Page 59 of Bound By Pain
“We’ll figure it out, kitten,” Creed comments, reading over my shoulder.
Ridley and I murmur our agreement, and I shove the letter into my jacket pocket. I know just who to ask for help with this issue.
After a long day at the office, I hop into the elevator and head to the third floor. I’ve seen bits and pieces of my Omegathroughout the day, mostly in passing, so I’m disappointed when I find the manager’s office empty.
Tapping my hand against the door frame, I continue down the hall until I arrive at Shiloh’s office. My hand is poised to knock when I hear Bea’s voice inside. A smile tilts my lips as I rap against the wood.
“Come in, Orion,” Shiloh replies, his voice muffled and gruff.
The sight that awaits me when I push the door open makes my grin grow. Bea is sitting on the buttery-soft couch on the far wall, her dark curls a mess around her. She peeks at me, not lifting her head from the back of the couch.
“You look cozy, butterfly.” I slip onto the seat beside her, eyes trailing down her body to where Shiloh holds her foot in his lap. His fingers dig into the skin of her ankle, massaging the strain of being on her feet away. “Is your Alpha taking good care of you?”
Bea’s eyes dart to Shiloh, waiting for him to object, but he remains silent.
“She’s pushing herself too much,” he complains as he kneads the bottom of her foot, earning a breathy groan from our mate.
“If this is my punishment, I’ll have to overwork myself more often.”
I bite my lip, fighting back a laugh when Shiloh glares at Bea. Her sass lights a fire I can see shining in his umber eyes, but the thought of her hurting herself brings his protective instincts roaring to the surface. The way my old friend reacts to her amazes me. For years, he’s been cold and calculating. Keeping his emotions locked down. It’s nice to see him really living again.
“Don’t tempt me, Omega. I’ll put you over my knee and turn your pretty ass red if you don’t take care of yourself.”
His threat has the opposite effect he was hoping for, if the heat blazing in our girl’s eyes is any indication. The faintest hint of perfume reaches my nose, and even that small hit is enough to make my cock harden to the point of pain.
Bea’s eyes slip closed, a tightness around the corner of her lips that belies how upset the lack of scent makes her. I lean over and rub my cheek against hers, scent-marking her. “Soon, butterfly. Your body is healing, scent glands regrowing as quickly as they are able.”
“I know. Doesn’t make it suck any less.”
A purr rattles to life in my chest as I pull her against me. We rest in the office for a while, comforting her and helping to ease the tension from her shoulders. Eventually, Ridley and Creed show up to steal her away, promising takeout and reality TV to unwind after a long day of work.
After they’re gone, I turn to Shiloh. “Did Bea mention anything about her apartment?” When his head shakes, I explain the situation with her lease and our lack of space. “Could you help me find a suitable space for all of us?”
Shiloh pushes to his feet and gathers his keys and phone from his desk. “Did you drive today?” When I tell him I rode with Bea, he nods. “Come with me.”
Arriving at his apartment a short while later, I eye him curiously. He is quiet as we ride up to his floor. “I knew space would eventually become an issue. I knew safety would also become a problem, considering Bea’s apartment almost got broken into just a few months ago. Solutions that fit the parameters of protecting our Omega without taking her out of the city weren’t as numerous as I had hoped, but I found one.”
The elevator stops on the floor below him, and I’m surprised when he steps off. Following him, I see the piles of construction tools and materials that are spread throughout the hallway.
The apartment door on the right side of the hallway is gone, replaced by a smooth wall. On the left, the door is heavier, and a new lock has been installed. He swipes a keycard through the panel and pushes it open.
I’m in shock as we pass through unfinished room after unfinished room. Bedrooms, bathrooms, what appears to be a home gym and theater, all leading to a newly installed staircase to the upper floor.
“What is this?”
“Our future home. I bought the tenants on this floor and mine out of their leases, and am paying to have both floors renovated into a suitable home for Bea and all of her mates.”
His explanation stops me in my tracks, and I stare at him, dumbfounded. “You are going to have us all move in here?”
“Yes.”
“Outside of the day you took her to dinner, and this afternoon, you’ve barely spent any time with Bea. And I know that whatever happened between the two of you before this has left a rift in your relationship. Why now? What’s changed?”
He leads me up the stairs to his untouched apartment, stopping when he is standing near the floor-to-ceiling windows in his living room. “Everything changed. She was taken, stolen from us. My mind keeps running through the what-ifs. I almost lost her once. I won’t do so again.”
He turns to meet my eyes, looking as serious as ever. “While I do not wish to share her—my time with Bea will be exactly that,mytime—I recognize she needs the four of you, too. If having her pack here will make her happy, keep her safe, then that is a sacrifice I am more than willing to make.”
“You could start with an apology, you know?” I chuckle at the confused tilt of his head and narrowed eyes. “Renovating your apartment building is nice, but I think it might be overkill to win our girl. Make sure you use your words, too, so she doesn’t doubt your reasons for wanting her here.”
