Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

FREYA

" W hat's it like?"

Kate hums, a soft laugh blowing brown strands away from her face. "Well, Beck is prickly. You know, since you showed up, it's the most I've felt him through the bond. I think your guys are testing him."

"I bet it's Lucas. He's the asshole of our group," I explain with a snort.

She narrows her eyes at me. "What do you mean? Is he an asshole to you?!"

"Well," I drawl, "he did bully me for three years."

"Bitch what?! Oh my god, did he bond you without permission?"

I quirk a brow. "I consented as much as that fucked up process would allow. Our pack alpha, Ronan, I hope told them all how much I wanted them."

My friend huffs and crosses her arms. "You better make Lucas grovel if we ever get out of here. Him helping you through your heat and giving you the bond you need isn't enough."

I tilt my head, thinking about it. Kate and I are always careful about not assuming we will ever be free, but now I can't help but think about what making Lucas grovel would look like.

"I'm talking, snacks, blankets, dates, treats. Ooooo, chocolate! Lots of chocolate with back rubs!"

Giggling at Kate's newfound excitement, I imagine what it would be like to feel spoiled by my mates. Or just cared for, I guess. Casey showed me a bit of it, but I wasn't lucid enough to truly appreciate the experience.

"Anyway," Kate continues, "so Beckett is like little sharp zaps down the bond. Sometimes when he goes quiet and I tug on our bond, he sends me like this cool, calming presence."

She's silent for a few moments, and I allow her to gather her thoughts since I have nothing to add.

"Beck is hard to explain. I suppose I don't know my mates very well, but my blonde alpha, he's... complex. I think there was some trauma before this." She waves her hands around while explaining.

I nod, intrigued by the way she describes her bonds and wish I could do the same.

"If Beck is cool water, then Nickolas is the warmth that comes from embers. He's big and gruff, but his presence is constantly comforting. Until something fans the heat, then his emotions spark and crackle."

I've felt that a few times from Elliott especially, but it's so few and far between these days that I don't feel like my experience would add anything to the conversation.

Rearranging herself, Kate leans against the bars and fiddles with the hem of her torn shirt. "Beckett is great at hiding his true emotions. I think he's had a lot of practice in the real world, but sometimes his guilt feels like it's going to rip me apart and I can't do anything to make it better."

"Guilt?" I question, having also felt this debilitating feeling from Elliott.

She nods. "Yeah, probably for not getting me out of here. But sometimes I swear it's deeper than that. More than just his need to protect his omega, you know?"

Again, I'm silent. I really wish I could read my mates the way she can, but it's almost like we have no connection until emotions are running at an all-time high.

"Tell me about your mates," Kate requests.

So I do.

I tell her about Casey and Elliott's relationship and how they have always been around, even if I didn't want them to be. Explaining how sweet my beta is makes Kate smile, and when I mention his fierce streak, she laughs.

A soft growl escapes her during my explanation of how Lucas has treated me in the past, but I get a soft, accepting nod from her when I get to the part of his story when his big brother came into the picture.

Kate mutters something about "daddy vibes" when I describe Ronan. I tell her I have no idea what she's talking about, which makes my friend gasp at me before creating the perfect "daddy" alpha like it's a game. Then we laugh each time she points out how different aspects of my pack alpha make him a "daddy".

"So what I'm hearing is you have a broody alpha, a daddy alpha, a redemption alpha, and a bratty beta?" Kate clarifies, ticking each of my guys off on her fingers.

I nod. Even if she's reducing them to tropes, as she calls them, they're mine and I wouldn't have them any other way.