Chapter Twenty-Two

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Now Playing: Dark Thoughts- The Funeral Portrait

Pulling on a long black skirt decorated in silver constellations, I contemplate asking one of the guys to drive me to my therapy appointment instead of calling for a ride-share. It would probably be safer, and easier, but my stomach settles uneasily when I think about relying on any of them.

After sliding the matching long-sleeved black shirt over my head, I glance at my phone and sigh. I need to decide how I’m getting back to Starburgh before it is too late and I miss the appointment.

Clanging pans let me know one of the members of Pack Graves is in the kitchen, so I head that way, only to freeze in the doorway when I see Nebula making the noise. I try to quietly back out of the room, but his attention snaps to me.

“Hey, everything okay?” His eyes roam over me, taking in my outfit and cataloging my lack of comfy clothes with a questioning expression.

“Uh, I–I have an appointment,” I stammer.

He sets aside the pans he was pulling out and straightens, unintentionally flexing the muscles in his arms as he places his palms on the counter. This man has forearms women would write poems about. Slick leaks from my center watching the way the veins in his hands jump as his fingers curl into a fist. Stupid brain, focus!

“With Doctor Russell? Is she coming here?”

“No. It’s a therapy appointment in the city.”

“Okay, I’ll drive,” he tells me without hesitation. He’s already walking out of the room when my brain finally catches up to what he said.

“Wait, you don’t have to take me. I can–”

Nebula stops, staring back at me from the bottom of the stairs leading to the pack bedroom. “I know we’ve fucked up things between us, but don’t think for a second I won’t turn your pretty ass pink if you even think of suggesting I let a stranger drive you into town.”

Arousal pulses so strongly my perfume leaks around my scent canceling underwear and fills the air around me. His eyes darken when it reaches him, and a low rumble fills his chest as he fights back a growl. He shakes himself and turns to run up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

Moments later, he returns with two jackets in his hands. My teeth clench around a whimper as he carefully helps me into one and I’m surrounded by his scent.

I wish my inner omega would get the memo he rejected us, but this bitch is practically rolling onto her belly and begging him to knot her as my perfume fills the air. Maybe I should call Doctor Russell since it feels like my control over my reactions to them is working like a leaky faucet.

“Let’s get you to your appointment, babygirl.”

When we’re sitting in light traffic outside of the city, I finally tell Nebula where we are going. He nods and–much to my shock–is able to navigate to the therapist’s office without directions. His lips kick up in a half smile when he senses my confusion. “I mentioned I’ve been seeing a therapist. Mia works out of the same office.”

Damn. Okay. I hope we haven’t been paired with the same person. Talking about him would make me feel uncomfortable knowing he is also her patient.

Thankfully, I am not scheduled to see Mia. Instead, I sit down for an initial meet-and-greet with a polite young beta man, Mr. Bartlett. His brightly colored bow tie gives him a cheerful appearance which puts me at ease as I sit across from him.

“Doctor Russell sent me some basic information about your chemical rejection, as it isn’t something anyone in our office specifically has dealt with. How are you feeling today?”

We don’t talk in detail about anything during this first session, which is fine. I’m not overly comfortable opening up to strangers, even now that my family no longer poses a threat to my safety.

Well, my father doesn’t anyway. My brother and his wife are apparently still determined to ruin my life for some unknown reason. Getting my ass kicked on national television must not have been punishment enough for them.

I’m surprised when I walk back into the lobby and find Nebula still sitting there. His arms are crossed over his chest and his head is tilted back against the wall. If he didn’t seem so tense, I’d think he was sleeping. My steps are quiet as I approach him and stop a few feet from his chair. “I’m finished.”

A tight smile flashes my way as he stands. Some part of me wants to believe he’s angry he wasted an hour sitting in the therapist’s office waiting on me, but his scent reads more anxious than anything else.

“Can I–” He stops at the front of the car and clears his throat. “I’d like to show you something if you feel up to being out for a bit longer.” The words tumble quickly from his mouth.

Show me what? I want to ask, but the urgency in his tone fills me with a curiosity I can’t seem to deny. His shoulders relax when I agree, and he ushers me into the passenger seat. I hold my breath as he leans over to buckle me in, not wanting to risk inhaling his warm, smoky scent and flooding the car with my perfume. That would be awkward for both of us.

My omega preens as he adjusts the strap across my chest, happy to see one of her supposed alphas taking such an interest in her safety. Too bad his interest didn’t expand into accepting me as his mate before they rejected me.

We drive out of the city, heading north. I watch the world fly by, wondering how gorgeous this trip will be once the leaves start to change colors at the end of the month. A pang of longing pierces my heart when I imagine Bea and I’s apartment porch lit up at night with the intricate jack-o-lanterns we always create at the beginning of every October. I doubt we will get to continue our tradition this year with the apartment out of commission until Ben and Jaquelyn are dealt with.

Shock has my mouth hanging open when Nebula pulls beneath the iron gate of a cemetery. He drives us to the back and parks along the edge of the path. “My sister is buried back in Nashville. After the guys and I moved here, I missed her too much. It was overwhelming being so far from her, so I bought a plot and had a memorial built for her here.”

Tears line my eyes as I stare out at the headstones and mausoleums. That is as sweet as it is sad. I also don’t understand why he brought me here. My door opens and he offers me his hand, not forcing me to get out of the car.

“I’d like for you to meet her.”

A lump clogs my throat as I slip my fingers across his palm. My hand shakes slightly until he wraps his around it, squeezing lightly to reassure me. He doesn’t let me go as we walk through the grass to a spot by the tree line.

A weeping angel holding a rose up toward the sky looms before us. At the base of the sculpture is a dark bronze plaque with Elizabeth’s name on it.

“Hey sis,” Nebula chokes out after several minutes pass. “I brought someone to see you. This is my Fated omega, Omen.” He takes a deep breath and drops my hand so he can crouch in the grass beside me. I carefully lower myself beside him, watching from the corner of my eye as he rearranges the fresh flowers along the base of the statue.

“You would love her. She’s adventurous, but not nearly as wild as you used to be. Somehow she has managed to keep her head on straight, even when she’s dealing with my pack.” A watery laugh fills the air as he sits back on his heels. “We don’t deserve her. We fucked up drastically, Liz, and I know you’re probably out there somewhere cursing me out for the way we’ve treated her.”

He turns to me, tears sliding down his cheeks, and my breath catches at the regret I see reflected back at me. “Babygirl, words will never be able to express how fucking sorry I am.”

Shock and fear rush to the surface of my mind, leaving me fighting to catch my breath as he continues speaking. Did he bring me here to apologize? Again?

“I see you, Omen Powell. Not the person you were forced to be before. Not your brother or your father. You. The introverted, anxious, caring omega Fate chose for my pack. For me.” Nebula wipes away the tears trickling down my cheeks. “I should have given you the benefit of the doubt back then, but I let my hatred control me. Rejecting you is something I will never be able to make up for, but I want to try.”

He collapses on his knees in the dirt, and I wince imagining the rocks digging into his knees through his jeans, but he doesn't seem to care about the pinch of pain they cause. Leaning forward, he rests his forehead against mine, our breath mingling as we both cry. Deep blue eyes stare into my own sea green orbs, begging me to see the sincerity in his gaze.

”Every fiber of my being belongs to you. I’ll be your protector, the beams supporting you when you have to weather the harshest storms. Hell, wrap a collar around my throat and I’ll be your dog. Say the words and I am yours to command.”

“I–” Whatever response I could have forced out is cut off when we hear heavy footsteps and whispered commands from the other side of the nearest mausoleum. Nebula straightens, glancing over the grave markers. A curse slips from his lips alongside a growl.

My body trembles harder when I peek around the stone to see a group of armed men coordinating a search through the cemetery. Every instinct in my body demands they are here for me, to drag me back to whatever remains of my father’s congregation for punishment.

“As quietly as we can, we are going to head into the tree line,” Nebula whispers. I give him a jerky nod and scramble to a crouch. He lets me lead the way, following right on my heels, close enough to catch me if I stumble. As soon as we reach the last row of headstones, I push to my feet and dart into the sea of trees surrounding the cemetery.

The low shout of one of the men behind us has us both crashing through the trees, ignoring the noise we make as we flee the assholes my brother sent to capture me. I don’t know why I thought I could leave their house without him finding me. Not when he and Jacquelyn are watching me so closely.

My lungs burn from exertion. I definitely won’t be able to manage this level of physical strain for very long. Not when my body is already so weak from the ROS. I slip nearly crashing into the trunk of the nearest tree, but I manage to steady myself before I fall. I feel like I’m floating as I push further into the forest. It’s so hot, I’m burning up. Wearing too many layers for this mid-afternoon heat.

With fear and adrenaline pounding through my body, I make the mistake of glancing back at Nebula. His smoky vanilla scent is filled with worry and anger, and a touch of arousal that has my mind in a haze. As soon as I see Nebula barreling toward me my omega takes over. Primal instincts I hadn’t known were buried are pulled to the surface.

Nebula may have offered to be my dog, but right now he’s a wolf, a predator. And I’m the bunny he’s pursuing. His prey.

My perfume floods the air in heavy waves. Some small part of my mind tries to panic, reminding me we are being chased by men who aren’t my alpha, but I can’t focus long enough to care. All that matters right now is the Fate matched mate hunting me and the heat raging through my body.

I trip over an exposed root, barely managing to catch myself. Another burst of my perfume makes me dizzy. Why hasn’t my alpha caught me yet? I need him. Need his knot. His bite.

A ferocious growl rips through the air behind me, jolting me back into action. My feet pound across the uneven forest floor. I weave through the trees in a diagonal pattern, instinctively edging toward the sound of running water. I fall to my ass when I tumble out of the trees and slip down the riverbank. Only my alpha’s strong arms wrapping around my waist stop me from being carried beneath the current.

The water is nice and cool against my skin, soothing the sharp flames burning inside of me. My legs wrap around Nebula’s waist, his hard length pressed against my core. Whimpers leak from my lips as I grind against him, ignoring the swells of water pushing us further downstream.

“Alpha,” I whine.

It hurts. I’m so empty. I need him. Need to feel full.

“Fuck, Omega,” he groans when my lips press against his neck. I suck the skin, nipping it with my teeth. He smells so good and I hate the gross river water blocking me from fully enjoying his scent.

The material between us is scratchy and tight, weighing me down. I shove it down my hips, loosening my legs long enough for the awful thing to float away. When my core meets his length, another annoyed growl rumbles from my chest to his skin. Why isn’t my alpha naked? Doesn’t he feel how much I need him?

“Patience,” he commands. “I’ve got you, but we have to get down the river first.”

A cramp pinches low in my stomach. I curl against my alpha’s body trying to make the pain go away. Why does everything hurt so much? A purr rattles to life in his chest, stealing the harshest edges of the pain. I melt against him, letting his purr settle me while he carries us to safety.

Blissfully dark shadows pass over for several long seconds before bright light burns my eyes again. I bury my face against my alpha’s neck, trying to bite back a whine when he told me to be patient. It’s hard to obey when everything feels so wrong.

Time drags by as we make our way down the river. When silty shore brushes my back, I realize we’re stopping. Blinking my eyes open, I briefly see the copse of thick, gnarled trees surrounding us, but my alpha’s body rubbing against mine quickly steals my attention. My fingers dig into the top of his pants, trying to push the wet material down his thick thighs.

“Shhh, it’s alright,” he reassures me. “I’m going to take care of you, but we can’t–I can’t–”

A loud whine spills from my throat, my body curling in on itself in the face of his rejection. He doesn’t want me. I’m still not good enough. Too weak, too needy. The blood in my veins is too evil for him to–

“Shit, babygirl, that’s not what I meant. Fuck, why did this have to happen here.” He runs a hand through his short blonde hair, staring out at the water for a moment before those dark blue eyes turn back to me. “I really fucking hope you can forgive me for this Omen.”