Page 18 of This Fate That Guides Us
“Time for a break,” he says as he presses a water bottle into my hand. The cold against my skin shocks me enough to allow the world around me to filter back in. I grip the bottle with shaky hands and offer him a grateful smile and murmur of appreciation.
“Alphas,” Foster chuckles beside us, his blue eyes rolling playfully. “They can never just trust the process.”
I smother a smile, trying to ignore the joy I feel hearing they were worried about me. Chugging half the bottle I turn to see what the rest of the group is doing now that Titan has backed away. Nebula stands stoic with Shepherd as they both keep a careful eye on our group. Nexus has been pulled into a conversation with a nearby group and has Callisto wrapped beneath his arm.
A pang of longing for their closeness hits me.
I frown at myself, my eyes on the bottle as I pick at the label. I shouldn’t be feeling like this. I can’t even entertain the thought of growing close to these men.
They deserve better than to be tied to an omega who can’t even be honest with them about her identity. Whose presence could lead them to ruin if I were to be found by my birth family.
I won’t put them in danger by forming any sort of genuine connection with them. No matter how badly I long for their adoration to be shared with me.
Giving myself a shake, I force my thoughts away from the pull I feel toward these men. Every time I’m around them my mind is torn between the desire to belong to them and the sorrow of knowing they can never be mine. These thoughts are already getting repetitive and old, and their tour hasn’t even started yet.
I watch them all for several minutes before the sound of fighting and shouting reaches us. Glancing through the crowd I can see a brawl has started several yards away. Yet another reason why I stick to the outer edges of these events.
“Time to go,” Foster informs me when he steps back to my side. His aquamarine eyes study me with an intensity that makes me wish I could slip through the crowd and disappear. He’s always been able to read me too easily.
Whatever he sees in my expression has a soft smile stretching his own lips. “I’m starving. There’s this really cool diner a few blocks away we planned to grab dinner at. We should all go together.”
My brows furrow, ready to deny his offer, but my stomach rumbles loud enough to hear. I won’t get out of eating with them now. “I guess I could eat,” I grumble. I’d rather grab fast food on my way home and avoid more of these crowds.
“Perfect!” Foster links his arm through mine and drags me a few feet to where Shepherd watches the growing fight. “We’re ready to go but you need to feed us, Alpha,” he demands as soon as his mate’s attention turns to him.
“Making demands now are we, Omega?” Shepherd raises an eyebrow but his lips twitch slightly like he’s fighting a smile. I roll my eyes behind Foster’s shoulder. Like he would ever deny his omega anything he asks.
“You guys are coming too,” Foster tells Nebula. He doesn’t give the other pack an opportunity to say no. He simply grabs my camera bag and pulls me into the crowd in the direction I presume the diner he mentioned is. Shepherd quietly scolds his omega when he catches up with us a moment later.
I steal my camera bag while Foster is distracted and fall into step behind them. As soon as I’ve gotten everything repacked and the strap of my bag is slung over my shoulder, a heavy arm wraps around the top of my back.
Amber and oud cloud the air around me, reminding me of being wrapped in a soft blanket on a chilly fall evening. I swallow a moan at the warmth of his scent and the lack of space between our bodies.
I’m going to lose my mind having this much attention on me so often.
“Nex,” Callisto scolds his alpha gently. “You should ask before you invade her personal space.” He is walking on my right and I can sense the other two alphas following close behind us. Watching our backs in case the brawl we witnessed heads this way.
The slightly familiar sense of comfort that draws me to them also helps ease my anxiety from the number of people pressed around us as we work our way through the crowd.
Nexus’ face twists for a moment as he stares at Callisto. Pleading brown eyes turn to me. They’re as warm as his scentwith shades of mocha and almond in a starburst pattern around his pupil.
He reminds me of a golden retriever the way he silently begs. I can picture his tail wagging when I don’t ask him to move away.
“He’s fine,” I mutter to Callisto when I force my gaze away from Nexus. I imagine I look like a strawberry right now with the heat rushing up my neck and cheeks.
“So where are we going?” Nexus asks.
“Foster mentioned something about a diner,” I reply.
The alpha seems to perk up even further. His excitement is palpable and I can’t help but smile alongside him. “Yes! Food is definitely one of my love languages.” His pack laughs at his statement but you can tell by the look in their eyes he’s being serious.
“If you tell him your favorite snacks he’ll keep the bus stocked with them,” Callisto whispers. “He has a cabinet filled with everyone’s top picks.”
I giggle, glancing up at Nexus from beneath my lashes. His auburn hair has fallen down across his forehead giving him a boyish look that has my heart melting.
“Just give me a list, sweet girl,” Nexus grins. My heart thumps rapidly hearing the nickname fall from his lips.
Fighting the connection I feel to these men is going to take a herculean effort. I hope I have the strength to resist them.
