Page 21 of The Omega Switch: Part 2

He left before I could answer. Maybe Elias was right. I had to let Ivy make her own choices, even when it came to me. I couldn’t undo what I’d done. But I could make sure the people who’d spent years controlling her never had the power to do so again.

And maybe, if I were extraordinarily lucky, there would come a day when she might possibly let me try to make things right. I didn't deserve that day. But Elias was right about one thing - that wasn't my decision either.

Until then, there was only one thing I could give her without asking anything in return - justice.

Chapter 12

Ivy

It had been a beautiful afternoon to go for a walk. I was able to close the boutique for a bit to catch up with Nora. We went for a little stroll and caught up, and she told me stories about the old town where she used to live. I brought Puff with us, and he pulled on his leash, sniffing random bushes and wagging his tail at anyone who passed.

"I still think you should make at least one super luxury fragrance," Nora teased, nudging my shoulder. " The natural scents are good too, but you can break into the niche industry that way."

I laughed.

"That will take some time. But I’ll give it a shot." I said. “I’ll see you later for the music event?” I asked. Nora nodded.

“Of course! Have a good rest of your day. See you then!” I waved as she left, still smiling as we turned the corner. Then, Puff stopped abruptly. His ears shot forward, and a low growl rumbled from his tiny chest. I’d never heard that from him before.

"Puff? What’s wrong?" I said, my eyes wide.

My tiny dog, who normally loved everyone, suddenly planted himself directly in front of me, every muscle in his body rigid as he stared toward the boutique. The hair rose along his back, and as I followed his gaze, I felt uneasy. There were several figures right there, standing only a few feet away. Every ounce of warmth drained from my body.

"No..."

My voice barely came out as a whisper. Clara, George, Aaron, and my father stood there, looking as scary as ever. No matter what I’d done, no matter how many months had passed since I left, the image of them made me feel small again. I felt just like I always had around them, scared and submissive. They'd found me.

Puff remained glued to my side, another growl vibrating through him. I took a deep breath. Whatever they wanted, I could handle it. I just had to believe in myself. I walked forward, and the moment I was a few feet away, they felt it. My father turned first.

"Oh, there you are." The look of relief on his face lasted a second before it turned to anger. "Do you have any idea what you've done?" he asked.

I took another step forward, my heartbeat pounding in my ears, until I was between them and the door to my boutique.

"This is private property. My private property." I said, my voice strong despite how I was feeling inside.

George let out a harsh laugh. "Don't start that nonsense."

My eyes swept across the boutique. Nothing appeared damaged, and it had been closed for my walk. There were no customers around, only my family.

Aaron moved toward me, and I flinched. "You've had your little adventure. That's enough now," he said as I stared at him. "It’s time for you to come home."

I took a deep breath, looking straight at him. "No."

He balked. "What?"

"I said no. I’m not going with you." I reiterated, picking up Puff and holding him close to my chest. He let out a small but ferocious bark.

George moved closer. "Listen, Ivy. We're willing to put this behind us." He said, and I stepped back just a little.

"How generous of you," I said, fighting the urge to roll my eyes as I held Puff close, his tiny growls continuing.

“You disappeared without telling us, and went telling tall tales to Pack Vale. Congratulations on ruining Arabella’s courtship.” He said in a nasty tone. “Now that you got what you wanted, it’s time to come back and set things right.” He said.

I stepped back another foot. “Absolutely not.”

My father shook his head, arms crossed over his chest, and sighed. “You've proven whatever point you were trying to make. Now, you need to finish what you started at the lab. We’ll increase your salary."

I failed to hold back a laugh. “Increase my salary? I didn’t even have access to my money when I was living there!” I said, my voice wavering as I started to yell. I tried not to lose my cool, but it was one thing to tell my family things over the phone, and another to argue with three alphas face to face.