Chapter 27
Agreeing to leave my mate for the night takes more effort than I care to admit.
The urge to constantly be by her side has only grown since learning she might be going into heat soon.
My biological drive to care for her rides me hard, making my hands shake as I walk to the small parking lot for her apartment complex.
“We’re going to Shiloh’s for the night,” Orion tells me, offering for me to join them.
“Text me his address and I’ll meet you there. I’m going to go check on Lex first.”
Ridley meets my eyes and nods. His roommate is a thorn in my side, one I will happily let bury itself deeper if he manages to pull his head out of his ass long enough to see the beacon of hope standing before him. Knowing his absence upsets my mate only adds to my growing frustration.
Hoping into my beloved car, I make the short trip to FCDA headquarters, where Lex is currently stationed as part of the joint DAU/FCDA task force to capture the rest of the escaped breeding ring leaders.
I’ve spent most of my working days finding leads for the field teams to track.
Between that and running the routine combat assessments agents are required to undergo every other year, I have had little opportunity to speak with Lex.
Something I regret, because I know he will need a big push to work toward accepting his role as Bea’s Alpha.
The sun is sinking below the horizon when I pull up to the office.
A handful of cars are still parked in the lot, and I spot Lex’s Rubicon in the lot.
The colorful array of dicks drawn on his windows makes me frown.
If anyone pulls a stunt like that on my car, I’d break their fingers.
I also know Ridley is the one who put the other agents in charge of this prank.
He loves riling Lex up so they can fight it out in the ring later.
“Barrett. Shouldn’t you be at home with your Omega?” Catalco asks when he sees me walking through the building’s entrance. He looks like he is on his way out, with a bag slung over his shoulder and wet hair from a shower.
“Omega night with her besties. Where’s Lex?”
“Gym. Good fucking luck with that one,” he grunts, clapping me on the shoulder as he passes by.
The sound of fists hitting the bag filters out of the open double doors to the agency gym. Soft grunts accompany the frustrated, nearly burned scent of leather and sandalwood. I round the corner and lean against the wall, watching my former squadmate take his aggression out on the equipment.
“You’ll never be able to do anything with that boner if you break your hands,” I call out, catching him off guard. His hands steady the bag when it swings wildly from his stray hit.
“Fucker.” I grin as he grumbles, downing half of his water and wiping sweat from his face. His gray eyes narrow on me, a question in his gaze, but he clenches his jaw tighter and keeps his mouth shut. Stubborn fucking Alpha.
“Come on, I have something to show you.” I shut off the music and grab a rag to wipe down the equipment he was using.
When I step in front of him, he scowls at me, but he grabs his stuff and heads to the showers.
I’m glad he trusts me enough to listen, because I do not want to see his pale ass naked, and there is no way he is climbing in my car, soaked in sweat.
Twenty minutes later, we’re headed back up the highway to Starburgh. I follow the GPS directions to Shiloh’s apartment building and find a spot to park down the street. The tall, sleek building shimmers in the evening light, blinding in its beauty.
Entering the building, we’re greeted by a staff of vigilant security guards. Huh. I wonder how much a unit in this place costs? With all our salaries together, we could probably afford it, and knowing how well protected our Omega would be would make every penny worth it.
“Good evening, gentlemen. How can I help you?” An older Beta man greets us from behind the counter in the lobby. I give him our names and IDs, explaining we are meeting our packmates here.
“Ah, you’re part of Mr. Acherely’s new pack. Congratulations on finding your Fate-matched mate. Let me scan your IDs, and I’ll get you badges and keys for the elevators.”
My brows raise higher the longer he speaks. I haven’t seen Shiloh outside of the one night he took Bea to dinner, so I assumed he was thinking similarly to Lex and wanted to avoid becoming her mate. If he’s told his building’s security team about us, though, maybe I thought wrong.
With shiny new badges in hand, we’re directed to an elevator slightly behind the desk. “What the fuck is going on?” Lex questions as we ride to the top floor.
“I have no clue, but I think we’re about to find out.”
The elevator opens onto a small hallway. A door to the stairwell sits on our left, and a trash chute to our right. Fresh paint covers the walls around the single door across from us. I slip my new key into the lock, curiosity growing when it opens.
“Well, look at that! You convinced him to come!” Ridley shouts.
“I was unaware of where we were going; otherwise, I would have resisted,” Lex retorts, glaring at me as Ridley laughs. I shrug at my friend, slipping my shoes off before I join the others.
“Welcome, Mr. Barrett, Mr. Ferguson, or Creed, and Lex. I suppose we can drop the formalities now that we share an Omega mate.” Shiloh stands at his kitchen island, sleeves rolled up and a drink in his hand. The faint scent of something cheesy and herby fills the air.
“So, what’s with the keys?”
“Shiloh bought the units below him and is renovating both floors into a house for us and our Omega,” Orion chimes in from his spot on the couch.
“Well, damn. I guess I don’t need to grease palms to get her into this building after all!” Which is great, because pulling strings means going to Porter. And I’d never hear the end of it if I asked him for help.
“Would you like a tour? The construction crew estimates another week to complete the remaining bedrooms, and a month for the entertainment spaces, but it should be move-in ready by the time Sabine’s lease is up.”
We follow behind the older Alpha as he shows us the Omega suite built on the top floor, including an empty nest, massive bathroom, and walk-in closet.
On the floor below us, he walks us through where each bedroom is, as well as the home gym and several smaller pocket nests for Bea to enjoy on this level.
It’s perfect. Messy because it’s still a work in progress, but seeing the potential in this place for all of us… My mate is going to love it.
Back in the kitchen, Shiloh pulls a bubbling pan of some type of pasta from his oven and sets it aside to cool.
“I have paint swatches and furniture catalogs for each of you to pick what you would like to decorate your rooms with. Just use the catalog numbers here,” he points to a small number in the top corner of each image before continuing, “to fill out the request form with your name on it.”
“What about sunshine’s room?” Ridley asks, settling onto a stool and pulling a book of furniture over to flip through.
“I will take Bea to lunch when we return to work on Monday, where I will officially ask her to move in. She can choose the decor for her suite then. Though I think it would be beneficial for all of us to take the time to go nest shopping with her instead of ordering everything online. A pack date of sorts.”
Fucking hell, the thought of helping my Omega pick out things for her nest makes a buzz grow beneath my skin. Instincts roar back to life, demanding I lay eyes on her to ensure she is safe with all her mates away.
Ridley must feel the same, because he quickly opens the camera app on his phone and watches her talking with her friends in the living room. He leaves the volume muted, respecting her privacy as much as his Alpha urges will allow him.
“I won’t be staying here,” Lex cuts in, arms crossed over his chest as he scowls down at the paper with his name on it. “Not until we are both in the headspace to risk a rut.”
“Yeah, you have little choice,” Ridley replies breezily, not taking his eyes off his phone screen. “I put in a notice that we’ll be vacating our apartment at the end of the month.”
“You motherfuck-”
“Mr. Ferguson,” Shiloh snaps, drawing Lex’s ire his way.
“I do not know the reasons behind your reluctance, but I have witnessed you interact with Sabine enough to know your inner Alpha craves the peace she offers you. Even if you aren’t here full time, use the room I have given you to learn to accept the bond between you. ”
“And go see a fucking therapist,” Orion growls from the couch, sounding so unlike the usually somber but polite Alpha I’ve grown to know that I do a double take.
“Not that it’s any of your fucking business, but I already am,” Lex growls back, stalking toward the door.
I call after him. “She needs you as much as you need her. The sooner you work out your shit and accept that, the sooner you can start making it up to her.”
The door slams behind him, leaving us all with scowls and sighs of frustration.
As much as we would love to force Lex to open his eyes, he has to make that decision for himself.
He’s missing out on a beautiful life, because our Omega is a fucking goddess.
I can’t wait to return home so I can worship her properly.
Saturday morning, we all leave Shiloh’s.
Ridley heads to his former apartment to pack up the rest of his and Lex’s stuff to bring here.
I plan on doing the same. I’ve made it a point to stop by my place once a week, just in case something happens while I’m gone.
Coming back to find something like a burst pipe and a hefty repair bill would suck ass.
“I’m headed back to the apartment,” Orion tells us, eyes still heavy with sleep. I’m momentarily jealous knowing he will get to slip into the nest with our mate and enjoy her sweet body all to himself, but it fades quickly. The faster I finish packing, the sooner I can join them.