Chapter 40
Forty
Vivian
"It's nice to meet you."
The chill of the dewy grass through my leggings grounds me. Without it, I feel like I might float away in a wave of tears and sorrow.
Swallowing, I fight past the emotion in my throat. "My name is Vivian Frost. Um, I met your son last year. You don't want to know the story, but I want to tell you about after, if that's okay?"
I trail off as if waiting for a response. Soft tweets of birds and wind rustling through the trees are the only sounds to be heard, but it's enough to hold the peace for me.
"Riot, he—" I swallow a sob. "He makes me smile every day. If I didn't know any better, I'd say his mother raised him right and his fathers taught him how to be a pillar of a pack."
Reaching up, I quickly wipe a wayward tear away. "I'm sorry you didn't get the chance to see him grow up. I hope you're watching and admire the man he's become. We love him so much. Do you know that?"
Maybe they do. I'd like to believe they've been watching over him even when he's felt alone. Have they guided him in some way?
"There are five of us. We laugh constantly, tease mercilessly, support each other no matter what, and love unconditionally. I'm proud of us," I whisper. "Please be proud of Riot. He's been through so much and he's one of the best men I know."
A low thrum starts in my thighs, like they're about to go numb from sitting in the cold for a little too long.
I don't want to leave. "They're waiting for me," I whimper, not having the strength to get up.
What would it have been like to have met Riot's family?
Why is it so hard to leave? I've never known these people, and Riot lost them too young to remember them.
"I don't want to go," I cry, digging my fingers into the earth, a wave of feeling pressing me down. The pressure draws a sob from my heart and cracks a fissure in my soul.
A tingle races up my arm and zaps my temples, making me gasp and fly back. "What's happening?" I whimper, eyes wide, taking in the group of graves I was just crying over. "You're—" Orange.
Blanketed in a soft orange hue, Riot's family gravesite hums similarly to his red tether in the bond.
Is this what Riot sees when he talks about my aura?
I sit for a long time, twisting my fingers through it.
Each time I touch it, it jumps and twirls around my arm, then a sense of rightness washes over me.
"Thank you," I whisper, and press my forehead into the dirt. "I love you for the man you've given me. See you soon."
When I sit up, I see the final specks of the orange hue disappear back into the earth. I gulp, unsure what in the world just happened but knowing it was beautiful. I connected with a part of our family. A family bond maybe? Do those exist? Even if they don't, I think I just made it happen.
Keeping my steps light so as not to disturb any other graves, I find it easier to leave Riot's parents and find Jarek's sister.
The sparkly sheen of yellow across the cemetery draws me in. I'm not surprised this time. I know who it is, and she's waiting for me. Something new has unlocked in my abilities, and I'm not afraid. Our loved ones, even passed on, can connect with us. What a beautiful thing...
Crouching in front of her stone, I place my hand on her name and smile when she wraps her tether around my forearm.
"Hi, Sadie. I don't know if Jarek told you all the news, but he probably left some stuff out. You ready for some serious tea?"
Sadie's sparkly yellow wraps tighter in excitement, making me laugh. Somehow it feels so natural to interact with them. My gift is growing, and I'm so grateful for the things that make me different.
"Let’s start with our daily affirmations because this is going to be an emotional roller coaster."
"I am beautiful. I am strong. I am different and not wrong. I have boundaries. I have grace. I have a voice and am not a disgrace."
Next for Y.V. Omegaverse:
Nestless Without You
An omega taken from her two mates and saved by two more.
Each miserable second without my bonded mates takes another piece of my fragile soul. I can barely function and the environment I’m forced to live in makes everything worse.
My father stole me from my pack just to keep me locked away from the world. Day in and day out, I listen and watch other omegas suffer. He says I should be grateful that I’m not them but all I feel is worthless and weak.
Some days, I wish he would just sell me, too.
Other times, when the sun is rising in the sky, painting my cell in yellow and blue, I beg for my knights in shining armor to save me from this torment.
One day, someone does. Trent. A new scent match who brings me home to his male omega who’s adamant I’m his too.
They try to heal me, but they can’t possibly want me to stay. Especially when they find out my omega is tearing me apart one cell at a time without my bonded mates. I was hoping for someone to save me, yet I’m still waiting for my pack to find me.
I’m partially feral. I have no desire to nest. Depressed and lonely, I’m not willing to thrive. I’ve been torn from my mates, and have no will to bond again…
And I’m being hunted by my own father.
Who would ever want someone as broken as me?