Page 64 of The Beta: Part Two
“It will work because nobody ever expects omegas to do anything but stay home and fret. You and I aren’t like other omegas.”
“All you’ve ever seen me do is stay home and fret. Or fuck.” As much as I’d love to go out on jobs with the alphas they would never allow me to put myself at risk like that.
“Jasper. I’m not the only one with a file. I read up on you. My mother has followed your progress since you were eleven years old. I’m only a year older than you, too. I was at the center when you were. I didn’t make the connection until my mother mentioned it. I remember seeing you train when you were a teenager. We are not like other omegas. We will go in there and get our alphas. Then we’ll destroy the ones who took them.’
Well, fuck. When she puts it like that…
Chapter twenty
Jasper
Elizabet Graves is hugging me. And I can’t enjoy it because I can’t pull my eyes away from the bed where my Devon is sleeping. He’s hooked up to so many lines and monitors. He isn’t covered in blood or the sickening gray color he was the last time I saw him, though. That’s at least something.
Elizabet grabbed me the moment my foot crossed the threshold and she’s been holding and humming a soft purr at me like my own mother used to do. Talia side-stepped us, probably to avoid getting snagged into the embrace, and went straight to Devon’s side. She’s touching his forehead and cheeks right now with her mouth set in a tight line and her brows knitted together. I can smell and feel her tension and worry.
Reid immediately hauled a nurse into the room to explain Devon’s progress and chart. She’s trying not to be nervous, but Reid is a little bit intimidating. Actually, Reid is incredibly intimidating. Especially if you’re not part of his pack. Even Elizabet eyed him when he came in behind Talia and me.
Corso is on Devon’s other side. I’m watching his eyes move over Devon’s body inspecting every bandage-covered injury, sensor, and line entrance. Alex is talking to Thaddeus like they’re old friends. I guess they are since Talia was with Alex’s pack before.
I really like Talia’s fathers. I’ve only met Marcus and Thaddeus, though. I have yet to meet the other two. They went ahead to her brother’s pack where we’re going after we leave the hospital.
I pull myself away from Elizabet, trying not to make it seem like an escape, and go to Talia’s side. I reach down and touch Devon’s lips. They’re warm and dry. Then I tuck his hand into mine, being mindful of the IV line taped to the back of it. His hand is also warm and dry. My chest is getting tight. I had hoped seeing him on the mend would help, but he’s still so hurt. His scent is stronger now, more like his usual sweet orchard grass scent instead of the faded scent of grass clippings and blood he reeked of when he was at home, dying on the floor.
But then he squeezes my hand and opens his eyes and I’m crying. He tries to purr for me, but it costs him. A lot. “Don’t, Devon. Shh. I’m okay. I’m just glad you’re not dead.”
I wasn’t supposed to cry. I wanted to be strong, but the second his eyes opened I couldn’t stop the tears.
“Devon wouldn’t let those assholes kill him,” Talia says, moving her touch away from him, “would you? It would take a lot more than that, wouldn’t it?”
He turns his head just slightly so he can look her in the eye, “it would. I’m not going anywhere.” His voice is almost too rough to make out what he’s saying. It’s little more than a raspy whisper.
“I love you,” I tell him. Talia steps away from the bed and I lean over to kiss Devon as gently as I can. All I want is to climb into this bed and cling to him.
“I love you, Jasper,” he whispers. He starts to pull me down, closer to him, but I’m afraid to put too much pressure on his body. He has so many bandages, and I might die if I hurt him because I couldn’t stand not touching him.
“It’s alright, princess. You can lay next to him, just don’t lay on him. He needs to hold you.”
It sounds perfectly reasonable when Talia says it, so I do. I lay just against him, close enough to touch my nose to his shoulder. Underneath the smell of hospital and antiseptics and bandages, Devon’s sweet grass scent is still there reminding me that as long as he’s here everything will be okay.
“Talia,” he whispers. I don’t think he can do more than that at this point. She walks around to the other side of the bed and leans down closer to him so he won’t have to struggle to be loud enough. As she leans over her braid brushes against his hand and he grasps it. “Take care of him for me.”
“Of course, Alpha.”
“Don’t,” he takes a shaking breath, “you don’t have to say that.”
“Fuck off. You are my alpha. I will take care of our omega. And the rest of our pack will be home soon. We need you to rest, and heal.”
Devon closes his eyes. I watch his hand grip the tail of Talia’s braid at the same time as he squeezes my hand. He gives us a tiny nod, but he doesn’t open his eyes again.
Elizabet clears her throat, “I’m staying with him until your pack is able to be here. Your father booked a suite for us at the hotel across the street, but I’m not leaving this room. I promise I won’t mother him too much. Well, that’s a lie. I fully intend to mother the shit out of him, and harass every fucking doctor in this hospital until they get him fixed up. I’ll take care of Devon, don’t worry.”
How in the entire blue hell did I not realize Talia is Elizabet’s daughter? Between Elizabet’s charming demeanor and Marcus’s general attitude, there’s no wonder Talia turned out the way she has.
“Thank you for staying with him,” Talia says. Devon has fallen back to sleep. His hand is slack in mine. In a display of affection I don’t think anyone was expecting, Talia goes to her mother and allows herself to be held and swayed. They do a bit of whispering, but that’s between them. I’m concentrating too hard on listening to Devon breathe and taking in as much of his scent as I possibly can.
Reid steps up to the bed behind me, and I can feel the warmth radiating from him. “Devon will be alright. We’re going to have to leave for Daniel’s soon. I don’t want to make you leave him, but we have a lot to do.”
I know he’s right, but the thought of leaving Devon here in this bed to wake up alone makes me nauseous. I hate it. I don’t know how I’m supposed to pull myself away from him and walk out the door. But Talia reminds me.
