Page 45 of This Fate That Guides Us
Glancing at my phone, I bite my cheek, realizing my antsy attitude isn’t from the show alone. Today is my birthday. June 13th. A day I grew up spending out on the lake or riding through the woods with my dad and cousins. This isn’t the first year I’ve spent without them, and I don’t regret my decision to cut them off, but I can’t seem to stop myself from needing to do something adventurous to replace those happy, but tainted, memories.
The sun is still low in the sky as I head off of our bus. I make sure to let Nebula know where I am going so he and the others won’t worry when they wake up in a few hours.
Turning the corner, I’m surprised to see Omen sitting on a large rock a few feet from the front of her bus. Wearing a cropped white shirt and black overalls rolled halfway up her calf, the outfit leaves the tattoo on the back of her left calf partially exposed. The black line floral piece matches the style of the one on her sternum, with flowers and other woodsy pieces.
Making a last-minute decision, I close the short distance between us, careful not to startle her. “Good mornin’, darlin’.”
With a hand up to block the sun from her eyes, she turns to look up at me, a soft smile on her face. She hasn’t done her makeup for the day yet and she’s even more beautiful than usual.
“Feelin’ up for an adventure?” She does the cutest little head tilt as she waits for more information, but I don’t offer any more. She can wait to find out if she chooses to go with me.
“You aren’t going to share what the adventure is, are you?” She asks. I shrug, sticking my hands in the pockets of my jeans and leaning back on my heels.
Despite waking up with plans for a solo adventure, I find myself hoping she’ll say yes. The pull we feel to Omen is unlike anything any of us has ever felt. Even the initial connection between the four of us wasn’t nearly as strong as this. My instincts demand I wrap her in my arms and scent mark her so everyone around will know she is mine, but I hold myself back. She isn’t comfortable enough with us for that. Yet.
“Lex?” Omen calls quietly. The alpha steps from where he must have been sitting at their bus entrance, startling me with his sudden appearance. “Titan wants to take me on an adventure. Are you up for a few hours out?”
It’s sweet of her to ask her bodyguard for permission, but I also find it very annoying he might be going with us. I want to spend the day celebrating with Omen. Without her shadow.
Waving me over, Lex keeps his voice low as he asks me what I have planned. Sharing my idea, he frowns but nods. “I’m not a heights guy,” he murmurs, “but I will drive you. I’m trusting you to have her back today, Titan. Don’t make me regret it.”
Omen beams at us both when he tells her the plan, making sure not to mention anything to clue her into where we’re going.
A short drive later, we turn into the parking lot of the former quarry-turned-adventure park in the middle of Louisville. Omen eyes the dark tunnel entrance cautiously. Reaching back intothe car, I offer her my hand, wrapping her much smaller one in mine.
“I’d ask if you brought me here to murder me, but I doubt Lex would have agreed,” she jokes.
I can’t help but laugh as she steps a bit closer. “It’s actually an underground zipline.” She eyes the rough stone walls of the quarry curiously. I can sense her excitement which only adds to the jitters in my limbs.
We make it inside and I speak to the owner, Roger, who set us up for this early morning trip. Something I paid handsomely for. He goes over all of the rules and safety expectations, having us sign the required waivers before leading us to the staging area to put on our harnesses and hard hats.
I growl when he goes to help Omen into her harness, earning a laugh from the older alpha. His beta assistant, Amber, steps out to help make sure Omen is secure and I offer him a mumbled apology while he checks over my equipment. “No worries, kid. I understand the dynamics between alphas and omegas enough to know when to step back. It’s normal for you to not want some random alpha up close and personal with your omega.”
My alpha preens at the thought of Omen being mine, but I shrug the feeling off. Maybe one day, maybe never. Only time will tell what Omen will become for my pack.
“Ready, darlin’?”
“Yeah, I think I am.”
Omen’s excitement fills the air between us and I can’t help but grin down at her. “Let’s go on an adventure.”
Much to both of our disappointment, we undergo a twenty-minute safety course before we are taken to a short zipline to learn the basics. After they’re both confident in our understanding and comfort on the line, they lead us to the beginning of the tour.
Walking through the dark cavern, we follow the reddish-orange lights they use to mark the path to the first line. “This line is 664 feet long and seems to last forever,” our guide explains when we reach the first landing. Omen goes first, laughing in delight as she slides into the dark ahead of me. I follow behind her as quickly as Roger will let me.
The thrill of the air rushing past my face and the barely lit cavern was just what I needed. The presence of the sultry omega waiting at the other end of the line is the real gift though. We’ve hung out a bunch of times the past two weeks while we were touring. Playing games and watching movies. Talking about silly things. This is the first time I’ve ever had her to myself and I want to savor every second of it.
Omen’s smile never fades as we move along the course. She asks questions when our guides tell us about the history of the quarry and the geology behind the giant caverns we’re moving through, really getting into the entire experience. Contentment fills me knowing she’s enjoying this as much as I am.
“Woah!” Omen’s amazed exclamation filters back to where I’m waiting at the start of the next line. Sliding down the line, I feel the same awe echoed in her voice. Drifting through the dark you can see so much of the massive caverns highlighted in the distance. Stopping at the end, I’m struck by how expansive this entire cave system is. I doubt we’ve even covered half of it.
“Okay you two, up next is a challenge bridge. It’s built to test your balance. Just remember, even if the platforms sway, you are safely attached to the line at the top,” Roger explains as we step up to the next line. Small boards run along a rope bridge at our feet, set at different angles and distances apart.
Omen crosses first and I laugh as she stretches her legs to reach across the big gaps I close easily. She scowls playfully back, her lips twitching up at the edges when she struggles to maintain the grumpy look.
After crossing the rope bridge, we get to the best part of our adventure. “Double lines?” She questions thoughtfully before turning to Amber with a smirk spread across her plush lips. I’m jealous she’s looking at the beta, but the feeling fades when she turns to me a moment later. “Are we racing, alpha?” Her voice is practically a purr as she voices her challenge. Those icy blue eyes sparkle with mirth.
My chest puffs up with pride knowing I’m the one who chased away the darkness always seeming to haunt her. Even if it‘s only for a little while.
