Page 20 of Laurels and Liquor

“I didn’t either, love,” I admit with a chuckle. “I only found out this morning, and with the hearing and the ankle monitor—”

“Ankle monitor? What’s going on? Aren’t you on your way home?” Lydia asks abruptly.

I sigh, shoulders slumping as I sink down into the chair I’d been leaning on. “Unfortunately, I’m not. I’m on house arrest until this gets dealt with. The DA was able to convince the judge that I’m a flight risk.”

“Lydia, is that him?”

A faint voice in the background makes my breath catch. Mateo. There’s a moment when I can’t hear anything except muffled, unclear words, but then there’s a faint click and then they’re both there.

“Rhett, holy shit. I can’t—are you okay? How’s your leg?” Mateo starts, disbelief dripping from his words.

I rub at the sore spot almost subconsciously. I can still feel the bump of scar tissue left behind, even though the stitches were removed the other day. I was lucky I didn’t tear them as I went about the inmate’s routine, not to mention trying to not look weak enough for someone to try to press an advantage.

“Healing. He didn’t get any major arteries or tendons, so it’s just a matter of time and rest,” I tell them as reassuringly as I can.

“I miss you so much,” Lydia says, and the pain in her voice cuts through me like a knife.

I purr on instinct, and she sighs. But that quickly turns into a sniffle, and my heart cracks a bit more.

“I miss you, too, sweet girl. And you, too, Mateo. So much it hurts,” I admit, rubbing my chest again.

“Like physically? It hurts physically?” Lydia asks, suddenly curious.

I pause, trying to puzzle that out. “Yes. Sometimes it feels like—”

“Someone ripped your soul in two,” Lydia finishes for me, and I can only sit in stunned silence.

“I’ve been talking with Caleb’s mate, Sylvie, and she thinks we may have created some sort of pseudo-bond, and that’s why it’s been… hard to be apart,” Lydia explains, voice catching for a moment before she finishes.

“Lucas asked his sisters about it, and I guess it’s something that can happen if an alpha and an omega are particularly close. Most people don’t realize it happens because they end up bonding before any of the adverse effects become noticeable,” Mateo adds, tone light and inquisitive.

I frown a little deeper, trying not to let any of my worry seep through the phone line. I’d told Ted that I want to go through the grand jury process, because we think we have a good shot at avoiding indictment all together. But if being apart from Lydia is hurting her, I may have to ask if there’s any form of plea deal I could take that would allow me to go back home to serve the sentence.

“I’m okay now, Rhett. It wasn’t fun for the first few days, but Sylvie is helping a lot. She and Caleb went through something similar, and they made it just fine. If anything, I can come to you if things get too bad.”

“No!”

Mateo and I shout the word at the same time, both with equal measures of panic coating our voices. I clear my throat and take a deep, calming breath. Lex and Mateo and Lucas can protect Lydia better if she’s in Everton. As much as I want to hold her, to see that she’s safe with my own eyes, I can’t risk her parents ambushing us and taking her away from me.

“We’re going to be fine, Lydia. Even just talking to you has made me feel that much better. It’s better for you to stay where you are,” I reply calmly.

“But what about my heat?” she protests, making my heart skip a beat.

“We’ve got time, love. The DA is on the clock to get charges to stick and—”

“I need you here for my heat, Rhett. I don’t care what it takes,” she interrupts petulantly.

I give her a little warning growl without thinking. She whimpers and I can almost picture the way her eyes would go wide, and she’d tuck her chin to her chest in silent apology. I sigh and run a hand through my hair.

“I’ll do what I can, but you have Lucas, and Mateo, and Lex. They’ll see you through your heat if I can’t be there,” I say, forcing the words out even if they hurt.

The idea of missing my omega’s heat, of not being there to care for her when she needs me the most, drags on my soul like a rusty blade, but I have to remain realistic. My word is my bond, and I’m not going to make a promise I can’t keep.

“Rhett… it’s not just wanting—I got my implant out,” she returns, barely above a whisper.

I nearly drop my phone as her words slam into me. If she got her implant removed, and she goes into heat, it could mean… it means we could bond. And not only Lydia and her alphas. It would mean Lucas and I…

“Are you sure about this, Lydia? With everything going on—”

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