Page 48 of Bound By Pain
Fifteen minutes later, I close the lid of my trunk and climb behind the wheel. I can feel Bea’s eyes on me as I pull out onto the main street.
CHAPTER 22
The large brickhome Shiloh brings me to isn’t what I expected. Nor is the tall, willowy blonde who greets us. If I couldn’t feel the cold formality between them, I would be jealous. Instead, I’m confused.
Life has been breathed into this place. From the cluttered front hall to the sports equipment stashed in random corners, it’s clear many children live here.
So what exactly is Shiloh’s role?
Watching him shift his car into drive and carefully steer us back onto the road, I find my mind too full of questions to settle on one.
“Star Crossed,” he explains, “is a group home for foster children who are too close in age to presenting to be placed intraditional foster homes. Most foster parents aren’t equipped to handle a newly presented Alpha or Omega.”
That makes sense. It saddens me to know that teens are refused the love and care of a normal foster home, but it seems that Eloise puts in as much effort to mimic that environment as she can.
“What do you do there?”
Shiloh takes a moment to answer, putting on his turn signal and angling us into a small parking lot beside the local high school. “The other label executives and I mentor the teens who live there.”
My heart melts, turning to goo as I am exposed to this soft side of my coldest Alpha.
“I am going to ask you to wait here,” he tells me, leaning across the console to press his keys into my hand. “Lock the door. I will return in a moment.”
Curious to see what we are doing here, I follow his directions. He’s only gone for five minutes when he returns, smiling at the teenage boy who walks beside him.
I hit the unlock button, letting them slide inside. The overwhelming scent of cinnamon and something woody follows them inside. My nose itches, making me take shallow breaths.
“Bea, this is Spencer. Spence, this is my Omega, Bea.”
We both stare at Shiloh in shock. He called me his Omega. To someone else. Someone he clearly cares about.
Have we entered some alternate universe? Or maybe I’m still asleep and this is a dream?
Subtly, I pinch my thigh. The spike of pain reminds me I am wide awake. What the hell is happening right now?
“I-it’s nice to meet you,” Spencer finally splutters. His hand waves in the air, and his face turns a brilliant shade of red. “Sorry about this.”
My features soften, a small smile tilting my lips. “You don’t have to apologize. You just presented?”
He nods, embarrassed by something that is completely natural.
“Congratulations! Being an Alpha suits you!”
His blush deepens, eyes staring out the window. I give him a break and turn back to Shiloh.
“We are taking Spencer to enroll at the local Alpha Academy. Star Crossed can no longer house him now that his designation has emerged.”
I frown, wondering why our foster system continues to set children up for failure. What does it say about our country that they throw newly presented teens out on their asses, knowing they won’t have anywhere to go?
Not only is that awful, it’s dangerous. What would happen if one of those Alphas stumbled upon an unbonded Omega and lost control of themselves? Or seedy Alphas discovered a newly presented Omega?
I shudder at the thought. Perhaps I should follow in Shiloh’s footsteps and become a mentor. I’d rather my income go to helping others than sit untouched in my bank account.
“Will the Alpha Academy accept him in the middle of the school year?” I ask. When Omen and I enrolled at Dillon Falls Omega Academy, we had to do so before the year started.
“They will.” Peeking over at Shiloh, I bite back a smile. The stern set of his jaw tells me he won’t give them much choice in the matter.
Seeing this side of him makes me conflicted. How do I meld this soft, altruistic man with the self-proclaimed selfish Alpha I am used to?
