Chapter 21
SKYLAR
I wasready to tell Landon I couldn’t do it before Vincent showed up.
Even though I knew I needed to give my statement, I just wasn’t ready to.
I couldn’t.
But Vincent doesn’t see me the way I see myself.
He looks at me as if I’m strong, not just a victim.
River and Landon are hell-bent on taking care of me, which I adore.
But having Vincent level with me about why I should give the statement and what it could do for April makes something switch in me.
Guilt pierces my gut when I ask Landon to give us some privacy, but he simply smiles and kisses my forehead, telling me he won’t be far.
“Text me if you need me,” he says. “I can go down to the station for a while.”
I give him a small smile and wait until the front door shuts before turning my attention back to Vincent.
His expression is neutral, but I catch the bob in his throat as he swallows.
He’s…unsettled. Even as his rich, warm scent wraps around me like a heavy blanket, I can sense the apprehension in him.
“Why are you so nervous?” I ask him softly. “You weren’t like that when Landon was here.”
His bright blue eyes blink in surprise.
“Nervous?” he says slowly, his voice low and tender. “Is that what you think I am?”
The power that he holds, just by sitting in a chair across from me, is incredible.
The pull to him was there when we first met but was overshadowed by his terrible attitude.
I had it in my head for so long that he didn’t like me, and we haven’t truly spoken since his confession in the hospital.
I nod, apprehensive and second guessing myself.
Maybe nervous isn’t the right word as I stare at his sharp jaw and strong features.
“Do you want the truth?” he asks. “Do you want to know how I’m feeling right now?”
Excitement bubbles in my chest. “I do,” I say earnestly.
“I’m feeling like I’m one second away from losing any chance with you,” he admits, and my mouth falls slightly open. “And that I can’t come back from how I treated you at the café. That I’ve done nothing but scare you and hurt you.”
I’m stunned. A shadow crosses his handsome features as he continues, his brow furrowed. “I feel like since we’ve met, I’ve been the bad guy in your story, and what I did just now only reinforced that perception you have of me.”
He clears his throat and drums his fingers against his thighs. “Nervous isn’t the right word. I’ve been fucking tortured.”
Oh.
We are definitely not on the same page, then.
My mind is still sluggish from the emotional whiplash of today, but I gather my strength and choose to be vulnerable with Vincent.
“Are you the same bad guy that took care of my home while I was gone?” I ask him, quirking my lip. “The same bad guy that not only checked in on my friend, but also the one person in the world I consider my parent? I don’t think that’s what bad guys do.”
He shrugs. “It was the bare minimum,” he counters, unable to accept the compliment.
Impossible, stubborn man.
I continue. “And what about visiting me at the hospital? Covering me in blankets and showering me with gifts? Is that the bare minimum, too?” I cross my arms and quirk an eyebrow.
He scoffs, and I grin. “Exactly,” I say. “Our first interaction was…not great,” I say. “I’ll give you that.”
But he scowls and shakes his head. “I was cold to you. I was an asshole,” he mutters.
“Yeah, you were,” I agree. “And maybe sometimes you’ll still be cold and an asshole. Just not to me. Maybe to River, though.”
He huffs. “Yes, but River deserves it.” A slight smile tugs at the corner of his lip, and I smile back.
“But Vincent,” I don’t even realize I’ve scooted to the edge of the couch, closer to the armchair, “we’ve barely had two conversations by ourselves. Which is why I wanted to talk to you alone.”
His scent emboldens me. The dark chocolate and cognac swirl around me, and my cunt flutters.
Another reminder that my Heat is coming soon, and that Vincent’s scent is only making it approach faster.
But I push my needy Omega to the side, knowing that I need to tell him what’s on my mind.
“I think…” I start as I shift on the couch, unable to keep eye contact with him. “…I think we both carry a lot of guilt,” I finish softly, suddenly way more interested in my hands than his face. “I’ve learned little bits and pieces about you from River and Landon, but I also see it in your eyes.”
The room is silent, and I continue to keep my focus on my hands that start to shake.
This could be the wrong thing to say. This could make him shut down, or just turn away entirely.
Another beat passes. Then…
“You’re right.”
I look up.
His eyes shine with vulnerability as he nods. “It’s something we both carry,” he says. “I wish I could take yours away. Because if it’s anything like mine, it eats me from the inside out.” His words are clipped and harsh.
I breathe out a sigh. “I feel like it will never stop,” I say shakily. “Not until…” My throat closes up.
“Not until you find April,” he finishes for me, his voice low.
Tears form in my eyes at the mention of her name. “Yeah,” I whisper. I clench my hands into fists, willing them to stop shaking.
He notices. “Your guilt hasn’t made you give up on your life,” he says. “You haven’t hidden yourself away from everyone else or quit your job. You’ve continued to live, to go on despite it. Which is a rare and admirable quality.”
A tear rolls down my cheek, and I see him stop himself from moving out of his chair.
I can smell how desperately he wants to move closer to me. How much he’s holding back for my sake, even though his scent is so thick it’s all I can sense.
“Thank you,” I whisper, as I wipe away the tear.
He shakes his head. “It’s the truth,” he says solemnly. “I see the strength I wish I had, the courage I didn’t possess, all in the stunning woman sitting across from me.”
His words are a balm to my soul, and my cheeks flush at the praise.
“Do you think one day you’ll ever be able to forgive yourself?” I choke out. I don’t dare ask for the details of what consumes him, but I hope if he can forgive himself, maybe there’s hope for me, too.
He understands what I’m asking. “Maybe,” he says softly. “I’m starting to think it’s possible.”
I sob. So many emotions flood out of me, and he just watches as I weep into my hands. I cry until there are no more tears and my sobs turn to sniffles.
Having Vincent there while I cry is more intimate than I anticipated.
He’s seeing me at my weakest, yet he still stays and listens.
He’s grounding. Safe.
Just like River and Landon, but this is…different.
Vincent is more powerful than the others. It’s as if he’s the missing piece to all three of us.
It hits me then.
He’s the leader.
He’s the head of my pack.
It clicks into place in my heart, and my inner Omega screams in triumph.
That’s why I felt the pull to him, and why his scent calls to me.
He balances us out. Landon is kindness, River is chaos, and Vincent is power.
I must be looking at him like a lunatic, because his pained expression turns confused. “Are you alright?” he asks.
I nod, emboldened by my realization. “How soon can I give my statement?” I ask, and his concern turns to a flicker of pride.
“Tomorrow, if you want,” he says. “I can have it set up with Ben.”
I nod. I can do this.
I will do this for April, for Tammy.
For myself.
And for every other Omega I can save.
“I want you three there,” I say. “And I’ll do it.”
He looks surprised that I would ask him, but he nods. “It’s done,” he promises. He stands and pulls his phone out of his pocket. “I’ll text Landon to have him come back,” he mutters. “I can go when he gets here.”
I frown. “Do you want to leave?”
His brow furrows. “No,” he says finally. “But I didn’t think you would want me here.”
As if in protest, my womb cramps and a trickle of slick spills out of me.
Without thinking, I leap up off the couch and grab the front of his sweatshirt. I stand on my tiptoes and lean in to press my lips against his.
He wasn’t expecting it. He’s frozen as I kiss him sweetly, showing my appreciation for everything he’s done for me. His lips are soft against mine, and he cups my face in his hands tenderly.
My Alpha.
When I pull away from him, his pupils are blown, and his scent is spicy and rich.
He looks at me in awe, his hands still caressing my face.
“Stay,” I breathe. “I would like you to stay.”
He nods and steps back, releasing me. “I’ll come back tonight,” he promises. “I’ll keep watch with Landon.”
I give him a smile.
He looks stunned. “You’re so fucking beautiful,” he breathes. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the day we met.”
I flush, then a wave of fatigue hits me so hard that the room spins.
My body is still weak from everything I’ve been through.
Vincent notices instantly. “Are you alright?” he asks. “Is there anything I can do?”
There’s so much he could do, my inner Omega purrs.
My arousal is at an all-time high just from that kiss.
“I need to rest,” I admit. “One minute I feel fine, the next minute it’s like I haven’t slept in a year.”
He nods. “You should sleep,” he says. “I’ll stay here until Landon gets back.”
I collapse back onto the couch, my head spinning. Vincent joins me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder to steady me.
“Let me help you,” he rumbles as his scent swirls around me.
Power. Protection.
I’m facing one of the most emotionally draining moments of my life tomorrow.
I really do need to rest.
“Can you help me to bed?” I ask softly. “I’m sorry. This is embarrassing. I’ve barely been awake, but I have no energy?—”
But in one scoop, he’s lifting me in his arms, and I let out a yelp. He carries me like I weigh nothing as I wrap my arms around his neck, marveling at his strength as he takes the steps down my hallway and into my room.
After pulling down the sheet, he deposits me gently on my bed, and I sink back into it with a hum.
Protection.
I catch a gentleness in his expression I didn’t expect. His light eyes are tender and so full of emotion that it makes my breath catch as he pulls the blankets over me and tucks me in, covering me to my chin.
“Thank you,” I whisper, my eyes closing.
I’m safewith him. Safe with Vincent, the head Alpha.
I try to tell him, but I’m asleep before I can.
I sleep the day away.
I wake up to the sun setting and my body overheated under all the blankets.
My statement is tomorrow.
I sit up in bed, taking in deep, calming breaths.
Or at least, I try to.
Tomorrow, I will tell Ben everything I can remember.
I’m going to relive it all in front of Landon, River, and Vincent.
Sweat beads down my neck and I wipe at my forehead.
It feels like my body is a ticking time bomb. It’s counting down until my violent Heat starts.
In a way, it’s good that I’ll be getting the statement out of the way tomorrow.
Then I can start the road to whatever this new life is.
I can go back to the café.
We can find April.
And I can get through my Heat.
My stomach cramps so intensely that I whimper.
Not only am I stressed, but I’m over sensitized.
The slightest pressure of the blanket across the crotch of my pants makes my breath catch.
Breathe in, breathe out.
I hear low chatter from the front room and fight back a groan.
The scent of sweet pine mixes with the essence of dark bourbon.
Landon and Vincent are in the other room.
I asked him to stay, and he kept his word.
But what the hell was I thinking? This is pure torture for my inner Omega, who wants nothing more than to be touched.
I’ve barely kissed Vincent. Maybe if it was just Landon here, I could invite him into my nest.
But it’s not an option since Vincent is here.
Or is it?
My body burns as I climb out of bed and shuffle to the bathroom. I undress and run a semi-warm shower, brushing my teeth as I wait for the water to heat up.
I wash some of the fire on my skin away, focusing the showerhead on my core.
I need something to take the edge off. Anything to quiet the yearning in my cunt.
But the pitiful orgasm does almost nothing for me.
Not when I know the source of something much more powerful is in the other room.
Defeated, I lather up my body, wash my hair, and clean myself thoroughly.
When I emerge from the bathroom wrapped in a fluffy towel, their scents are just as torturous.
I have to ignore it.
What would they think of me if I walked out there and asked Vincent to leave so Landon could touch me?
Or even worse…
What if I asked Landon to join me in the bedroom in front of Vincent?
Would he judge me? Would he think I’m some desperate, needy Omega who can’t think straight unless she has an orgasm?
We’ve barely kissed, and it was sweet and chaste.
But what I want to do now is anything but chaste.
I need to come. Desperately.
I dress quickly in a sleeveless pale pink nightgown, so sheer that my nipples show through. I wrap myself in the fluffy robe, tie it tightly, then sit on the edge of the bed.
Slick slips down my cunt and onto the inside of my thighs.
I decide to listen to my body. I decide that after all the hell I’ve been through, I deserve to take what I want.