Page 3 of These Bonds that Unite Us
“Here,” I turn to look at my bodyguard and see bags filled with my blankets and clothes in his hands. “You’re taking the loft. It’s a little smaller and can function like a nest. It’s also not as easy to access as the bedroom.” I nod and accept the pile from his arms.
Climbing the ladder takes more effort than I will ever admit. Making it to the top is worth the trip. This small space is perfect. Dark wood ceilings cut at an angle to meet above the bed. There aren’t any windows, but there are giant curtains running along the front edge to darken the space even further.
The slightly musty smell I could do without. Maybe some air freshener will help. Glancing back down to the first floor, I quickly decide it is too much work to make the climb down and back up.
Lying in the freshly made and slightly better smelling bed, buried in fuzzy blankets, I stare at the ceiling. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this tired and been unable to sleep. I’m so drained of energy I doubt I could muster enough to climb downstairs and search for an old book or magazine to read.
The blankets become stifling so I strip down to my underwear. As I’m pulling my hoodie off I see words inked on the skin of my left arm. With the pandemonium of our escape, I never noticed the telltale signs of a message from one ofmy mates. They cover my entire arm all the way up past my elbow. The words increasingly frantic the longer I went without replying.
I glance around the small loft but don’t see a pen I can use. My chest feels tight imagining them worrying about me but they’ll have to suffer a bit longer. When I’m feeling a little more myself, I will venture downstairs and find something I can use to reply with.
CHAPTER TWO
Now Playing: Euclid- Sleep Token
Watching Bea collapse to her knees, a heartbreaking scream tearing from her lips, sends panic skittering across my body. When Nexus rushes after them, my concern grows.
I turn to look at Titan and Nebula where they stand several feet away, talking to some of the other bands. Their eyes are creased with worry as they track Nexus’ journey toward the elevator.
Shaking myself out of the shock Bea’s scream caused, I quickly close the distance between me and my alpha mate. I step to his side, Nebula and Titan on my heels, just as the elevator doors close on Bea’s tear-stained face.
My stomach sinks, a sense of foreboding makes me queasy. It’s the shattering panic in Nexus’ bond that grounds me.
“What’s going on, Nexus?” Nebula asks gruffly, but his question goes unanswered. As do mine and Titan’s.5
It’s only when Titan grabs Nexus’ arms, forcing him to turn to look at us, that he speaks. His brown eyes are trained onTitan’s hands where he’s still gripping his arms. “A pen, I need a pen.”
Brady produces one from his pocket and passes it over, worry lining his face as he watches Nexus scramble to write on his arm. A tense silence surrounds us, drowning out the whispers of the rest of the room, as we watch him send one frantic message after the other.
Minutes pass, and there is no response. No warm summery energy courses over our skin. No words appear on the remaining empty spaces on Nexus’ skin.
I feel the moment he gives in to his panic, his bond flooding with a sorrow so deep it lashes across my heart and steals the breath from my lungs. Tears slip down his cheeks, and he collapses. Titan barely manages to catch him, gently carrying them both to the hard floor. His sobs shake their bodies, making Titan hold him tighter. Trying to hold him together long enough to find out what happened.
I step to their side, my hands trembling as I slowly grab Nexus’ arm and extend it far enough for us to read the words he scribbled there. Each message sends pain lancing through me, their growing intensity adding to the sensation. He’s questioning whether Omen is alive, begging her to answer him.
“What…” I trail off, eyes flicking up to where sobs still rip from Nexus’ lips and realize we won’t be getting answers any time soon.
Nebula steps behind Nexus, his jaw tense and his eyes hard, but he doesn’t say anything. He slips his hands beneath Nexus’ arms and carefully lifts him into his arms. Titan pushes off the floor, his eyes glued to where our mate is curling in on himself.
We wait for the elevator to return, Nebula whispering with Brady behind us. He’s making plans for us to go home. Staying on the bus for the trip back to New York would be too muchfor our devastated mate. Maybe for all of us, given the pressure weighing on all of our shoulders tonight.
Halfway through our flight back to New York, Nexus finally finds enough coherency to tell us what happened back at the party. Hearing Omen’s safe house was compromised, and not knowing if she made it out okay, has put us all in a solemn mood. Even Nebula seems tenser than usual.
Rolling over, I barely manage to suppress a sigh when I spy Nexus sitting on a chair by the edge of the bed. He’s staring down at his phone screen, unblinking while he waits for news of Omen’s escape. So far we’ve heard nothing, not even a simple text confirming she’s still alive.
Ridley told Nex he would reach out when he learned anything, but who knows how long that will take. Or if he will follow through on his promise after everything that has happened between us and Omen. If I were him I wouldn’t bother to share the information. We haven’t earned the peace her safety would bring us.
It’s easy to look back and regret your actions, owning up to them and making the changes necessary to earn forgiveness is an entirely different journey.
I never should have placed my bonded mate’s needs over hers. She deserved a chance to explain, and my inaction stole that from her. If she survives, I want to listen. To understand why she hid so much of herself, why she hid our connection.
Letting my promises for the future slip to the back of my mind, I refocus on my listless mate. I’ve never seen him look so broken. Darkness shadows his eyes and stubble covers his face. He hasn’t touched a single product on his shelf in the bathroom since we returned from our show in Los Angeles. My alpha isfalling apart. Blaming himself for leaving Omen behind after her heat.
Watching him break down last night, feeling his sobs as he gave in to the fear and pessimistic thoughts, broke me in ways I hadn’t ever considered possible. My heart feels raw and rough like someone took sandpaper to it.
We’re all bleeding internally from a wound that may never heal, even if my other mates won’t admit it out loud.
Slipping off our bed, I’m determined to find some way to distract him. My feet have barely touched the floor when the door opens and Nebula steps inside. He’s sweat-soaked and shirtless from his morning run. A pulse of desire fills our bond but flutters away only seconds later. None of us can feed those flames when we’re so worried for our mate and our girl.
