Chapter 150

Avi threw himself on the couch and pulled Kirstie into his lap. He sighed. "I didn't want you guys to have to meet them." She kissed his forehead. "But you all kissed and made up didn't you? I thought everything was okay with you guys when they left." Avi closed his eyes and shook his head, as Scott sat down next to him. Avi frowned at Kirstin. "They just say things like that. But they'll be back to their old ways soon." Mitch sat down next to Scott and reached a hand out for Avi's hand. "I'm sorry you had to live with parents like that.." Avi shrugged. "Scott's parents were worse." Mitch frowned. Kevin sat on the ground in front of the couch so that he could look at all of them. "Just because someone else had it worse, doesn't make your pain meaningless." Avi sighed and looked away. "What about you, Beta? What's your story?" "I don't know what you mean." Avi met his eyes, looking past Kirstin. "Well my parents hate me. Scott's parents neglected and ignored him. And Mitch suffered in an abusive pack. What about you?" Kevin leaned back a little. "I don't know if I have one." Kirstie shrugged. "Maybe some people don't have a story." Mitch furrowed his eyebrows at her. "What about you? What's your story?" She shrugged again. "I don't think I have one either.." Kevin smiled at her. "Maybe it just hasn't started yet. Or maybe your story is a happy one. It doesn't always have to be sad." Mitch shook his head then. "All due respect, Sir... I disagree. Everyone has pain. I know what Kirstin's is." Kirstie looked at him sadly. "You do? What is it?" Mitch frowned and put his hand on her leg. "You don't remember what happened at Omega School?" Kirstie shook her head slowly. "No.. What happened?" Mitch whimpered. "Don't make me say it... It was one of the scariest experiences of my life." Scott lifted Mitch up and put him on his lap, kissing his temple gently. "Don't freak yourself out. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." Kirstie just stared at Mitch. "Mitchie, what are you talking about? You mean the thing that happened with.. Um." She leaned in to whisper to him. "James?" Mitch nodded, eyes wide. "You remember, then." She nodded slowly. "Yes.." Avi moved her chin with his finger so that she would look at him. "What is he talking about, Princess? Who's James?" She shook her head. "Don't make me... Please. Please, Alpha." Avi frowned. "You don't want to tell me?" "I can't." Mitch whimpered. "Kirst..." Avi frowned at both of them. "Are you going to make me Alpha Voice you into doing it?" Kevin stood up. "No, Avi. You can't. That's not fair. Remember the last time you forced someone to tell you something? You punished an Alpha in front of the whole pack. Let's not go through that again." He finished his sentence half way down the hall, presumably on his way to the bathroom. Avi sighed and looked at Kirstin frustratedly. "Why won't you tell me? Don't you trust me?" "Of course I do, Sir. I just.." She trailed off. Mitch looked down at his lap. Avi was probably going to force him to spill it later. Just to avoid making Kirstin upset. Mitch looked over at Kevin after he came back from the bathroom. "Are you sure that you don't have a story?" Kevin shrugged and sat down again. "I don't know. I got bullied a little in the earlier years of Beta School. They used to call me 'Dark Berry' or something like that. But it went away really quick when they figured out how smart I was." Mitch frowned and Kirstie grabbed one of Kevin's hands. "I'm sorry... Why did they call you Dark Berry? Did you eat lots of blackberries in front of them?" Kevin gave her a sad smile. "No, Kit. That's not why. I don't want to upset you with that stuff." Mitch was frowning at his lap. Scott kissed his temple and whispered to him. "What's wrong?" "I don't understand it either. Will you tell me?" Scott put a hand on his leg. "You don't need to worry about that stuff." Everyone was quiet for a minute or so. Mitch sighed. "So I guess no one has a happy story after all." Kevin shrugged. "But we're all happy now, aren't we? So it's okay. The darker your past is, the lighter your future can become. Right?" Avi smiled. "Right." *******