THREE WEEKS LATER
Harper’s [POV]
“Meow.”
I glance down to see Wilson perched on my feet, looking up at me expectantly.
“You’re not supposed to be in here,” I scold him half-heartedly. He snuck into the greenhouse again, and he blinks his eyes innocently as if he didn’t break the one rule he has.
“You have cat grass,” I remind him, referring to the inches of green plants near the gazebo. “Those are yours.”
He gives me another slow blink.
I roll my eyes but let him stay as I tend to the rest of the herbs.
When I leave the greenhouse, he runs off to the gazebo, running around in circles on the wood and yowling.
I can’t help but laugh, and a deep joy floods my heart.
I’mhappy.
This is what it feels like to live and to have people that truly care about me.
It feels like I have a purpose.
It’s been three weeks since the end of my Heat, and my relationship with the Alphas has grown stronger.
There’s still a lot for me to learn about them, but our dynamic has changed.
They’re my safety. My comfort.
But even without them, I know I’m okay.
I’m still trying to figure out who I am, though, and I’ve decided I need to take baby steps to discover it.
I have a new cell phone with a different number as well.
No more worrying about Michael calling me.
There are guests near the front, marveling at the mix of lilacs and pink roses that surround a wooden archway with the same matching pattern as the gazebo.
The gardens have many different flowers, but there are a few we don’t grow, as they can be poisonous to Wilson.
Lucky for us, he’s content to munch on his grass and some of the catnip that Beau and I planted.
Often, I’ll find James out in the gazebo, sketching. He’s gifted me a picture of Wilson mid-yawn, and it sits on my nightstand next to the portrait he drew. Grey teaches at the community college four days a week, and Beau spends time in the garden and reaching out to local markets and food banks.
I love it here.
I’m almost to the French doors when a familiar voice rings out.
“Harper?”
I turn to see Renee, her eyes are bright and excited. She pulls me in for a hug, and I return her embrace.
The last time we talked was at the pharmacy, but she seems so delighted to see me I can’t help but return her affection.
We were friends once before, right?
I wonder how much she knew about me.
Maybe she has answers.
“Hey! What are you doing here?” I greet her. She’s dressed in a pale blue sundress and oversized straw hat, which is comically large on her petite frame.
It’s adorable.
“Just checking out the gardens, again. I used to come here all the time. It’s so beautiful. I missed this.”
“Used to?” I ask. “Why did you stop?”
“Oh.” She shifts uncomfortably, and the moment grows awkward. “I had a terrible memory here. But it’s fine, now.”
I want to ask her questions.
There’s something that she’s not telling me, but I don’t know her anymore.
So, I change the subject.
“I’m sorry about the other week, by the way. I know I was kind of rude to you, and all you were doing was being your bubbly self.”
Her expression brightens. “Oh, don’t worry about it! I didn’t know about everything. I found out later from Charlotte.”
Wait, how does she know Charlotte?
The alarm bells that I ignored for weeks ring loudly in my ears.
“Charlotte told you about me?” I ask quietly, setting the basket of herbs on one of the small cafe tables.
“Very little,” she says, her smile wavering slightly. “Just that you didn’t remember a lot after your accident.”
I search her pale blue eyes, trying to find the truth. “How close were we?” I whisper, and her brow furrows.
She sighs and her expression saddens. “Harper-”
“Tell me,” I beg her. “Please. I’m still trying to figure everything out. Anything that you can tell me would help.”
But her gaze turns, and I follow it, meeting Grey’s narrowed eyes. He gives Renee a little wave, but it’s anything but friendly.
“What’s his problem?” I mutter, scowling at him.
“I should go,” she whispers, her voice cracking.
“Wait. Why?” I demand, turning towards her. “What is going on?”
She bites her lip and looks worriedly between Grey and me.
The other guests have wandered down the stone path, and now it’s just Renee and me, and she’s looking like she’s about to cry.
“It’s not my story to tell,” she whispers. “I’m sorry, Harper.”
I stare at her, dumbfounded.
She pulls me into another hug, her mouth close to my ear. “And for the record,” she whispers, her voice catching, “we were best friends. And that letter broke my heart.”
What?
“What letter?” I ask.
But she holds my face in her hands, tears filling her eyes. “I’m glad you don’t remember.”
She lets go of me and walks away, shooting one last furious glance at Grey.
He watches her leave, eyes narrowed, then turns to me.
“What the fuck was that?” I hiss, walking towards him. “What aren’t you telling me?”
But he’s undeterred as he crosses his arms. “She’s not allowed here,” he says calmly.
“Renee? Why?”
Oh God, did something happen? Was she involved with him, somehow?
“Personal reasons. Harper, you have to trust me on this.”
“She said we were best friends!” I snap. “Was she lying?”
“Harper. Please.” His brow furrows and his lip form into a thin line. “I need you to trust me on this.”
I should fight him.
But he looks frightened, and it’s an expression I never thought I’d see across his handsome features.
“Did you…were you…” I can’t even finish the sentence, the idea is too horrifying. Jealously bubbles in me as I imagine Renee with any of my Alphas.
“Oh. No,” Grey visibly relaxes. “None of us. Ever. She just doesn’t tell the truth and causes drama.”
“So, she’s lying about us being best friends?”
Why would someone lie about that?
What about the letter she says I wrote her?
Grey shrugs. “It’s possible. We’ve had problems with her in the past. You can’t trust her, Harper.”
Trust.
I can trust Grey, Beau, and James.
They’ve protected me. They’ve kept me safe.
So, I swallow down the doubt and put my faith in Grey.
But I still don’t understand why Renee would lie to me.
There were fresh tears in her eyes as she hugged me.
And even as more alarms go off in my head, I stuff them down and pretend I don’t hear them.
Because I don’t know if I can handle another betrayal.