The Three Who Chose Me-Chapter 132: Tangled Promises

Josie

I stood there, frozen, as the last of the pack members drifted out, their murmurs trailing like faint echoes behind them. My throat felt dry, my palms clammy. The words I had spoken—those impossible, irreversible words—kept ringing in my ears like bells I couldn’t silence. I had said it. I had actually said it. And there was no way to claw them back, no matter how badly my stomach twisted, no matter how much I wanted to bury myself under the earth and pretend it had never happened.

When I turned around, the alphas were still watching me. Their gazes weren’t hostile—not exactly—but there was amazement there, something unreadable that made my insides feel like a tight knot. My tongue felt too heavy to speak, so instead I caught Marcy’s sleeve and forced my voice steady. "Let’s go home."

The walk back to the pack house was quieter than I expected. Too quiet. Every sound of my boots crunching against the ground was amplified in my ears. Marcy didn’t say a word the whole way, and that silence drove me mad. It was unlike her—Marcy always had something to say, whether sharp, sarcastic, or funny. But now she just... kept it all in. That silence pressed down on me more than any scolding could.

Once we got inside, the warmth of the pack house wrapped around us, smelling faintly of tea and wood smoke. Marcy busied herself at the counter, setting out the kettle and cups, while I sat stiffly on the couch, wringing my hands. When she finally handed me a steaming cup, the silence between us was unbearable.

I slammed the cup down on the table a little too hard. "Alright, Marcy. I know what you’re thinking. So just say it."

Her brows lifted, and she shook her head. "I wasn’t thinking anything."

"Yes, you were." My voice was sharper than I intended. "You’ve been quiet this whole time. That’s not you. You think I’m reckless, don’t you?"

Marcy sighed and leaned back, her tea cradled in her hands. "Honestly? I’m just... amazed. That’s all. Amazed that all of this is actually happening."

I sagged against the cushions, letting out a shaky laugh. "Yeah... me too." I took a careful sip of my tea, trying to calm my nerves, but the hot liquid only reminded me how on fire my insides felt.

For a while we just sat there, the sound of the clock ticking filling the silence. Then Marcy glanced over at me, her eyes softer now. "Do you regret saying it?"

The question punched straight through me. I blinked rapidly as tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. "No," I whispered, shaking my head. "I don’t regret it. Not really. But I never imagined it would come out like that. It wasn’t... it wasn’t what my parents taught me to say or do." My voice cracked, and I pressed my hand against my mouth.

Marcy groaned, throwing her head back. "Josie, are you serious right now? You’re still thinking about your crazy parents? After everything?" She set her cup down with a thud, glaring at me. "When are you going to let go of them? If you want to make it in life—if you actually want to live—you can’t let what they said hold you captive forever."

Her words stung, but in the way truth always does. I stared down at my coffee, the surface swirling as I stirred it absently. "They weren’t all that bad," I muttered, more to myself than to her.

Marcy shot up straighter, eyes flashing. "Are you even listening to yourself? Josie, they nearly broke you. And here you are defending them. It’s infuriating."

I winced. "I’m not defending them. I just... it’s complicated."

She shook her head hard, frustration radiating off her. "I don’t want to waste time talking about those people. They don’t matter anymore. What matters is you—and your mates. Do you even realize how important it is for you to figure out where you stand with them? That’s what’s going to impact your life, not some ghosts from your past."

Her words made me shrink a little, guilt crawling through me. "I am trying," I said softly. "That’s why I wanted to talk to you. I’m trying to bridge the gap with them."

Marcy arched a brow. "Bridge the gap how?"

I hesitated, then leaned closer, lowering my voice as if the walls might overhear. "The candlelight stuff. Kiel asked me to go there, and I don’t know the first thing about it. I wanted your help. That’s why I called you."

Her expression softened just slightly, and she exhaled through her nose. "Oh, Josie. That’s what I’m here for. Don’t worry about it—I’ll handle everything that needs to be done. You just need to breathe and not overthink it."

Relief loosened my chest, and I managed a small smile. "Thank you, Marcy. I mean it."

"Yeah, yeah. You’d be lost without me," she teased, though her tone still carried a trace of lingering annoyance.

We were still sitting there, half-drained cups on the table, when the door opened and footsteps echoed down the hall. My heart skipped a beat even before I saw him. Varen. His tall frame filled the doorway, his expression unreadable, his eyes fixed on me.

"Josie," he said, his voice smooth but edged with something I couldn’t place. "I need to speak with you. Alone."

The room suddenly felt smaller, the air thicker. I forced myself to sit up straighter, though my pulse raced. "You could have sent for me in the office," I blurted out, trying to hide the sudden flutter of nerves in my chest.

He didn’t acknowledge that, just stepped further inside. "What were you thinking, saying we would all get married?"

My breath caught. The words, spoken so directly, left me pinned in place. The teacup trembled in my hand, and for a moment I couldn’t find my voice. Because the truth was—I didn’t know what I had been thinking. I just knew I had meant it.