Page 35 of Bound By Pain
Oh, they’re being called into work.
I guess that answers my question about whether they are staying with me. Shifting in my seat, I use Ridley’s large hoodie to hide the way my shoulders curl inwards. The rapid rise and fall of my chest barely moves the fabric when I pull my arms inside and hold it away.
‘Come on, Bea!’I mentally scold myself.‘You weren’t born to be a weak-ass Omega. We’re certainly not going to start now. This needy, sad-bitch era gets a solid no, thank you!’
A hand wraps around the back of my neck, tight enough to force my muscles to relax. I peek at Orion, finding him staring out the window while his thumb slides up and down my skin. Is he instinctively soothing me, or did he notice I was trying to hide my distress?
I barely get my breathing under control when we pull up outside of the large, gated building the FCDA uses for their main office. The ache in my chest persists, ramping in intensity as Lex opens his door and steps out.
Being an Omega really fucking sucks sometimes. If my scent glands were active, this entire car would be drenched in rotten coconuts and burned pineapple.
“Kitten.” Creed tilts my chin to the side, so that I am facing him. “Do you need me to stay with you?”
As sweet as it is for him to ask, I get the sense that capturing this Marcus person is important to him. And I do not want to start our potential courtship by burdening him with my instinctual need to have them close. They all have already done so much. Taking time away from work to rescue me and sit at the hospital with me.
Pushing one arm back into a sleeve, I wave him off. “I’ll be fine,” I lie. “Sleep and a little time to sit alone with my thoughts will help my Omega instincts decompress.” Another lie. Anyone who knows anything about Omega psychology could call me onit, but no one does. Being alone is the last thing a distressed Omega needs.
Creed’s lips turn up at the corners seconds before he presses them against mine. His kiss is slow, but devouring, like he’s coaxing tiny pieces of my soul from my body with each gentle swipe.
When he pulls away, he slides his thumb across my cheek. “Call me if you need anything.” I nod, willing the burn of tears in my eyes to fade. “I’ll see you soon, Omega.”
His door clicks shut behind him, leaving me staring at the dark interior. Denying my needs is difficult, but the deep-rooted fear that he, too, will pull away if I push too hard prevents me from caving.
“Come on, jackass.” I startle when Lex’s voice reverberates through the car. He has his head stuck through the back door and is glaring at Ridley.
“Nope. I already told Donovan I was done.”
My lips part, and I suck in a sharp breath. He didwhat?
“Well, since Dromir mentioned your name, he must not have passed that information along. Which means you are still on the DAU roster. You can fight with them about it when we get inside.”
“Like hell! My resignation has been tendered. They can figure out the paperwork.” Ridley scowls at Lex.
Having two of my Alphas in a tense, heated standoff is not helping my frazzled emotions.
“Alpha?” I pull Ridley’s attention to me and paste a sleepy smile on my face. “If you have to sort stuff out with the agency, that’s okay. Like I told Creed, I’m just going to go home and sleep everything off.” When he doesn’t look convinced, I add, “Lex still has cameras at my place. So, you’ll be able to check in on me if you need to.”
Leaning against the back of my seat, he presses his forehead to mine. “I already left you for work once, sunshine, and I almost lost you.Never. Again.”
The sigh that slips through my lips is barely audible, but he still hears it. His eyes narrow at me. “You don’t really want to be alone at all, do you, Omega?” His voice holds the barest edge of a growl, like the thought of me denying myself is insulting to him. To know he cares so much about me makes butterflies swarm to life in my stomach.
I glance to our right, where Lex still scowls through the open car door.
“Fuck off, Lex. Just because you’re too chickenshit to do something about your feelings, that doesn’t mean I am. Tell Dromir I quit.”
I can practically hear Lex grinding his teeth as he slams the door shut. As difficult as it is to convince myself, his issues are not mine to deal with. He has to make that decision himself.
“Let’s get you home, sunshine.”
Outside my apartment, I accept Ridley’s shoulder and let him lead me to the porch. He sits me on one of the wooden chairs outside before returning to grab our bags.
Glancing back at the car, I see Orion hurriedly whispering with Shiloh, who has made no move to leave his seat. Unsurprised, but still hurt, I watch as Orion walks up the sidewalk, scrubbing one hand through his unruly blue hair.
“I need to run to my apartment to grab a shower and pack some things to bring back with me. Do you need anything while I’m out? Want me to grab dinner?”
“Sure.” I smile up at him, grateful he is planning to come back so quickly. “That sounds great. Though I can’t promise I’ll be awake to enjoy it.”
He returns my grin, reaching out to tuck a wayward curl behind my ear. “Text me what you want me to pick up. I’ll be back soon.” Sealing his promise with a kiss on my forehead, he jogs back to the waiting car.
