Chapter 31
Thirty-One
WILLOW
The next morning, everything ached.
I barely remembered crawling into my nest with Kaelen when we got home. He tried to feed me bits of chocolate, but I shrugged most of it off, falling asleep faster than I thought possible.
Fingers brushed over the thin silk covering my navel as I stirred. Kaelen’s arm around my waist tightened, pulling me snug against his firm chest. I rested my hand over his, tracing the ink on his knuckles.
“Good morning,” he said, his sleep-roughened voice blowing over my ear.
“Morning.”
I turned around to face him, smiling as his hand slid to the small of my back, rubbing against the dimpled skin. Even half-awake, his face was fixed in a hard line. I scratched my nails through his beard, melting at how easily he gave into me.
Kaelen Finnegan may have been the most feared man in Boston. But with me, he showed a different side, something fierce, protective, and undeniably gentle. The sapphire on my ring caught the dappled sunlight, glinting prettily with a kaleidoscope of color.
I loved this man. I wanted to spend my heat with him. I wanted him to bite me. Claim me in every way possible.
A small flicker of fear remained, but mostly, I was happy.
I trusted Kaelen with my life.
After everything with my dad, I thought I’d never trust an alpha enough to ask him to bond me. Yet here I was, those words on the tip of my tongue when his baritone interrupted me.
“I have some news about your mom.”
All the joy from seconds ago faded as I clutched Kaelen’s forearm.
“Shh. It’s alright. I wanted to tell you sooner, but you’ve been so preoccupied with the rescue, and then last night when we got home you were out almost instantly.”
Some color returned to my cheeks at his reassurances, the warmth trailing over my freckles.
“You should have told me sooner.”
“You’re right, mo chroí, please forgive me. I was waiting for more information from Aidan and Liam before relaying it to you.”
I nodded, knowing that whatever was going on with my mom wasn’t simple. I knew Kaelen would never jeopardize her or me, so I sucked down my initial anger. Instead, a heavy weight rested in the pit of my stomach, making me queasy.
“What is it?” I whispered, terrified to know the truth.
“Your dad has been dosing her with high levels of suppressants.”
“Why?” I hissed, launching up until I teetered on my knees.
A blaze ignited in his carefully controlled features. He snapped his eyes shut for a second before opening them again. The brief flash of heat from seconds ago disappeared, replaced with a serene glow.
“Sympathy from voters, maybe. Most likely to control her. Some alphas need more power. Inadvertently, though, he’s weakened the bond with your mom this way.
We’ve replaced the suppressants with placebos.
I’ve spoken to a doctor. We should be able to sever the bond without any injury to your mom. She should have a full recovery.”
I swayed, falling on my ass as I tried to process everything Kaelen said. Since I turned ten, my mom had been sick. I barely remembered the vibrant woman I had grown up with. Part of me accepted she would always be that way, frail and unable to do most things.
A whole future flashed before my eyes. One where she was happy, spending weekends at the beach house down in the Cape she loved so much. One where we went shopping, smiling without a care in the world.
It was almost too much to hope for. My hands trembled, and Kaelen took them in his own, pressing them over his thumping heart. It beat steadily. I tapped my fingers in time with the thudding in his chest.
My gaze met Kaelen’s. Dark rings pushed against his green eyes as he looked for something in my own.
“Please. Allow me. Give me your permission, mo chroí. I will end all of this.”
My heart skipped a beat as something sharp cleaved through my chest.
All the pain, grief, and anger I had been silently carrying around for over a decade broke free.
Kaelen stayed quiet, releasing my hands and guiding me into his lap. He didn’t prod me for an answer.
The choice hung ominously between us, and something steeled within me. I knew what I had to do. It wasn’t really a decision at all. Blood already stained my hands. What was one more? The man who hurt Shadow deserved all the pain he got and more.
And William Sterling had a lifetime of sins to atone for.
My mom and I deserved peace.
“Kill him, Kaelen. Kill William Sterling for me, Alpha.”
“I am yours to command, wife. Let me serve you.”
He claimed my lips in a fiery kiss, leaving me breathless.
After making me come on his tongue three times, Kaelen regrettably left me a sated mess in my nest. A sigh hummed from me as he pecked my forehead before leaving with Aidan for a meeting.
High from the dizzying orgasms he gave me, I simply nodded along, half-asleep in the bundle of blankets and pillows. It wasn’t until about noon when I pulled myself out of my cocoon.
Despite still feeling tired, I wanted to spend some more time at the construction site for the rescue. Caroline sent me a bunch of documents laying out the build locations along with proposed partnerships with local shelters and some high-kill ones in the southern states.
I wanted to be involved.
Whether that meant shoveling dirt, or making phone calls, I’d do it.
The messenger bag Kaelen gifted me bounced against my legging-clad hip. I padded my way into the kitchen where Aileen arched a brow at me while whisking batter in a bowl. I shrank under her intense, silent glare, wondering what I had done to earn her ire.
“Eat before you leave,” she said, pushing a sandwich in my direction. “You skipped breakfast.”
Her eyes narrowed, and I swore she knew exactly why I had missed breakfast. I hid behind my hair, falling onto the stool by the island as my face flushed. The hard lines around Aileen’s mouth faded as I took a bite, pushing a glass of water my way.
“Do I have to tell your alpha you’re not taking care of yourself?” she asked.
My eyes widened, and her gaze twinkled. The last thing I needed was Kaelen showing up and forcing me to eat. Besides, it was his fault I had been distracted this morning.
“No, ma’am.”
After finishing lunch, I found Torin with his nose buried in his phone.
“Can you take me to the rescue site?”
Color spread high over his cheekbones, and he quickly shoved his cell into his pocket. He offered me a tight nod. I tilted my head to the side, curious about what I had caught him in the middle of that had him so embarrassed.
“Did Aidan send you a dirty picture?”
“What?! No,” he sputtered, trying to shoo me toward the front door.
I giggled. “Then what has you so frazzled?”
Torin huffed, rubbing a spot between his brows before opening the car door for me. My nails tapped on the bulletproof window glass, debating whether to put him out of his misery or to poke more.
I always wanted a younger brother to needle.
“It’s a girl. An omega. Aidan and I both like her, and we’re trying to figure out how to ask her to dinner with both of us.”
“Oh. Does she know you’re both interested? Is she open to a pack dynamic?” I asked.
One girl from high school was part of a pack now. I’d seen all the photos she posted online. The omega absolutely glowed around all her alphas. I remembered being so confused at first when I found out.
Packs weren’t uncommon, but I couldn’t fathom trusting one alpha enough to be bonded to, let alone multiple.
She was the only omega, and she had three alphas in her pack. But I’d see all sorts, mixes of alphas, omegas, and betas. So hearing that Aidan and Torin had a crush on an omega only made me curious.
“We’re not sure. Hence, dinner,” Torin said, palming his nape.
For such a tough guy, he sure looked nervous. It was endearing. Aidan and Torin made an interesting pair. For an alpha, Aidan had an unusual level of control over his instincts. Still strong and imposing, but with more restraint. Then there was Torin, lean and playful.
I imagined the two of them would be the right partners for someone if that’s what they wanted.
“How could an omega not be interested in you two?”
The muscles in his face relaxed as he revved the engine and pulled out onto the street. Traffic was relatively light for lunchtime. I yawned. The leather headrest was soft against my scalp as I leaned back and eyed Black and Brew on the corner.
“Can we stop at the coffee shop on the way there?”
“Aye.”
After putting the car in park, Torin opened my door. I shielded my eyes from the sun, watching as he tapped the gun hidden under his jacket. A bright blue head of hair floated behind the counter as the barista bounced between four different things.
Torin leaned against the wall by the entrance, eyes scanning as I placed my order. I slid the black AMEX Kaelen had given me through the card reader, and picked up my cold brew from the other side.
I shoved the drink into Torin’s hands, snorting at his bemused expression.
“No, thanks,” he mumbled.
“I wasn’t offering. Hold that for me while I go to the bathroom.”
Torin followed close behind me, standing outside the door as my palm pressed against the plywood door.
“Seriously? You’re going to stand out here while I pee?”
“Yes,” Torin said, his Scottish brogue slipping through his gruff tone. “Be thankful Kaelen doesn’t make me go inside with you.”
I rolled my eyes. “Have fun. I’ll be back in a second.”
The first toilet was empty in the small two-stall bathroom.
I sat down, admiring the pretty pair of flats in the stall beside mine.
My nostrils flared, surprised by the strong alpha scent filling the space.
Female alphas were rare, and the other woman in the room with me smelled distinctly of lavender and freshly mown grass.
After I finished, I went to the sink to wash my hands. The tall, tanned alpha came up beside me.
“Hi,” I said.
When she didn’t return the gesture, I shrugged, ripping off a paper towel and drying my hands.
An arm wrapped around my chest, dragging me backwards. I flailed, fighting to no avail.
“You are sweet. No wonder he wants you. Now hush.”
Her honeyed voice chilled me. A thick cloth soaked with something covered my mouth, muffling my screams. I yelled again, calling out for Torin, but no sound came. I kicked and clawed at the arm holding me until my nails were bloody.
My vision blurred, all the colors clouded in the brightly lit room. My omega cried out. We needed our alpha. I never got to tell him. He needed to know I loved him. My thoughts muddled as my limbs turned heavy.
Everything went black.