Page 88 of These Bonds that Unite Us
“None of that,” Nebula reminds me. He squeezes my hand in his. “You deserve a space to work in when we’re home. Somewhere you can escape when we are stuck at the studio for long hours.”
“Accept it, gorgeous. It’s yours, either way. No takebacks.” Nexus winks at me where he’s leaning against Nebula’s other side. The see-through, sparkly black shirt he’s wearing has ridden up to expose several inches of his toned stomach, and fuck me he looks like a wet dream right now. A small burst of my perfume puffs out around us.
As fun as breaking in the studio would be, I don’t know if I’m up for warehouse sex next to a room full of strangers. The way our noises would echo…
“Let’s head back to the exhibit,” Callisto suggests. “I’m sure there are plenty of guests who would love to meet you.”
Having so many people come up to talk to me is a bit overwhelming. If it wasn’t for my mate’s steady presence at my back, I don’t think I ever would have been able to stand here as long as I have.
Imposter syndrome is kicking in hard. There are prominent figures in the East Coast photography world here. Looking at my pictures. And they love them. I have to be dreaming, right?
“You look ten seconds away from crawling into your nest and never coming back out.” I turn when I hear Bea’s voice beside us. She’s striding toward me, Mr. Acherley at her side. The low-cut forest green shirt she’s wearing is paired with a sleek, feminine, floral-printed blazer. She fits in better with all of the other patrons than I ever could. “I heard you have a studio here too?”
I jump at the chance to escape the attention directed my way. The guys follow along, but they wait outside of the door with Mr. Acherley, discussing something work-related.
“This is a lot, huh?” Bea asks after the door closes behind us.
“It is… perfect.” I am hesitant to admit how much I love this place. The potential alone has me bubbling with excitement. “But it’s also very overwhelming. Especially so close to my heat.”
Her nose scrunches, lips pursing. She gets it. Heats are the worst.
“You know they put this place in your name?” She comments offhandedly, not knowing this news sends me reeling.
“Wait, what?”
“Yep. If anything ever happens between the five of you, this space will always be yours. They wanted to make sure you didn’t feel stuck with them.” She shrugs, but I catch the mischievous glint in her eyes. My bestie is trying to spark a fire. And it is working.
Her grin widens, hands resting on her hips. “So, are we finally completing your pack tonight?”
“I think so. The fear is still here.” I point to my chest. “But having the connections to them there too makes the fear seem… less potent? More manageable?”
There is still a lot of healing for us to do, but in the areas that count the most, I’ve forgiven Pack Graves. It’s time to finish claiming my pack, the way we should have when their tour started last summer.
“I’d be jealous if the men interested in me weren’t absolute knotheads.”
I laugh, wrapping my arms around her and squeezing her tight. Her relationships are an entirely different level of complicated, and I do not envy her dealing with the three alphas she has found herself entangled with. I at least have Callisto to help balance out all of their alpha energy.
“Okay, come on, let’s ditch this place and go make these alphas feed us. I’m starving!” The sound of our laughter echoes behind us as she drags me to the door.
I guess it’s time for a new adventure, one that lasts a lifetime.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Now Playing: Use Somebody- Kings of Leon
Bleed- Connor Kauffman
Walking into the pack bedroom, I bite back a sigh of frustration. I’m resigned to my fate for the night. Even if Omen invites all three of my packmates into the nest, I’ll gladly sleep out here. The wounds I inflicted are still too fresh, too deep for her to trust me the way I wish she did.
“What are we doing tonight, gorgeous? Reading more of our book, or watching a show?” Nexus asks as he turns on the soft fairy light above her nest bed.
Omen pauses with her hand on the door frame, knuckles white from how tightly she’s gripping it. Sea green eyes glance back at me, shining bright with the same nervous energy I can sense in her bond.
“I—“ she swallows, eyes fluttering closed. They pop back open a few tense seconds later, full of determination. “I would really like you to sleep in here with us.”
My heart skips a beat, lips stretching into a smile. I scoop her into my arms on the way into the nest and drop us both onto her bed. She laughs, wiggling out of my arms so she can arrange her blankets and borrowed clothes the way she likes.
Hope is a fragile thing, but with my omega at my side and my mates around us, it’s difficult to focus on the darkness in our lives. She’s the light guiding us to safety. Our precious omega.
