Page 38 of Petals and Strings
I had a feeling the guards outside were walking perimeters and ‘tightening’ security.
This had to be from someone who knew their routines, the weak points.
Fear hit me and I buried my nose in Ansel’s hair to avoid it. Even the char to his scent was a welcome distraction.
We sat like that for hours. Eventually my arms grew tired and his whines ebbed away, so I rested my arms around his back, holding him to me instead of squeezing. He was shorter than I was and thin, so he fit perfectly in my arms.
I hated to think of the trauma that had haunted my poor omega before he ended up here. Alphas could easily overpower him.
The harsh reality of being an omega in this world.
“I’ve got you,” I promised him. “You’re safe. Wherever your head is at, it’s wrong. You’re at ARC with me right now.”
“Say it again,” he whispered. His voice was so rough it sent a shudder through me. My eyes flickered to Ledger who looked ready to fall out of his chair in shock.
But I didn’t hesitate to give him what he needed.
“You are safe. I’m with you, Ansel. No one is going to touch you.”
Safe, a feeling that most people take for granted.
Not us. It was a fleeting feeling, one you grasp to with all your might but you knew deep down it could be yanked away from you without warning.
When Theo finally made it to our table his eyes immediately found Ansel and I clinging together. His lips curled up and I saw it then. The cold darkness under the surface of his hazel eyes. A barely contained sneer twisting his lips.
He hated us.
But why?
Did he hate all omegas? Or just the broken ones? Anyone ‘weaker’ than he was?
“What is this? No touching like this. Put him down,” he bit out, the harsh tone making Ansel whimper again. He frantically reached for my hands and put them back over his ears to block out Theo’s harsh tone.
“No,” I said. It wasn’t defiant, but it was stern. “We aren’t hurting anyone.”
My gaze, however, held every bit of judgment and determination that I felt coursing through me. Not just for him, but this entire fucking place.
Theo gaped at me before his lip curled. He moved forward like he was going to grab us, to yank Ansel from me.
Bracing myself for impact, I tightened my hold. I didn’t need to. One growl from Rydell when he got too close to us, had Theo’s hand falling away and his skin turning a bit green. He was scared of the alpha. A coward at heart.
“You know, one button click and you’d be out,” Theo hissed, his voice low and meant only for us. He was certainly bold when he knew he wasn’t going to be heard.
Asshole.
Rydell stood, his chair scraping across the floor before another growl echoed out. I hid my smile in Ansel’s hair, whispering reassurance.
“That’s just Rydell making sure no one touches us,” I promised. “That’s a protective growl, not an angry one. You’re still safe.”
“I’m sorry.” His words were followed by a cough. I grabbed the bottle of water from our tray and uncapped it, pulling back and gently guiding his head back. He was so compliant, a gentle tug had his head moving back, the bottle touching his lips had his mouth opening.
The look in his watery, dark blue-green eyes was enough to tear my chest open. So much fucking pain haunted them. A pain that echoed within me, wishing I could take it away from him.
“Drink.” It wasn’t a question, but an order. His lips parted immediately, eyes staying on mine as I held the bottle to his lips and tipped it, helping him drink.
He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing slowly with each swallow. With that small victory, it was time to attempt food. I stabbed a bite of steak before holding to his lips. He looked reluctant, until I raised a single eyebrow. He sighed, but let me feed him.
There was a power in this dynamic. We were both bruised and broken, at very different levels of our healing journeys, but he was handing me control I needed, while entrusting me to care for him, getting out of his head and letting his control slide to me.
