Page 46 of These Bonds that Unite Us
“I could float in the shallow end with you,” I compromise with her. “I don’t think it would be safe for Auntie Omen to try to swim in the deep end right now.”
“‘Cause you is sick?” she asks.
“Yeah, because I’m sick. But I’m going to get better soon, then we can swim in whichever end you want! Maybe we’ll even have my mates build you a slide into the water!” She claps her hands and cheers, chanting the word ‘slide’ while they follow me to the shallow end.
I’m not wearing a swimsuit, just a t-shirt and sweats, but they will dry eventually. The water is cool against my heated skin, but the sun keeps me from getting chilled. It feels so nice to sit and splash, listening to my niece talk animatedly about all of the new toys her friends Foster and Shepherd have bought her.
Surrounded by my Fate matched mates, and half of my family, the depression clogging my mind doesn’t feel as thick. I want to enjoy more of these moments, even if it means doing something terrifying and asking Nexus to bond me.
Sitting at the island, I watch as Titan moves around the kitchen. When he saw I was awake he demanded I eat something, so we’ve been in here ever since while he attempts to make me breakfast. I can’t say he is a bad cook, he just doesn’t seem used to working in their new space.
The tablet they use for ordering groceries and monitoring their external security beeps loudly. I watch as the screen switches from the usual homepage to a feed from the front door. A delivery person is rolling a large stack of boxes up the walkway.
Wide-eyed, I glance at Titan. Unfazed, he just shrugs. What exactly did these men order that requires such a large delivery?
He pushes a plate of scrambled eggs and toast my way, his dark eyes not leaving my face until I’ve taken a full bite of both. I nearly roll my eyes at his concern, but I know it isn’t unfounded. Especially with the weight I’ve lost over the past six weeks.
“I’ll be right back,” he tells me after stacking the dirty pans in the sink. I wave him off, focusing on eating while he heads downstairs. Presumably to bring in all of their packages.
My plate is empty and my belly full when I see Nebula stalking toward the stairs. When he rushes down them, his shoulders strained, my omega senses kick in telling me something is going on. I drop my plate in the sink and head after him.
Downstairs I find Titan and Nebula both in the library. The front door is shut, a massive pile of boxes towering to the side. The scent of the guys anger distracts me from any snooping I could do.
“I’ll call Donovan,” Nebula growls, digging his phone from his pocket and dialing before I can interrupt him.
“What’s wrong?”
Titan’s face flies up, locking onto me where I hesitate in the doorway. His eyes flicker down to the table behind him beforereturning to me. Before I can ask again, he’s crossing the room and scooping me into his arms. I know I’m unsteady on my feet most of the time, but the way these men are constantly carrying me instead of letting me walk grates on my nerves.
Despite my protests, I slip my arms around his neck and subtly press my nose against his throat. My breath puffs against his skin as I breathe him in. The spicy notes of his scent make my mouth water. Damn, now I’m turned on, which isn’t going to help my body's demand for a heat to lure my mates into bonding me.
His steps are slow and measured, almost like he’s trying to make this short walk last a lifetime. Noise behind us lets me know Nexus and Callisto have joined us too.
The closer we get to Nebula, the stronger his aggressive pheromones become. A whine slips from my lips from the overpowering scent. His eyes snap to mine when he hears the sound, his jaw clenching when he spies fear in my eyes. The last time I felt his anger in the air was after their show in Philadelphia when I’d learned of his hatred for my family.
“No, little omega, I’m not angry with you.” He extends his arms, silently begging me to let him hold me. I can sense he’s on edge, and I don’t want to risk him slipping into a protective rut, so I let him pull me onto his lap. The dull vibration of his voice helps to calm my panic, as does his scent where he has my face pressed against his scent gland.
When I hear him end the call, I lift my head and meet his dark blue eyes. “I’m sorry for scaring you, babygirl. I promise my anger was never directed at you.”
“What happened?”
“There was another package at the door,” Titan grunts. He’s standing between us and the coffee table, blocking whatever upset them from my view. “Unmarked and leaning againstthe door frame, separate from the ones we just watched get delivered.”
Callisto sucks in a sharp breath as he moves past Titan. I nod slowly and the giant alpha steps aside revealing the array of pictures pouring from a tan envelope.
“What the fuck!” Nexus growls as he looks through the pictures. Cal glares soundlessly beside him, though his eyes are glued to where Nebula clings to me.
Remembering whose arms I’m sitting in, I scramble from his lap. Feigning a need to look closer, my eyes fly over the photos. Shaky fingers reach out, mapping each one without actually touching them. They follow a timeline, one that is familiar enough to tell me who sent them. “They’re from Jacquelyn,” I tell the guys with a tired exhale.
“Detectives from the FCDA are on the way to collect them. I assumed they were from someone with a connection to the church.” Nebula tells me gently.
“Wait, where did it come from?” Nexus asks with a concerned look on his face.
“The front door,” Titan informs them.
Worry pulses in time with the beats of my heart. If their security system didn’t alert them to movement at the front door, how easy would it be for my brother or one of his men to slip into the house?
“We’re going to get a security company to come out and go over our system again. I’ll ask our team at the label for recommendations for someone who could take on property management short term too.” Nebula’s voice is full of promise. The strong, stern tone eases the fear from this package’s appearance.
