26. Vincent

26

VINCENT

I knew she was struggling. I fucking knew it, yet I gave her space. Who does that?! Yesterday I saw the bags under her eyes and was worried about how she was sleeping, yet I still dropped off her dinner and left.

I told myself I wouldn't pressure my little mate into hanging out with me or accept the food I've delivered every day for every meal. I promised her that even if she didn't want me, I would still be here for her in any way she wanted or needed.

I think I made a mistake. A really fucking big one.

Here I thought I was doing the right thing by allowing my omega to settle in and decide what she wanted to do with me. Every day she has thanked me and closed the door, shutting me out of her home.

I thought giving her the space to make her own decisions was the right fucking thing! Goddammit!

The muffin is left on the porch and her iced latte gets set on the entryway table as I push my way into her home. With both hands free and a newfound determination to make everything better, I frame her slightly hollow cheeks in my palms.

Thankfully, Amaya doesn't push me away, even as my exceptional height towers over her and makes her neck crank back. I'm studying her pleading gaze when her plush bottom lip wobbles.

My heart cracks in sadness and my alpha's rage slams against my rib cage. I did this. I left her alone.

"Amaya, what's wrong?" Besides the fact that your fourth mate is also a failure, I add in my head . I try to be sweet and comforting, but I'm on the verge of growling at her to give me answers and solutions.

Actually, fuck! That's the mistake I already made.

We alphas and betas learned a lot about omegas and the care they commonly need at the rehabilitation center. I can't believe I forgot my training . Omegas are known to need an alpha to take the lead for them when they are struggling. To make the hard decisions and sometimes the little ones.

Amaya is different. She's been struggling for years , and I just left her to drown under the pressure of making choices. Fucking hell . She has spent years being told what to do and how to do it, how to feel and behave. How did I not think of this before?!

"Amaya," I snap, swallowing the urge to bark and force the truth from her.

"I—" She trembles. "I don't know."

I narrow my gaze and bend down until our noses are just about to touch. "Omega. Tell me," I rumble, hoping to reach her other half since the woman standing in front of me can't answer.

A whine tumbles from my mate’s lips as her eyes slam shut. I'm scooping Amaya and her sheet into my arms before kicking the front door shut in one desperate move. A choked sob is muffled in my neck, making my feet rush us forward to the couch.

My ass hits the corner of the couch and I'm immediately tucking her thin sheet around her better, then pull her body as close as possible. As my fussing comes to an end, my eyes land on the coffee table where it looks like she's been storing the food I've given her. Storing, not eating.

Instead of asking about it right now, I work my fingers through her hair and tug the thick locks out of their messy bun. Those things can cause headaches if left in for too long. At least that's what they told us in our classes at the center.

My patience runs out fast, especially when I start rubbing her back only to feel her fucking ribs. "Omega, I'm gonna need you to talk to me now before I lose my shit."

She huffs and shifts on my lap but doesn't pick up her head. "I d-don't know what's wrong," Amaya murmurs.

I think through what the academy taught her and made the omegas do. It revolved around separating their omega sides from their person, and while I can't imagine what that's like, I'm pretty sure that's the issue right now.

"Okay, little mate," I soothe and rest my cheek on her head. "Your omega knows, doesn't she?"

Amaya's silent except for her sniffles for a few minutes, but I wait her out. I truly don't know what she's grappling with to get both halves of her being to work together, so I will trust she's doing her best to figure out how to help both of us.

A little puffed whimper sounds close to my ear, then she's nudging her nose further into my neck and rooting around for my scent gland. The spot where my scent is most potent. Her omega .

"Little mate," I coo, hoping to coax the instinctual side to me.

I smile into her lavender scented hair when she gives me a little contented sigh and wiggles happily. "Mate," she breathes.

I hum, allowing my purr to rise naturally from my breastbone. The vibrations settle her further; only now she's wiggling her little ass on my rapidly growing erection. Not wanting to get distracted, I shift her to the side a little.

"What's wrong, Omega?" I ask again.

Silence. Again .

"I'm tired, Vincent."

My purr stutters, then cranks up a notch.

"I don't know what to do with myself. The house is too big. I don't know what I need or want. I'm never hungry, but I can feel my stomach eating itself. I haven't explored enough to find a nest spot, but I wouldn't even know what to do once I found a suitable space."

She pulls back from my neck and looks down at her lap. Her small fists grip her sheet and start subtly tucking it around us.

"I think you might be surprised if you allow those instincts to guide you," I say, studying her behavior and allowing my own instincts to show me the path forward.

Amaya pauses what she's doing but doesn't say anything, nor does she look at me. That's okay, everyone processes differently.

Trailing my fingers down her arm, I softly ask, "What has your omega been needing these past few days?"

She stiffens but relaxes in the next moment, seemingly accepting whatever conclusion she just came to.

"You," my mate whispers and pierces me with her golden gaze. A tear glistens in her eye, but her bottom lip stays firm. "I need you, Vince, but what does that say about me? I don't know what to do, even the most basic tasks feel daunting since moving here alone. But..."

"But what?"

"They spent so long trying to force us into the most submissive creatures."

Ah, I understand. "Needing help from your alpha in a time of need does not make you what they tried to create, Amaya. It shows your strength." At that she frowns, but I smile and continue. "You're being vulnerable and after so long being vulnerable in the worst way possible shows your growth and your trust in me."

Amaya's head cocks even as her eyes droop. She's fighting sleep and maybe fighting my words a little bit too.

"I'm here and I'm not going anywhere, my strong little mate. You rest, then we'll tackle the world later, okay?"

A small smile brightens her dainty features right before she curls into my throat again. It's not long before Amaya's soft breaths tickle my neck, and I thank fuck she's finally getting some sleep.

Even in sleep, I'm not leaving her. Never again.

"So you're like the black sheep of the family," Amaya ponders, licking her lips.

I've been regretting the ice cream sandwich I offered her since she spread those pretty lips to eat it. Especially when her damn tongue licked the center filled with vanilla ice cream.

I clear my throat, for probably the seventh time in the past five minutes. "Yeah, I guess you could say that." I shrug at her description of my place in my family.

Amaya woke up forty-five-minutes ago seemingly rejuvenated and ready for a snack. I have a theory that a large part of why she's been struggling is my poor little mate is touch starved. Sleeping on my lap for the past two hours this morning has done wonders for her attitude and complexion.

There is still a ways to go when it comes to her relationship with food, but I'm happy she ate her muffin and demolished her chocolate treat. My protests about her eating food left on the porch all morning died when her eyes rolled back into her head when she sniffed the blueberry muffin. As long as Amaya is eating something, I'm happy. We will work up to balanced meals.

"If I didn't know from experience, I would say everyone is better off without their parents," she grumbles and gets up to wash her hands.

"What experiences?" I ask, following my mate like a puppy. I love seeing her more lively with no tears in her eyes.

When she asked about me and my family after swallowing the last bite of her muffin, I couldn't tell her no. The sparkle in Amaya's eyes was back once again, and her genuine curiosity about where I come from loosened my lips.

I hate talking about my family. Those pricks don't deserve my breath, but what my girl wants, she gets, and if what she wants is my story, then she can absolutely have it. Even if my molars are getting a beating from how hard I'm trying to keep my resentment from tainting our time together.

Amaya stiffens just a little. I wonder if she hadn't meant to say that . "The guys—" I growl at her words, but she just chuckles. "Their parents were the best . My memories of them remind me not all parents will sell their children or disown them at the drop of a hat."

I really want to point out that those people didn't raise upstanding fucking kids, but I don't I won't ruin her views on the only adults she had in her corner.

"So how did you end up at the academy?" Amaya asks, leaning her hip on the counter while drying her hands.

Without the sheet wrapped around her, I have a full view of her black leggings and my sweatshirt. My low growl turns into a rumbling purr at seeing her in my clothes. Once she crawled off my lap, she got cold, so of course I gave my mate the sweatshirt off my back.

I hum, stepping into Amaya's space. Watching her face for cues, I wrap my arm round her waist and pull her flush against me. "Same reason I didn't fight going to rehab; it was the perfect opportunity to get away from them. I didn't want to be controlled or forced to be something I wasn't anymore." I snort at that, and she frowns.

"But—"

"Super unfortunate, right? Escape my rich, shitty parents, only to fall into a controlling, rich school that was basically a cult."

Her gaze turns soft, then thunderous, making my dick perk up against her hip. My mate doesn't react to my hard-on, so I leave it, curious what she's thinking.

"Have you spoken to your family since everything happened?"

I nod. Amaya's soothing scent keeps me calm, even if it's a little bitter. "Yup. Talked to them at the rehabilitation center. They still disapproved, and I still found their stuffy, dickless ways to be a little too shitty for my taste."

Her shocked burst of laughter startles both me and Amaya, but I'm soon smirking even as her face twists to look horrified. "Oh my god. I'm sorry," she apologizes. "That's not funny. It was just the way you said it."

Taking a chance, I kiss her nose. "I know, little mate. Laugh all you want, it's my favorite sound."

Pink blooms on her cheeks to match her lips and I'm a fucking goner. I've barely even thought about leaning in and taking her mouth with mine when her stomach growls angrily.

"Okay, I hear you," I joke and kiss her nose again. "I'll be back with enchiladas. How does that sound?"

"Amazing," she breathes, eyes wide with excitement. "Maybe we can watch a movie?"

Amaya's hopeful shyness warms my heart and tries to brand my arm around her, but with great effort because I need to feed my mate, I let her go.

"Amazing," I repeat with a wink, and step away.

Her wide smile drives away the anxiety in her eyes; nonverbally telling me I'm doing all the right things today.

I'll strive to do that for the rest of my life.

And it starts with enchiladas.