Page 8 of These Bonds that Unite Us
“Do you regret it?” The question slips out before I can think it through. I don’t regret my decision to abandon Omen, so I don’t know why his answer seems to matter so much.
“Yes and no. I always wonder what life would be like if we were still together. How different things might have been. But I also know we’re both accomplishing our dreams, something we couldn’t have done together. Not when our musical careers were leading us in opposite directions.” He stands and offers me a hand. I gladly take it and shake out my exhausted limbs. “We weren’t Fate matched mates. Not that we discovered while we were playing together anyway.”
I toss him a bottle of water and grab my own before walking back over to stand across from him. “You felt a pull to her but you weren’t fated to be together?”
“You know how weird these mate bonds can be. Some of them are difficult to figure out.”
I guess he has a point there. I’ve heard of some crazy bond types, like shared pain or emotions. Those would definitely be the ones that are difficult to tell.
“Her family was anti-designation, though not nearly to the same level as the Montgomerys, but anyone who believes that nonsense is trash.” He grunts as he stretches out his shoulders before refocusing on me. “When her parents found out she was an omega… Well I’m lucky I didn’t wind up in jail for beating the shit out of her father when I learned he was putting his hands on her to try to ‘purge the omega out of her.’”
“Shit, that’s fucked up.”
“It was. Very much so. She survived and grew. Became a completely different person once she was out from beneath their thumb.” He grabs his gym bag and tosses it over his shoulderbefore he turns to look back at me. “I shared this story with you because I saw how wrecked you guys were after Omen’s identity was outed. I don’t know what happened between the five of you, nor do I know her back story. What I do know is I’ve been on the other side of that road. If a powerless anti-designation family like my girl’s was willing to try to beat her designation out of her, what do you think a well-connected family like the Montgomery’s would have done to Omen?”
Caleb doesn’t give me a chance to respond, he just waves and heads toward the exit, calling over his shoulder as he walks away. “It’s something to think about. If she’s your pack’s Fate matched mate, it would be a shame for you guys to reject the connection because of who her family is.”
I’m left to stew in the anger and confusion raging inside my mind and heart. I need a fucking drink to deal with the emotional whiplash I’m experiencing today.
“Another?”
I glance up at the bartender and nod. I’ve been here for a few hours now. I should probably have him cut me off and call a car to take me back to our apartment building but I don’t want to face an empty home. Not when I still feel like my heart is being torn into pieces.
When Callisto had broken down a few days ago, letting me experience everything he’s been holding back, I immediately knew I was failing him. Failing them all. What kind of alpha can’t see when his pack is hurting?
One who is blinded by his anger and grief, apparently. Or so my new therapist says. I thought I’d gotten a better grip on the emotional side effects from the destruction of my familyeight years ago, but learning Omen is related to my sister’s killer brought all of those issues roaring back to the surface.
I’ve been pushy and quick to lash out. Violent even, given I’d gotten into a fight with Nexus. I’d put my hands on him out of anger. Something I swore to never do.
Fuck. My head’s spinning. I can’t tell if it’s from the alcohol or the turmoil plaguing my thoughts. Probably both.
Gripping the glass of whiskey the bartender left me I down the whole thing in one go. Best to rip the bandage off and go home, before I wind up passing out in this shady bar across town.
Staring out of the taxi window, my thoughts wander to Omen. She and Bea have an apartment here in Starburgh. Is she there? Hiding out in her stupid little nest and having a good laugh watching my mates fall apart?
I wish we’d never met that lying omega. If she hadn’t bulldozed her way into our lives I would be cuddled up at home with my mates right now. Thanks to her bullshit Callisto and Nexus are back in Tennessee.
Literally states away.
All because of Omen.
Stumbling into our apartment, I collapse on the couch. Anger still pumps through my veins, growing with each beat of my heart. I want to tell her to go fuck herself all over again, but without the air of professionalism I used last time. My head turns and I spy the markers we keep on our coffee table for responding to messages when we’re apart. I can tell her.
The words are barely legible with how much my hand sways, but they go through all the same. The pen clatters to the floor when I’m finished.
I stare at the words, rereading them. A small part of me, the instinct I’ve buried deep in my subconscious, tries to make me regret them, but I shove those bastard thoughts aside. I’m rightto be pissed. Omen and her entire fucking family are villains and no one can convince me otherwise.
CHAPTER FOUR
Now Playing: Ghost Inside the Shell- Catch Your Breath
‘Just like your father and brother
You’re a plague destroying everyone around you.
Hiding your true nature to deceive us.’
Nebula’s words burn into my arm like a brand, sinking down into my weakened body and wreaking havoc on my already overloaded nervous system. They echo in my mind, joining the whispers of my own insecurities and past traumas.
