Chapter Fifteen

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Now Playing: Rain (cover)- Will Ramos

Made For Love- Archers

I sense his presence before he knocks on the door. The sound of his feet moving across the floor is lighter than the others, as soft as the beta himself. “Omen, it’s Callisto. Donovan is on the phone, he needs to speak with all of us.”

Shit, I should have text everyone to let them know I had a phone again, but I’d forgotten after my video call with Bea. Knowing Donovan he still would have called one of the guy’s phones. Anything he can do from afar to ensure I’m dragged into their presence so my body can try to start to heal from their rejection.

Trudging across the room, I inch the door open. Callisto’s eyes roam over my face, his jaw clenching when he sees me. I haven’t looked in a mirror recently but I can imagine what he is seeing. Messy, tangled hair and dark circles beneath my eyes from the fitful sleep I’ve been getting.

Flicking my eyes up and down the hallway, I slowly open the door more when I am sure he is alone. I don’t think I can handle all four of them in my face at once.

“Hello, starlight,” he murmurs, extending a hand toward me. My teeth dig into my bottom lip as I study his palm. The physical contact would probably help with the sharp pain skittering across my skin, but I don’t want any of them to misconstrue me accepting their help as a willingness to make things work between us.

“Hey Cal,” I whisper back, cringing at the hoarse, strained sound of my voice. Reluctantly, I slip my hand into his and let him lead me to their living room.

My body bumps against his with each step and it takes the full length of the hallway for me to realize he’s walking so close to prevent me from toppling over. It’s probably not a good sign that I can’t recognize the lighter symptoms of rejection, like dizziness, in my body anymore.

Callisto leads me to the large, comfortable couch and drops me onto a cushion beside Titan. The large alpha’s weight dips the fabric and I slip against his side. My fingers dig into the edge of the couch to try to push myself to the other side, but he isn’t having it. His arm wraps around my hip and pulls me flush against him.

When I try to protest he shushes me, ignoring my scowl and letting a purr rattle up his chest. The sound melts me like butter, relaxing every muscle in my body until I’m slouched against him. If I had more energy I would fight harder, but damn if I’m not tired of fighting all the time.

Callisto reappears with a bottle of water. He presses it into my hand before taking the seat beside me, thankfully leaving space between us.

“Okay, we are all here,” Nebula tells Donovan. His dark blue eyes haven’t left me since I walked into the room. I shrink at the intensity of his attention, keeping my face glued to where his phone lies on their coffee table.

“How you doin’ Trouble?” Donovan asks.

“I’m okay.” My voice cracks, so I uncap the water and take several drinks before speaking again. I know Donovan won’t believe me when I say I’m alright, but at least he won’t call me on my lie. “Did they find whoever was trying to break into the apartment?”

“Yes and no. During a check-in with the team hunting Doctor Harrison, Lex informed me he and Ridley have cameras hidden at each entrance to your apartment. We were able to access the videos and find the culprit’s identity.” That doesn’t really surprise me. With how obsessed those two are with Bea, it makes sense they would want some way to monitor her when they aren’t around. “The person trying to break into the apartment was your brother, Benjamin Montgomery.”

My head falls back against the couch cushion, and I stare blankly up at the ceiling. Studying the mid-morning light as it dances through the glass windows and reflects off of the pictures hanging on their walls. “That… is relieving to hear.”

I can feel all four guys' attention snap to me, shocked by my response. At this point, I doubt anything could surprise me. If my sister-in-law Jacquelyn was the one who drugged me back in Boston, it makes sense my brother would also have some vendetta against me.

“You’re relieved the culprit is your brother?” Nexus’ voice is filled with skepticism.

I shrug half-heartedly. Unfazed by this news. “Better a threat you know than to have new ones thrown at you.”

“We haven’t been able to track Benjamin’s whereabouts yet, and we know he isn’t working alone. His wife Jacquelyn has been spotted with him here in Starburgh.” Donovan cuts in before the guys can say anything else.

Hearing Jacquelyn is so close has my head tilting up, my eyes narrowing on the phone. Anger burns in my head, giving my words an edge. “Of course she is.” Pack Graves’ attention on me grows heavier, their unspoken questions tangible in the air between us. “My sister-in-law is the one who drugged me with the heat inducer after your show in Boston. She also gave me the same drug the day I presented, though she wasn’t as direct in administering it back then.”

All four of them share a look I can’t interpret. I can feel my brows furrowing as I try to understand what they are thinking, but I'm distracted by the conversation with Donovan.

“For the time being, your apartment is still on lockdown. Local police are keeping an unmarked unit outside in case either of them returns. We also have made it clear the pair are wanted for questioning regarding their roles in the church.” Donovan pauses, before adding, “You need to stay with Pack Graves until they’re caught.”

My teeth grind as I bite back the protests on the tip of my tongue. I don’t want to stay here, I would rather be anywhere else. Being in this house, with these men, is torture of the worst variety.

Donovan spends a few minutes filling me in on the upcoming trial against my father, and the investigation into Senator Adam Pierson, but my eyes start to droop the longer he speaks. Listening to all of his updates is exhausting.

“Thank you,” Callisto cuts in when Donovan pauses. “Please let us know if there are any other developments.”

They end the call but I can’t convince myself to leave the couch. Not with Titan’s fingers playing in the loose strands of my hair, not even with the pain of them getting caught in the many tangles. Nexus slips out of the room, headed upstairs without a word and my heart aches. The tiny cuts his distance creates are adding up, and I’m certain the entire organ will soon be shredded to pieces.

“Come on, starlight.” Callisto stands up and offers me his hands. I let him pull me to my feet, clinging to his wrists to steady myself when the sudden shift in position has my vision swimming. Titan grumbles from his spot on the couch but doesn’t try to stop me from walking away.

When Cal tries to lead me up the stairs, I jerk my hand from his. “I can’t–”

“We aren’t going into the nest,” he promises. “Just to the bathroom. Are you going to deny the chance to soak in that huge tub?”

My weight shifts from foot to foot as I contemplate his suggestion. I haven’t showered since I came to their house two days ago, so would it really hurt to soak in some hot water and at least wash my hair?

Shoulders slumping in defeat, I slip my hand back into his and follow him up the steps.

Callisto

Steam rises off the water, the surface reflecting the flickering candles carefully arranged around the back edge. Tiny white and purple flowers float in the shallow waves the jets are causing. I can’t hide my smile as Omen dips a hand in and groans in delight. My starlight needs a little bit of pampering. Now that she’s out of the guest room, we aren’t going to let her slip back in so quickly.

After her response to our messages last night, the barest spark of hope ignited in all of our hearts. We’re worried about our girl. It’s easy to see she’s walking on the edge of life and death, and not taking care of herself is liable to push her further away from a point where we can still save her.

I’m concerned about her mental state. She barely reacted to the news Donovan dropped on her, which is alarming. We need to do something to help bring back a glimmer of the omega she was before the chemical rejection started to steal pieces of her soul.

Leaning against the glass exterior of the shower behind her, I watch as she slowly pulls the tie from her hair and sends the long strands tumbling around her face.

Omen startles when she sees me behind her. “You’re…”

I know she thought I would leave, but that isn’t an option right now. “I would love to give you some privacy, starlight, but you’re barely managing to stay upright. I’ll turn around while you undress and climb in.”

Turning my back to her, I keep an eye on her through the reflection in the glass to make sure she doesn’t fall. Her baggy shirt hits the floor followed by her sweatpants. A glimpse of her curves peeks beneath her hair, and tears burn in my eyes seeing how much weight she’s lost. How could we have ever been moronic enough to hurt this beautiful woman?

After she’s slipped into the tub, a content sigh falling from her lips, I turn around and study her. The heat from the water has brought a rosy flush to her cheeks. It’s nice to see some color back in her pallid skin.

Her fingers dance across the water in soothing, rhythmic motions as she soaks. If I were an artist I would paint her here, lost in the bliss of relaxation.

“I’m so sorry, starlight.” I choke out as I cross the room and sink to my knees beside her head. She isn’t looking at me–she’s staring into the water–but I can still see the tears building in her eyes. It guts me knowing she doubts us enough to refuse to even look at us. I know we’ve earned her mistrust, I just wish I could find some way to fix it. To prove to her we aren’t ever going to walk away again.

“I was spineless when we found out who you are to us. Too worried about my mates to face my real feelings for you. I should have spoken up and joined Nexus when he went to help you through your heat, but I–I was afraid.” I swallow thickly when I admit the real reason I hadn’t gone to her.

I never cared Omen was born as Sarah Montgomery. Her family’s sins aren’t hers to bear. I was a little hurt she'd hid her connection to us for so long, but I still would have gone to her if I hadn’t acted like a coward and let my fears rule me.

“My parents worked high-risk careers. Jobs where they would often come home with bruises or cuts, maybe even a broken arm or ribs. I hated watching them argue as they patched each other up. When I found my pack… I never wanted to live in a pack full of arguing and resentment ever again. When Bea told us the truth about your identity, I thought having you here would destroy the peace I’d spent so long constructing around myself.”

I move to sit on the edge of the tub above her head and gently pour water over the long strands of her hair. “Not that any of this excuses my behavior. I’m going to prove myself to you, Omen. I will show you why Fate chose me to be one of your mates.”

She’s quiet as I work vanilla shampoo into her hair and rinse the soap away. As I’m starting to comb conditioner through her hair, she whispers so quietly I can’t hear it over the sound of the tub's jets. “I’m sorry starlight, could you say that again?”

She awkwardly clears her throat, tilting her head down toward the water. “Will you sing?”

Warmth hits my cheeks, spreading down my neck to my chest as I flush with embarrassment. I’ve always struggled to sing with an audience. The only way I was able to perform with Nexus and Azalea at the Candy Courage show last weekend was to close my eyes and wear in-ear monitors.

“Anything for you, starlight. Do you have a particular song you’d like to hear?” She shakes her head, so I pick one of our older songs. One I’d written shortly after I’d met my other mates. The words fill the bathroom, echoing slightly in the open space. I almost stop when the first note rings out, self-doubt filling me, but then she starts to hum along. Bolstered by her joy, I work my way through several of our songs while working on her hair.

While the conditioner rests, I scrub her body, working my fingers into her muscles as I move up her body. Her eyes are starting to slip closed by the time I reach her shoulders. A soft chuckle escapes me as I urge her to sit forward. She’s too adorable when she’s sleepy and pliant like this.

Nexus slips into the room while I am rinsing her hair, the longing on his face strong enough to feel like a vice gripping my heart. He lays a pile of clothes on the edge of the sink before he drags himself away.

My poor, sweet alpha is beside himself dealing with his guilt and anger over what has happened to Omen. He believes she wouldn’t have had to confront her father if he’d stayed after her heat, but I know our girl and she would have gone to New Hampshire to put an end to his reign regardless of whether we were at her side. Not when she knew the Pastor was targeting other omegas out of anger for not being able to find her.

“All done,” I tell Omen as the water starts to spiral down the drain. She’s wobbly as she climbs out of the tub, not bothering to hide herself this time. I keep my eyes on her face as I wrap her in a fluffy gray towel. Using another, I pull as much of the water from her hair as I can. When she starts to sag beneath the weight of her exhaustion, I grab the pile of clothes and help her get dressed.

“These aren’t mine,” she mumbles.

“They’re not. This shirt is mine,” I point out as it slips down her arms to land around her waist. “These obviously belong to Nexus.” She giggles when I hold up the psychedelic mushroom-covered boxer briefs. “The sweatpants are Nebula’s, and this hoodie is Titan’s.”

Looking her over my heart swells with pride knowing she is wrapped in all our scents. “You need our scents and physical contact to feel better. Even if you choose to never forgive us, at least use us to feel better for now.”

She still seems hesitant to agree, which is understandable. We’ve hurt her in ways no omega should ever experience. Ways we may never be able to atone for, but we aren’t going anywhere. We will spend an eternity trying to make things right.

“Alright,” she finally concedes. She must see the determination in my eyes. I offer her a smile and leave her at the edge of the sink while I grab a chair from the bedroom. Her hair needs to be blow-dried before we go downstairs.

The scent of homemade bread drifts up the stairs as I’m finishing up. Her stomach rumbles loudly, the sound echoed a moment later when my own growls in agreement. “Let’s go see what our Alpha has made for us to eat.” She flinches when I claim Nebula for both of us, but I don’t let her reaction deter me.

One reminder, one small act at a time is how I’m going to earn my omega’s forgiveness.

Walking into the kitchen I see the mess Nebula has made. Pans and bowls litter the counters, and the sink is nearly overflowing. Spread out across the island are a big pot of chicken soup, and several loaves of bread, including what looks like–

“Is that banana bread?” Omen asks from beside me. Her green eyes are wide as she takes in our alpha with his forest-green apron and flour-covered hands.

It’s easy to forget she’s never seen this side of him. Cooking and baking weren’t really hobbies he could enjoy while we were living on a tour bus for two months.

“It is, yeah. There is also pumpkin bread, white bread, and garlic rosemary focaccia. I wasn’t sure what you would be in the mood for if you’re even hungry…” He trails off, suddenly uncertain as he looks around. Sure, he went overboard, but this is one of the ways he shows he cares.

“Let’s get settled on the couch,” I tell Omen, taking advantage of her distraction to convince her to staying out of the bedroom for a while longer. “Then I’ll grab us a little bit of everything. The new season of First Glance Pack started last week. We can watch it together if you want.”

She nods slowly, her eyes linger on Nebula as we walk into the living room.

I settle her in the largest corner with several fluffy blankets around her. With the show loading on the TV, I step back into the kitchen. Nebula already has a tray loaded with bowls of soup and slices of bread, so I leave him to carry it while I grab a couple of bottles of water for us.

Standing in the doorway, I watch the uncomfortable interaction between my alpha and our omega. She can’t even meet his eye and he’s barely holding himself back from trying to comfort her. Their instincts demand they give in to the connection between them, but the sea of pain separating them is too vast to overcome after a simple apology.

Before things can grow any tenser, I step back in and curl up next to Omen. The right side of my body is pressed against her beneath the blanket, giving her the physical touch she needs to start to heal. I subtly tilt my head closer, my mind whirling as I try to find her scent. The tiniest hint of sunflower wafts off of her, but it is so diminished I have to strain to catch the honeysuckle notes beneath it.

Pain spreads through my chest, recognizing this is yet another side effect of her chemical rejection. Our girl is falling apart, crumbling like a thousand-year-old statue beneath the weight of the hurricane our rejection has caused in her body. I hope Fate has our paths merged long enough for us to heal the damage we have wrought in her.

As the first episode of First Glance Pack starts to play, we are introduced to a pack of beefy, small-town construction workers and the upscale boutique owner omega selected to bond with them. Omen snacks on different pieces of bread for the first fifteen minutes of the show before she grabs the bowl of soup and devours it. Relief fills me seeing her eat so heartily, especially after she declined anything we offered her the first two days she was here.

After they bond, the pack on the show takes their new omega back to their mid-sized craftsman house. She seems out of her depth surrounded by down-to-earth, hard-working men. When they show her to the empty attic they want to turn into her nest, an idea sparks in my mind. While they draw up blueprints and take her shopping for materials to decorate the interior, I begin an investigation of my own.

“What would your dream nest look like?”

Omen tenses beside me, her lips pressed tightly together.

“Pretend with me? Just for this afternoon, we can forget it all. Let’s exist in a world of our own creation for a bit longer.”

Recognition sparks in her sea green eyes as she turns to look at me, hopefully remembering the night we’d danced beside the fire. The two of us beneath the stars without a care in the world, even if it was only temporary. She studies my face for so long I start to sweat and doubt starts to creep in.

“It would look very monochrome,” she whispers. “All shades of black and dark gray with splashes of gold to break it up. Soft twinkling lights, fluffy blankets, and thick comforters for the winter.”

“That sounds dreamy, starlight.”

She hums her agreement, a sad smile tugging at her lips as she refocuses on the show. We’ve let her down, but we’re also going to build her back up. And I know the perfect place to start.