Chapter 32
Chapter Thirty-Two
Vonn
“Iwish she had come home with us.” I run my hand through my hair and tug at the strands, hoping the sting will help me calm down.
Letting Nixie and Asher go back to their apartment when her rapist is in our city makes my skin feel too tight.
While I understand her desire to talk to Asher on her own terms, in a place he’s familiar with, I still wish we could have stayed.
“She didn’t because she’s thinking about running,” Julius announces, wandering through our apartment with me following behind. Since we left Nixie and Asher, he’s been glued to his phone. Even now, he’s using muscle memory alone, completely distracted, as he winds his way down the hallway.
To my surprise, he stops when he reaches my room and turns deftly into the space.
Without any consideration, he flops his huge body onto my bed and takes a deep inhale.
Everything is just the way we left it in our haste, and the scent of Nixie’s slick, even a few hours old, has me instantly hard and determined to fix everything.
Our apartment is empty without her. There has to be a way to show her she belongs with us.
“What makes you think she’s going to run?
” The second he said it, I knew he was correct.
But she won’t really leave her scent-matches behind, right?
We’ve spent weeks building a solid foundation, and although I haven’t told her yet, I’m head-over-heels in love with this woman. There’s no way I can live without her.
“Because she’s a runner. It’s what she does.
Ran away from the diner fiasco, the skates incident…
” His words are muttered, but I can understand everything he’s saying.
Julius sticks his nose in my pillow, huffing all the scent for himself, and irrational anger fills me.
Stomping forward, I try to tug it from his grasp.
“That’s because you made her upset; you pissed her off.” I don’t know why I’m arguing; he’s absolutely right. Our girl is a runner. All the more reason she shouldn’t be alone.
Julius lets go of my pillow, but not before licking the material. Jerk. He glares at me, then looks back down at his phone. My packmate isn’t usually that fond of the device…
“What are you even doing? Are you texting her?” After tossing the pillow back on the bed, I sit down beside him and reach for my own phone, unsure why I hadn’t thought of doing that first. I could’ve been texting her ever since we caught an Uber back from her place.
Though we drove to school together, she insisted on taking her car.
Nixie offered to drop us off at home after picking up Asher, but we could tell how badly shaken she was, and I didn’t want her driving in such a frazzled state.
Even though we tried to talk her into coming back here, ultimately Julius and I dropped her and Asher back at her apartment before grabbing a rideshare home.
“No. I wish. She hasn’t answered me. Instead, I’m looking at houses for us because this apartment has got to go.
There’s no nest for our omega. There’s no room for Asher to sleep in.
This is a bachelor pad, and we are no longer bachelors.
” My mouth hangs open, floored by his plan.
Obviously, we knew it was time to buy a house, but he’s right.
How can we ask them to live here when there isn’t even a bedroom for either of them to sleep in?
Julius is an absolute beast. When he sets his mind to something, there’s no obstacle too big. And for the first time, that feels like a giant advantage.
“Find anything good?” I toe off my shoes and allow myself to fall back into my raspberry-slick-scented sheets. He twists his phone to show me the monstrosity of a house on his screen.
“Julius, that says twelve bedrooms. Do you think she’d really like something that big? Omegas like small, enclosed spaces, not mansions.” He rolls his eyes at me, but quickly pulls up another option—though it’s still beyond all reasonable levels of enormity.
“By the time we include all the things we want—a gym, a theater room, a library, and a nest—twelve bedrooms won’t be as big as it sounds. But I hear you. Let’s choose a few in different sizes and then go house hunting together.” The concept certainly has appeal, but it’s not without issues.
“What if it stresses her out? You know how she is about money.”
Julius shrugs in that infuriating way of his, which makes it clear he believes shit will just work out. “We’re just going to need to convince her that home is where the knot is.” He chuckles at his own bad joke, then opens up our group chat. Surging forward, I slap the phone out of his hands.
“Don’t you think this is a conversation we should have in person?” The idiot is a serious text addict, but our omega may need some soft snuggles and cajoling to move in with us.
“No, she loves my texts.” Julius reaches for the phone again, but just as he snags it off the bedspread, my computer dings loudly. The sound startles me at first, and I freeze. A buzz on my phone immediately follows the irritating noise, and a notification from NightNudes pops up on my screen.
SCORCHEDOMEGA IS ONLINE.
Nixie hasn’t used the site since we had sex the first time, and I was hoping it was a sign that she was accepting the bond between us. But now it seems desperation and fear have sent her back to the camgirl lifestyle.
“Our omega has signed on.” I turn to tell Julius, but he’s already racing toward the door. “Hey, what are you doing?”
“You said we should chat! Looks like this is my chance,” he shouts gleefully.
The psycho’s feet pound the floor loud enough for a noise complaint from downstairs as he sprints for his computer.
A rush of competitive spirit swells within me.
He might want some private time with Nixie, but I’ll be damned if he gets it.
My cock swells instantly, remembering the last time I got her in a chat alone.
After logging in quickly, I enter her live feed.
As always, she takes my breath away. The lines of her smooth skin and perfectly proportioned body light up my screen.
Her short black wig is back on, along with the mask.
My eager eyes take in every detail, the bright red and gold feathers surprising me as I realize the mask is actually a phoenix—sharing her identity this whole time. .
She twists the heart necklace I know so well, sliding it behind her back. Looking at her body, faded love bites from earlier glare at me under the camera lights. All doubts are eradicated; Nixie is ScorchedOmega. There can be no other. And it’s further confirmed when she speaks.
“Good evening, y’all. I’m sorry I haven’t been around much lately.
Life has gotten a little busy.” Though she’s trying her best to disguise it, I would know that voice anywhere.
Nixie’s hands shake, and if I were in the room with her, I’m pretty sure the overwhelming scent of sour raspberries would make my nose wrinkle.
She’s trying her best to bury her nerves, but I know better.
Our omega is spooked, and she would rather be just about anywhere else right now.
LemonAlpha: That’s OK. Life happens. We’re happy that you’re here with us now.
AlwaysYours: Is everything all right?
“Oh, of course.” Her giggle is high-pitched and as fake as I’ve ever heard it.
It would only take a few minutes to grab your keys and head to her apartment. I’m tempted. So fucking tempted, but she asked for space.
“It feels like it’s been forever… so let’s jump right in.”
LemonAlpha: Private Room-$469
That dick. He’s starting with a huge bid.
AlwaysYours-Private Room -$488
“Wow. Guess y’all missed me?” Nixie toys with the strap of her bra, letting it slip down, but her eyes are blinking much more than normal, and I wonder if she’s trying to keep her tears at bay. My heart squeezes painfully.
LemonAlpha: Private Room $669
“Wow, that’s quite the jump!” She presses her tits together, creating a crater of cleavage I want to get lost in forever.
AlwaysYours: Private Room- $688
“You giant dick! The more money you give her, the easier it is for her to leave!” I shout to my packmate, who laughs maniacally.
“She’s not going anywhere! I’m going to keep her stuck on my knot until she agrees to let us love, protect, and bond her.” Julius ups the bid once again, and I follow suit, recognizing this whole thing is futile.
He knows he can’t knot her virtually, right?