25. Wilting Salvation
Wilting Salvation
~ASTRAEA~
“ K amari! You know how worried I’ve been?” I hiss in the phone while I’m pacing outside of the studio where Blooming Salvation is conducting an emergency meeting. “Why has it taken you so long to reach me? Are you okay? Please tell me you’re safe. I have your stuff! Well, it’s at the guys’ place, and I’m kind of 6000 kilometers away from home, but if you need me, I can fly back so you can get your things.”
“Girl, are you crazy?” Kamari groans. “Why would I let you FLY all the way back here just to get my stuff? Yes, I have a lot of sentimental stuff in there, but it would have been in the trash or government property if you hadn’t been thoughtful enough to take it with you when you left the Haven. Are Blaze and Ember with you?”
“They’re back at home with a 24/7 dog sitter,” I reveal. “They fit very nicely with the five other husky pups with them. Formed a bit of a pack of their own with Ember being a little dominating bully trying to control those howling beasts.” I shake my head, remembering the videos Milly, the dog watcher, sent me earlier of the chaos Ember has been igniting with her overprotective partner in crime, Blaze.
If my pups could be human, Ember would be an independent badass of an Omega, defying all the laws and trying to take over a pack of savage Alphas. With Blaze’s assistance, of course.
“Anyway, that’s beside the point,” I acknowledge. “Where are you?!”
“Uh…” She seems hesitant to tell me.
“Kamari Prava Ahvi,” I sternly say, leaving her to groan and panic.
“Okay, okay!” she urges. “Geez. That’s the first time you’ve said my full name; truthfully, I don’t like it. Sounds like you’re going to throw a chancla at me.”
I can’t help but smirk but remain silent, so she knows I’m waiting for her to stop stalling and tell me where she is.
“Dubai.”
I need a moment just to grasp what she just said.
“YOU’RE WHERE?”
“Ugh, it’s a long story,” she whines. “Let’s just say my ex-fiancé and my family decided to try to kidnap me, which is why they targeted our Haven in hopes of getting it shut down and claiming my passport and documents so I wouldn’t be able to find another pack.”
“W-W-What?” I gasp.
“But when they tried to shut down the Haven, three powerful Alphas got in the way. One was Knox, who I know is rich with his gym, but I didn’t think he was a billionaire status rich. There were two others. I think a doctor and some mysterious guy who’s a surgeon in another country. I don’t know. They stepped in and backed Velvet so they couldn’t shut us down, but they raided the place but realized my stuff was all already gone, so the whole passport document thing failed.”
“Why do they need all that?”
“They want to try to deport me to India. Or, I guess, give off the impression I’m an illegal immigrant and shouldn’t be here,” she reveals. “So since that didn’t work, they tried the hard way of dragging my screaming ass, which led to me being drugged, and well… everything else is kind of blurry, to be fair.”
“Kamari…”
She knows my patience is thinning because I can’t comprehend if she’s safe and why she’s in Dubai if she was supposed to be drugged and kidnapped to India.
“Right, right. I was saved somehow by some Alphas who have beef with my ex-fiancé and his pack and started some sort of mafia war? So I’m the prize?”
“You’re the prize?” I tilt my head to one side. “You don’t even sound sure!”
“Well, I don’t know because whoever wins this ‘war’ gets to marry me basically, so I’m kind of technically being kept hostage in Dubai, which doesn’t feel like it since this city is filled with millionaires, good food, and anything a girl like me could dream of. Bonus points are my ‘captors’ feed me well and are far nicer Alphas than I’ve ever witnessed with my own eyes,” she summarizes.
“But yeah. I’m kind of the end game in all this madness, but for now, I’m safe. I have a nest to sleep in, and the doctor who was helping Velvet with the haven gave me some patches and stuff that help so I can survive around all this Alpha testosterone. Until this family drama is solved, I’m here.”
“I get distracted with life, and my best friend lands herself in a whole other country.”
“You make it sound like it’s only been twenty-four hours,” she whines. “I haven’t heard from you in WEEKS! You should be explaining yourself, young lady!”
“I’m at least still in the country,” I point out. “I somehow landed touring with Blooming Salvation. I only have time with my phone because they’re having a serious band meeting, talking about the future, etc. Can’t say much more than that since there are NDAs involved. I’m their temporary Omega so I’m allowed to be around here, but not everyone is pleased with my company and all.”
“Hold on,” she stops me before I can continue. “Did you just say you’re touring with Blooming Salvation? THE Blooming Salvation?! The rock band sensation that had to delay their tour a few weeks due to the whole Knot Their Omega Movement and the violence spewing across the city, Blooming Salvation? The band of sexy hot Alphas everyone salivates over and would sell their organs to get tickets, Blooming Salvation?!”
There’s a deep rumble that comes from the background, making Kamari squeak before she groans.
“Listen! You don’t know what it’s like to be an obsessed fan of music. Don’t get all growly because there are other sexy Alphas in the world. Jeez,” she whines and mutters, “Did I compare you to them? No.”
“Hurry up with your phone call. We gotta go,” someone says in the background.
“Awww, don’t be mean! I haven’t talked to my best friend in weeks. Have pity on me.”
“No.”
“Please.”
There’s a quiet chuckle in the background.
“Be nice to her, Boss. She did earn this phone call.”
“Whatever.”
“You sound like you’re in jail,” I complain in dismay.
“Ugh, it’s not that bad,” Kamari whines. “Now, back to you! Girl, I want all the fucking tea when I get back because you’re touring with the hottest band in America right now! Though, I guess with the drama going on, not sure if they’ll officialize their tour.”
“Drama?” I frown at the news. “What do you mean?”
“You said they’re in a meeting now, right? About the band’s future.”
“Yes,” I agree.
“Well, even though they announced they found an Omega, I think two of the band members want out. The guitarist and background singer.”
“Wait… why?” None of the guys had mentioned that when we were on the tour bus today. I met the guitarist, James, and the background singer, Rex, and they both were friendly and welcoming. To now hear these rumors of them quitting feels a bit of a backstab.
“I mean, neither of them brought anything up when we’ve been on the tour bus together the last few days,” I add on.
“Hmm, honestly, it may have to do with you, bestie.”
“M-Me? What did I do?”
“It’s not about what you did,” Kamari reveals. “They’re the problem. The guitarist… what’s his name again… James? I think that’s what it was. He’s in a pack already. The Omega is very picky and a bit of a bitch, honestly. She’s the daughter of a big clothing firm, so she’s financially well off compared to James. I’m sure she’s not going to be too thrilled with the idea of him traveling on a tiny tour bus with half of the member’s Omega on board.”
“Well…” Okay. Maybe she’s right about that. “And Rex?”
“Packless, but if you want my honest opinion, I think he wanted to leave the band a long time ago.”
“Why is that?” I feel kind of stupid having to ask all these questions when I’ve been traveling with these men on one bus. It’s not like I hadn’t tried to get to know James or Rex, but they were rather distant from the get-go. Kept to themselves only when it came to practicing and discussing song arrangements. “They seemed pretty distant when I tried to even make convo with either of them.”
“Rex is gay, which is fine, but I guess he wants a male Omega,” Kamari reveals. “Not too sure if it’s true. I haven’t kept up with the gossip and revelations in the forums like I used to, but when you go down the grapevine, Rex had met a male Omega in the past, and they had a one-night fling. Since then, he’s craved those connections, I guess, but has never been able to find that male Omega since.”
“That’s kind of sad,” I quietly confess.
“Mhmm. It was a bit heartbreaking since male Omega are extremely rare, but if discovered, the government kind of captures them.”
“C-Captures them?” This is the first time hearing this.
“I only know about this cause the pack I’m with was just talking about it. Feels like an underground black market if you ask me, but there are Omega hunters who trek across the world, trying to find male Omegas they can sell underground. They easily go for millions.” She’s speaking so quietly, it’s hard to hear her, but I sense the sadness in her voice. “I stopped searching for more when one of the forums said the male Rex had been interested in had been captured and was a slave for some rich pack that gets off on that. Really dark shit.”
“That’s… depressing.”
“So, imagine being in Rex’s position, finding out your ‘fans’ are searching for the whereabouts of someone you had a one-time fling with but secretly carries feelings for? They may have thought they were doing him a favor by trying to find this mysterious male Omega, only for them to find out he may be a captive slave to a group of rich tycoons who will probably use and abuse him until he’s dead.”
“Resentment,” I whisper. “Would build every time you hear whispers in the crowd of your fans or scroll on social media and see their commentary. At the end of the day, you wouldn’t want their pity, but that can’t be erased from the internet or the fans’ minds.”
“Then are they paying attention to your talent or the sad story attached to you?” Kamari wonders. “The thing is, some people speculate Rex wanted to do his own thing ages ago but held back because of Nate.”
“Held back?”
“Yeah. Rex is a strong singer, honestly. Sometimes, even stronger than Nate. A few people noticed they were having a bit of a dispute when they sang certain songs. Not one that is necessarily obvious, but unless you know the melody and riffs of the song, you’ll tell if one singer is overpowering the other at certain bridges and key change chorus.”
I’m so impressed with how much Kamari knows about these things. I knew she was into music, but for her to know all this information on Blooming Salvation and have studied their content to the point of noticing such subliminal differences, it’s fascinating to acknowledge.
It should be praised, honestly.
“You’ve helped me a bunch, Kamari,” I confess. “Thank you, bestie.”
“Hmm? I did? I’m super glad I can help,” she confesses. “Are things okay there?”
“Yeah. Just don’t know what will happen with the band, you know?” I lower my head to peer at my black combat boots.
I’m wearing a simple black dress with purple ribbons at the end. The cleavage isn’t too deep, thanks to the square-like neckline, but I was wearing a leather jacket over it before, so I wouldn’t be too distracting being around all these Alphas.
Everyone has been nice here, but the atmosphere has been tense with the band’s uncertainty.
“I’m sure if they don’t work it out, they’ll just find replacements,” Kamari suggests.
“But that’s going to be difficult with the tour already delayed,” I mumble. “Guitarist may not be hard, but a second lead singer? That would be tedious. Plus, if they try to reveal it publicly, things could get messy.” It’s overwhelming to think about it.
“Well, why don’t you go check on the progress?” Kamari suggests. “I know us trying to think of the possibilities won’t get us anywhere, but I’m sure if you’re there with the pack, maybe it can ease any tension?”
“Hmmm.” Deep down, I doubt it. “I’ll go try.”
I don’t want to waste any more of Kamari’s time, especially when she’s in a pickle herself.
“Okay. You can text this number, though it’s one of the guy’s phones, so nothing crazy.”
“No drunk photos at three a.m. with me trying to twerk. Got it,” I conclude.
“Astraea,” Kamari groans. “Your ass can’t get drunk without ME!”
“Yes, yes, yes,” I brush her off. “Though no promises cause I am on a tour bus, and I can’t stop myself from having a shot or two to get in the mood.”
“Get in the mood of riding every band member’s pony,” she huffs.
“Hey! Have some hope here?!”
“Nah. You’re gorgeous, and once you have alcohol in your system, you become a dominant beast who loves to give lap dances and shit,” she complains. “Those Alphas are doomed.”
“No,” I groan. “Don’t rat me out like that, Kamari.”
“Mhmmmm.” She’s not even listening. “Please keep in touch at least once a week. Thanks.”
“Likewise, bitch!” I huff. “Last time I checked, I called you.”
“Yes, and the notification came into my email since my phone is probably one with the Atlantic Ocean or whatever body of water we’re near.”
“We’re near lakes, Kamari. Not oceans. Unless your phone was thrown out of a plane.”
“Well…”
“You know what, I ain’t even going to ask for the details,” I conclude and shake my head in dismay. “I’ll keep in touch, bestie. Stay safe. Love you lots.”
“Love you more, bestie. I will. Be good and don’t become a trending topic unless you’re revealing ‘you know what,’ okay?”
“I ain’t revealing shit.”
“Sure,” she sings. “Bye!”
“Bye.”
When I hang up, I let out a sigh of relief before staring at my phone.
Only to see seventy-eight messages and twenty-five missed calls.
“Great. Let me guess.”
I can only assume it’s Mother Dearest because only she could call so many times in the fifteen minutes I had with Kamari on the line.
Just scanning the text messages makes my relief mood turn sour. My lips dip to a deep frown as I realize what the fuck my mom is texting me.
MOM: “I don’t get why it’s so hard to get a hold of you. I’m your mother. I should have access to you whenever I need you! Anyway, you need to come home. I have a deal that I need you to be present for.”
“A deal…” I whisper to myself before scrolling more until my eyes stare at the contract document that has been forwarded to me for my signature.
I read the two words again and again until it feels like I’m seeing red.
MARRIAGE CONTRACT.
She’s trying to marry me off? Are you fucking kidding me?!
I’m gripping the phone tightly as my hands shake in rage, reading her next set of text messages.
MOM: “This pack needs an Omega to secure their various businesses, and they’ve shown proof of their assets. It would only make sense to marry them because of their immense wealth. You won’t have to struggle and be homeless in that place you stay that you think will help you become someone in this world. This is such a brilliant opportunity!
“I’m already starting to plan the wedding. The dress I’ll have to wear to ensure everyone attending knows I’m the mother of the bride will be miraculous. Stunning and twinkling with Swarovski diamonds. I’ve tried to reach your Dad and his pack but to no avail. Regardless, the government only needs one parent’s permission for all of this to go through, so it’s fine.”
She’s joking.
I’m not sure I’m breathing by the time I get to that line.
The thoughts in my brain are racing away while tingles run through me, making me fear I’ll have a panic attack any minute from now. I don’t want to believe this is happening, and yet I’ve experienced this plenty of times in my life.
Thinking life is finally going up and giving me a sense of tranquility, only for my Mother to come in and ruin it all. For her to steal the control I worked effortlessly to master in my young life.
No matter how many times I built those blocks, fighting through the doubt and uncertainties, when the tower of hope finally reaches the brink of success, there she is.
Ready to make all those blocks tumble down.
I’m seeing black spots before I realize it, and I can’t stop the spiraling sensation that’s rushing through me. The drowning feeling that fights to claw me into the dark abyss, hoping I can stay in its black waters and never resurface again.
“Astraea.”
Arms wrap around me not a second later, a firm frame of stability pressing against my back to keep my knees from buckling entirely. The support is what my body needs because a second later, I wouldn’t be able to hold my own weight.
Everything feels so heavy. How am I going to carry this all?
The band may collapse. If they collapse, that means I’m no longer useful. I’ll have another pack who wants a contractual marriage waiting for me back home with my mother’s approval, while my Dad and his pack will know nothing about it. My best friend is abroad and can’t get me out of this. Velvet and Knox are busy saving the Haven.
I have nobody.
I’m alone.
No one can stop this.
“Jesus, Astraea, breathe.”
I don’t recognize the voice anymore, or maybe I’m so lost in this sinking feeling that I don’t want to be recognized. Heck, I’d disappear if it meant I don’t need to face what’s waiting for me.
Who do I tell?
How do I get out of this?
Why am I always in these helpless situations?
All the hard work I do in the shadows. All the money in the banks I’ve kept hidden in hopes of a cushion of security when the time is right.
What good are they without power?
Without public connections?
Knox, Malcolm, and whoever this third Alpha was managed to stop the Haven from being shut down because they have power, connections, and money. Those aspects are all publicly known, and no one can fight against them because they’re Alphas.
Powerful, filthy rich Alphas who can stand their ground when anyone dares threaten their security blanket.
But what about me?
How can I replicate such power?
How can I do that as an Omega in this maddening world that sees us as nothing but garbage?
How?!
“Dammit, Rebel!” Pain shoots from my bottom lip, forcing me to look forward at the source of my stinging agony. It’s only for a second, as lips press firmly against mine, forcing a wave of warmth and pleasure to twinkle through me like a rush of cold water waking me up from slumber.
Whatever haze of despair that took over me loses its clutches as I realize I’m in Nathaníel’s arms, facing him while we’re clearly on the floor in the middle of the hall.
It takes me a second to realize tears are streaming down my face, and when he breaks the kiss and pulls back, my lip trembles.
“Talk to me, Omega,” he urges. “Tell your Alpha what’s wrong.”
“I… I have no power,” I whimper as my tears well in my eyes once more. I’m forced to acknowledge how frightened I am. How defeated I feel when your blood is doing everything to make you into a tool that benefits their needs and not yours. “Mom… Mom is going… to marry me off.”
His eyes widen in surprise as he watches my whole body tremble.
“I-I-If I go back, she’s going to force me to marry a pack. They need… need the contract for their businesses. It will benefit my Mom. It has to benefit her with money to buy her stupid bags and go on her vacations and to be able to show the world she’s better than everyone else!” I sob and shake my head before lifting my hands to pat my chest. “B-But what about me?! What about my future? What about my happiness?! Why does no one care about me?!”
I sob harder, my shoulders lifting and falling.
“I’m not poor. I’ve built a foundation for myself that I don’t have the fucking courage to yell at the top of the rooftops and take pride in. All because I was born as an Omega?! All because of hormones and having a pussy!”
I punch out at him as if his chest is a punching bag. I don’t mean to do it, yet I can’t stop.
“If I was a male with a cock, everyone would bow down to me. I’d have loads of friends and connections. My family wouldn’t be a broken mess because maybe my Mom would control her spending addiction if I was an Alpha. I’d be able to choose who the fuck I want to marry. Who the hell would be in my pack. For once in my life I’d have stability and get to proudly boast about my multi-million-dollar career that allows me to do whatever I desire!”
There’s so much anger laced in my sobbing voice.
Nathaníel doesn’t deserve any of it, yet he’s the only one in the path of my scorn who will listen to me.
“But look at me. Pathetic Omega with millions hidden in banks, so no one can fraud or take all the hard money earned for being a masked pen name that’s successful because everyone assumes I’m a mastermind Alpha. Here I am, crying my eyes out because I can’t fight my selfish, egoistic, narcissistic mother! I never have the guts to call my Dad and tell him everything isn’t okay, and now the band isn’t doing well, and we may not go on tour after all because I’m here and probably interfering with it all.”
“Astraea,” Nathaníel pleads with me, but I keep punching him.
“Don’t lie! Don’t try to act like I’m not some sort of thorn in the band’s side. Even though I can try to help by getting studios booked behind the scenes or giving the impression that I’ll be in a certain town, so you guys are treated better, it doesn’t stop the lingering truth that I’m interfering simply by being an Omega. That my scent is probably intoxicating to the other band members, and that’s why they want out.”
“Studios behind the scenes,” he whispers. “This studio was booked by Blair Vesper, but he didn’t sho?—”
“I’M BLAIR!” I snap at him with boiling rage. He’s taken aback by it, but he doesn’t move his spot. “It’s ME! Blair Vesper! Multi-millionaire lyricist who can’t even show who the fuck SHE is because our society sucks!”
The silence that drifts within the space after my words is deafening, but the truth has been revealed, and honestly, I could give a shit if it ruins my future. If my career is going down the drain from this instance.
Cause none of that matters.
My life isn’t in my own hands to control.
It never was.
That’s the life of an Omega.