Unbreakable

2. The old Brielle is dead

I refused to take his office. Though the view was breathtaking, I couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling that his scent clinging to everything in this place brought me. I spent my first day in there, rummaging around mindlessly, but after a few hours, it was overwhelming. The smell of him clung to my skin and clothes. I threw the outfit that I was wearing away and scrubbed at my body for over an hour, making sure that I didn’t miss a single inch of skin.

Until I could find an adequate space, I’d set up an office in a small room on the main floor of the pack house. It was cramped, but it felt like the only place that was mine here. And this room still displayed the beautiful stained glass windows that Alpha Xavier was ready to dispose of.

Eventually, I will bring this place back to its former glory. Remove all of the modern touches and bring back some originality. Something that Alpha Xavier lacked in his personality, letting it bleed into his space.

I still hadn’t entirely decided whether or not I was going to stay. Part of me wanted to keep this position purely out of spite.

Not a damn person standing on that field thought that I, a she-wolf, would be able to take down a crazed Alpha. f**k them. f**k every single person who doubted me. The more I thought on it, the more the idea of watching this place burn slowly became appealing.

But then again, that would prove exactly what they were all thinking.

I couldn’t do it, and I would be damned if I allowed another person to doubt me.

I didn’t leave the packhouse much, nor had I officially done the pack walkthrough or initiation ceremony, but the few times that I had shown my face, the looks were all the same. They doubted me. Mostly the men. And the she-wolves either looked at me with pure disgust, or fear. The scowls on their faces brought me the only joy I’ve experienced in over a month.

“Excuse me, Alpha.....I’m sorry for bothering you,” Beta Issac whispered, his eyes trained on my face.

I’ve noticed the way he looks at me. A mixture of fear and lingering questions in his eyes. I can’t help the slight curl of my lips at the thought that he fears me. He should. I ripped the heart of his Alpha out without a second thought. Or at least Aspen did. But we are one in the same. If I were in my right mind, I would have loved to do it myself. Nothing was above me anymore, and I wanted everyone to know it. I feared the monster for so long....but I have become the monster. Allowing the darkness in. Letting the little devil on my shoulder to whisper dark thoughts in my ears.

I’ve also not decided whether or not to keep him as my Beta. I’ve considered asking Wes, but I’m not sure I want to drag him or Bailey into my mess. In my heart, I know he’d only agree to do it for me and not so much because he’s interested in the position for himself. Brody would also make for a good Beta, but he was grieving himself and, again, I wasn’t sure if he would do it for himself or me.

I want a Beta who will be my right hand. My best friend. The person that I can rely on to protect me with their life if need be.

“What do you need?”

“I....I’ve brought the files that you requested. And organized everything for you. It’s all in labeled folders,” he whispered. I just noticed the box in his arms.

I nodded, “Thank you, Issac. You can just leave them there. Anything that needs immediate attention?”

He shook his head, “Not that I’m aware of, Alpha. I’ve had the lawyers draft up the documents that you have asked, making it appear as if you were part of the will. That you inherited the company and all of the money in the accounts from the United States. It should all be official in the next week or so.”

“Please, call me Brielle when we are alone. I don’t like the formalities. Thank you, Issac. I appreciate you doing as I’ve asked, it’s making this transaction process much smoother,” I lied. I loathed everything about this. Even looking into this man's eyes, as an accomplice to all of the atrocities that Alpha Xavier committed, makes me hate him. I’m not entirely sure he was aware of everything that went on behind the scenes, but being Xavier’s right hand, I can’t imagine he was entirely innocent either. Watching the timidness in his eyes was another thing I think I could get used to. He should fear me. If I find out that he had a hand in helping Alpha Xavier murder my mates, he will have to answer to me.

“Oh. Okay, Brielle, thanks...” he gave me a soft smile, lingering for a moment like he had something else on the tip of his tongue, but eventually turned on his heel, leaving me alone once again.

I’ve been here an entire month, and it still feels as if everything happened only yesterday. Sam has begun to haunt me too, but only in my sleep, and he never speaks. He stands there smiling, looking at me with that same sparkle in his emerald, green orbs. Like I am the most precious thing that he’s ever seen.

Goddess, the things I would do to hear his voice again. To feel the warmth of his arms wrapped around me.

Every time my mind drifts to those moments, it’s like my heart breaks all over again. The icy feeling that’s trapped around my once warm, beating heart, causing goosebumps to break out over my body.

I glance down at the tiny bump that has begun to grow where my once toned belly was. I can’t escape the memories....or the pain if I tried. I carry around a reminder every moment of every day.

There are times when I allow myself a moment of happiness, lying in bed, and placing my hand over my belly. Sometimes I hope that I feel the tiny flutter of movement. I close my eyes and whisper into the empty space around me about how much their daddies would have loved them.

I hold onto that tiny feeling when I’m ready to let go and lose hope, because there are still days where I am not sure I can keep going. Some days, I silently wish that the tiny beating hearts within me would have gone with Nico and Sam. Does that make me a bad person? A bad mother?

Maybe, but I don’t dwell on it. Grief is a funny thing. Every day brings a different challenge.

Sighing, I glance over at the box, knowing I need to rummage through the contents, but unsure if I’ve got the willpower tonight.

Alpha Xavier was a busy man who had his hands in many different places. He was the CEO of a large construction company in the states that he visited regularly via his private jet. He also was a huge part of several different charity organizations that after further digging, I found to be directly related to the government and the Eradication.

Why am I not surprised?

A man like him would absolutely buy his freedom. And the government was just as guilty, allowing him to do so. They are hypocrites. Trying to eliminate the monster while allowing the monster to mingle within. Lying in the shadows simply because he had deep pockets. It’s almost as pathetic as Alpha Xavier himself.

I pull out one of the folders, labeled charity, opening it and glancing at the contents. There were five different organizations that he filtered money through and plenty of events that he attended, handing over a blank check in exchange for their silence on who he really was.

It made my blood boil the more I thought about it. Since I found out, I have thought of all the ways that I could find revenge.

The Eradication is the reason I’ve lost everything. The root of it at least. Had they not sparked fear in the minds of humans, I’d be at home. With my mother and father. Living in Crimson River. I would never have met Colson. I would never have been hunted. I would never have found Nico or Sam. They would still be alive today......

Slamming the folder shut, I concocted a plan. I would exploit these little connections. Use my new position of power within the United States. Then I would use my body. Because I figured out the hard way, these men, will do just about anything you want if given the opportunity. You promise them a good time, and they’d basically bow at your feet. But my pretty face and attractive body will only be used as a distraction. Because underneath that disguise, the devil lies in wait. Ready to pounce. Ready to take our revenge.

I thought Brielle died at the lake when Grant left me with what I thought was a broken heart. And then again, when my mother was murdered at the hands of my mate. But the truth was, Alpha Xavier broke me beyond repair, killing off the tiny shred of the true Brielle, and I buried her deep in that hole with the two men that I truly loved. The goddess couldn’t have paired me with anyone better. She wouldn’t have. I made those choices myself, because she abandoned me, despite everything that I’ve already been through.

She was no Goddess of mine and I’m not sure I will ever look to her again.

Once these pups were out of my body, no one was safe.

Reminds me of an old Taylor Swift song I’ve heard, “I’m sorry, the old Brielle can’t pick up the phone right now. Why? BECAUSE SHE’S DEAD.”