Page 52 of These Bonds that Unite Us
I wish my inner omega would get the memo he rejected us, but this bitch is practically rolling onto her belly and begging him to knot her as my perfume fills the air. Maybe I should call Doctor Russell since it feels like my control over my reactions to them is working like a leaky faucet.
“Let’s get you to your appointment, babygirl.”
When we’re sitting in light traffic outside of the city, I finally tell Nebula where we are going. He nods and–much tomy shock–is able to navigate to the therapist’s office without directions. His lips kick up in a half smile when he senses my confusion. “I mentioned I’ve been seeing a therapist. Mia works out of the same office.”
Damn. Okay. I hope we haven’t been paired with the same person. Talking about him would make me feel uncomfortable knowing he is also her patient.
Thankfully, I am not scheduled to see Mia. Instead, I sit down for an initial meet-and-greet with a polite young beta man, Mr. Bartlett. His brightly colored bow tie gives him a cheerful appearance which puts me at ease as I sit across from him.
“Doctor Russell sent me some basic information about your chemical rejection, as it isn’t something anyone in our office specifically has dealt with. How are you feeling today?”
We don’t talk in detail about anything during this first session, which is fine. I’m not overly comfortable opening up to strangers, even now that my family no longer poses a threat to my safety.
Well, my father doesn’t anyway. My brother and his wife are apparently still determined to ruin my life for some unknown reason. Getting my ass kicked on national television must not have been punishment enough for them.
I’m surprised when I walk back into the lobby and find Nebula still sitting there. His arms are crossed over his chest and his head is tilted back against the wall. If he didn’t seem so tense, I’d think he was sleeping. My steps are quiet as I approach him and stop a few feet from his chair. “I’m finished.”
A tight smile flashes my way as he stands. Some part of me wants to believe he’s angry he wasted an hour sitting in the therapist’s office waiting on me, but his scent reads more anxious than anything else.
“Can I–” He stops at the front of the car and clears his throat. “I’d like to show you something if you feel up to being out for a bit longer.” The words tumble quickly from his mouth.
Show me what? I want to ask, but the urgency in his tone fills me with a curiosity I can’t seem to deny. His shoulders relax when I agree, and he ushers me into the passenger seat. I hold my breath as he leans over to buckle me in, not wanting to risk inhaling his warm, smoky scent and flooding the car with my perfume. That would be awkward for both of us.
My omega preens as he adjusts the strap across my chest, happy to see one of her supposed alphas taking such an interest in her safety. Too bad his interest didn’t expand into accepting me as his mate before they rejected me.
We drive out of the city, heading north. I watch the world fly by, wondering how gorgeous this trip will be once the leaves start to change colors at the end of the month. A pang of longing pierces my heart when I imagine Bea and I’s apartment porch lit up at night with the intricate jack-o-lanterns we always create at the beginning of every October. I doubt we will get to continue our tradition this year with the apartment out of commission until Ben and Jaquelyn are dealt with.
Shock has my mouth hanging open when Nebula pulls beneath the iron gate of a cemetery. He drives us to the back and parks along the edge of the path. “My sister is buried back in Nashville. After the guys and I moved here, I missed her too much. It was overwhelming being so far from her, so I bought a plot and had a memorial built for her here.”
Tears line my eyes as I stare out at the headstones and mausoleums. That is as sweet as it is sad. I also don’t understand why he brought me here. My door opens and he offers me his hand, not forcing me to get out of the car.
“I’d like for you to meet her.”
A lump clogs my throat as I slip my fingers across his palm. My hand shakes slightly until he wraps his around it, squeezing lightly to reassure me. He doesn’t let me go as we walk through the grass to a spot by the tree line.
A weeping angel holding a rose up toward the sky looms before us. At the base of the sculpture is a dark bronze plaque with Elizabeth’s name on it.
“Hey sis,” Nebula chokes out after several minutes pass. “I brought someone to see you. This is my Fated omega, Omen.” He takes a deep breath and drops my hand so he can crouch in the grass beside me. I carefully lower myself beside him, watching from the corner of my eye as he rearranges the fresh flowers along the base of the statue.
“You would love her. She’s adventurous, but not nearly as wild as you used to be. Somehow she has managed to keep her head on straight, even when she’s dealing with my pack.” A watery laugh fills the air as he sits back on his heels. “We don’t deserve her. We fucked up drastically, Liz, and I know you’re probably out there somewhere cursing me out for the way we’ve treated her.”
He turns to me, tears sliding down his cheeks, and my breath catches at the regret I see reflected back at me. “Babygirl, words will never be able to express how fucking sorry I am.”
Shock and fear rush to the surface of my mind, leaving me fighting to catch my breath as he continues speaking. Did he bring me here to apologize? Again?
“I see you, Omen Powell. Not the person you were forced to be before. Not your brother or your father. You. The introverted, anxious, caring omega Fate chose for my pack. For me.” Nebula wipes away the tears trickling down my cheeks. “I should have given you the benefit of the doubt back then, but I let my hatred control me. Rejecting you is something I will never be able to make up for, but I want to try.”
He collapses on his knees in the dirt, and I wince imagining the rocks digging into his knees through his jeans, but he doesn't seem to care about the pinch of pain they cause. Leaning forward, he rests his forehead against mine, our breath mingling as we both cry. Deep blue eyes stare into my own sea green orbs, begging me to see the sincerity in his gaze.
”Every fiber of my being belongs to you. I’ll be your protector, the beams supporting you when you have to weather the harshest storms. Hell, wrap a collar around my throat and I’ll be your dog. Say the words and I am yours to command.”
“I–” Whatever response I could have forced out is cut off when we hear heavy footsteps and whispered commands from the other side of the nearest mausoleum. Nebula straightens, glancing over the grave markers. A curse slips from his lips alongside a growl.
My body trembles harder when I peek around the stone to see a group of armed men coordinating a search through the cemetery. Every instinct in my body demands they are here for me, to drag me back to whatever remains of my father’s congregation for punishment.
“As quietly as we can, we are going to head into the tree line,” Nebula whispers. I give him a jerky nod and scramble to a crouch. He lets me lead the way, following right on my heels, close enough to catch me if I stumble. As soon as we reach the last row of headstones, I push to my feet and dart into the sea of trees surrounding the cemetery.
The low shout of one of the men behind us has us both crashing through the trees, ignoring the noise we make as we flee the assholes my brother sent to capture me. I don’t know why I thought I could leave their house without him finding me. Not when he and Jacquelyn are watching me so closely.
