Page 58 of Bound By Pain
Tilting my head a bit, I consider his actions just moments ago. He hadn’t said a word to me, or anyone else, only nodding along with his bandmates. Which is odd, because the gentle Alpha is usually the first to address an issue when it arises.
“Thanks, Manny. And good luck with whatever is causing you to lose sleep. I’m here if you ever need to talk.”
He waves me off, turning back to his work. I take my leave and head upstairs. Like Manny, I will get through my day one task at a time.
After meeting with the band to go over upcoming shows, interviews, and other tasks, I send them on their way. Caleb stays behind at my request, staring at the blank walls of the office.
“What’s going on?” I ask bluntly.
His blue-gray eyes meet mine, filled with a sorrow that cuts deep into my soul and brings tears to my eyes. Fucking Omega hormones.
“It’s nothing-”
I cut him off with a sharp glare, and he swallows thickly before staring down at the table. He clenches his hands together on top of the worn wood, his knuckles white from the tightness of his grip.
“After you left the club that night, a fight broke out. Not involving any of the bands, just a bunch of drunk assholes nearby. It was whatever, you know? That shit happens. But then I started to panic. Full-blown, hard-to-breathe panic attack. It was fucking weird. I didn’t understand why my body was reacting so poorly to something I’ve seen a hundred times…” Hisvoice trails off, eyes squeezing shut before they flicker back open and turn to me.
“Then I looked across the room and saw Skye’s pack surrounding her. She was hyperventilating in their arms. And suddenly it clicked. Like a key sliding into place and unlocking a door I’d spent years ignoring.”
I already know what he is going to say before the words leave his lips. My mind is torn between joy and pity for the confused Alpha.
“It wasn’t my emotions I was feeling at all. They were hers. Shared through a Fated connection we never uncovered.”
“What did she say?”
He glances away again, jaw tight as his head shakes. “I left before I could find out. Like hell, I was going to stick around to get rejected.”
Reaching out, I gently grip his forearm, waiting until he looks at me again. “Skye already has a bonded pack-”
“I fucking know that,” he grits out. Shaking off my hand.
“Let me finish speaking, asshole. She has a bonded pack, BUT she still sought you out in Portland. The history between the two of you obviously means something to her. And I know it does to you, too. Are you really going to walk away from your Fate-matched mate because you are afraid you won’t fit in with her other mates?”
“That’s not… It’s more complicated than that.”
“Maybe,” I tell him as I push to my feet, ready to go meet Shiloh for lunch. “Maybe not. You won’t know if you don’t try. I don’t know about you, but I think Fate is worth taking chances on.”
Leaving him to consider my words, I silently hope he gives his Fate a chance. I would never wish for another Omega to have a mate whose fear impedes the connection between them.
CHAPTER 25
Wakingup with my back pressed against the door, the wooden frame digging against my spine, I fight back a sigh. Living at Bea’s apartment is getting less manageable by the day. Her nest is too small for two medium-sized Alphas and Creed’s giant ass.
At first, we had taken turns sleeping in here with her. Then the nightmares started, and she needed all of us within arm’s reach to sleep peacefully. Now we’re crammed wall to wall, limbs stacked together to fit. My beautiful mate sprawls across us. Her head is on Ridley’s shoulder, body resting across Creed’s torso, leaving her legs to twine with mine.
Slipping away from her, I roll into her bedroom and push to my feet. Whatever steps I have to take, I’ll have a solution for us by the end of the day.
As I’m making a simple breakfast quiche for everyone to share, someone knocks on her apartment door. Opening it, I see an elderly woman at the end of the sidewalk. She trots toward the next-door neighbors, so I assume she’s got the wrong house. Something catches my eye as I turn to go back inside. An envelope sticks out of Bea’s empty mailbox. Grabbing it, I head back inside.
“What’s this?” Bea asks, her voice thick with sleep as she slumps against me. Ridley doctors her a cup of coffee, humming happily. I’ll never understand how he can be so damn chipper after sleeping so fitfully.
“It was in your mailbox.”
She takes it from my hands, ripping it open and reading its contents. Her brows furrow, stress lines making themselves present the further she reads.
“Well, I knew this was coming, but it still sucks.”
I take the page from her hand when she passes it my way and scan through the contents. Her tenure at the apartment is ending now that she has bonded mates. The owner of the complex wants to keep the buildings Omega-only, meaning we have thirty days to find somewhere for all of us to live.
