Chapter 18: Ada's Mate
Ada
“Clyde has a son,” I murmur more to myself than to them. “Does he knows?”
“Of course, he does,” Lola says indignantly. “He visits him at least once a week.”
“And my father?” I ask softly.
“Like your father would’ve paid me for my silence,” she snorts. “He’s paying child support, Ada. And before you ask, Margo also knows.”
“So, the story about you …”
“Look,” she cuts me off brusquely. “I know about the gossip that Margo caught me red-handed with Clyde and I got fired. That’s bullshit. The truth is, I fell pregnant and it was only a matter of time before I would be unable to work. I told your father the truth about my condition and made it clear that it was consensual. Clyde even offered to marry me, but Margo completely lost her sh*t when she learned an Omega is carrying her grandchild. Your father kept the peace and asked me if I was willing to accept child support.”
“It’s hard to believe my mother and Margo were sisters,” I shake my head. “She’s such a b*tch.”
“We agree on that,” Lola laughs. “I didn’t accept your father’s offer out of greed or laziness, Ada. I did what was best for my child. Margo would’ve made life hell for me and Toby if I stayed.”
“You’re right,” I nod. “And I understand your position. I would’ve done the same. I only want to help the others.”
“And I cannot risk my son because of them,” Lola’s voice is more sympathetic than before. “I’m not afraid that your father would stop the money. I am afraid of what Margo will do to my son. She’s crazy enough to take Toby away just to get back at me for helping you.”
I nod and look down at my hands. I would have pushed her if I did not know Margo so well, but I cannot. Lola is a mother and would do anything to protect her child. I cannot fault her for that. And she is right, Margo will have her revenge.
“My daughter did help,” her mother says, and I look at her in surprise. I did not hear her, and she still looks at me with hatred. “And she paid dearly for it.”
“Mother, enough,” Lola warns her with big eyes.
“No, Lola,” she shakes her head. “It’s time she learns the truth.”
“No, please …”
“She got pregnant because of you,” she cuts off Lola’s protest and points her finger accusingly at me. “Lola knew what Clyde was doing to you. She seduced him so that he can leave you alone.”
“What?” I gape at the woman in surprise before I look at Lola. “Is that true?”
“No,” she shakes her head.
“Oh, goddess,” Lola murmurs as she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. “Clyde was my mate.”
“You’re joking,” I gasp.
“That’s a lie!” Her mother yells.
“No, Mother, it’s the truth,” Lola’s voice is firm and steady as she looks at her mother. “I didn’t tell you because I knew how you’d react. Truth is, when I started working at the castle, I was on kitchen duty. That’s when I heard about what Clyde is doing. Not only to Ada but to other Omegas. One girl was so traumatised that she didn’t pitch up for her shift and I offered to step in. That was the first time I saw him. He wanted to reject me, but I convinced him to sleep with me once before he rejects me. I promised not to tell anyone he’s my mate. Afterwards, he didn’t reject me and things were great for a while. He stayed faithful and I satisfied his needs. He rejected me when I told him about the pregnancy. I could see in his eyes he regretted it the second he said the words, but it was too late. You know the rest.”
A heavy silence falls upon us as I process her words and do the math. Nothing stopped Clyde from coming to my room at night – not even Dad’s guards. Until he abruptly stopped short before my eighteenth birthday, and I was getting my wolf.
“All this time I thought he left me alone because I got my wolf,” I mutter as I look at her. “But that’s not it. He found you.”
“I’m sorry,” she gives me a weak smile. “If I didn’t fall pregnant, he wouldn’t have rejected me and returned to you.”
“No,” I shake my head. “He hasn’t returned to me after you left.”
“Until last night,” Reese mutters under his breath and I pump him in the ribs to stay quiet.
“Ada,” Lola looks at me urgently. “I’m sorry I cannot help and please don’t tell anybody about Toby. I’m only thinking of him.”
“Yeah, sure,” I nod and stand up. “And thank you for telling me the truth.”
“Ada,” her voice is sincere. “Be careful, I don’t know why, but Clyde hates you. He didn’t come to your room out of lust, he came to humiliate and hurt you.”
Speechless, I stare at her before I nod and walk back to the car.
**
“Let’s do some sightseeing,” Reese says as we climb into the car.
“I’m not in a good mood,” I warn him as I fasten my safety belt.
“Precisely,” he smiles at me and starts the engine. “You need time to process everything before you go home and see Clyde.”
“Valid point,” I grin and stare out of the window as Reese drives through town.
Today did not go as planned. I was certain I would convince Lola to help me. If we stood together, Dad would have had no choice but to listen and take action against Clyde. But I will never betray Lola or Toby. This is about Clyde and not them. Putting them through hell to get back at Clyde, would make me a worse person than him.
“Why are we stopping?” I ask as Reese parks in front of the diner.
“Do they have milkshakes?” He asks.
“The best in town,” I laugh.
“Which translates to the only place in town,” he rolls his eyes at me.
“Very perceptive,” I smile as we climb out and walk inside.
There is no one in the diner except for the waitress behind the counter.
“Hello, Cathy,” I greet her. “Where’s everybody?”
“Taking a break before the lunch rush,” she rolls her eyes. “In about an hour, this place will be filled with snotnose children and rowdy teenagers. The worst part of every day. But please, take a seat, I’m here to serve.”
“And we don’t have runny noses,” Reese winks at her and she blushes beet red as Reese guides me to a booth.
“I swear you’ll be able to charm yourself out of dying,” I laugh softly. “You’ll give the reaper one smile and he’ll grant you another ten years.”
“Depends,” he smiles wickedly. “If the Reaper is a straight male, it won’t work. Believe me, I tried.”
“What can I get you?” Cathy asks as she comes to stand next to us.
“I’ll go with the hamburger and fries,” Reese studies the menu. “And a strawberry milkshake.”
“Make it two, please,” I say to Cathy.
“On it,” she looks at Reese once more before she turns around and leaves.
“So, do you want to talk about it?” Reese asks once we are alone.
“There’s nothing to talk about,” I shrug nonchalantly. “Lola is a dead end. I cannot risk her son.”
“I was referring to Clyde hating you,” Reese looks me in the eyes and I know I will get nowhere denying it. Somehow he just gets me and understands what I am feeling.
“I’m angry about it,” I confess. “Not because he hates me, I can live with that. But to go to such extreme measures to punish me for reasons unknown infuriates me. The year they moved in, he turned eighteen and I was only fifteen. I was a child and didn’t do anything to him. I even liked him before he started … you know. I wasn’t mean to him like I am now. I didn’t go to see Lola as a crusade against him for what he did to me. It’s in the past and I’m over it. But I’m a warrior and it’s my job to protect. Knowing what he’s doing to the Omegas and ignoring it, is forsaking my duty.”
“Ada, are you sure you’re over it?” Reese leans over and takes my hand in his. “Is it something you can get over?”
“You get over it, but you don’t forget,” I admit. “I never told anybody about it, but I talked to a counsellor about it and she helped me move on. I don’t get nightmares anymore and I sleep just fine. I don’t hide from him or avoid him, but I’ll be happier if I don’t ever see him again. I don’t carry it with me any longer and I hardly think about it. This wouldn’t even be a topic if he didn’t come into my room last night. The only thing that bothers me right now, is why he did it.”
“Okay,” he smiles as he squeezes my hand. “You do have a point about the why. If he hates you enough to hurt you like that, he can hate you enough to bomb your party.”
“Exactly,” I say relieved that he understands. “He hates me and wants to ruin my life in every possible way.”
“And you’re dying to know why?” He smirks.
“Of course,” I laugh. “Wouldn’t you be curious as to what you’ve done to make someone hate you that much?”
“Yes,” he says seriously as he pulls his hand away from mine when Cathy walks over with our food. “And then I’ll kill him.”
I do not say a word as we look at each other while Cathy places our food in front of us. As mad as I am at Clyde, I do not know if I can kill him. I have never killed anything in my entire life, and I honestly do not know if I have the stomach for it.
“Enjoy,” she turns around and leaves.