Page 48 of These Bonds that Unite Us
“Have you talked to the doctor? I can call Mom, maybe she will have some ideas…”
“I talked to Doctor Russell. She basically said my only option is to bond with Nexus to cancel out the chemical rejection.”
Bea’s shoulders slump and she shoots us a glare so harsh it has my balls shriveling. Scary ass omega. I feel for Caleb and his brothers since they are on the receiving end of her ire regularly.
“Are you going to take the bond?” Bea asks. “Well, I guess you don’t have a choice.”
Her scowl somehow deepens. I have to shift on my feet to stop myself from baring my neck in submission to this ruthlesswoman. My girl is damned lucky to have someone like Bea on her side.
“I don’t know,” Omen admits quietly. She averts her eyes when Bea’s head snaps back toward her.
“What do you mean you don’t know?!” Bea practically shrieks the words as the room floods with a wave of her distress. Even using strong de-scenting methods, our heaviest emotions tend to slip through, and the thought of losing her best friend is especially upsetting. Something I agree wholeheartedly with. The contents of my stomach threaten to reappear at the thought of Omen giving in to the rejection.
“Okay, sorry,” Bea mumbles when she realizes she’s drawn all of our attention. “They’re a bunch of jackasses who abandoned you over shit that was out of your control. I don’t know if I could ever move past their actions either. Hell, I’m not you and I’m tempted to hold this against them for the rest of their lives.”
Omen lets out a watery giggle that shreds my heart. The tear tracking down her cheek amps up my self-loathing. How many more tears does this beautiful girl have to cry? Hasn’t she dealt with enough?
“Do you think you could ever forgive them?” Bea’s question has the breath stalling in my lungs. I cling to every passing second, waiting to hear whatever verdict my firefly has settled on.
Omen lets out a slow breath, her eyes darting over each of us before she looks back at her friend. “I want to.” The breath whooshes from my lungs as relief settles over my skin. We still have a chance!
“But you’re scared.”
“Yeah,” Omen replies. She hugs herself tightly, nails digging into the thick material of my sweatshirt Callisto pulled over her head before we left. “They’re here and they are trying, but everytime I’m alone my omega believes they aren’t going to come back.”
Fuck, firefly. I glance at my mates, noticing Nebula’s attention is also subtly riveted to Bea and Omen’s conversation. We share a long look and I can feel through our bond the moment we both come to the same conclusion–from now on one of us will be stuck to her side. Whatever it takes to ease her fears and the pain our separation is causing.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Now Playing: Slow Dancing In The Dark- Joji
My chest aches as we head downstairs to the recording studio. Between Bea’s reaction to my uncertainty and remembering the gutting sense of abandonment I feel each time I’m alone, my insides feel as though they’ve been scorched by hellfire. Even breathing hurts.
Warm arms circle my torso as a body presses against my back. Amber and oud slowly filter in with each ragged breath I take. My entire body trembles with exhaustion.
I can tell the guys want to leave. To tell their producer to fuck off for the evening and take me home. But their career is important to them. It’s important to me. We would never have connected on such a deep level if they weren’t so devoted to their music. I won’t let my health derail them from the path Fate has guided them down. Especially not when I know their lyrics may save someone else’s life.
The door slides open and I force my spine to straighten. I can do this. Measured, deep breaths slowly ease the burn inmy lungs as I let them lead me down the light gray hallway. In between doors, old band posters hang in frames on the wall. Every new image we pass helps distract my fraying mind from the pain radiating up my spine with each step.
How many legends have passed down this same hall? Made chart-topping hits in these rooms?
The guys stop at one of the open doors, tapping their knuckles against the frame before they walk inside. Sitting in a very comfy-looking spinning chair is a beta. He looks a little older than us, maybe in his thirties, with cool chestnut skin and dark, coiffed brown hair. Light stubble coats his jawline and upper lip. “You must be Omen! We’ve certainly heard a lot about you. It’s nice to put a face to the name.”
A boyish grin spreads over his face as he stands to shake my hand. I feel oddly settled with him in the room, his overly sweet but still subtle apple pie scent reminds me of sneaking treats with Hannah when I was little.
“Gorgeous, meet our producer Manny,” Nexus says as he wraps his arm around my shoulders. The move is possessive enough it surprises me.
Manny just rolls his eyes–which are freaking curious as hell. They’re a light blue from afar, but as soon as he stepped closer I could see the almost violet ring around the outer edge. I’ve never met anyone with purple eyes before.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I mumble quietly.
The guys fall into conversation with him, talking about things I can’t quite grasp. It’s peaceful though, their chatter. Nexus walks me over to the small couch against the back wall. “Hang tight, sweet girl, we’re about to blow your mind.”
Manny rolls his eyes at the guys as they shuffle into the live room where their instruments are set up. “You like their music?” he asks, looking at me over his shoulder.
“I do. They’re incredibly creative.”
“Remember this is a process,” he laughs as the guys settle in. “We might be here for a while. There is water in the mini fridge, and we’ll order food if we stay late enough.” Our conversation draws to an end as he gets to work.
