Page 31 of Bound By Pain
Shiloh returns a few seconds later, thankfully. “You are clear to eat whenever you are ready. Their only suggestion is not to overdo it. Smaller portions until your stomach has adjusted.”
“Is there anything in particular you are hungry for, butterfly?” Orion asks, moving to stand beside Shiloh at the end of my bed.
“I’m not sure,” I admit. “Something light would be best.”
“We will order something and bring it back.” Shiloh gives me a sharp nod, his nose slightly scrunched. “No need to subject yourself to horrendous hospital food.”
Rolling my eyes, I thank him for offering to grab me something. He waves me off, staring awkwardly for several seconds before he turns on his heel and leaves.
Orion moves to my side and presses a soft kiss to the top of my head. “We’ll be back soon. Lex is still standing sentry outside, so you’ll be safe here.”
Giving him a grateful smile, he follows Shiloh out of the room.
Ridley takes his spot, leaning down to peck me on the lips. I pout, wishing the contact lasted longer. He smirks and straightens. “Come on, Creed. Let’s leave the Omegas to catch up.”
Creed frowns and crosses his arms over his chest, making no move to get up from his spot in the chair at my side. Turning pleading eyes his way, he releases a heavy sigh.
“Fine, but only because I can see this is what you want, Omega. I’ll be outside with Lex if you need me.” He squeezes my hand and ushers Pack Graves out with him.
I feel bad for kicking Omen’s mates out without saying hello, but I’m one heartbeat away from a full-on sobfest. Not something I want them to witness.
“Oh, Bea.” Oms crawls into the bed beside me and wraps her arms around me, letting me lay my head on her chest. The tears come quickly. Thick rivers flow down my cheeks and soak into her hoodie. When the dam really breaks, she pulls a blanket over us to muffle the sound of my sobs.
I keep my head buried against her when my tears slow. “This has been the worst year of my life.”
An unattractive snort escapes her lips, making me glare up at her. “I’m sorry! I’m not belittling what you’ve been through, I promise!” She hugs me tighter, resting her head against the top of mine when I turn and press my ear against her so I can hear her heartbeat.
“It’s just, we’ve both been through hell this year. Our first year out of the Academy, and what a disaster it has been.”
“It hasn’t been all bad.”
“No, it hasn’t. We got to go on tour!”
I smile, remembering the excitement of standing in the wings of the stage during the first show last summer. The euphoria of accomplishing our dreams together. “Yeah, we did!”
“And we got to meet Candy Courage!”
“I met Skye Pierce too,” I add.
Omen’s chest rattles with a soft laugh. “You sure did! Look at how many bucket list items you’ve crossed off!”
“Do those moments of good outweigh all the bad, though?”
Omen shifts us so she can lie face to face beside me. If we were on a normal hospital bed, this would be impossible. Thankfully, they have extra-wide beds for Omegas. Too many smaller ones broke when Alphas tried to curl up with their mates inside them.
“There will always be bad days, Bea. Catastrophically bad in this case. But those moments of joy? They’re the foundation we build the rest of our lives on.”
“Our stories are just beginning.”
She smiles, taking my hands in hers and clasping them. “Exactly! You have so much to look forward to!”
Sinking further into the bed, I sigh. “It just hurts, Oms. My body, my heart, my soul. All of it.”
“I know it does. I’ve been there. Not in the same situation, but…” she trails off, looking sheepish.
“You mean almost dying because you stubbornly took on your asshole of a father when you were already struggling with the side effects of a chemical rejection?”
“That. Yes. I survived everything my father put me through, and the Rejected Omega Syndrome. You can survive this, too.” Her confidence in me is unwavering, glowing in her mossy green eyes. “You aren’t facing this alone, either. I’ll be here. So will your parents. Foster, too. And your mates.”
