Chapter Twenty-Four

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Now Playing: Thread the Needle- Sleep Token

The rhythmic beep of a heart monitor tells me I’m once again in the hospital before I can make my eyes work. They’re so heavy it almost feels as if they’ve been glued shut. I shift, noticing an ache spread all across my body but especially between my legs.

My brows furrow as I try to recall–Oh. Shit. We were at Elizabeth’s memorial when my brother’s men found us. We ran but a heat spike struck and…

“Oh, Fates,” I groan, burying my face in my hands.

“Gorgeous?” Nexus asks quietly, his warm hand gently gripping my own and pulling them away from my face. The dim light in the room still takes several blinks to adjust to.

When I finally can focus, I immediately wish I hadn’t opened them at all. Warm embarrassment creeps up my neck and cheeks so thickly I imagine I resemble a tomato. All four members of Pack Graves sit around my bed, including Nebula.

“Hey, babygirl,” he greets me, his eyes flickering away from mine almost as quickly as they turn back to me. He seems nervous, which I guess makes sense. I can’t believe I tried to drown him–literally–by climbing him in the middle of a river when we were being chased by those assholes. And then he had to knot me in the mud.

He must think I’m a mess.

At least he has an accurate opinion of me.

“None of that, Omega,” he gently barks. The command startles me. They’ve never used their barks on me. On anyone actually. Are my thoughts so transparent he can read every one of them?

“What happened isn’t your fault. Heat spikes are normal for omegas, and we all know they are a possibility after your doctor told us your body is trying to force a heat. You did a great job of controlling it long enough for us to escape. We’re all proud of you.”

The others nod their agreement, causing a happy ache to blossom in my chest. They’re proud of me. For having a heat spike? This feels like a messed-up dream.

Remembering the way I behaved with Nebula has guilt swimming through my body. Why do I feel guilty? Embarrassed, sure, but guilty? I feel weird like my emotions are all over the place. Maybe this is another side effect of their rejection.

“I’m sorry, Omen,” Nebula steals my attention. His face is filled with resignation and determination in equal measure. “I lost control when your heat scent surrounded me, and I pushed beyond the boundaries you had set between us.”

“You helped me through a heat spike, I don’t think that…” I trail off at the tense look shared between all four members of their pack. They don’t say anything, they just watch me with tight jaws.

More guilt floods my body, but I can sense it this time, the separation this emotion has from the confusion already in my mind. Slipping my eyes closed, I follow the emotion. My heart stalls, my lungs frozen when I find the threads connecting me to Nebula. Shaky hands reach up to my neck, finding the bite mark now permanently embedded there.

Nebula bonded me? There isn’t any way to reverse a bond, it’s forever. If he realizes what he’s done–who he has bonded himself to–and he rejects me… Why would he do this to us both?

My eyes fly open and I search his throat, sighing in relief when I find it bare of new bites. Technically our connection is incomplete since I didn’t bite him back. At least if he chooses–

“I’m not going anywhere, Omega,” he growls. His dark eyes are fierce as he grips the rail at the bottom of the bed and leans forward. He bares his teeth at me, his expression savage. “You are mine, exactly as you were always meant to be.”

I’m spared from responding when someone knocks on the door. It opens to reveal both Doctor Russell and Donovan. They both seem relieved to see me awake.

“Omen, we really need to stop meeting like this,” she greets. I offer her a sad smile as she starts to check my vitals and asks a few questions.

“W-what happened?” My voice rasps out. The sound has Nexus jumping to grab a cup of water off of the nearby wheeled table. I sip it gratefully, thankful for the relief to my dry throat.

“The physical exertion from your escape, the heat spike, and the bonding was too taxing on your body, so you passed out. It isn’t unexpected given the state of your current health. Any overly exhausting activity could have the same result.” When Doctor Russell is satisfied with what she sees, she warns me again about the risks of a full heat before leaving to attend to her other patients.

“Well, kid, we’ve got a real mess on our hands, don’t we?” Donovan huffs. He comes to stand by my shoulder, not too close since the guys eye him warily.

“We’ve talked about it, and we are going to have a security firm come and check over our system. Adding extra precautions if they feel there are any gaps,” Callisto tells him.

Anxiety and guilt churn in my stomach knowing these are only precautions they have to take because of me. Maybe I should find somewhere else to go until the FCDA can find my brother…

“Sounds like a great plan,” Donovan nods. “We’ll find them. They’ve already been spotted around town, but they aren’t staying in one place long enough for us to grab them. You focus on getting better.” He adds the latter for me specifically, his eyes roaming over the bruises beneath my eyes.

I hate worrying everyone, it stresses me out to see them all constantly looking so afraid every time they see me. Maybe the drop of sunshine on this gloomy day will be Nebula’s bond stabilizing me enough to stop the progression of the chemical rejection.

The guest room door slams open, startling me from where I am looking out over the back garden. Bea’s coconut lime scent fills the room as she tosses her bags on the floor and beams at me.

“It’s girls night!” She tells me. “I already made sure your boy toys know this room is to be man-free for the next twelve hours, so it will only be you and me! Though they can act like delivery boys and bring us snacks!”

My bestie makes herself at home, tossing her pile of blankets and clothes on the chair in the corner before collapsing across the bottom of the bed. She groans into the comforter for several seconds, stretching her toes now that they are free from the heels she likely wore to work today.

Her blue eyes shimmer when she turns her face to look at me. The worry in her expression guts me, even if what happened today wasn’t my fault.

“I’m okay,” I promise her.

“You were hospitalized, again, because you passed out. I don’t think any of that says you’re okay.” One eyebrow arches as she pushes up to her elbows. “Your brother is a relentless asshole, huh?”

“He sure is.” I’d told her almost everything via text during her lunch break today, after which she insisted on a sleepover. I certainly don’t plan on leaving the guy’s house again anytime soon. At least not without all four of them by my side.

“And Nebula helped you with the heat spike? You finally got to ride his knot?” Her eyes sparkle with mischief.

Grabbing the remote, I turn on the television and flip to one of her favorite singing shows. More as a way to distract myself for a few minutes before I reveal the part I hadn’t told her over the phone earlier.

“Yeah, uh, he did.” I fidget for several seconds, trying to gather the courage to admit he bonded me out loud. I’m still torn about the entire thing.

“What the fuck is that?” Bea hisses. Snapping my head toward her, I see her eyes are trained on my throat. I guess it’s now or never.

“My heat spike sent him into a rut and he bonded me.”

She reels back, her mouth hanging open as she struggles to find something to say. “You didn’t consent to being bonded?” Her eyes narrow as she asks the question.

“I was in a heat spike,” I remind her.

“So how do you feel about that? Being bonded to Nebula?”

“Confused. Terrified. And maybe a little resigned.”

A knock at the door has us pausing as Nexus drops off a giant bowl of popcorn and several different types of drinks for us to share. As soon as we are alone again, Bea pins me with a harsh glare. “Resigned about what?”

Needing the tension in the room to dissipate, I toss a handful of popcorn at her. We both laugh when several pieces get caught in her loose curls. Swallowing down the giggles still caught in my throat, I lean back against my pillows and stare up at the ceiling. It’s become entirely too familiar over the past week.

“About joining their pack. There isn’t any escaping them now, not with Nebula’s bite on my skin.”

Bea crawls up beside me, propping herself on the other side of the mattress and securing the bowl of popcorn between us. “Ideally, a bond with them is what you wanted, right?”

Blowing out a breath, I nod. “It is. Or was. I don’t know. I can’t shake the feeling they will change their minds and leave me again.”

“They’re assholes who made mistakes, and while I hope you make them grovel for a lifetime, I also recognize they are trying. Those boys are putting in the effort to better themselves so they can be a pack worthy of you. Give them time, and they might be able to ease that fear.” She grins conspiratorially. “If they screw up again, I happen to know a whole lot of ways to destroy their lives.”

Chuckling, I redirect our conversation before she can start making plans to ruin the guy’s career. “How’s living with Mr. Acherley going?”

“Ugh, that man! He’s so demanding. Always bossing me around, even when we aren’t at the office!” She rolls her dark blue eyes, her lips twisted in remembered annoyance. “It’s kind of hot, sometimes.”

“Only sometimes?’ I know my bestie and she’s always loved dominant men. Inside or outside of the bedroom. Because she has no filter and loves gossip, she’s shared stories of past flings with me–in explicit detail.

“Alright fine, it’s hot all the time! But it’s also frustrating as hell! He acts like he’s constantly in control, getting me all worked up only to back off because it would be ‘unprofessional’.” Her lip juts out in a pout, a whine entering her voice. My poor, sexually frustrated best friend.

“You love pushing people’s buttons when you are interested in them,” I remind her. The rare times I was on our bus during the Primordial Covenant tour are full of memories of her bratty ass acting out to rile Lex and Ridley up. “So do that. If he’s interested, he’ll snap eventually and have his wicked way with you.”

“An omega can dream,” she sighs. Her voice is full of sadness, making me believe this has to do with more than her overbearing boss and temporary roommate.

“Have you heard from either of them?” I ask.

Bea shakes her head, flopping to the side and curling up with a pillow held to her chest. “Not since they left to chase down the Doctor. They couldn’t take their phones in case someone tracked them.”

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. I know firsthand how awful it is to be separated from your mates with no way to know if they’re safe. The same thing happened when I was forced into hiding after my sister-in-law outed my identity to the entire nation. “You know what we need?”

“Hot musician knots?” she jokes.

“No.” I shoot her a playful glare as I grab one of the markers from my side table. “Ice cream!”

‘Do we have any ice cream in the freezer?’

It only takes a few seconds before my skin starts to tingle with a response from one of my mates. The serene, almost wistful energy tells me it is Callisto on the other end.

‘Titan ran into town to grab us a few beers, he can get whatever flavor you want while he’s there, starlight.’

“Triple Chocolate?” I ask, glancing up to find Bea’s eyes already on me. She’s grinning now. “What?”

“You seem much more at ease with using your Fated connection now.” She shrugs. “And I think tonight calls for cookie dough.”

‘One pint of chocolate chip cookie dough, and one pistachio. Please.’

“I am, I guess. It’s easier than texting, and, I don’t know, it makes me feel better? Like sensing their energy through the connection eases some of the rejection pain. At least for a few minutes.”

Bea seems happy to hear that and doesn’t comment further. We settle into the bed and turn our attention back to the screen in time to watch her favorite performer in her debut. The colorful costume highlights her curvy hips and long legs. We both sigh as she struts across the stage. We may not be romantically attracted to women, but we certainly know how to appreciate their beauty.

A short while later, a message on my arm lets me know our treats have been delivered. Bea opens the door and whistles. “Damn girl, they sure are putting in the effort to spoil you!” She picks up a tray and carries it over to the bed.

My jaw drops when I see both of our ice cream pints surrounded by a sea of toppings. There are little bowls of fudge and caramel, sprinkles, cookie crumbles, fresh fruit, and marshmallows. They even sent waffle cone bowls and big spoons for us to scoop the frozen goodness with.

A white card in the corner is covered in tiny hearts and our names, hand-drawn in scribbly handwriting I immediately recognize as belonging to Nexus. “Food is his love language,” I comment blandly, biting my lip to keep myself from giggling like a schoolgirl. This really was so sweet of them.

“If my mates don’t make me cute dessert charcuterie boards, I’m sending them to be trained by your pack.” I laugh along with her, but it is half-hearted. They aren’t my pack. Not yet.

I spend the next few episodes turning over every memory of the past six months. From the moment I met Primordial Covenant at the Soulbound Echo office to the way they’ve catered to us tonight. There is a lot of good. There’s also a lot of bad. I don’t know how to differentiate between the two when all the good moments feel overshadowed by the pain I know follows.

When I turn to stretch out beside Bea, I’m reminded of the sharp pain still radiating through all of my muscles after the heat wave yesterday with Nebula. Doctor Russell and I spoke privately before I left and she once again told me another one could kill me. My heart is weak from the chemical rejection and it cannot take the strain of an unassisted heat spike.

“I’m going to take all of their bonds,” I mumble.

Bea’s head snaps toward me, relief shining in those midnight orbs. “Are you sure?” She asks the question but I know this is the news she was hoping to hear. Not that she wants me permanently tied to a pack of assholes. She just doesn’t want the rejection to kill me.

“Yeah. It’s for the best. They’re trying, and maybe one day we can find a new peace together. I’ll never know if a happily ever after is possible if I let the rejection continue to destroy me.”

Bea’s arms wrap tight around me, holding me against her in a comforting hug. “If they even think of hurting you again, I’ll kick their asses myself. And everyone we know will help. Natasha might feed them to the fishes, she’s a badass like that.”

I chuckle against her shoulder, the sound slowly devolving into belly laughs. She’s absolutely right, Donovan’s beta mate is a badass. Though I doubt she has mafia connections, not if she’s mated to one of the leaders of the DAU.

“Look! It’s the finale! I’m still so freaking giddy Skye Pierce won! She’s so sweet and her voice! I love the folksy tone!” Bea bounces excitedly on the bed as the episode starts. I smile and curl around a pillow beside her. A girl’s night was exactly what I needed.