Library

Chapter Thirty-Six

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

NOW PLAYING: AURORA Borealis- Bohnes

The moon is high in the sky when the front door finally creaks open. Callisto forced Nebula to bed almost an hour ago, though I doubt he’ll be asleep for more than a few hours before his stress-induced insomnia kicks back in. I chose to stay up. Waiting for Nexus to return from his trip to Boston.

When Bea had arrived at our place two days ago and revealed Omen’s secrets, we weren’t prepared to deal with the emotional backlash we would each feel in our bond. So it took some time for us to sort things out. Or it took me, Cal, and Nebula some time. Nex made his decision about our omega’s secrets rather quickly.

I’d felt his resignation in our bonds when he’d sent Nebula to the gym. It was easy to guess he was going after Omen. To help her through her heat. I supported his decision despite my own uncertainty. She didn’t deserve to be abandoned and left to suffer while we dealt with the emotional fallout of her secrecy. No one ever does.

“Come here, brat,” I whisper. Nexus jumps where he’s toeing off his shoes, almost knocking down the small table we keep there to hold our mail. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s alright. I’m just jumpy.” He makes his way over to where I sit, crawling into my lap and burying his nose against my neck. My hands rub up and down his back, basking in the feel of him in my arms.

Taking a deep inhale of his warm scent, I feel a pang of loss when I can’t catch any hint of Omen still on him. He must have showered before he came home. “Is she okay?” I keep my voice low. Not wanting our conversation to carry down the hall and wake our overprotective pack leader. Tonight my mate needs my comfort and someone to talk to about everything he’s gone through the past two days.

“I think so. Her heat broke and she was sleeping soundly when I left.”

“You didn’t bond her?”

Nexus’ head shakes against my collarbone. “No, but barely. She threw me into a rut within the first two hours I was there.” How they managed to walk away unbonded when they were both lost to their most primal instincts I’ll never know. I doubt I would have had the strength to hold back the way Nex did. “It was magical, Tee. Her beautiful body. The way she felt wrapped around my cock. Knotting her.”

I turn my face into his hair to muffle my laughter when I feel his already hard dick twitch against my stomach. “Aren’t you all sexed out?”

“I doubt I will ever be able to get enough of our girl.” His voice is dreamy as he talks. I want to believe it’s only because he’s exhausted after getting next to no sleep for the past twenty- four hours, but I can feel the hint of adoration slipping through the block on his bond. He’s still as smitten with Omen as he has been since the day we met her.

“You aren’t upset with her for lying to us?”

Nex twists his body so he’s sitting sideways across my lap instead of straddling me. There’s less strain on his neck when he looks at me this way. “Did she lie? Omitted some truths, sure. She could have told us she thought we were her Fate matched mates, and I wish she had, but it was her decision to wait. Something we all agreed to a year ago when she discovered her connection to us. Why is it different now than it was before we knew who she was?”

I guess I can see his point. We did promise Omen a year ago we would be here whenever she was ready. It’s a bit shitty of us to suddenly change our minds because she’s within arm’s reach. Though we were all getting pretty close so maybe she was ready? Does that even change anything?

“As for her hiding her identity… Omen being born a Montgomery is a heavy blow to Nebula. I empathize with him there. Finding out your Fated omega is related to the man who rejected your sister? That’s gonna fucking hurt. But Tee, Omen wasn’t pretending to be someone else to get close to us or to con us out of our money or anything stupid. She’s literally in a witness protection program. No one outside of her adopted family and the select few people at the DAU who are assigned to her case know she’s Sarah. Hell, Omen doesn’t even know our birth names either! So why are we expecting her to have shared a secret that could endanger her life?”

I know he’s right. Logically, everything he’s saying is the truth, but I can’t shake this overwhelming sense of betrayal. I’m starting to think the feeling isn’t actually coming from me. Maybe Nebula’s emotions are so overloaded they are bleeding through our bond into me.

“Okay, so how do we convince the other two?” I ask. Doubt fills me imagining trying to talk to Neb about Omen right now. He’s still too raw from the things he learned. He won’t be willing to listen to either one of us yet.

“Our songbird is probably already realizing all of this himself. He just isn’t sharing his thoughts because he doesn’t want to rock the boat. Right now his focus is on keeping Nebula together. When the time is right, he’ll help us convince our other mate we’ve made a mistake. Then we can grovel like our lives depend on it and win our girl back!”

Pressing a kiss to the top of Nexus’ head, I slowly blow out a long breath. Everything isn’t going to be as easy as he makes it seem. There will be road bumps. Arguments that will threaten to tear us apart. In the end, it will be up to Omen to accept our apologies. And there’s a very real chance she won’t.

“We need to give Nebula a few days before we try to talk to them. Let him cool off and get his head on straight first. I don’t want to lie, but it will be better if they continue to believe you were processing things alone for the past two days. Think we can manage?”

Nexus pales a little hearing my plan. I know it’s shit. We should tell them the truth tomorrow, but Nebula isn’t in the right state of mind to listen without making drastic decisions. I won’t risk him unintentionally hurting Nexus while his anger is still lashing out.

“We’ve got this, baby,” I murmur before pressing my lips to his. I keep my kiss soft and sweet. Affectionate. A reminder of how much my bratty alpha is loved.

Today is our last free day before we have to start our long journey to the West Coast. It’s also my Aunt Abby’s birthday. So I’m driving down for a surprise visit.

Pulling into her driveway, all of my worries seem to fade away. The huge, modern house sits on a nice stretch of wooded land overlooking the Delaware River. With so many floor-to-ceiling windows, even the interior of their house holds the same scenic feel. I love coming here. Relaxing in the serene setting and getting to spend time with my aunt and her pack.

“If it isn’t my favorite nephew! Come on in,” Abby calls from the doorway. Her short bob cut hangs in loose waves around her ears. The color so similar to my own. Hair is the only thing we have in common though. Abby is much shorter than me at 5’5. She also has bright eyes that are more red than brown. Something my parents used to demonize her when they discovered she was an alpha.

“Mornin’ Aunt Abby, how is everyone?”

“We’re all good! Canyon just returned from a ten-day conference in Germany, so it’s been a lazy few days while Kipp recovers from their separation.”

Canyon is one of the two male alphas in her pack. He inherited his parents' shipping company and has been slowly expanding its international reach over the past ten years. I still don’t understand how he manages to fly across the world and leave his mated omega behind.

“Everyone will be excited to see you and hear all about your tour! They were out back getting ready to start lunch. Let’s go surprise them!”

When I’d first been able to get back in touch with Abby after leaving my parent’s house, she’d told me about how she met each of their mates. Their omega Kipp and their beta Juniper were renting a small apartment around the corner from the restaurant my aunt started working in. They ran into each other late one night when Abby was heading home from a shift. As soon as they saw each other glowing tattoos appeared above their hearts marking them as Fate matched mates.

They didn’t meet their other alphas–Canyon and Bowie–until two years later when Canyon’s company booked out the restaurant for a business dinner. Abby was one of the chefs and their Fated markings appeared when she went into the dining area to help serve their final dishes.

Growing together was a journey for her pack. Abby’s wounds from the way our family treated her were still fresh and she struggled to believe they would really accept her into their lives. She feared they too would one day turn on her and walk away. With patience, open conversation, and a lot of reassurance, those fears slowly faded and she found her place in this pack.

They’re the foundation for the life she always should have been able to live. One filled with acceptance, love, and laughter.

Stepping out onto their back patio, all four of her mates grin when they see me. Their rectangle swimming pool shimmers beneath the mid-morning sun. Bowie leans against the ledge, waving before he continues swimming. If it warms up later maybe I’ll jump in. See if I can finally manage to beat the older alpha in a race. Not once in the eight years I’ve known him have I ever won. I’ve also never stopped trying. One day my persistence will pay off. Hopefully.

“Is life on tour everything you guys dreamed it would be?” Kipp asks. He’s spread across Canyon’s lap on a large lounge chair by the pool. His white-blonde hair is messy from where his alpha is running his hand through the short strands.

Envy strikes deep within my chest seeing the casual affection and hearing the soft purr rumbling from Kipp’s chest. Guilt quickly follows when I remember the way we left Omen to fend for herself after learning who she is. Nexus may have sneaked away to help her, but I didn’t. The thought of my omega struggling guts me, but I’m still torn apart by her secrets. Which is part of the reason I drove down here. If anyone can help me understand things from my firefly’s point of view it will be my aunt.

“For the most part, it’s been like we expected. Chaotic, tiring, and fun as hell.”

“Have the protests outside of your shows been bothering you?” Juniper asks from her seat across from Kipp. Juny is tall with bright red hair and freckles all across her nose and cheeks. She’s very sweet and silly, often getting into trouble pulling pranks with Kipp while their other mates are away.

“We knew they would happen, but not to the extent they have. Having the Senator from New Hampshire decide to do a campaign tour at the same time threw a few wrenches into our plans. The label’s security teams handled it though. Worst we had to face was some shit being thrown at our cars, and that happened in Nashville so it wasn’t a surprise.”

“I was shocked they managed to sell out the amphitheater there with how anti-pack the whole area is,” Canyon adds. He’s watching Abby at their outdoor grill, probably thinking about how she was treated before she left our hometown.

“Yeah. We tried to get them to change it to somewhere else but they were pretty adamant we do a show there. The crowd was nice and it did sell out quickly, so I guess they were right in the long run. I just hope no one who attended had to deal with any bullshit because of us.” I slide my hands into the pockets of my jeans and shrug. Everyone knew there would be backlash for attending a pro-pack concert in deep anti-pack territory. It won’t do me any good to hold the weight of the consequences of strangers' decisions on my heart.

Canyon’s phone rings and he gets pulled into a conversation with one of his business partners so I wander over to where Abby is working. “Need a hand?” She smiles when I ask and quickly sets me to chopping some vegetables for a salad. Getting lost in the work I let silence stretch between us for several minutes.

“We met our omega.” I finally blurt the words out. Abby’s hands stutter where she’s butterflying chicken. Those brilliant eyes turn to me in shock.

“Wild Man, that’s great!” Her lips turn into a frown when I offer her a dejected smile. “This isn’t good news?”

“Should be.” I slide the lettuce from the cutting board into a bowl and grab some radishes to work on next. “It’s a fucking mess is what it is. She was the photographer on our tour. Omen–that’s her name. We met her at the label’s office a week before we started and every one of us felt an undeniable pull. Spent the first few weeks of the tour getting to know each other. It wasn’t easy since she’s very closed off, but by the time we were ready to play our show in New York, we were all in. Her too.”

“What happened?” Abby’s focused on her task but she glances over toward me when she speaks.

“Hell, that’s what happened. Turns out Omen isn’t actually who she said she was. Or maybe she is, but didn’t use to be.” I keep my voice low not wanting it to carry and risk someone else overhearing. If my aunt chooses to tell her mates, that’s fine, but I don’t want Canyon’s call to pick up on any of Omen’s history. “She’s in the DAU’s protection program.”

“Fuck,” Abby swears. “Well, there’s your reason why she was so skittish with you guys. The people who go into their program come from awful places.”

“Yeah.” I blow out a breath and add the radishes before setting my knife aside. Facing my aunt, I tell her the story of us finding out Omen’s birth name and her connection to Nebula’s sister. Abby’s eyes fill with tears as she listens before her expression drops and her face turns blank. “I don’t understand why she hid so much from us. And I don’t know what to do to get Nebula to understand Omen’s not at fault for her family’s mistakes.”

Abby is quiet as she finishes getting her chicken into a marinade and in the fridge to chill until closer to lunch. I gather the dirty dishes and drop them in the sink, letting the hot water and repetitive washing get my emotions back under control.

When everything is cleaned up and put away she leads me to a white wooden swing hanging in their garden. She pats the seat beside her and lets me gently sway us back and forth. Looking out over their lawn I can see the river shimmering in the distance with the city of Trenton looming in the background.

“What you and your pack are going through is rough. For Nebula especially. He’s still grieving the loss of his family, so learning his Fated omega is related to the man who rejected his sister has to be difficult. I can’t claim I understand how he feels because I don’t. My brothers and I were never as close as he and Elizabeth were. I empathize with his loss and the shock he must be feeling.” She pauses, collecting her thoughts as we swing.

“Your omega on the other hand… Keeping so many secrets must have weighed on her heavily. When I presented as an alpha, I was mortified. You know the awful things we grow up hearing about them. So I hid my designation not only to protect myself from our family but also because I couldn’t come to terms with being a female alpha. It took over a year after I left Tennessee for me to start to be okay with who I am. Maybe your Omen is the same. If she’s related to the Montgomerys, she likely grew up hearing even worse things about alphas, omegas, and packs. Maybe learning she had a pack of Fate matched mates scared her.”

She shakes her head. Taking a deep breath before continuing. “It would have broken me to try to pretend Kipp and Juny weren’t mine after we met, so I can’t imagine trying to hide our connection. Not that the type of connection we share can be hidden anyways.”

“I guess that’s where I’m confused. She hid our connection but our relationship was still building. We were damn near inseparable, and every single one of us had intimate moments with her. If she was willing to let things between us grow, why couldn’t she tell us we were Fate matched mates? Why put in the effort and start to fall in love without revealing the truth?”

Anger seeps into my tone as I think about it. Was she just leading us on the entire time? That’s the question rattling around in my mind over and over since we found out.

“Try to put yourself in her shoes. You know what it felt like when you met the guys. How strong the pull was and how comfortable they made you feel.” She shifts on her side of the swing, sitting on one of her legs so she can turn to look at me.

“They felt like home,” I admit.

“Exactly. Now imagine knowing being close to you could’ve gotten them hurt. You’d want to stay away to protect them?” I nod, my stomach souring at the thought of endangering my pack. “Would you have been able to resist the pull, even knowing you were bringing danger to their doorsteps? Or would you have found ways around it?”

Blowing out a breath, I stare up at the sky. “You’re saying it’s likely Omen hid our connection in case she had to run? To keep us safe?”

I see Abby shrug out of the corner of my eye, a sad smile stretched across her lips. “I haven’t met her so I don’t know why she hid your connection. This is just a guess. It’s what I would’ve done if your grandparents were the violent type of anti-packers.”

We swing in silence for a few minutes before she says something that shakes me to the core. “You know she didn’t have a choice about hiding her identity from you, right? She’s in witness protection, Wild Man. Telling you about her birth family could put her safety at risk.”

Being so lost in the betrayal we felt, I never stopped to consider the implications of her telling us the truth. We never would have told anyone who she is, but all it takes is one slip of the tongue to blow her entire world apart. Then the Montgomerys could find her–something I refuse to even imagine.

“Did you ask her why she hid your connection?” Abby asks, a scrutinizing look in her red eyes. Her lips turn into a frown when I shake my head. “You reacted without talking to her. Titan, I love you and your mates to pieces, but you messed up. All four of you need to sit down and listen to what she has to say. If you don't, it's very likely you will lose your omega.”

“Shit,” I curse. “I know. But how do I convince Nebula? Tie him to a chair and gag him so he has no other choice? ‘Cause that’s the only option I see moving forward. He hates Omen and her entire family for what her brother did to Liz. He can’t breathe through his anger long enough to see reason.”

Abby pats my arm gently. “Honestly? Nebula has to decide for himself. If you try to force it, you’ll create a rift in your pack.” She lets her feet down, so I stop the swing so she can stand up. “That doesn’t mean you can’t listen. Nexus and Callisto too. Fate gave you skin writing as a connection for a reason. Use it.”

She walks back to the pool to rejoin her mates, leaving me sitting on the swing contemplating everything she told me. I don’t have any solid answers, but I do have an idea of what to do next. I need to talk to my omega and hear from her why she hid our connection.

Comments

0 Comments
Best Newest

Contents
Settings
  • T
  • T
  • T
  • T
Font

Welcome to FullEpub

Create or log into your account to access terrific novels and protect your data

Don’t Have an account?
Click above to create an account.

lf you continue, you are agreeing to the
Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy.