Chapter 22
Chapter
Twenty-Two
BELLAMY
“How was your first day as a paid artist?” Winter asks excitedly as we sit down at a table at the restaurant. “Tell me everything!”
I can’t help but grin at her squeal, but I can also tell there’s something different about her. Her scent is different, and when I felt her orgasm while I was working, I had to concentrate on not coming in my pants.
The sensation was so strong, you’d have thought she was in the room. I never know how our bond is going to behave when we aren’t together. Often, it’s shared emotions and pain.
Knowing she’ll tell me at some point, I tell her about my day.
“I chose a concept for a job today, and now I’m bringing it to life,” I explain.
“The person commissioning wants a certain style, and it’s one I’m not completely proficient in.
At first, I wanted to go with the easy option, but Mr. Duvall told me to take the chance.
The school has reminders for taking breaks, which helped me from completely hyper fixating. ”
“So no dizziness,” she says worriedly.
“Is that why you were dizzy painting the mural in your nest?” Abbott asks.
“It is,” I admit. “I pushed too hard, and working on a ladder isn’t the most comfortable. The mural just needs a little more before it’s done.”
“It’s really pretty,” Winter praises me. “It feels like it’s ours.”
“As it should,” Cassidy says. “If you need help, please ask. Abbott is great at putting things together, and Shi is who you go to for cool, techy shit. Ansel will move furniture around until it’s how you want it.”
“God, will he,” Abbott snorts. “Every so often, Cassidy gets a bee in her bonnet to rearrange rooms.”
“Shh. It’s not that bad. Usually, it’s because I know the house cleaner needs to clean under the furniture, I just won’t tell them that,” she says, clearly enjoying the havoc she orchestrates on the house.
See, I love this. It’s family, connection, and shared love. I’m beginning to enjoy the chaotic energy in the house finally. It means that when the chaos is coming from Winter or I, we merely fit in.
We’re not a burden or making too much noise, something Matilda used to complain about often. May she rot in hell.
“What’s your work space look like?” Winter asks curiously.
I describe the school, how the space is set up, and then tell her about my studio. Some people would say it’s small, but I happen to like how cozy it feels. I can see everything inside it, and there’s no room for anyone to hide inside it.
“What did you do today?” I ask, smirking as she blushes.
“I got a job, had an orgasm in the dressing room of said new employment and a bond bite, and then decided to try out for a play,” she says, making me spit out my water after having taken a sip.
“You’re a terrible influence, Cass,” Abbott groans, cleaning his face with a wince. Oh, I didn’t mention my water spewed all over him?
Can the floor just swallow me whole, please?
“I’m so sorry,” I groan, red faced.
“This isn’t your fault,” he chuckles.
“See? The sandwich method works every time,” Cassidy giggles. “Are you okay there, Abbott?”
“Yes. I’d much rather have cock in my mouth than spit, but I suppose beggars can’t be choosers,” Abbott says.
“I…what?”
I think I’m having an aneurysm.
“Don’t be dramatic,” Winter says with a wink.
“You’re the one with the exciting day,” I tease her. “I knew about the orgasm, I almost came in my pants while painting. I felt something else, but I was overwhelmed by trying not to embarrass myself."
“Maybe you should bring extra clothes from now on,” Abbott says, his face turning red as he tries not to give into a laugh.
“I don’t know if my new career can survive a load of cum in my pants,” I snort. “Although, you’re orgasming at your new job, Winter, so maybe it can. A bite is big, Beloved.”
“Yeah,” she says, biting her bottom lip as the tone of our conversation gets serious. “It felt right, though.”
“Good,” I say, happy for her. Each day, things just seem to click together. “Feel any different?”
It’s like the world kind of disappears as I lean towards her, completely focused on her next words. I really need to know.
“It feels better than I imagined,” she says, wonder in her eyes. “There’s a bond between Cassidy and I, and I can feel slight emotions.”
“My entire brain is in tune with Winter now,” Cassidy whispers, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible. “I can feel really intense emotions, but nothing else yet. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted and more.”
This pack has wanted an omega, and it found itself with two. Things are moving slowly for me, and I think it’s because it’s hard for me to think of myself without knowing Winter is good.
I need that extra reassurance, and I’m starting to see it happen before my eyes.
“Fuck yes,” I say. I’m not jealous exactly. It just feels as if things are progressing as they should.
“We heard we’re celebrating,” Ansel says, surprising us with Shiloh beside him.
Abbott’s eyes widen, and he turns to look at the rest of the pack.
“Hey,” he says with a laugh. “Trackers?”
“Yes,” Shiloh says, unrepentant on how they found us.
Another table is pushed over, and my cheeks hurt from smiling so hard as the waiter comes over quickly.
La Boheme is an upscale French restaurant, yet no one is snobby here.
Maybe it’s because of who I’m with, but everyone is very polite, friendly, and bending over backward to ensure we have everything we need.
Not to mention, they explain things when Winter and I have questions without complaint, and my food is what I expect it to be when it arrives.
“What do you think about the restaurant?” Abbott asks as he watches me chew my food slowly.
My eyes roll back as the flavors of the sauce and spices hit my tongue. I ordered a chicken dish, and it just seems to disintegrate in my mouth.
“It’s amazing,” I say once I’ve swallowed. “What did they do to this chicken?!”
“It’s the chef’s secret,” Abbott says with a shrug. His chestnut hair is slightly damp from my accident earlier, but it doesn’t detract from how gorgeous he is. “I just make a percentage from profits. I knew he deserved his shot. I believe in helping people achieve their dreams.”
I can see that.
Winter’s amusement floods my senses, making me feel like I’m full of butterflies and light.
I think I’m the luckiest man in the world to have met my soulmate at sixteen. The fact that we get to experience our scent matches together makes it all the better.
ANSEL
Sitting up out of a dead sleep, I blink to clear the last of the lethargy from my body as I check the pack bed. Winter is twitching in the middle while everyone sleeps, but Bellamy is no longer with us. Instead, Abbott is wrapped around Winter’s back where Bellamy was when we all went to bed.
They showed up at our bedroom door ready to join us, and we were happy to have them. Now that one of them is gone, I’m a little concerned.
Frowning, I get up and check the security system on the house and find the doors leading outside haven’t been opened. Next, I quickly pull up Bellamy’s tracker, finding that he’s still in the house.
Breathing out a sigh of relief, I pull on a t-shirt before padding out of the bedroom and downstairs to find him. The tracker won’t tell me the exact location in the house outside of telling me if he’s upstairs or downstairs. The warehouse was different due to the floor plan.
“Did I wake you up?”
My entire body fucking twitches at the sound of his voice. It’s soft and raspy from lack of sleep, making me wonder how long he’s been up.
“Winter is twitching in her sleep,” I explain, moving to where he’s pacing in the foyer of the house. “She can probably feel that you’re up.”
“Shit,” he sighs. “I don’t want to fuck with her sleep, which is why I woke up. I had a fucked up dream.”
“Care to share?” I ask. I’m not as good at beating around the bush as Abbott and Cass are. I’ll steamroll through that shit instead.
“It’s stupid,” he grumbles. “It’ll never happen, so why do I keep dreaming about it?”
“Your brain is an asshole,” I reply. Bellamy gives me a bemused glare, but it’s not my fault it’s true. “Cassidy’s is the same way. It’ll come up with all kinds of shit that’ll never happen, and then she works herself up into a frenzy.”
“Cassidy is fucking perfect,” he scoffs. “What does she worry about?”
“Hmm. Everything?” I suggest. “We have to see her parents soon, and they’re not my favorite people.
Not to mention, I’m pretty sure they’re a bit homophobic.
Cassidy has always been bisexual. She’s a girl’s girl, hypes people up, yet worries she’s being too friendly.
We all have our demons, Bellamy. The ones that shine brightest hide them the best.”
Bellamy tugs on his ash blonde hair, thinking for a long moment.
“My parents are dead, and I know this. The place in my heart that loves them, sometimes forgets,” he confesses.
The darkness gives him the illusion of privacy and he blows out a breath.
“I heard Matilda say that she bled out the brakes on my father’s car.
She never expected to end up taking custody of Winter and I.
It was pretty clear by her treatment of us.
Now, my brain keeps having me get in the car with Winter when our parents crashed.
I can’t shake it! Out of all the fucked up shit that’s happened to us, and that’s what sticks with me. ”
“The other ghosts are there, this just happens to be the loudest one,” I reply. “It doesn’t mean the others will disappear, they’re just…waiting.”
“You kind of suck at this,” Bellamy snorts. “I’m going to finish painting, at least then Winter will have a finished mural in the morning.”
“Or,” I drawl. “We could go downstairs and break some shit. We purge shit pretty often, but I keep a secret closet of things in case of emergency.”
“I’ll bite. What kind of emergency makes you break things?” Bellamy asks, exasperated.
He’s adorable when he’s annoyed with me. In fact…
My bare feet eat up the distance between us, and I grin like the psychotic asshole I am as I pull on his hair for good measure.
“It’s either this or fucking me,” I grunt, my lips grating over his lips.
Bellamy attempts to chase after me, his eyes hooding, but I shake my head.
“Uh-uh. There’s lube downstairs. Break shit, then fuck me.
The kinds of emergencies that make you break shit involve anger or fear. Exorcise the demons, and we can play.”
“I’ve never…done that,” he says softly. “Winter and I were each other’s firsts, and then consent became moot. We managed to escape the worst…until we couldn’t anymore.”
“I don’t think I’ve been anyone’s first,” I admit. “I was the last to join the pack, and I had a past by the time that happened. I’m not going to judge you for yours if you won’t judge me for mine, Bellamy. I know trust is hard when we haven’t known each other for long.”
“Do you know how I knew you weren’t going to hurt us, outside of pulling us out of that godforsaken excuse for a brothel?” he asks.
“A genius and shitty set up,” I murmur, glad the Hug Project is now ash. “How?”
“Outside of the detox from hell and staying with Winter and I as much as possible?” he continues. Damn, Bellamy is on a tear.
“What?” I ask, waiting.
“The nest,” he says. “Winter and I have never had one before. We presented and then lost our autonomy. That’s when I knew I could trust you. There’s been half a dozen other instances, so I don’t think time is a factor here.”
“So you know I’m not inviting you into the basement to kill you,” I drawl, enjoying the way that he scrunches up his face.
Bellamy is very close to stomping his foot or kneeing me in the knot. Totally worth it either way.
“I do,” he acknowledges. “I think the basement will keep, though.”
“Does this mean you want to go to bed?” I ask him.
“Nope.”
“A snack?” I ask, leaning into the frustration I see.
“Unless you’re offering yourself…no,” he growls adorably.
“Then…”
“Come here,” he grumbles, pulling me closer by my t-shirt to smash my mouth down on his.
Fuck yes, now we’re getting somewhere. Hope he’s ready, because suddenly I’m not at all tired. I may even have lube hiding in a drawer in the living room. Guess we’ll have to see.