Page 24 of Celestial Alphas

“I did what I thought was best at fifteen. I did what I thought would save you in the long run, because I didn’t want you getting hurt and I needed you alive.” I look down at the sheets. “And the first thing you did was give me up to your father. You must know what he’s like, and you still left me. At least Finnegan did something, and I never said I forgave him. Pretty smiles and one orgasm are not enough to make me become his mate.”

I mean, my Nexus was sold on the orgasm because Finn is her favourite, but I’m ignoring her. She is shit at making decisions and thinks with our vagina.

Onyx gets up and comes over to me, standing straight. “It was meant to only be for one night, and we were seriously outgunned. I—look…no.” He clears his throat. “Weak boys make excuses, and I’m not sitting here making a ton of fucking excuses about what I did, because it was wrong. I fucked up and I will be forever sorry that I ever gave him an opportunity to hurt you. I believe in doing things the right way, the just way, and I believe that Starlight City has to be a stand for the Nexus, for our people. I want you to understand that, even with those beliefs, I’d choose you over the city. I’d choose you, and being here is me doing that. I have made that choice.”

“I don’t believe you,” I whisper back. “I believe that you want to please your father. I believe that…you just don’t know me, and I do not know you. I’m sorry I pulled you into my nightmare, but you can leave now.” My stomach rumbles and I’m surprised when he actually leaves. I don’t know why it hurts that he does. I rest my head back on the headboard and quietly listen to Finn’s bear snoring. Onyx comes back though, only ten minutes later, and pops a tray onto the bed in front of me.

“Stop giving me snacks like we are friends. We aren’t friends.” I glare at his handsome, freshly showered face as he hands me a plate full of all my favourite foods. Chocolate cake with extra frosting, toast with both strawberry and raspberry jam on top because that’s the only way jam toast should be eaten, and finally, a mixture of cheeses with crackers. It’s unhealthy and amazing, but I’m not accepting it from Onyx.

“I agree. We’re mates. Eat the food, you look hungry.” He dips his finger in the frosting and brings it to his mouth. I watch for far, far longer than I should as he licks it off, and I know my cheeks are burning when he smirks.

“Rejected,” I cough.

“Mine,” he growls right back before confidently walking away. He knows I’m going to eat the food. Asshole. He pauses by the door and looks back. “Alek’s going with you to the market.”

“Says who?” I arch an eyebrow. “I think it’s probably best I go alone. You don’t understand what it’ll be like there. None of you do and you’re all too…good for that place.”

“You don’t know us well enough, Gwen. Alek will be fine.” He leans on the doorframe. “For the record, I think we should all go with you, but you said only one. Why only one?”

I shrug a shoulder. “It’s just the rules of the market. You come in pairs. No more, no less. You don’t draw blood unless you wish to stay forever. You don’t fight. Everyone is at peace within the market, or you don’t leave the market at all and belong to thefair of the night.” I clear my throat. “I’ve seen people there who are trapped, chained to the very ground or to the folk. They must have broken the rules, and I don’t think risking any breaking of the rules is a good idea when we need their help. The folk are strange, ancient creatures, and my Nexus hides from them. That should tell you enough.”

He processes that. “Alright. Eat and get some sleep.”

“No,” I snap.

“Don’t argue about everything, Gwen.”

“Honestly, that makes me want to argue more. See, this is the part of getting to know me. You’ll soon learn that I will argue any and every point with you. Specifically you.”

He smirks at me once before slipping out of the room. Only when I’m sure he’s gone and he can’t hear me do I eat the food, happily enjoying all of it before lying back down, falling straight into a calm sleep. When I wake up, Finnegan is shaking my shoulder. “You need to go with Alek now. The rangers are checking every tower in Starlight for you, and this one is next. You’ve got a few minutes to get ready.”

“Where’s Onyx?” I yawn, pulling on the hoodie Finnegan offers me, which is massive and falls to my knees and smells like him. I like it.

Finnegan kisses my cheek softly before taking my hand and practically dragging me out of the room, to the corridor, where Alek is waiting. “Onyx is going to distract his father from looking for you and noticing Alek is missing. I’m going to make sure no one is following you out.”

“It’s weird to have people helping me,” I admit. “Even weirder that it’s you.”

Alek offers me his hand. “Where are we heading, Gwen?”

“To Edinburgh. The entrance to the market is near the city.” I take his hand, and my Nexus grumbles in my mind at leavingFinnegan and Onyx behind. I’m not sure who wants to see them both again more. My Nexus or me.

Chapter

Thirteen

“Are you sure this is the right place?” Aleksander asks me for the fifteenth time. Or second time. I mean, in all fairness to him, I did make him stop our car on a road in the absolute middle of nowhere and hike through a forest for an hour in the pitch dark. Whatever Onyx or Finnegan has done has meant no one stopped our car or even looked twice at us as Alek drove out of the city in a Land Rover, right through the open gates. It took us five hours to reach Edinburgh, where Alek took me shopping for some clothes, and we had lunch before leaving for the market.

“I promise it is. You can trust me. I’ll need you alive and I didn’t bring you into the big bad forest to murder you or anything,” I answer with a big smile. I’m happy to be back in my choice of black leggings and a black crop top under a very nice brown leather jacket the same colour as my hair.

He flashes his torch at me and shakes his head. “You said that in a really funny, not so jokey tone, which makes me think youarebringing me out here to murder me. You really need to work on your jokes, Gwen.”

“Okay, I’m seriously not here to murder you,” I repeat, but I can’t stop myself from laughing just a little. My laugh echoes around the trees.

“Again, I have no idea if you’re being serious.” He uncomfortably clears his throat. “Tell me something about you while we walk.”

I deflect like a pro. “I don’t know much about you, so how about you go first?” Before he can say no, I carry on. “I know that you don’t have any family, because you lost your uncle and aunt recently. So, what happened to your parents? If you don’t want to say, then tell me about anything to do with you.”

Aleksander crosses his big arms. “I had a mum, and she died when I was a toddler in a Vian attack. I don’t know much about her, and I don’t know anything about my father. My last remaining family that died recently, they were my mother’s sister and brother-in-law. They put me in a private school in Starlight City after my mother’s death, and I didn’t really see them often, but they would send me gifts and money to give me the best opportunities. They would have me over for Christmas.”

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