36. Chapter 36
Chapter 36
Vigo
Well, we were officially in over our heads. All three of our pack had now crossed the line with Celeste, being physical with her and unable to stop our urge to bond with her anytime she was in the vicinity. Now, we had collectively decided that it was basically impossible to stop our alpha desires to be close to her. And the more we were around her, the more we struggled to find the side of her that we thought was behind her nefarious deeds.
Liam and I both knew the day Dante had been with her. We felt something through our bonds, the same strong desire we all struggled with, then an exciting pull. Then shame. When we came home from the office, he’d been hidden away in his room, unwilling to talk to us for most of the night.
It was pointless to try to hide it. We knew how difficult it was to deny a scent match. And the scents emanating from our normally stale nesting room made it clear what they’d been up to. I couldn’t blame him. She was addicting, and just being with her once was so explosive that now it made me want her a hundred times more. It was bordering on insanity to live like this.
He’d finally said something the next day, when he couldn't avoid us any longer. I could feel the shame rolling off of him, but Liam and I knew he didn’t need to beat himself up over it. I knew there had to be more to her than we thought. She was actually acting a bit nicer toward us. And we still didn’t have any more evidence of what she had done in the past.
We didn’t have a day where all of the pack would be available for a date this week, but I had time on Saturday to take her out “on the town” for some sightseeing and shopping. We’d done enough of the fancy, super public events, and I wanted to do something more low-key. I also wanted to mess with her a little. Even though she was growing on me - especially since the auction - she was still, in my mind, a bit of a spoiled princess. So, what better date to take her on than to the area I was from.
Celeste met me in the hallway, wearing a long, floral sundress and a wide-brimmed hat to match. She looked cute in a way that made me want to take her to my room, pull that dress up, and see just how cute she would look bent over and begging for my knot.
But I pushed my desires down as I held out my arm, putting on my most charming smile. “Ready to go?” I asked, and she looked up at me, beaming as she curled her hand around my arm.
“After the week I had? Absolutely!” she said cheerfully, and I almost felt bad about where we would go. Almost. But if she really wanted to do what’s best for the Eastern Province, she needed to see more of it than the gated walls of her family’s compound and the golden capital buildings. She needed to see the real Eastern Province, where most of us struggled to get by - thanks in no small part to the political interference from companies like Harringday.
As we drove, the green lawns and nice shopping centers slowly turned to cracked sidewalks and faded storefronts. Billboards peeled at the edges, some advertising businesses that had long since shut down. The cars on the road grew older, some with rusted bumpers and faded paint. The houses, once well-kept, now had sagging porches and overgrown yards. It was clear that we were heading into a part of town that had seen better days.
Celeste didn’t seem to notice, though. “So, we’re going to a farmer’s market?” She asked, and I looked ahead.
“Something like that. It’s the local market, a bit outside the city.” We pulled into the familiar part of the smaller town that I knew well. I parked the car and walked out to open her door, holding her hand as she stepped out. To her credit, she didn’t look shocked or worried, not even disappointed as we walked toward the square where people came from the more rural areas to sell fruits, vegetables, and other goods.
We made our way to the market, with Celeste looking clearly out of place in her nice clothes as young children ran by, playing in the streets. As we came upon the stalls, vendors shouted out at us, trying to get a sale. There were only normal, working class people here, no sign of paparazzi or anyone in her circle, so it was less likely that we would be stopped or photographed. Celeste smiled as she came upon each stall, looking at the produce here and there. One man, who only had a few teeth and looked like he spent his days in the sun, pitched his citrus to her. She looked over the fruit, then bantered with him about the price before deciding to get some grapefruit and lemons. I quickly stepped up to purchase it for her.
“You don’t have to buy everything .” She laughed as I gave the man slightly more than the agreed upon price, nodding at him and taking the bag of fruits as he pocketed the money.
I smiled back at her, giving her a wink. “What would it look like if an alpha didn’t buy his omega her every desire?” I replied, and she looked at me so sincerely that I forgot for a moment that our courtship wasn’t technically real.
She continued to browse, seemingly unbothered by the dilapidated buildings that surrounded us. We kept strolling, and I couldn't stop looking at her. She was stunning, more and more every time I saw her. She passed an old, small bakery, biting her lip as she looked through the window.
“Tiramisu? My favorite!” She exclaimed, looking at the desserts. I quickly stepped up at her side.
“You want me to get some?” I asked, and she shook her head.
“Not now. Too early.” She looked around, then spotted a small local grocery and turned to me.
“I’m going to use the restroom real quick, I’ll meet you in a minute.” She went inside, and I lingered nearby. I wasn’t necessarily worried about safety - I grew up here, and knew which areas were dangerous. But I also wasn’t going to let her get more than fifty feet from me. I watched outside the small store as she moved around, looking at the products before chatting with the owner. She pulled out a card, and they spoke a moment longer before she joined me.
“Find anything nice?” I asked as she adjusted her hat to cover her face from the sun.
“No, just needed to wash up.” She smiled and practically skipped along to the next vendor’s stall. I stepped inside the grocery store, having a strong suspicion about what just happened. The owner greeted me, knowing who I was instantly.
“Mr. Lockwood!" He said, his eyes wide. I smiled at him, pushing my hair back.
“Hi Tony, how are things?” I asked, glancing around at the store. It looked the same as the last time I was here, many years ago.
“They just got much better.” He said, looking like a weight was off his shoulders.
“Question for you. How is the debtor’s till?” I asked.
In this community, most people lived paycheck to paycheck. Some families would buy food and have an account with the store’s layaway option, the debtor’s till, paying off their debt bit by bit. It was a way to still eat without having enough money on hand. But so many could never pay their debt, leaving them in a constant cycle of owing.
“Well, funny you ask, it’s just been wiped clear!” He said, holding his hands up and shrugging.
“What a coincidence.” I said, rubbing my chin as I watched Celeste through the window, looking at the various hot pies for sale. “Have a great one, Tony.” I said, waving at him as I left the store.
I joined Celeste, watching her as she strolled through the market, as if she belonged here, in this little town. I bought a few fresh juices from one of the vendors, and surprised Celeste when I handed her one.
“Should we sit?” I asked, gesturing to a bench nearby, under a large tree.
“Yes, it’s hot today!” She took the fresh juice as we sat down. “Mmm, this is incredible!” She exclaimed after sipping the drink.
“It’s a local specialty. Fermented fruit juice, sugar and cinnamon over ice.” I explained as I watched her. Every little movement she did just drew me into her like catnip.
“Well, it’s delicious. Refreshing, too.” She said as she sipped. I watched her closely.
“You’ve been in this area before, haven’t you?” I asked, and she took another sip, then looked around.
“Not in this exact neighborhood. But I’ve been near here, so this area isn’t unfamiliar to me.” She said nonchalantly.
“You paid the debtors till.” I said, knowing it to be true. She looked up at me.
“At the store? Yeah.” She shrugged.
“Why?” I asked. She hadn’t known I was watching. And she wouldn't have known to do that unless she’d been in this type of area before. Celeste’s face registered a slight surprise.
“Are you telling me you think I’m so selfish I’d never pay off a debtor’s till?” She asked with incredulity. “I watched my father do it when I was younger, and continue the tradition any time I’m in a place where they have one. It’s not like I never ventured out to these areas, Vigo.” She sounded slightly offended. “Or, did you think I’d never step foot in any place that doesn't have valet? Come on, I have to visit most of our locations for business. I’ve been all over, not just the good areas!”
I was shocked at her admission. She turned, looking at me out of the side of her eyes
“Wait, you thought for our outing you’d take me somewhere you thought I couldn't handle? Is that it?” She asked. I felt my face heat. She’d caught me, and I deserved it. I’d made a judgment - one she clearly didn’t deserve.
“Okay, fine,” I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck. “I figured you hadn’t spent much time outside the polished parts of town. Thought maybe you hadn’t really seen the places where life feels a little more…raw. Where the real people are.”
“Real people?” She asked with a cocked brow.
“The people who do most of the unnoticed work. The ones who provide our food, energy, and do the lower paid labor that keeps us in comfort.” I said. Celeste looked at me strangely.
“Why this area?” She finally asked.
“This is where I grew up.” I answered, looking out at the town square. “Right here, with my family. We scraped by, and it was considered a dream to get even a fraction of what I have now.”
Celeste was quiet for a moment. “Your family lives near here?” She asked, and I nodded.
“Yes, my father worked for one of the local politicians. My mom was a cleaner at one of the factories. I only made it out because I met Liam, and then Dante. We were young when we found each other, but we were driven.” I said, thinking back to the days when we first decided to make something of ourselves.
“I never knew. But then, I never asked.” She said as she took another sip of her drink, inching closer to me. I felt her quick forgiveness of my assumption, and took the risk of letting my arm drape over her shoulders. It felt right.
“And I never asked if you’d been out here before. I’m sorry that I didn’t think much of you.” My words came out, and I realized I’d had my own prejudices of her. But how could she be who we thought, this woman who paid off debts, who had seemingly been working toward many of the same goals my pack had. The two versions of Celeste could never reconcile in my head. Speaking of which, she leaned into me, resting against my side in the shade.
“Well, I’m glad you brought me. I never really did have time to spend just living like this, outside of the pressure of being who I am, without my uncle or a bodyguard around telling me to hurry up.” She said.
I considered her words. If she really wanted to explore more, I could help her with that. And I surprised myself with that idea - that I really did want to help Celeste. Right now, everything felt perfect - like how things should be. Was this my biology talking, or could there actually be a future with her?
I watched her take in the scene, with street vendors calling out, kids darting past on bikes, the hum of an old village breathing on its own terms - and I saw something shift in her. Something lighter. Freer. Maybe it was just a moment, but it felt like the beginning of something real. And maybe she could learn who we were, just as much as I was learning who the real Celeste was.