Chapter 91 91. Attention
Tabitha’s POV
The next morning, I head downstairs for breakfast. My mom is already seated at the table, sipping from her mug with that calm expression she wears when she is trying not to worry too much.
“Feeling better now?” she asks softly.
I step toward her without a word and wrap my arms around her. “I am sorry for what I did yesterday. I ignored you in such a disrespectful way.” The apology comes out of me before I even finish the hug.
She smiles and taps my arm. “It is okay. Emery already informed me about what happened to Reed and Luca yesterday. I was just worried about you, especially since you arrived home pretty late. I thought you got into an accident too. Especially if you came home with that on your head.” She points at the dressing on my forehead from the tiny cut I got back from the yacht.
“No, I was fine. This is just a tiny scratch that I got from—well, it’s a long story,” I say, pulling back slightly.
She lets out a long sigh. “Fine. I will not probe anymore. But next time, if there is an emergency, you have to tell me. I do not want to sit here wondering where you are.”
“I promise,” I say. “And I am sorry again.”
After that, we start eating together. And she told me about the recent spotting of rogues around the island yesterday, but fortunately, Alpha Emery and his patrol of men manage to apprehend some of them, before they can terrorize the event.
“Did Evren and Jace come home last night?” I ask.
“I did not see them. But the house staff told me they arrived around midnight… I think? But they also left very early this morning. They probably went back to visit their brothers at the hospital.”
“I want to visit Reed and Luca again too.” I nod.
“I will probably visit them myself once Emery returns home later,” she says.
By early afternoon, Gerald drives me to the hospital. I head straight for their room, but before I can reach the door fully, I hear voices spilling out from inside. And not gentle ones. It sounds like people arguing.
I lean behind the door and listen.
“I already allowed you to participate in that childish competition. Are you repaying my generosity by humiliating me? By causing a scene like this?” I recognize the spiteful voice belonging to Alpha Emery.
Why is he here? I thought he’ll be going here later with my mom instead.
“Cause a scene?” the voice lets out a sarcastic laugh and only Reed can make such a sound of pure derision. “Did you think we dove headfirst into the asphalt and broke multiple bones because it was fun?” Reed snaps.
“Then what else shall I call it?” Alpha Emery lashes back. “Ah, stupidity? You cannot even win a race against some random human boy outside the island.”
“They rammed into our bikes!” Luca argues.
“The oldest trick in the book,” Alpha Emery says. “And you still found yourselves helpless in the face of such cheap tactics in an equally cheap sport. I thought I trained you better than that. Raised you better than that.”
“Father, I do not think this is the time to—” Evren tries to say.
“It is the time when I say it is my time!” Alpha Emery cuts him off. “I refuse to have stupid sons and weak sons. But it seems I have both. I will not tolerate this anymore.”
Silence hangs in the room before he speaks again. “If you do not want to piss me off anymore, you will pull yourselves together and make sure you never cause another humiliation. And next time, if you ever think of joining another silly little game again, the least you can do is win the damn thing. For once, do something that is not disappointing.”
Hearing footsteps approach, I quickly duck behind a small group of nurses pushing a cart. Alpha Emery walks past them with a rigid jaw and a heavy stare. I stay tucked behind the cluster of uniforms until he disappears down the hallway.
I let out a breath I did not realize I was holding. I’m just relieved that we are in a public place with fellow humans everywhere, masking my presence enough for him not to notice I was eavesdropping.
Once the hallway clears, I step into the room.
The four brothers are alone this time, and none of them look happy to see me. The mood inside feels thick, like a storm cloud pressing against the walls. It doesn’t take a genius to know that I heard earlier explains everything.
“What are you doing here?” Reed asks, his tone coming out sharper that I’m used to.
I lift the basket in my hands
“I brought some fruit,” I say, keeping my tone as bright as I can. “I just wanna check if you two are feeling better now.”
Luca shakes his head. “We are not in the mood to talk, Tabitha. So, you should just leave.”
His sharp tone catches me off guard. I didn’t expect him to outrightly shoo me away. And none of his brothers even bother chiding him. They all sit there with the same distant look, making it clear that they do not want me here. Again.
“Okay…” A faint ache settles in my chest but I nod. “If you need anything, you can contact one of the housemaids who will visit later. They can let me know.”
I step out of the room before my voice can betray me.
As I walk down the hall, I keep telling myself that they are just in a bad mood because of what their father told them. Come to think of it, that was a pretty harsh thing to say to your sons, much more when you’re their only parent left. With their mom gone, you’d think Alpha Emery would be a loving and gracious parent to his partially-orphaned sons, but no. He is very critical of them and although the man has shown nothing but generosity to me and my mom, I can’t help but feel a flare of anger knowing that he is hurting his own sons
I leave the hospital still thinking about that.
Almost a week have passed since that day. The brothers only had to stay for two more days after I talked to them at the hospital before they were discharged and returned to the estate. And three days after their discharge, Reed and Luca look completely healed. It’s freaky how fast werewolves recover. But I suppose that’s a good thing, because at least I won’t have to keep subjecting myself to the torture of watching Isabel and Elsie show up at the estate every day to ‘help’ Reed and Luca in their ‘poor states’. One time, I caught Elsie cleaning Reed’s injured leg in the garden. She might as well have stripped him out of his shorts with the way she was doing it. Reed only gave me an unbothered look as I watched them from afar.
I also remember seeing Isabel give Luca a neck massage near the pool, and Luca looked more than pleased with her touch. The sight made me want to grab the nearest object and throw it.
You’d think I would have at least a few decent interactions with the brothers now that they’re back, but no. Most of the time, they act like I don’t exist. Especially Evren and Jace, who don’t have chicks to entertain them like their two brothers do, but still somehow manage to keep themselves busy with anything that doesn’t involve speaking to me. Even during meals or the rare moments we pass each other in the hallways, they avoid eye contact altogether. It’s like they’re bothered every time they see me.
And I’m starting to get fed up.
On the sixth day, I ask my mom where the brothers have been since they had not joined us for breakfast earlier in the morning.
“I heard they are camping with some friends in the woods. Emery says they’ll probably stay there for a few days,” mom says.
“And who exactly… are these friends? Rye? Wyatt? Ian? Wilson?”
“Yes.” Mom nods, a bit distracted by the game she is playing on her tablet. “With a few more guys too. I saw them earlier when they were loading tents in the car—ah!” She yells when she loses the game. Sighing, she shuts the tablet off and turns to me. “But they’re also with some ladies. The same lovely ladies who helped them in the past few days and few more.”
My jaw tightens. Elsie and Isabel went camping with them? Along with a few more girls? My mind instantly jumps to images of half-naked girls running around the lake and splashing water all over them. And Isabel sitting on Luca’s lap while he strokes her hair or Elsie and Reed making out inside a tent, or maybe Melanie joining in the party and entertaining Evren in ways I’d rather not think about. And what about Jace? Yennifer won’t probably be there, but he’ll have a huge assortment of pussies waiting for him. Considering his fuckboy ways, he’ll definitely have the time of his life!
Or not. Not if I go there and prevent that from happening.
“So where exactly are they going camping? Do you have an inkling?” I ask my mom.
“Hmm…” She ponders for a while. “I think they are planning to set up their camp beside Kolra river, so they can go fishing or so I heard.”
Good. I know where that is.
“Where are you going?” she asks me when I head out of the house.
“Just… somewhere. I’ll be back. Love you!”
I bolt out of the estate before she can say another word.