Page 39 of Bound By Pain
Her hands wander into the holes of my cutoff, palms soothing up and down both sides of my spine. The heat of herskin and the electric feel of our Fated connection spark a fire in my soul, making my cock grow hard against her.
“Would you like me to come with you?”
Leaning down, I press my lips to hers, kissing her senseless and stealing the breath from her lungs. Only when she is dizzy with want do I pull away. “Thank you for offering, butterfly, but I think I need to do this on my own. I want you to meet them, though. Just not today.” Boping her gently on the nose, I revel in her sweet giggle and radiant smile. “You should rest. Make Ridley watch every episode of Performer’s Anonymous, starting at season one.”
“Hey! What did I do?!” Ridley protests, but there is no real depth to it. We both know he will watch anything she wants as long as this smile stays on her face.
Bea grins, pressing her face into my chest and breathing deeply. “Come back soon, okay?”
“Don’t worry, Omega. I’ll be in your bed every night you allow it.” I press another kiss to her lips, just a quick peck this time, before I lift her from the ground and deposit her in Ridley’s waiting arms. He gives me a firm nod, a silent promise that he has her.
“Oh!” I pause in the doorway. “I’ll grab stuff to make dinner tonight.”
“Fates, yes, please!” Bea groans, head lolling against Ridley’s shoulder so she can look up at him. “Orion is a phenomenal cook!”
“That makes one of us,” Ridley jokes. “But I am a laundry aficionado, so we’re even. He can cook, and I can clean.”
“And what will I do?” Bea’s lips twitch up at the corners as she waits for his answer.
“Bea Powell, badass band manager by day, knot-drunk princess by night.”
I laugh, leaving the two of them to their teasing. My chest feels lighter than I expected it would as I walk out of her apartment. The thought of facing my parents no longer terrifies me. Maybe because so much time has passed.
Or maybe it’s because of the sweet Omega in the other room. She claimed my heart, and the beginning tendrils of our bond have tethered my soul.
I think Ren would be happy to know I have someone like Bea in my corner. They would have been great friends if they had ever had the chance to meet. Though the amount of chaos they would have caused…
Who am I kidding? I would have loved every second.
Walking up the steps to my parents’ Victorian-style home, I soak in the lightly faded, pale yellow paint and dark wood accents. Mom always loved painting the house bright colors. She wanted to be a ray of sunshine in an otherwise dull neighborhood. Though looking around, I see several of our neighbors have followed her lead.
Staring at the screen door, I swallow thickly, my throat clogged with emotion. My hand hesitates when I raise it to knock. The racing of my heart thuds loudly in my ears. Maybe I should have let Bea come along, after all. Her presence would have calmed the chaos raging inside me.
Suddenly, the door swings open. I find myself face-to-face with my teary-eyed mother. The gray in her hair is much more prominent now, taking over her original dark blonde.
“Hey, Mom,” I say awkwardly when she doesn’t speak.
The screen door swings open, and I quickly step back, narrowly avoiding being smacked in the face. Mom rushes me, throwing her arms around me and squeezing with all her might. “Oh, my baby! Look at you! I swear you grew half a foot!”
“Boys stop growing when they’re teenagers, May,” Dad says, appearing around the corner. “He isn’t getting taller. You’re shrinking.”
“Oh, shush, you! I’ll hear none of that nonsense!” Mom tries to discreetly wipe tears from her eyes, but the shake in her voice gives her away.
“Son.” Dad claps me on the shoulder before steering Mom back inside.
I blow out a breath and follow them. They deserve answers about everything, and honestly, I miss having them in my life. I don’t want to start my role as Bea’s Alpha without their support.
“I’m surprised to see you,” Dad tells me as he grabs a pitcher of tea from the fridge and pours three glasses. “When you didn’t answer my call, I assumed you weren’t ready.”
Accepting the glass he passes me, I set it on the table and slowly twist it between my hands. “No, I was just busy helping…” I trail off, glancing at Mom.
“She already knows everything you told me.”
I expected as much. None of my parents kept secrets from each other. “My Omega, Bea, her family stopped by to check on her. Their visit didn’t go as planned. When you called, they had just left, and I needed to make sure she was okay.”
“For the Fates to bless you with a second Omega mate, that is a wonderful thing!” Mom pats the back of my hand, smiling brightly. “Though I wish you had brought her with you!”
“She’s still recovering,” I explain.
