Page 24 of A Promise of Forever
I do. I want to crawl back up into the nest and sleep attached to Forrest’s side, but I can’t be selfish. “You still need to work. I can..."
He purrs against my skin, his lips traveling down to my neck. "You do not need to be tough all the time, Sterling. You are mypriority. Everyone out there can wait. What would you like to do?"
The question makes tears spring to my eyes. When was the last time someone asked what I wanted and actually meant it? When was the last time my comfort mattered more than someone else's convenience?
"I want to go back home to that nest," I admit, my voice breaking slightly. "Please."
"Give me five minutes. Can you be a good boy and wait five minutes, and then I'll have someone get you home safely, okay?"
The praise makes warmth bloom in my chest despite my distress. "When will you be coming home?" I want to go home, but not without my Valla. Astra was right. I do want him. I need him. And some part of me hates that because I firmly believe that he’ll just disappear from my side the moment I get attached.
"Within the hour, I hope." Forrest shifts slightly so he can see my face. "I just need to handle a few things and also make sure that the waiter understands he's never to approach you again, and then I'll be right behind you."
I probably should ask more questions, but I don’t think I’ll like the answers. So, I just nod, allowing Forrest to continue holding me and scenting me until the panic completely dissipates.
Forrest
Making sure the door clicks shut when I leave, I press a hand to the wood, willing myself to rein in my anger until I get Sterling home. That look in his eyes almost broke me, almost had me telling everyone here to fuck off while I took him back to the cottage and held him against my chest. But neither of us would have gotten any sleep. I need to rip someone’s head off and Sterling doesn’t need to see me in this state.
I’ll give myself an hour and then I’ll go home to him.
One day, I’ll introduce him to the Valla everyone else knows, but not tonight.
I move back into the main room, Bryn sitting on the edge of the couch with Astra clinging to his side. The Valla looks positively peeved, his expression dark with barely contained violence, and I recognize the look. Someone threatened his Omega, and every instinct he possesses is screaming for blood.
"What the fuck happened?" Bryn asks, his voice rough.
"That's what I would like to know," I reply, scanning the room for any other potential threats to Sterling's safety.
Astra shifts against Bryn's side, his earlier playfulness replaced with genuine concern. "I think he noticed Sterling was yours, Valla, and I guess wanted to impress? I don't know. Sterling said no to the drink, but then the waiter just... he reached for him. But I don't know if he actually touched him or..."
Astra frowns, clearly replaying the incident in his mind and trying to piece together exactly what triggered Sterling's distress. The uncertainty in his voice makes me feel even guiltier. I put both of them in that situation by bringing Sterling here before he was ready. I’ll have to put out a statement that lets everyone know they aren’t to so much as look in Sterling’s direction.
"I'm sorry," I say, the apology directed at both of them. "I shouldn't have put you in that situation. That waiter won't be working here or anywhere in the city again."
He'll be lucky to find work cleaning toilets in establishments that don't give a damn about my organization's reach. Bryn's expression softens slightly at my words. "Thank you for your concern. Astra is alright. How is Sterling?"
Bryn barely knows Sterling, has only seen him for maybe twenty minutes, but the concern in his voice is real. It reminds me why Caelan chose him as a mate, why their pack works so well together.
"I need someone to get him home," I say, dragging a hand down my face in frustration. The night was supposed to be abouthandling business and showing Sterling a controlled glimpse of my world. Instead, it turned into a disaster that probably set back all of the trust we just built. "Where is that bastard Dorian? I need to deal with him before I can focus on anything else."
Thea appears at my elbow, her timing impeccable as always. She snorts with obvious amusement. "I guess I'm on Omega duty, huh?"
The question triggers a round of laughter that helps cut through some of the tension in the room. I forget sometimes that she worked with my father and spent a lot of time with my Omega father. If anyone will be delicate enough with Sterling, it will definitely be her.
Caelan comes back into the viewing box with Lorcan, both of their expressions telling me that they probably enjoyed whatever they did to that waiter. "The waiter has been all but disposed of," Lorcan reports, a smug smile spreading across his lips. "I’ve also carved out a perfect space for him on the docket for this evening's fight. Should be quite a sight to see."
Anyone who makes Sterling feel unsafe deserves whatever punishment comes their way, and being thrown into the ring with actual trained fighters is merciful compared to what my Valla instincts are screaming for me to do.
“Great. And Dorian?”
Another Alpha steps up with a small file and hands it off to Thea before explaining about missing bets and how the financial records aren't lining up because Dorian skipped out on a payment due at midnight. By default, his string of fighters is no longer allowed in our ring because of the breach of contract, which puts several upcoming matches in jeopardy and costs us potential revenue.
Which is fine. Except for the fact that I was dragged out of bed for this shit.
"And where's the fucking emergency?" I ask, frustration bleeding into my voice. "Money goes missing all the time. We hire people specifically to deal with collection issues."
Caelan chuckles as he leans against Bryn, his hand moving to settle on Astra’s head. "Because the motherfucker was caught sneaking in here maybe half an hour ago on camera. Lorcan grabbed him before he could get far. He's in one of the holding cages downstairs. Lorcan went a few rounds with him already, but it seems like this situation is a bit deeper than just not paying his debts."
