Alpha's One Night Bride
Alpha’s One Night Bride – Chapter 36

Envious? What did she have to be envious about?

“Envious of me?” I asked. “Why?”

She stifled a smile.

“You were so brave and powerful. You stood up against Rock when no one else could. You saw threw him before anyone else did. You were able to leave and not look back. You have friends that have your back and a mate that will protect you at all costs,” she listed out.

It sounded like she was saying she saw through Rock and was too afraid to say anything. I had no idea she felt that way; about any of that.

“I mean, now you have a mate that will protect you. He literally risked his life to save you,” I reminded her.

More tears formed in her eyes.

“I’m sorry,” I told her softly. “That wasn’t meant to be insensitive.”

“No, you’re right. I do have someone to protect me now. Someone who would risk their life for mine. I never realized how terrifying that would be,” she admitted.

She continued to wash her fingers through the stream. Working her way up to her arms.

“How are things at home?” I asked.

Her eyes shot up to meet mine.

“How do you think things are?” She asked, sounding annoyed. “You’re just lucky you were able to get out while you still could.”

I frowned.

“Lucky? I lived in that house for 10 years. Within those 10 years, I watched how Rock abused my mother verbally and physically. I was with my mother when she died, and I didn’t even know she was dead until I woke up the next morning. He made me feel like it was my fault she took her life; he made me feel like I was a burden and unwanted. Then you and Melissa came into the full picture, moving into our home and Melissa taking over the role as my mother. Pretending my mother never existed. He treated you like a saint and treated me like trash. Do you have any idea how that made me feel?”

I realized I was rambling, and tears were forming in my own eyes as I thought about the day, I lost my mother. My heart was breaking all over again.

She looked almost astonished.

“You think he treats me like a saint?” She nearly laughed. “He treats my mother like he treated Emlin. The only time he cares or at least pretends to care is when we are in public settings. He’s never cared about me; he hardly ever noticed me.”

I had no idea.

“At my birthday party, when you overheard him saying that he was going to replace me a mate and prepare the best wedding and blah blah. He said that because he knew it would get a rise out of you,” she told me. “Why do you think he invited you to the party in the first place? He wanted people to think you were the insane one. He knew he could push your buttons enough to where you snap and cause a scene.”

Rock inviting me to the birthday party was a trap and I fell directly into it. I could feel the heat rising into my face.

“He sleeps around town and the fights he has with my mother are…” her voice trailed off as she got lost in thought.

She didn’t need to continue; I knew what she was going to say. As much as I didn’t like or trust Melissa, I could still see the bruises on her face that she so desperately tries to hide. He hurts her, just as he hurt my mother and just as he hurt me. Considering Ronnie hadn’t mentioned any physical abuse towards herself yet and I have yet to see bruises or injuries from her, I’m assuming he hasn’t gotten to a point where he lays his hands on her yet.

It was only a matter of time before he tries to physically hurt Ronnie. But now she has Erick to protect her. Even though she was only 16 and Erick was 18, I knew there was no keeping them apart. She wasn’t going to wait 2 years to be with him. I could see it in her face.

She was in love with him, and he was in love with her.

“I didn’t know…” I whispered. She blinked away her tears and turned back towards the stream. I sat beside her at the riverbed. “Rock will get what he deserves,” I told her softly.

I still wasn’t sure if I truly trusted Ronnie; for all I know she could be telling me all of this to gain my trust, only to report back to Rock. I couldn’t be too careful; therefore, I knew I couldn’t provide her with any information. But I also wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt and wanted to try to build up that relationship we’ve been missing all those years.

“There’s a lot you need to know…” she said softly.

I frowned.

“What do you know exactly?” I asked.

She was hesitant for a moment before answering.

“I know he’s planning on doing something with your baby. I’m not sure what, but he wants to keep you under close radar. Not for you, but for the child,” she told me.

By reflex, my hands went to my stomach, and I held onto it protectively. I wasn’t even showing yet, but I could still feel the baby forming its shape inside of me and the white angel-like aura it’s bringing off.

She opened her mouth to say more, but Jonathan’s voice roamed through both of our heads as he linked us.

“Just finished stitching and bandaging Erick. He’s resting but if you want to start heading back this way, Ronnie can see him.”

“Is he okay?” Ronnie asked.

“He’ll be fine. He just needs some rest. Once he’s awake, I’ll take him back to Onyxfang,” Jonathan told her.

She sighed out in relief and her eyes softened.

“Okay, we will come back now,” I told him.

I disconnected the link and stared over at Ronnie was standing up gleefully. I could tell she was excited to see Erick. I didn’t want to keep her from that. I can talk to her later about what else she knew about Rock and possibly even Melissa. But for right now, her focus was on Erick.

As we walked, Jonathan and Erick came closer into view. Erick was now wrapped in a clean white bandage and still lying in the same spot as we left him. Jonathan was sitting by the stream.

I was about to join Jonathan, assuming Ronnie was going to join Erick. But before we could separate ways on the pathway, we were both standing on, she grabbed onto my arm.

Looking into her eyes, they were filled with compassion.

“We will talk later, right?” She asked.

At that moment, she sounded so young. It took me back to those times she tried to engage in conversation with me and I would shoot her down in the most painful manners.

In this case, I was done shooting her down; I wanted to build that relationship with her and learn to trust her. I’m now understanding that Ronnie isn’t her mother and she’s definitely not Rock. She’s a victim like the rest of us and just as Erick had said, she might even be clueless.

“Yes, we will talk later,” I assured her with a small smile.

Her eyes lit up as she let go of my arm. I watched as she went to join Erick.