The Rebellious Omega

Braedon POV

"King Braedon are you feeling alright?" she asked tentatively, moving closer as I fought back a grin, my body continuing to stumble as I leaned against the wide trunk of a tree, and used it to balance myself, turning around wildly and staring at her as she blinked at me in confusion.

"I feel just fine" I slurred, wiping my brow and blinking rapidly "Why I've never felt better" I mumbled.

"You don't look so well," she said in concern, peering at me strangely "You've been drinking" she added wrinkling her nose and breathing shallowly as the pungent aroma of alcohol hit her nostrils.

I had to give her credit. She was one hell of a great actress. I leered at her. "I never realized how beautiful you were before," I said rudely and saw her blink, a shocked expression coming across her face.

This was strange. Why wasn't she coming on to me? She wasn't moving closer, if anything she was eyeing me with the faintest twinge of contempt. I felt a flickering of uncertainty. This was not going according to plan. I staggered towards her and she automatically put her arms out to catch

me.

"King Braedon," she said tightly, "I think we should get you back to the pack house and back to your mate. Blair will be worried about you" she added with a little bit of disgust in her voice.

I looked at her bleary-eyed. "Blair doesn't care about me," I said petulantly "I wish I had never marked her" I added for dramatic effect.

She looked stricken. "You don't mean that. You're just going through a rough patch" she said with remarkable composure. "All relationships do" she added in an attempt to reassure me.

I frowned feeling confused. My wolf spoke.

Braedon I don't think that this is the culprit. She seems genuinely concerned about your welfare and about Blair's. I think we got it dangerously wrong.

But what about Stella poisoning Blair? Are you telling me that's unrelated?

I'm saying that somebody else put Stella up to it and it wasn't her cousin. Look at how Josie is being careful to maintain a respectful distance, even as you're walking together. She's looking straight ahead, not at you. Her fingers are lightly pressing against us, not tightly gripping. If that girl is into you, then I'd be a monkey's uncle.

That kind of stings, to be honest, Lucian. I am not going to lie.

Get over yourself Braedon. One girl not being in love with you is not about to ruin your reputation as a lady's man. Besides you should be happy about this.

How can I be happy, knowing we have it wrong? I don't understand. I thought for sure it was Josie. Everyone did. Damnit. We are all idiots!

I stopped in my tracks and Josie frowned, glancing up at me, looking lost for words and slightly frustrated as I gently disentangled myself from her grasp. I decided to drop the act and speak frankly.

"Josie, I thought you might be the one responsible for everything going on at the packhouse. I thought you were trying to hurt Blair" I admitted lowly.

She gaped at me, the blood draining from her face. "How could you think I could be capable of hurting one of my best friends" she cried, genuinely devastated as I winced at the look of pain on her face "I would never hurt Blair, never" she sniffed.

"Then why have you been acting so weird lately?" I pushed, as Josie went mute "Why have you been keeping your distance? You haven't visited Blair lately and I happen to know that Stella was responsible for poisoning Blair at the summit."

She gasped and put a hand to her mouth. "I suspected it might have been Stella but I couldn't be certain" she whispered, looking stricken "And I haven't visited Blair because I've been dealing with certain personal issues," she said, bowing her head and looking embarrassed as well as extremely upset.

"Spill Josie. I need to know everything. Why did you invite Stella to the pack?"

Her head raised and she glared at me indignantly "I never invited my cousin to the pack" she said with a degree of anger "I can't stand my cousin. Never have. I was under the impression that she had been summoned to the pack to help with pack duties. I was never informed otherwise." Huh. "The personal issues?" I asked prodding her.

Tears flooded her eyes. "I admit it, I haven't been a good friend lately" she choked out "and I have been keeping my distance from Blair, but not for the reasons you think."

I waited. I felt a bit sick like this was information I shouldn't be privy to but I needed to know. Josie raised her face, tears dripping down her cheeks. "A few weeks ago, I had a one-night stand and while it wasn't with my mate, the night resulted in me getting pregnant" she explained stiffly "And then just before Blair announced her pregnancy I suffered a miscarriage. I was hurt okay," she said sobbing "I had just lost my child and watching how happy you and Blair were over the concept of having your pup, it just caused me pain, so I've been keeping away while I deal with the loss. It was never meant to be hurtful to Blair, I just needed to get myself together enough that I wasn't going to be a crappy friend who lost control of herself every time that Blair's pregnancy was mentioned or how the pup was going."

She was crying openly now and I stared at her, hating myself in that moment. Words failed me. Her shoulders were heaving and she was sobbing wildly, her head bowed down, her body trembling violently. "Stella has been living with me, but she's hardly ever in my home, she genuinely leaves to visit the pack house and comes back, locking herself away in the spare room. We don't actually like to talk to each other if we can help it" she said broodingly.

I nodded tightly. "Where is Stella now?" I asked, feeling helpless as she began to wipe the tears from her eyes and she glanced at me, her face contorted in a look of such devastation that it hurt to look at her. I really was a bastard. Poor Josie.