The Beta's Daughter

It's Not Complicated

Chapter 47
Azariah's pov

By the time we wrap up the meeting, and I get home, it's close to seven at night.

Garette ordered in supper for us, and we took about an hour break and went outside to eat. The meeting continued on afterward, and we still didn't get any closer to a solution to our problem. We were trying to figure out what to do from here, now that we know Bloodmoon had a pack member involved in the boys' kidnapping.

I checked my phone again, and still no word from Amber. What I really need right now is a hot shower and a twelve hour nap. I might get the first one, but definitely not the second. Once she calls me, I'll go help her to continue going through those files.

I head into my bathroom and take a fast hot shower, trying to avoid getting my hair wet. My hair takes hours to dry, and I don't have the time nor the effort for it tonight. Once I dry off, I put on my comfy leggings and a t-shirt.

My running shoes are beside my bed where I left them the other night. I've been getting home so late that I literally just fall into bed, kicking off my shoes right before I pass out. I slip them on, then check my phone again.

Maybe exhaustion finally over took her, and she passed out. I'm tempted to call, but I'll give her a bit more time. If she drags her feet too long, it'll be me passing out.

The box on my nightstand beside the bed catches my eye. It's the Pandora box with the bracelet Jace gave me. I go sit on the bed and open it. I still can't get over how beautiful it is and how much effort he put into my gift. I sit here and admire all the charms on it, especially the E charm Ehron made him get me.

I go to put the bracelet back in its box, and the lid slips out of my hand and rolls under the bed. Maybe this is a sign that I'm not supposed to put it back in, but instead, put it on my wrist.

I hop off the bed and crouch down to find the lid. The bottom of my bed is close enough to the floor that, seeing under it, is hard. I lay my body flat on the ground and stretch my arm out and feel around, hoping I'll find it this way. If I have to move my bed to get it, it's gonna be a big production. I'd have to move the night tables as well just to slide the bed out.

My hand moves around the floor, and when my arm is extended towards the head of the bed, my fingertips touch something. I can't quite grab it, so I inch my body upwards and try to get some of my shoulder under the bed to extend my reach. My fingers are able to get on top of whatever the hell it is I've found, and I press it into the floor and pull my arm back, dragging the object with them.

The amount of dust that's covering the object I pulled out tells me it's been there a really long time. I don't need to wipe it off to know what it is, though. My hands start to involuntarily shake, and I don't know if it's just from what I'm holding or if it's a combination of that plus the bracelet.

Either way, something inside of me snaps. Well, not just something. Those chains are what snap. They fly off the box so fast that I never even had a chance to try to stop them. After the chains come off, the padlocks go next, and then the lid to the box blows off, too, letting out what I've kept hidden inside for years.

The hand that's holding the chocolate bar I pulled out from under the bed shakes so bad I drop it. Both of my hands go down to the floor, trying to stop myself from completely collapsing. My ass is sitting on the back of my legs, and if anybody were to come in, they'd think I was in some weird yoga pose.