“They arenotyours. Nothing in this house is yours.”
She stepped into his room, making him flinch, which was when her face suddenly softened. “Pembie, baby,” she cooed, reaching towards him. “Haven’t I always cared for you?”
Pember dropped his head, eyes downcast. “Yes, Mum,” he whispered.
“Haven’t I always provided for you?”
“Yes.”
“Haven’t I tried to find you a suitable mate?”
Pember bit his lip, hands balling into fists. When he didn’t answer, his mother snarled and lunged at him, driving a fingernail into his ear. “You ungrateful little bitch!”
“Ah!” he yelped, jolting away as his hands flew out of their own accord.
She let out a surprised cry when his palms made contact with her shoulder, shoving her over and onto his perfectly made bed. His stomach dropped; it was the first time he’d ever laid hands on her, the first time he’d ever defended himself. That alone was enough to trigger his flight response as adrenaline flooded his veins and forced his legs to move.
He was breathing hard, almost sprinting down the stairs with the heavy cello case bashing everything in sight.
“Pember!” his mum wailed, voice shrill like a banshee’s.
Bailey was waiting for him by the front door, tail between her legs and back end quivering. She always got like that when his mum turned nasty.
“Sorry, girl,” he said, ushering her out of the way and wrenching the handle.
Locked.
“Shit.”
He ran to the back door, smacking the hard case on the kitchen table and almost losing his grip on it. Putting on his shoes would have to wait, so he scooped them up and slung them under his arm.
“Pember!” his mother screamed again, thundering down the stairs behind him. “Pember, you get back here, right this second!”
He jostled the door handle, half expecting it to be locked too, but it was still open. Letting out a heavy breath, he was gone.Done. Had enough of all the hurt, the torment, the manipulation. There was nothing she could say or do that would change his mind. So, as he jogged around the side of the house, he pulled out a bunch of keys from his pocket. His hands were shaking again as he tried to thread the key off the keychain, nearly dropping the bunch onto the gravel driveway.
Bailey was at his side again, pressing into his legs and licking his hands. She must have followed him out. “Go inside, Bee,” he said, trying to keep his voice even. If he’d been an alpha, he might have compelled her to go.
The front door flew open and his mother appeared on the doorstep. Bailey yapped, becoming skittish when Pember’s breath started shaking. He rested a hand on her head, grippingher collar in an attempt to coax her back towards the house. It was more for his sake than hers.
“You treacherous little bastard,” his mother sneered, lurching towards him.
Pember stilled his movements, placing the cello on the ground and letting his arms fall to his sides. Inhaling, he puffed out his chest and said, “Mum, I’m leaving. Please don’t try to stop me.”
She halted abruptly, shouting out a laugh at his words. It was a sound that never failed to make the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. “Are you really?” she spat, taking a few slow steps towards him. They met in the centre of the drive, the gravel crunching beneath their feet. “And just where the fuck are you going?”
“I-I’m moving out. On my own.”
She threw her head back and laughed again. “Oh really? You’re an omega, Pember. Just where are you going to go? Who’s going to look after you?”
Pember tipped his chin up and set his jaw, just like Oliver had taught him. “I’m not… I don’t… That’s none of your business,” he said. “I can look after myself.” He surprised himself with the strength in his words, and it almost sounded like he believed them.
She went quiet, then very,verystill. The breeze ruffled Pember’s hair, and he thought for one stupid moment that she was going to back down. It’d been a silly hope, because the next second she roared, throwing herself forwards in a flurry of slaps and scratches. She smacked his shoulders, arms, head, anything she could lay her hands on.
“M-Mum, don’t. Please don’t,” he stuttered, dropping his face into his shoulder to avoid her long nails. “Mum. Mum, please, I—ouch.”
She swiped his cheek, scratching the skin.
“You’re seriously doing this, Pember? You’re actually doing this tome?” He ignored her words and began twisting the keyring again. “After everything? Aftereverything?”
