#Chapter 26: This New Shame

Ollie’s POV Not long after his reprimand, Wes turns away from me, signaling this conversation is over. Thank the gods. Truly, I wasn’t sure I could take much more. Hastily, I turn to Diana and hurriedly say, “I’m sorry.” I didn’t mean to disrespect her in any way. I only wanted the truth. Though, now that I have it, I’m not sure if I feel better or worse. My humiliation feels as if it’s burning a hole through me, straight through my skin down to my heart. I can’t stand to be here anymore, not standing next to Diana, who looks away from me, clearly dismissing me. Or Wes, who also has stopped paying attention to me. Or the other brothers, who I can see walking out the door, arched protectively around Sylvia. I don’t want to be here anymore, standing in the shadow of the place where I’ve accrued this new title, this new shame. Omega. The lowest ranking of the pack. So I turn and I leave. I don’t want to go back to the estate, to that place that doesn’t feel like a home any