Chapter Thirteen

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

NOW PLAYING: THE Ways of Love- Bahari

The sun is barely starting to peek over the horizon as I open the windows in the hotel living room. I should still be in bed curled around my sleeping mates, but my mind won’t settle long enough for me to go back to sleep.

This won’t be the first time I’ve run on only a few hours of sleep. It happens far more often than I’d like to admit.

Ever since my older sister Elizabeth got sick, the early morning hours have belonged to her. While she was at our parents’ house, slowly fading before our eyes, I’d sneak into her nest long after our parents had fallen asleep. Lying by her side I’d talk. About nothing and everything all at once. It didn’t matter what the topic was, I wanted her to know she wasn’t alone.

Hearing what happens when an omega is rejected by their mate is completely different from watching the fallout in person. It is utterly devastating. Heartbreak and depression slowly steal them away. Their scents fade as their inner omega crumbles to dust. Elizabeth barely ate. She almost never left her nest. She was a shell of the person she was before she met her Fated mate.

I tried to save her. To remind her she had a family who loved her and a bright future chasing the dreams she’d clung to since childhood. It wasn’t enough. We had woken one morning to find she’d made her choice. She left us and this world behind.

One day I will see justice brought to the cruel alpha who used her and tossed her aside, shattering her omega and stealing her from us. He and his entire vile family will know the pain she endured during the last several months of her life.

Thinking about the awful rules some states require omegas to adhere to, my mind returns to our mystery omega mate. My concern for their safety hasn’t faded in the year since we discovered their existence. It’s an ever-present feeling at the back of my mind.

Grabbing one of the easy wash markers we keep for writing messages to each other, I get to work. I may have promised our mate we would wait until they were ready to approach us, but that doesn’t mean I have to hold back from checking in when the tension grows too high.

‘Hello Omega. Just checking in to make sure you are safe. We are only a message away if you need us to help you break free of whatever prison keeps you from us. -W’

Looking at the message it feels weird to still be using the initials of our birth names when we no longer use them in real life, but knowing we used them in our last messages with our mystery mate, I don’t want to confuse them by switching to our stage initials. I set the pen aside and settle onto one of the chairs, my feet propped on the wall as I watch the sun rise further into the sky.

As far as I know, none of my packmates has tried speaking to our mystery mate again, so I don’t know if I will even get a response. I let my eyes flutter shut. Watching the sunlight dance behind my eyelids as I attempt to allow sleep to find me once more.

Moments pass before I feel it. Warmth and peace. Like standing beneath a noonday sun in the middle of a summer festival. The energy signature of our mystery mate. The skin below my message tingles signaling they’re responding.

‘As safe as I can be.’

Another few seconds pass before more words start to appear.

‘I’m sorry. Knowing I exist must be stressful for your pack. If I could change things I would do so in a heartbeat.’

I didn’t intend to make our mate feel bad about our separation. I only wanted to confirm they are still out there, alive and unharmed. Maybe to know they still want to be with us too.

‘Please don’t apologize. I promised we would wait for you and I meant it. I just needed reassurance you weren’t in danger. -W’

Another several minutes pass before they write back.

‘I’ve spent my entire life dancing on the edge of a perilous cliff. No matter how many times I may slip or even if I fall, I’ll never stop finding my way to you.’

Wild horses stampede in my chest, the rapid beat of my heart ringing in my ears as I reread their words.

‘What brings danger to such a sweet omega? -W’

They may not answer but I have to ask. I want to know what obstacle is keeping us apart. Maybe if I have a clue I can find them and offer the help they seem so reluctant to request.

Noise inside the bedroom alerts me to one or more of my packmates waking. Glancing into the kitchen, I see it is nearly ten. I’ve been sitting in the morning sun for almost three hours.

“Come back to bed, Neb,” Callisto mutters sleepily as he peeks around the door frame. His shoulder-length hair is messy around his head. Several strands fall down across his face. He blows the pieces away and offers me a hand. I accept it easily, letting him pull me back into the big bed with our other mates. My beta curls against my side, his breaths quickly evening out as sleep reclaims him.

My own eyes grow heavy with sleep, but as I linger on the edge of oblivion, another message comes through. Lifting my arm, I fight back a curse at the words written there.

‘There are people in my life who would destroy us all if they were ever to find me. I’m a threat to you all by sharing this connection.’

Hopefully, one day soon I will find a way to rescue them from the danger causing their fear.

It’s early afternoon when I finally roll out of bed, surprised to find I’m the last one sleeping. We usually have to wake Nexus up to get him moving.

After a quick shower, I hear my mates chattering from the living room of our suite and head that way. Titan is sprawled across the couch, his long legs kicked up on the edge of the chair Callisto is sitting in. Nexus is pacing across the room, his phone in one hand while he chews at the nails of the other. A nervous habit. One we’ve all tried to help him find healthier coping mechanisms for.

“Good morning,” I greet them, my tone cautious. I walk around the back of the couch raising a brow when Tee glances up, but my alpha friend only shrugs and grunts. A sound I’ve learned to interpret as ‘I tried, I failed, it’s your turn’.

Leaning down I press a kiss to the top of Cal’s head. My sweet beta has all his music sheets spread out on the coffee table. His tablet is balanced on one knee while he scrawls in his notebook.

Glancing at the screen, I’m not surprised to find an open email thread with Azalea Rivers, our friend and the lead singer of Candy Courage. He and Zale formed a close friendship during our tour with them last year, and he often seeks the other artist's input when he is writing a new song.

He smiles up at me, a slight blush on his cheeks. ‘Omen’ he mouths and all the pieces click together. Nexus’ early wake-up and his nervous pacing.

I playfully roll my eyes, realizing I should have guessed what my pack mate is up to. We all feel the same pull to Omen. Nex is just a bit more forward with his emotions than the rest of us. My heart says she’s ours but my brain constantly reminds me of our mysterious fifth mate. There is always the chance building a relationship with Omen could send our other Fated mate running when we finally meet them.

Even with my hesitance and concerns, I wouldn’t deny us the opportunity to spend time with the little omega.

Watching him pace, I’m pulled into the memory of the day I first met my chaotic mate.

Walking out of the air-conditioned building after my school-mandated counseling session, I grumble feeling the humid fall air press around me. I can’t wait to be finished at the academy and move somewhere north. Somewhere with less humidity for half the damn year.

Making the trek back to my dorm, I try not to let my thoughts wander to my sister or parents. Two topics sure to heighten my anger and cause trouble for me along the way. My anger is one of the reasons I’m now required to attend weekly sessions with the academy’s on-site therapist. Only a few days after arriving I got into a fight with a couple of other newly presented alphas. A fight that led to the destruction of academy property.

Turning the corner to pass between the gymnasium and the class buildings, I pause when I hear muffled sounds of pain and fighting. I can’t get involved. Whoever it is, they’re on their own.

My resolve crumbles when I walk past the gap between two buildings and see four older alphas beating up another student who isn’t even attempting to fight back.

This isn’t a fight, it’s bullying.

My alpha instincts demand I stop when the scent of charred wood and sickly sweet amber fills the air. The scent of this kid’s distress.

Channeling the rage stored from my session and the nightmares plaguing me nightly, I drop my bag and take off down the path. One of the bullies looks up when he hears my footsteps, but he’s too late to avoid my fist connecting with his face. He stumbles back, dazed from the blow. I quickly catch his friend’s attention and they turn their fists on me. They’re bigger than me and I’m sorely outnumbered.

I should have run.

Knocked to the ground, I land beside the kid they were beating up and my heart stalls in my chest when I see his tear-filled brown eyes blink at me. The resigned, broken look in his eyes calls to me. I can’t explain how I know he’s meant to be mine; I just do.

Retaliating harder, I kick two of the bullies away and focus on the two still trying to hit me. I dodge one of their punches, mentally chuckling when it connects with his friend’s stomach instead. My lungs burn from the strain of fighting.

Blue light shines against the brick, stalling the bullies’ assault. They take off running when they recognize the security cart passing by the mouth of the alley.

As soon as I’m sure they’re gone, I collapse beside my new packmate. He’s still curled in on himself. His black jacket torn at the shoulder and his lip bloody. One of his eyes is already swelling shut. Never again will he face those assholes alone. I’ll protect him no matter what it takes.

I later learned the beatings were a regular occurrence. A lot of the other alphas around campus didn’t believe Nexus was a real alpha because of his social anxiety and lack of athleticism. I immediately started working to show Nex he was a great alpha, regardless of his fear. It wasn’t until we had graduated that he really came into himself. My fashion-loving, self-pampering, nerdy alpha is someone so easy to love and we were all relieved when he started to realize it too.

Sighing, I step into Nexus’ path. His brown eyes flicker up to mine with a strained smile before refocusing on his phone screen. He’s only on his home screen which makes me wonder why he’s so nervous, but then I remember none of us have Omen’s phone number yet. This pacing must be him working up to going over to her room to speak with her.

“You’re psyching yourself out, baby,” I murmur softly. Rubbing my hands up and down his arms to help calm the tremors his anxiety is sending through his body. A purr rattles to life in my chest and he melts against me. His nose presses against my neck close to my scent glands so I hold him closer.

I may not understand his anxiety on a personal level, but I’ve helped him through enough breakdowns to know how to best support him. A large portion of his fear comes from the bullying he experienced throughout school. Constantly being picked on and talked down to makes having confidence in yourself difficult.

“I was going to ask if she wanted to explore the festival with us tonight. What if she says no?”

My fingers dig into his chin when I turn his face toward me. He doesn’t fight my grip, letting me see the worry and insecurity he’s been hiding beneath his usual sunshine. “She’d be a fool to not want to get to know you.” I press my lips to his in a rough, but mild, kiss. Silently letting him know he is worthy of the love we offer him.

“She’s supposed to be one of us, Neb. I feel it.” He murmurs against my lips. Like his feelings are some well-kept secret when he wears his heart on his sleeve.

“I know, baby. I feel it too.” Admitting the pull I feel to Omen aloud is probably a terrible idea. He will likely take my words as permission to start fully pursuing the omega, but I can’t bring myself to regret voicing them. I can tell he’s already getting attached.

I hope Omen feels the same as we do, otherwise it may break my vulnerable alpha mate.

“Come on, I’ll text Brady and see what room they’re in. Then we can go ask her together.” He nods, his shoulders relaxing. I grab my phone from the bedroom and send a message to our manager. He’s quick to respond, but his answer complicates our plan. “They didn’t stay in the hotel,” I announce to the rest of my mates. We spend so much time on our buses during a tour that nights where we get a hotel room seem like a blessing.

“Omen and Bea’s rooms on their bus are mini nests. I overheard Ridley mentioning something about them to Bea. It makes sense they would rather stay in their safe spaces than sleep in a clinically scent-free hotel,” Callisto mentions. He’s packing up his notebook and music sheets now, carefully putting them in the waterproof case he bought to protect them.

“Brady won’t be able to give us her number, but we can get Bea’s number from one of the guys in Orbital Somatic.” Nexus perks up at my suggestion, nodding rapidly and already heading for the door. I chuckle as I follow along behind him. He’s going to be a handful on this tour if he’s already so lovestruck.

Twenty minutes later we’re back in our room. Instead of sending Bea a text, I hit the call button and put it on speaker so my mates could listen in. “Bea Powell speaking.”

“Hey Bea, it’s Nebula, from Primordial Covenant.”

Shuffling sounds from the other end of the call before she loudly answers. “Oh, hello Nebula !” I frown wondering why she sounds like she’s shouting and why she put so much emphasis on my name.

“We realized this afternoon none of us thought to get Omen’s number, but Pack Michaels had yours since you are their manager. I hope it’s okay we called you to speak with her.”

“Sure, sure. It’s no trouble at all,” Bea replies. “You gonna ask my bestie on a date?”

“Uh–” I splutter, shocked by her blatant question. “We were going to ask her to go check out the festival with us, so kind of.”

Bea snorts out a laugh before wishing me good luck. I can hear her speaking with Omen in the background before the phone is passed.

“Nebula?” Her voice is so sweet. A little sleepy like she hasn’t been awake for very long.

“Hello, little omega. I apologize for using Bea’s contact information to reach you. None of us have your number. A situation we’d like to correct.” I can’t help the smile stretching across my face as I talk. Even through a simple phone call, the pull between us is undeniably strong.

“Yeah, of course. I’ll add your number to my phone and message you. Then you can share it with your mates.”

“Perfect. I was also wondering if you would join us at the festival this evening? We planned to go check out the other performers and the food stalls.”

She hesitates, the line silent for several minutes before I hear her sigh softly. “I would love to hang out with you guys, but I don’t know if I can handle the festival crowds two days in a row.”

“Because of what happened at the end of our show?” I question, remembering the shock on her face as she fled when Nexus had gotten smacked with a pair of underwear on stage.

“No!” Omen’s voice jumps several octaves. “Not because of that.”

“You seemed upset when you left, that’s why I asked.”

“Oh, she was,” Bea laughs in the background. Omen must have the phone on speaker too. “If Lex hadn’t been there to stop her, she would have–” Bea’s voice suddenly fades into the background.

“Please ignore her,” Omen asks. “She’s delusional and doesn’t know what she’s talking about.” I laugh at her description of her best friend, knowing she doesn’t actually mean the words. I can practically feel her embarrassment over the phone.

“Gorgeous, I’d love to hear the rest of what she was saying,” Nexus calls out. We all would, but I shake my head at him. He doesn’t pick up on the same cues we do in conversation so he doesn’t realize she’s flustered.

“Hello to you too, Nexus,” she jokes instead.

“Is it the crowd?” Callisto asks. “Are there too many people for you to enjoy the festival?”

“Yeah.” She blows out a breath. “I think I’ve mentioned this to Nexus, and it probably seems weird with my job, but I don’t handle large crowds well. Not when I’m in the center of them and have attention directed my way.”

“No big crowds. Got it. How about a game night at our hotel instead?” Nexus isn’t fazed by her rejection of his initial plan, which would be surprising if her reasoning wasn’t anxiety-related.

“Sounds perfect,” Omen agrees. “We were going to grab dinner at a taqueria Bea found on one of the foodie blogs, you guys could meet us there if you don’t already have dinner plans?”

“You’re speaking my language now, gorgeous!” Nexus beams. “Send us the address and a time and we’ll be there!”

We talk for a few more minutes before she ends the call. Excitement fills all four of our bonds. Tonight we get Omen all to ourselves for a bit. Ideas swirl in my mind, plans forming for ways to make this the best night of her life.

Nexus interrupts my thoughts when he jumps to his feet and slips his shoes on. “Okay, everyone get a move on! We need snacks and supplies! We’re going to woo the fuck out of our omega tonight!”

I hope Omen is prepared for the chaos my mate is going to bring to her life.