Danville Horror: A Pat Wyatt Novel (The Pat Wyatt Series Book 3) by Laura Del Page B

me yelling.
    He paused again. Then he dropped the bomb on me. “At the meetin’ we discussed who would be the head bitch. That’s the mate of the Alpha. And when I said that I was already settled on you, they voted. Patricia,” the way he said my name made me not want to know what went on at this meeting, but he continued, “by the next full moon I have to turn you, or they’ll pick another mate for me.”
    My heart, if it was possible, sank to my feet. “You’re saying that if you don’t turn me into what you are,” I said tactfully just in case someone was listening, “that we can’t be together?”
    “Pretty much,” Mike confirmed, “yeah.”
    “Tell ‘er the best part,” Angel interrupted. “Guess who they voted head bitch just in case you say no, Patty?” she paused, and I could hear her breathing become ragged with anger. “Me!”
    I closed my eyes, and my arms went limp. The phone slipped out of my hand, and my whole body went numb. I walked out into the hallway; I faintly heard people laughing and joking. Then I vaguely saw someone walk toward me and ask if I was okay. The word “fine,” came out of my mouth before I went upstairs into my room. And that’s when I had my not so quiet breakdown.

chapter
    TEN
    I had thrown everything around. Clothes, bags, the stool under the vanity, even the bed was upside down. I was so angry and then I was so miserable that I sank to the floor, crying my eyes out. I cried for Mike, I cried for myself, but mostly I cried for the baby I would never hold in my arms. My mother had told me, when I saw her in limbo, it just wasn’t meant to be. It still didn’t make it hurt any less. Asking God why was pointless, He stopped listening when this whole business began. Besides, I wasn’t that religious anyway, even with my mother’s crucifix around my neck. But I still could have used some sort of god on my side or, at least, listening to me.
    “Patty,” Tina said on the other side of my bedroom door. “Patty, open the door.”
    “No,” I answered, placing my head on my knees, “leave me alone.”
    “What’s wrong, babe?” She was using her sweet and quiet voice. She always did that when I wouldn’t tell her what was upsetting me.
    I shook my head. “Don’t use that tone with me. I don’t want to talk about it, so just go away.” I was on the verge of shutting down, but I kept telling myself it was good to feel these things, even though I ached all over with emotion.
    “She still in there?” Andrew asked as I heard him walk up the stairs.
    “Yeah,” Tina said softly, “she won’t let me in.”
    “Maybe you should just leave her be,” he suggested.
    Tina laughed a little. “You’re cute when you don’t know what you’re talkin’ about. I leave her alone and she’ll do something that we’ll all regret in the morning.”
    “You do know I can hear you, right?” I managed to say through sobs. I really hated when people talked about me as if I wasn’t right on the other side of the door.
    “Shit,” Tina hissed. “Sorry, Patty, we do now.”
    “She still in there?” Bobby asked, banging up the stairs.
    Tina growled, a deep, frustrating noise. “Yes, Robert, she’s still in there. For a whole hour now! In case you didn’t know.”
    “Why is she in there?” he asked, confused and ignoring Tina’s aggravation.
    “Well, if I knew that,” Tina said, trying to remain calm, “she wouldn’t be still in there, would she?”
    If I screamed for them to go away again, they would have surely broken down the door to see the room in shambles, and I didn’t need a trip back to the hospital’s psych ward. I couldn’t cope with that and the feelings I was having at the same time. But all I wanted was for them to leave me alone so I could breakdown in peace.
    “Touchy,” Bobby said, finally picking up on Tina’s hostility.
    “I think it’s kind of sexy,” Andrew chimed in.
    “Not now,” Tina replied, and I could visualize her holding