of us in this house. We eat, a lot.”