Page 75 of For All My Effort
I stiffened at those words, hating being referred to as if I wasn’t fucking present. Sure, Adam was turned slightly so he was looking directly at Sebastian. That didn’t mean he should just exclude me. Also, who worries more about how other people handle someone else’s trauma? Not only did it ignore the very real fear that my mates had for my safety and health, but it was degrading as shit to what happened to me.
Zeke’s hand on my knee squeezed tighter, and he shifted in his seat, inconspicuously adjusting so he was slightly leaning against me rather than simply touching me. A hand touched my shoulder, the gentle weight of Jackson’s presence reminding me of his pleas that I be a good omega for this meeting.
“Hannah’s strong,” Sebastian said, his chest puffing up. “We’re just happy that she’s here, with us, and healing.”
Those words filled me with pride, calming the tirade of emotions I hadn’t even recognized growing inside me.
“Of course,” Adam agreed. “There’s been a lot of speculation surrounding your omega and how she’s doing. She’s become quite recognizable, actually. Lots of people are worried about her.”
There was something … odd in his tone. I couldn’t place it and my alphas didn’t stop speaking to give me a minute to think about it.
“We’ve ensured all of our families understand that Hannah is fine,” Han said, speaking up for the first time. I had no idea if what Han said was true or not considering the only conversation my mates had about their families was that we all didn’t get along.
Adam waved a hand in the air like Han’s comment was obvious, “Of course. I was meaning the public. Unfortunately, the world has been watching this pack since the incident. Lots of people feel like they know someone once they see them on the screen, especially those that make a reoccurrence in such a dramatic fashion.”
“We’ve noticed,” Seb said, nodding solemnly like he was agreeing to something terrible. “Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do about everyone talking about Hannah.”
“I actually had an idea about that. A way to help protect your omega. It’s the second reason we’re here, now that we know she’s okay.”
Behind me, my mate’s growl was loud enough that I knew everyone could hear it. His hand was still on my shoulder, his fingers digging in like he was trying to anchor himself to me, taking comfort from me rather than offering it. I turned my head as best I could and kissed his hand, reaching up with my own fingers to reassure him. My instincts screamed at me, demanding I do more to help my alpha, to wrap myself around him or maybe even get on my knees to thank him for his protection.
Just as I was about to crawl over the back of the couch to my mate, Jackson’s growl softened.
Despite his scent having bloomed with anger, I could scent the bitterness of the other alphas. I doubted my mates could scent the slight change in their shift since my designation had the best sense of smell. That didn’t stop the smug smile from pulling at my lips no matter how much I knew I shouldn’t allow it.
On top of that, I wouldn’t have thought Jackson would have been the first one to break civility, but I appreciated that it wasn’t me. Looking over my shoulder, I smirked at Jackson who didn’t find me nearly as amusing as I found myself in that moment.
“We didn’t mean any offense,” Adam said, the apology barely existent. “You’re protecting your omega as best you can. Sometimes it helps to have friends in high places, though.”
Was he supposed to be the friend? And why did his apology have a ‘we’ when he was the idiot that insulted my alpha?
“What do you suggest?” Sebastian asked. He was leaning forward now, looking intrigued, and bringing all the attention back to him.
“An interview. Something calmer than being attacked by the press. As easy as this sit-down, just talking, explaining what happened and how she’s doing now.”
“It would be a short interview considering Hannah lost years of her memory,” Han joked.
One of Adam’s pack members spoke up, the one that smelled like salty water, saying, “Memory loss is technically a medical diagnosis. She wouldn’t have to admit that in any interview. That would be a violation of privacy.”
“If I was being honest,” Sebastian started, “I would admit that I’m not particularly trusting of reporters at the moment. You’ll recall the last time I took Hannah out and the unfortunate events that transpired. Putting her back into that position doesn’t particularly appeal to any of us.”
Adam turned his gaze to me, temporarily, a look on his face like he was seeing a dying dog, not a person. “Understandable. But I do have some expertise with reporters and the public. I can tell you that scrutiny will continue to follow you until the public feels like it’s gotten the answers to their questions.”
It took me longer than I’d like to admit to understand Adam’s suggestion. A few weeks ago, I would have jumped at this opportunity. Except now I knew what the reporters were like. How they pushed into your private space, all huddled together with bright flashing lights, demanding to be heard over one another. They’d stared at me, yelling questions that had to be tongue twisters to get out, and shoving devices into my face, unrelenting in their pursuit.
Then there was the fact that the offer came from Adam. I had seen the way the female reporter had set him up for success in that one-on-one interview, and I knew any help he offered would be with the same vibe, the same set-up that aligned with his vile propaganda.
Han shook his head back and forth, not adamantly, but softly. “Hannah doesn’t have the experience you do with talking to reporters. I’ve seen the footage that was recorded the night she and Sebastian were overwhelmed. The flashing lights and yelled questions weren’t a safe space. Right, Hannah?”
I almost didn’t answer, so used to the alphas talking about me like I wasn’t here. The silence in the room was deafening, the words finally coming together in my brain, making me realize I needed to actually say something.
“Right. My mates have been telling me that the best option is to stay out of the public’s attention, and I agree with that.”
“Your mates are wise,” Adam said, speaking to me for the first time.
I groaned internally, hating what I’d said. To anyone else, my words would have just shown that I was in agreement with my alphas, except I knew that what Adam actually heard was that my mates made the decision since it was their idea. I could have just said that I thought it was best to stay out of the public’s eyes. I could have stopped after agreeing with Han or maybe even demanded to know how I was supposed to conduct any interview when I couldn’t fucking leave my home anymore. Damn, that would’ve been so good!
“My suggestion was for an intimate interview, not with a news station but an actual journalist. One with integrity and an omega of their own. You’d sit down, in a particularly comfortable seat if I say so myself, talking about your recent experiences. No pressure, a single camera, nothing overwhelming.”