While I shuddered, Marcus rubbed my back and made soft, sympathetic noises. Dakota knelt beside him, grabbing my hand to hold while I cried into Ryker’s shoulder. “At first, Jax avoided you like the plague. Said he couldn’t bear to see the child his sister died for. He knew he was an idiot, but he couldn’t help it. No one held it against him either, since his twin died. He stayed at my manor for a couple of weeks, at least until I said I was visiting Molly without him. So, reluctantly, Jax came along. As soon as he saw you, he melted, and you took to him like a duck to water. In you, he saw his sister’s legacy, and he kicked himself for every second he lost. After that, life returned to his eyes, and he doted on you. He’d promised Jazzy he would protect you before she died, but now he looked forward to the task. He reminded me of his toddler years when everything was exciting and a treat. Idiot. But, like all good things, it had to end. The same group of humans that robbed his sister of her life stumbled upon him. Realizing he was an omega when he fiercely protected the pups he watched in pack territory, they left him alone. However, after a heated argument between Evan and the organization’s leader, they chose Jax as the recipient of their displeasure. One, because they knew it would devastate the entire pack. Two, because they are unintelligent and cannot recognize that taking away the calming influence will lead to uncontrollable rage. Jax allowed them to kill him because that’s what the omega does when given a chance. They will sacrifice themselves to protect their pack. He also feared that if he didn’t let it happen, they might follow him to you. Hence, he made a deal with the witch, and I was the one to lead her to you. Which was for the best. Jaxy would never have been able to go through with it if he had to do it in person,” Ryker chuckled, albeit sorrow filled his voice.
I couldn’t stop crying, although I tried. Dakota cried with me, pulling me from Ryker, who let me go, and his arms tightened. Movement caused me to tense, and I found myself pulled from my cousin to face Rex. “Despite what this monster Ryker mentioned may have tried to teach you to think, you are a gift. I understand where Jazzy’s head was. Her twin was an omega, she an alpha, so it only made sense her child might be an omega too. Her father’s pack would have demanded control of you, and she would have killed the alpha in retaliation. Jazzy did not like being bossed around. Even her father couldn’t do it, albeit I got away with it. See, I taught Jaz at a very young age that if she did what I asked, she got ice cream afterward. If it was something I needed to be done without ado, I bribed her with cookies. Pol could never figure out how I got her to do what I wanted, and Jax found it hilarious. I bought his silence with cookies as well,” he murmured with grief and happiness in his eyes. So that’s what Tyger meant when he said I came by my love of cookies honestly. No wonder he asked me to forget about it when he mentioned it.
“Other than what you suffered once Molly died, they made the right choice. I wish they taught you about us,” Rex added with a sad sigh. “We would have protected you from the world and you would have had a safe place to grow up.” All I would have done is brought trouble here.
“Jax told her all about you, and Pol and Shelly. But when he took her memories, those went with them,” Ryker explained mournfully. “By the time I discovered which hospital she went to, Angel and Matty were gone. I searched, but her monster covered her trail. He knew about you too, and it would kill his game if her family took her in. Angel would have been beyond his grasp, and he didn’t want that. By the time I found her, she was feral and living on the streets. While I wanted to take her in, I feared she wouldn’t tell me where she hid Matty. If I didn’t know and couldn’t find him, her monster would. Thus, Angel would blame me for her brother getting sold to some bastard on the black market. So, we watched but didn’t dare interfere unless the situation was dire. So Angel made sure her situation never got bad enough to invite us in, the brat.” Sorry for learning how to take care of myself. Albeit, sometimes it was Jax helping, although I didn’t realize that.
“Some of that was my fault.” Speak of the devil. Rex and Jeanne looked surprised to hear him, their eyes moving to look behind me, and I sighed. Figures, he will let others see him, but not me. Or perhaps I cannot see? Are human eyes unable to spot ghosts? Or at least his?
“I figured,” Ryker chuckled with a sad sigh. “Never could help yourself.” Ghostly laughter filled my ears, and I sighed. I still don’t understand why they hid me, not entirely. If her pack would have demanded control of me, couldn’t she have petitioned Jax’s pack? They already had an omega too, but since I would be related to him… No, that wouldn’t have worked because they didn’t know she existed.
“So, I semi understand why they felt the need to hide Angel, but why didn’t you reveal her existence once Molly died?” Dakota asked in a voice
