Page 71 of This Fate That Guides Us
I’m sure my eyebrows are nearly in my hairline as I contemplate this news. Of anything he could have told us I never expected a secret so revolutionary. Yet suddenly so many things make sense. Her discomfort in large crowds. The way she uses her hair as a shield when we’re around anti-designationprotestors. Even Lex and Ridley’s presence is understandable if Omen is under protective care within the DAU.
A thousand questions bounce around my mind about Omen’s past, but in the end, I know they don’t matter. Her safety is our only concern.
“She told you that?” Nebula’s voice is thick with suspicion, but his bond pulses with a jealousy-tinged hurt. He’s upset Omen didn’t confide in him. We all are, but as Nexus said, it’s her secret to share. She’s free to share it when she’s ready and we won’t be pressuring her to do so sooner.
“They brought up Bea’s mom so I took advantage of the direction the conversation was going to ask if they were sisters. Since they share the same surname but look nothing alike. I don’t know if Omen would have told me about her DAU connection if I hadn’t noticed her eyes. The icy blue? Colored contacts. Naturally, she has light green eyes. This mossy sea color with a silvery tone like moonlight is permanently shining down on her.” Nexus’ voice turns wistful as he gets lost picturing our omega.
“Do we have Lex’s number? I want to know what the threat level to her safety is. See if we can help.” Nebula is in the zone as he starts making a mental checklist of all the ways we can work with Lex to keep our girl safe. He’s adorable like this. So focused his brows bunch just the slightest and his lips unintentionally turn down into a frown. If I wasn’t sitting in the back seat I would kiss the stress away.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Tee adds. He’s been relatively quiet since we got into the car which isn’t unusual for my passive alpha. Even if he wasn’t driving, he would prefer to listen and process before commenting. “Omen only told Nex about her DAU status. Even if she believes he told all of us, we’ve never brought it up. If she’s already afraid her connection to our pack could endanger her or us, she won’t handle it well ifwe suddenly start trying to insert ourselves into a part of her life she’s kept us away from.”
Nebula starts to argue, his protective instincts in overdrive after hearing there may be a threat to our siren’s safety. “We’ll do what we can without speaking to Lex. We can be more vigilant while we’re out. Even at shows, we can have someone from our security team keeping an eye on her too. We won’t let anything happen on our watch.” Titan appeases Nebula’s instincts with a workable solution. One we’re all quick to agree with.
“We still haven’t solved the original issue,” I murmur when we pull into the parking lot for our apartment building. “What are we going to do about Omen pushing us away?”
It isn’t until an hour later when we’ve all showered and are getting ready for bed we decide what to do next. After our show tomorrow, we’re going to ask for Bea’s advice.
“Hey Bea, do you have a few minutes?” Nebula calls out when we see the female manager walk into the hall by the dressing rooms. Everyone on the crew is busy loading our equipment up for the night so now is our best chance to get Bea alone. Or as alone as she will ever be. Ridley hovers behind her, watching our surroundings vigilantly.
Bea purses her lips and glances at her phone screen before agreeing. “What did you need?”
“We wanted to ask you about our gorgeous girl–” Bea cuts Nexus off with a withering glare.
“You know I’d also like to ask the four of you about your relationship with Omen too. Whatever you did before we left Philly you need to fix.” Her tone speaks of her frustration and a little bit of anger I believe is directed at my pack. Understandably if she believes we’ve done something to upsether best friend. “If I have to listen to her crying her heart out another night longer I will lose my mind.”
“Did she say anything about how we upset her?” Nebula’s confusion is shared among us all. Aside from my alpha’s meltdown regarding the Pastor, I can’t find a single reason why she would be so distraught.
“She won’t talk with me about anything regarding the four of you,” Bea tells us bitterly. I’m shocked to hear Omen is keeping our relationship to herself. In the few weeks we’ve gotten to know the two omegas it’s been clear to see how close they are with each other. Their friendship is deep enough to make the assumption they are siblings easy to believe.
When we realize Bea won’t be able to help us, we let her get back to whatever tasks she has remaining for the evening. We’re tempted to find Omen and see if she will relent enough to tell us what we’ve done wrong, but we decide to let her be. What we need is a plan.
After the short traffic-filled drive back to Starburgh we still don’t have any ideas. Nebula tells us to take a break, find something else to focus on for a bit, and then come back to the board with a clear head.
I check in with each of my alphas to make sure the issues with Omen aren’t causing any of them to spiral before heading to the nook I use when I’m writing. It’s a small corner of our office. I keep different types of chairs nearby so I always have the physical space I need to focus without straining my body.
Tonight I’m still on edge from our show. My muscles a little sore and my body filled with a low buzz of adrenaline. I pull over a giant bean bag and stretch out on my stomach. Grabbing the small table in the corner, I slide it closer and lay a few blank music sheets and my notebook on its surface.
The muffled noise in our apartment fades away until I’m adrift in a frigid sea. A sensual, alluring song drifts over thewater. Beckoning me further into the icy waters. I can barely catch hints of the melody as I row my small boat closer. Soft notes with a seductive drum beat. The dulcet tone of our siren’s voice singing promises and praise.
In the distance, I can see a glimpse of sandy shores and a fairytale forest. Purple flowers dot the lowest branches of the trees. And sitting on the beach in the same black swimsuit I saw on her so many nights ago is my starlight. Fate’s compass guides me across rough waters until I can see her clearly.
The words flow from my pen to the paper and my notes fill the music sheets as quickly. When the real world filters back in and I’m shaking the cramps out of my hands and neck, I see what I’ve written. A solution so perfect I feel daft for not realizing it sooner.
Standing to stretch out my sore limbs, I gather the spread pages and carefully place them in waterproof pouches. I’m meticulous in caring for my creations. Obsessive in maintaining their condition until they are complete. A side effect of my drive for perfection. My songs are one of my two most prized possessions. The other is my guitar which sits in the corner waiting for me to test drive the song I’ve written. Taking the acoustic instrument in my hands, I let myself fall back into the paradise our omega’s soul has brought me.
My fingers move across the chords with practiced ease. My heart calls out with each note filling the air, calling for Fate to guide Omen into our arms.
As the last chord fades, my eyes pop open and I see Nebula leaning against the desk. Heat and approval fill his dark blue eyes. He closes the distance between us and presses a biting kiss to my lips. “That’s perfect, baby,” he whispers. “We’ll work on it this week and play it for her at our show in Boston next weekend. You have a way with words, Cal. Omen will finally understandwhat we’ve been trying to show her when she hears the song you wrote for her.”
I lean against him, letting him slide my guitar back into its stand. I hope he’s right. If he isn’t, I don’t know what we will do next. All I do know is we aren’t ever giving up on our girl.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
NOW PLAYING: NOTHINGEver After- ILLENIUM & Motionless in White
My blood is lava coursing through my veins. My stomach filled with riotous creatures trying to claw their way out of my body. A heat has never hurt like this before.
I push to my knees, biting back a wave of nausea when sharp pain stabs into my abdomen again. I just have to make it to the other side of my nest to get to my toys. I’m breathless by the time I manage to dump the sterile tote onto my blankets. Tears slip down my face dripping onto my sweat-soaked body.
