Page 33 of Omega Shattered
The next hour, I tossed and turned, focused on not making a sound. I didn't want to give them any sign of weakness. Not that River needed one. He was already fixated on all my weaknesses.
"Do you want to come out for dinner, Quinn?" Archer called from the doorway.
"No," I mumbled, panting from the pain and twisting of my guts.
"You can eat in there," he suggested.
"No." I couldn't even be polite. The pain ripping through me forced me to stick with short, one-word answers.
"You need to eat something," River alpha barked, lifting a flap of blanket and shoving a bowl under it.
The smell of onions and chicken filled my space. I retched, shoving the offending bowl of food violently. The soup splashed all across the hardwood floors and the bowl clattered against the opposite wall.
"Fuck! We don't have much food and you're throwing it away!" River shouted.
I was on my hands and knees, trying hard not to vomit when he tore the nest apart, throwing the stuff to the side. "We'retrying to keep you healthy until we can get you back to the ORC. The least you could do is try to eat."
"She's nauseous from the food. It happens sometimes, to some omegas, especially if they have infrequent heats," Orion said, suddenly appearing next to me. He reached for me and for once, I willingly threw myself into an alpha's arms, just wanting to get away from the horrible smells. "I'm taking her to my room. You can either follow or clean up the mess."
He moved upstairs and strode down the hall to his space, somewhere that smelled quite a bit better, though the bitter remnants of the soup lingered in his clothes.
Orion set me down in the bathtub and ran cool water into it. "Let's get you cooled down a bit. Not hypothermic, though, like you tried to do in the snow."
Dully, I watched him as he fussed around the bathroom. The man definitely seemed to understand omegas. I could see him being a good mate for someone who wanted one. Sadly, that could never be me.
The water rose around me and I hugged my knees to my chest, shivering as the water hit my overheated skin. I was red all over, the heat radiating from my skin. Though Orion claimed it was cool water, it felt like ice, but also like heaven. I didn't even know what my body was doing or feeling anymore. The pain had obliterated most of my thought processes. All I could do was blankly watch as Orion collected a giant towel and laid it out, then handed me a bar of soap.
Shivering, I half-heartedly passed the unscented soap over my skin until it slipped from my grasp and ended up in the tub.
"Let's wash your hair." He knelt beside the tub, grabbing a showerhead on a hose and tilted my head back with a strong hand under my chin. He wet my hair, running his fingers through the length and gently detangling it.
When he added a dollop of shampoo, I nearly cried. His thick fingers massaged my head, working the shampoo into my scalp and helping me relax.
"When Alejandra went into heat, she loved to have her hair washed and a massage. If you like, I can give you a full body massage after the shower."
I hummed in agreement. If his hands were this amazing on my head, they'd do wonders for the knots I had all through my back and neck. In the cold water, I was feeling almost normal again. His magic fingers scrubbed and then he rinsed the shampoo out before repeating the process.
"Tell me about her." I closed my eyes and tilted my head so he could reach over to the other side.
"Ah, she was the love of my life, myamorcita. She loved to sing and every morning we'd wake up to her singing in the kitchen while she made breakfast. Her favorite thing to make was huevos rancheros for breakfast and she liked to see how spicy she could get it without killing us."
I could hear the smile in his voice. His fingers slowed as his memories took over.
"I was usually the first person up and I'd go down and grab her around the waist, dance her around the kitchen. She was such a happy spirit, always cheering us up and encouraging us. I miss her every day."
"She sounds wonderful." I was starting to feel sleepy and relaxed.
Orion added conditioner to my hair and worked it in slowly. "She was. She's the reason I never want another omega. I couldn't stand to see anyone suffer the way she did. My heart couldn't handle it."
The cramps were still there, but the cool water and Orion's hands were making them fade a little bit. Just that personal touch seemed to soothe the crazy demoness that currentlyinhabited my body. Everything in me wanted to crawl into his arms and sink into his skin so we were one creature. That sounded ridiculous, even to my addled mind, but it was precisely what I needed.
Chapter 18
The Call
Iwas pacing the living room, kicking couch cushions out of the way, when the phone rang. "Shit."
"Who is it?" Archer looked up from his phone, brows drawn together.
