Alpha's Possession by Jessica Hall

Chapter 23
“Yes, yes, I understand, I swear, I understand,” I choke and rasp out, and Thane finally releases me from his hold.
I am gasping for air as I attempt to figure out what I did wrong in order to deserve such treatment. Leon attacked me. He is the
one who has to carry the burden of blame and guilt, but Thane acts as if I was on my knees, asking and begging for this to
happen,
“A taxi is waiting for you by the main gate. Now get out of my house,” Thane snarls, gets up from where he was sitting this whole
time, and storms out of the room, leaving me on the floor..
The asshole doesn’t have enough decency in him to check if I’m okay or will I survive for another night. How can he be so
careless after watching the attack happen before his eyes? What if Leon managed to suck enough blood to kill me? He cares for
his and his mate’s reputation, not the lives that might be taken by the reckless psychopath Leon.
I know that staying around for any longer will most likely get me killed, so I grab my belongings and ignore how violently my
knees shake as I bolt out of the cursed mansion.
Once again, I freeze off my ass as I stand by the gate, waiting for the taxi to arrive. So much for claiming one was waiting for me
here already. That Thane is a fucking soulless liar!
I keep stealing glances back at the brightly illuminated mansion. It’s creepy to stand here out in the open where everyone can
see me, but I couldn’t spot a figure approaching me for my life. The trees hold massive shadows that I find ominous the moment
the fear starts creeping up on me. The place is dead silent, too darn silent for me to feel even slightly comfortable to stay around.
The chill of the air steals all the warmth from my body, even with the clothes they gave me. Honestly, I’m grateful they thought of
getting me a taxi because I have no money left, there isn’t even a single dime in my pocket.
The lack of money worries me more than it should, so I turn my head to see if the taxi isn’t approaching me and notice car lights
coming toward me just as the first pitter of snowdrops onto my face.
I glance up at the sky as the car wooshes past me. Well, at least now I know it wasn’t the taxi I’m expecting. A shiver runs
through me as I rub my hands and try to stay at least relatively warm. Freezing to death before the taxi arrives is the last thing I
want to happen to me.

Yet, Thane lied, the longer I wait, the more the realisation sinks in the taxi isn’t coming. It has to be another of his cruel jokes.
Fucking asshole.
Iglance back at the now-closed gate, but I’m too scared to approach it, and press the buzzer and ask if Thane could call the cab
company to check how much longer I need to wait for it.
After waiting for half an hour, I have enough and start walking away from the mansion. I jump at every noise and still hold onto
the hope of the arrival of the taxi every time I see a car light turn down the blackened street.
I nearly reach the end of the long street when a black Mercedes pulls up alongside me. I stop and glance at it right as the
window wounds down. Relief floods me when I see it’s Raidon sitting behind the steering wheel.
“Get in the car, Omega,” he growls, and I bite my lip at the name.
Would it really be so hard to call me Zara, not Omega? Their endless taunting is demoralising, and it makes me feel like I am
nothing but a useless mutt to them. But then again, I suppose, in a way, I am nothing but that. It’s not like any of them ever try to
hide their dislike of me.
“Can you hear me, Omega? I said get in the fucking car. The cab company just called; the taxi that was supposed to pick you up
broke down, so I am driving you home.” Raidon growls again, freely showing off the displeasure he feels for being forced to deal
with me.
I bet they had a whole argument about who is the unlucky soul who has to spend another few minutes in my awful presence, and
Raidon is pissed off because Thane decided for them.
Sighing, I glance ahead and give in to move toward the car. Walking the entire distance to the city would be way worse, so a
quick ride there wouldn’t kill me. And it wouldn’t kill him too, or so I hope.
Raidon leans over, shoves the door open, and I climb in. He doesn’t even bother to give me a chance to put on the seatbelt as I
am tossed back in my seat when Raidon floors the gas pedal.
As fast as I can, I place on the seatbelt and rub my hands together, attempting to warm them up a little. At this point, I can’t feel
even the tips of my fingers anymore because they are freezing. After spending so much time out in the cold today, my feet are
sore from standing in the small heels I wore today, and even my toes are numb from the freezing temperatures.

The first half of the trip is filled with nothing but deafening silence, creating an awful tension in the air that I want to escape the
first chance I get.
“Leon. He isn’t like that. I swear he isn’t. It’s just that he lost control,” Raidon speaks up out of the blue as we reach the city limit.
I stay quiet and stare out of the car window. But is there anything I can say at this point? It was Leon who attacked me. I did not
provoke him in any way. Alli am guilty of is trying to do my job.
Ultimately, I don’t care what any of them say. It won’t change the fact that Leon attacked. He hurt me, so I’m hardly going to feel
sorry for his lack of control.
Thane already managed to make me feel guilty for the mere fact of my existence, anyway.
I still can’t shake off the thoughts of how he glared at me earlier. The image is burned in my mind, and I think it won’t leave till the
day I die. At that moment, I felt so small, so darn unwanted. And I know I am like that in his eyes, but to see those feelings so out
on display like that really stung.
Since I still refuse to speak up, Raidon sighs and continues,” It wouldn’t be the wisest decision to go to the media and speak
about what happened. I know Thane commanded you not to, but I also know that there are ways around every command, so I
thought it was better if I warned you. Just in case.” He says, and the car falls silent again.
I peer out of the window as I breathe out of my mouth, so I don’t have to inhale his heady scent. Raidon pulls his car into a
nearby McDonald’s and goes through the drive-thru. Great, everything that happened isn’t enough for him. Now, he will torture
me with the intense scent of the food I can’t afford. Fucking fantastic way to end a clusterfuck of a workday.