Page 51 of This Fate That Guides Us
“T-thanks,” I rasp. Suddenly parched.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt. Or to eavesdrop.” She offers me a soft, but sad smile before she turns to look out over the small hill we are camped on. The light night breeze sways the lavender tips of her hair gently where it falls loose down her back. Her arms wrap around herself almost as if she’s trying to hold herself together.
I glance back toward her bus, surprised not to find Lex nearby. He’s been her shadow since we left for the tour. Always watching her back.
“I’ll get a lecture for it later,” she whispers, glancing at me over her shoulder with mischief in her eyes. Her playful look fades to something I can’t read as she turns away from me once more. I want her attention only on me. To be the focus of her beautiful, creative mind. “I needed a minute of peace.”
I don’t think she meant for me to hear the last part, so I don’t address it. “We’re in the middle of the woods late at night, I’m sure you are safe enough to enjoy the night air alone for a few minutes.” I know how overprotective alphas can be, so I know Lex won’t see things the way I do. Even Nebula and my other mates will be upset if they learn she is out here alone. It’s in theirbiology to instinctively care for an omega and that means not letting them wander alone in the dark.
“I’m always here to listen if you need to talk,” I offer. “Even if it’s to complain about my pack. I’ve mastered the art of unbiased ears.”
Omen continues to stare out into the night. In her silence, nature is our only companion. The soft crackle of my fire, the occasional hoot of an owl, and the quiet rustling of small nocturnal animals. It would be peaceful if I wasn’t so worried about her.
“I forgot how profoundly words can cut. The wrong words spoken at the right time can devastate every thought you’ve had until that moment.” Her words are soft, barely a whisper but they strike my heart like a physical blow. Titan never told me exactly what he said, but it’s clear he hurt her much deeper than I’d imagined.
Blowing out a breath she turns to face my fire. Her icy blues meet my dual tones over the dancing flames. “I think it would be best for all of us if we continue the rest of the tour as coworkers. Friends maybe. Nothing more.”
“If something happened–”
“I’m not good for your pack.” She cuts me off with a sharp shake of her head.
I may only be a beta, but I’ve always had a higher level of empathic instincts than most of my peers. A trait that alerts me to Omen’s need for comfort. A distraction. Something to pull her away from the thoughts eating her alive inside.
Setting my guitar back in its case, I open the music app on my phone and scroll to one of my favorites. A softer song than what my band plays. A blues-influenced pop song. Turning up the volume, I leave it sit on my chair, and cross to where Omen stands.
She peeks at me as I approach, her brow furrowed. I don’t fight my instincts and reach out to soothe the lines from her skin. With a half smile, I offer her the same hand. “Dance with me? For tonight we can forget it all. Let’s exist in a world of our own creation for a bit longer.”
She hesitates, long enough for the first line of the chorus to hit, then slips her slender fingers in mine. I entwine my fingers with hers and slip my other arm around her waist. Twisting her to fully face me while also pulling her closer. Close enough she can feel the heat of my body, but not enough to touch me.
I sway us to the music. Letting one song roll into two with no intention of stopping. Slowly she relaxes. Her limbs become pliant as she leans against me. One cheek rests on my shoulder, her breath warm against my neck.
“Your eyes are so unique,” she whispers, staring up at me with those icy blues. “Not just the two different colors, but this little piece of green here,” She points to my left eye. “It looks like the other eye bled into this one. Like the roots of a plant growing in nutrient-rich soil.”
“No one has ever described my eyes with such eloquence,” I murmur. A soft smile stretches across my lips and I hold her a little tighter. “You’d make a wonderful poet.”
Omen giggles, the darkness in her expression fading a little more with each second she spends in my arms. “I doubt anyone would want to hear a poem made up of only one line.”
“I’d listen to your one-liners.”
She smiles. A beautiful and fragile curve of her lips. Her head rests against my shoulder again as we dance beneath the stars.
The song I’ve been working on comes back to me, the meaning behind the lyrics resonating with new depth as I hold our bright star in my arms. I hum the tune against the top of her hair hoping the song's meaning will somehow soak into her soul to remind her we will always be here.
Nexus saw from the very first time we met her how deeply this woman would ingrain herself into our hearts. The rest of us are just playing catch-up.
The music somehow switches to an eclectic European band Nex loves and we both freeze. Omen leans back to look at me. Her curiosity easily read in her eyes.
“Uh–” I don’t even get a full explanation out as the song drops into its chorus about boobs and ass. Omen bursts out laughing, and I can’t hold back from joining her. She wipes tears from her eyes, small giggles still slipping from her parted lips.
The sweet sound fades as she realizes she’s still leaning against me. Our hearts racing in perfect sync. My eyes flick down to her lips, the question on the tip of my tongue when she saves me from asking. Our kiss is soft. Barely a brush of her lips against mine at first, but she lets out a low groan before she deepens it. Hunger pours from every swipe of her tongue against my skin. Her floral perfume leaks into the air around us and I grip her tighter, helping when she tries to grind herself against me.
An RV door slams open, shattering the bubble we built around ourselves. The sound of Lex swearing stops us both. Omen squeezes her eyes closed. Her forehead rests against mine as we both try to catch our breath.
“You’d better go let him know you’re safe, starlight,” I finally say. She studies me for a few seconds longer before nodding and stepping back.
As she walks away, her fingers pressed to her kiss-swollen lips, I make a promise to myself to change her mind. This connection growing between us isn’t something we’ll ever be able to walk away from.
A thread of Fate guided this breathtaking omega to us, now it’s up to us to find a way to convince her to stay.
