Page 43 of One Way Out

The only thing I can process from the bond is misery, and it’s so heavy that I find it difficult to breathe.

I can’t stand much more of this, when watching her cry rips at a part of myself that I didn’t know even existed anymore.

I got very good at shutting off my own emotions when my mother abandoned me with my father. Her last words to me were,You’re his problem now. Don’t contact me again.

Knowing my own mother never wanted anything to do with me was an excellent wake-up call to what the world is truly like. Even way back then, I simply cut off all those feelings and buried them deep.

Needless to say, I’m excellent at compartmentalizing.

Being overrun by Saylor’s heartbreak is intense, and I can only imagine how heavily Valor is getting hit with her thoughts and feelings, since their connection is probably stronger than ours.

V watches with a helpless look on his face, and it’s clear it’s up to me to get us through this.

“Pick her up. She’s going to make herself sick,” I tell him, striding over and grabbing the blanket from earlier that’s still thrown over the back of the couch.

The pillows and blankets Leo and Shaw used last night are piled up in my loft. Tossing the blanket in, I use the ladder to get myself up onto the mattress. It doesn’t take long to sniff-test which items smell strongly of the two alphas.

By the time I get everything arranged and turn to the room, Valor cradles Saylor in his arms as she shakes. Her face is buried in his chest, and the sounds prove she’s still sobbing.

Knee-walking to the edge, I stretch out my arms, and Valor hands her over, even as she tries to turn back into his grasp.

It doesn’t feel great.

But I also know she doesn’t mean it.

It’s easier for her to be angry with me than it is for her to process the truth. They were going to take Leo and Shaw no matter what, and they certainly wouldn’t have let either of them close enough to bite her.

“I’m coming up,” he says, frowning. “Just let Omen help you get settled.”

Saylor whimpers, burying her face in my shoulder. “I’m still really mad at you.”

“I know.” I nod against the side of her head and turn us toward the inside of the loft. “Luckily, I can take it.”

It requires a little effort to get her in the middle while I lie closest to the wall, but she doesn’t turn away from me.

Fat tears leak from her eyes as her chest rattles with each exhale. “I understand you were trying to keep all of us safe. I’m just…” Her words trail off as I scoot my front flat against hers. “I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize,” I murmur, kissing her forehead. “I get it.”

The mattress bounces with Valor’s weight as he climbs into the loft, settling behind the inconsolable omega.

“It’s all right. Everything will work out in the end.” He pulls up the blankets, covering the three of us before stretching an arm around her. His hand comes to rest on my back as his eyes meet mine.

He looks as terrified as I feel, but I’m unsure how much of that is spillover from Saylor’s emotions.

Being distracted is a luxury we can’t afford—but I’m struggling. We’ve never had anything this important to protect. Everything seems daunting with Saylor in the mix. Not to mention the havoc her misery is wreaking in the bond.

I do my best to offer her comfort, but I know we have to make a plan and follow those steps without letting emotions come into play.

“Shh,” I murmur. “Everything is going to be fine. You know the number to reach Leo and Shaw’s boss?”

Saylor nods, sniffling. “I know the kidnapping number. It’s monitored all the time for ransom demands.”

“Perfect,” I say, brushing my lips over her temple. She’s still hotter than normal. We’ll have to monitor that, but for now, the goal is to calm her down emotionally. “As soon as we handle Amato, you can make the call. They’ll help us coordinate getting Leo and Shaw out of here.”

“We’re not going to forget about them,” Valor says, and his chest rattles with his purr.

There aren’t many times in life that I’ve wished to be an alpha. Truthfully, it seems like a right pain in the arse. Between needing to bond an omega or risk going feral to having to worry about being lost to the fog any time a compatible omega gets too close… I’m content with my designation.

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