37. Livingstons #2
Hollis nearly follows me, but he and I never talked. He doesn’t know anything about me. It was Noble who was a sort of my friend, and Noble can go fuck himself.
In my room, which is a nice space overlooking the front of the house, all the way down the desert trail to the main road facing the west desert, I lay everything on my bed. I used Roman’s credit card. I wonder how long until he realizes the charges I’ve incurred.
Ash comes in behind me, and the only alert I get is through the bond.
I’m bonded to a beta…how strange. There’s also his sweet mint and fennel scent.
It’s not rancid. It’s nice, like a beta’s scent is.
Alphas and omegas’ unique scents are potent and mostly come from our scent glands.
For betas, it’s just their unique scent in their sweat and skin.
Tony would be able to detect him from much farther away than me.
“Ash,” I say as he sets the rest of the bags on the floor by my bed.
“Kelya.”
“You got a bond.” I point out.
He waffles for a second, seeming to retreat inside of himself.
“They thought it would help with their scent problem. I agreed to it because of the payout…”
“You don’t have to explain yourself.”
“I do, Kelya. I need you to know why I did it. I knew where you were at a few times, and because I was here, I could keep your location a secret. For the first year, they thought you were still around Nevada, but they got too anxious. They started an online alert and discovered someone named Marquette stole a car from an Arab prince. You used your sister’s name so that was a dead giveaway.
But then there was a description—an omega with a little frown and dark curly hair… ”
“I do not have a little frown.”
“Yes, you do. It’s sweet.”
I suck in a breath. He doesn’t move away from me and isn’t showing signs of being shy about his obvious compliment. I like his long face and strong nose. I shake my head, moving on.
“Thanks, Ash, for trying. They said you cleaned my nest?”
He sighs.
“They locked it up when you left and wouldn’t let me inside until they were courting a new omega, Petra.
The pool had grown some algae, but I got it all cleaned up.
She hated it in there. She said it was a tomb.
Then, she pointed out their smell was off once she got close.
They wanted her to ignore it and were being too pushy, so she just ran out into the desert.
I called the police on the Livingstons. The police came and put on record that they caused undue stress to an omega, and they had the beginnings of rot.
Petra was fine. She was only out there ten minutes at the most. That’s when they decided they had to come find you. ”
His hand lifts and hovers near my cheek, an invitation. I nod, and he uses the back of his fingers to stroke my cheek.
“I’m sorry it came to this.” His fingers graze down my cheek with absolute care until they meet my bite mark at the top of my shoulder. I flinch. It is still sore. Roman should be tending to it so it heals faster. “I’ll do my best to look after you. Like a beta should.”
I open my mouth to tell him that is an antiquated way to view betas, but his pleasure from having said what he did is palpable in the bond. Maybe another time I will tell him that in most places in the world, betas don’t serve packs. Maybe he knows.
“What do you need?” he asks in a whisper. His soothing scent fills my nose. It’s really lovely. By his tone, I know he means more than he’s saying.
“Um…” My head is filled with cotton, and it doesn’t help that his long, knobby fingers continue to stroke my neck.
I try to blink myself back into awareness.
“There’s an invoice…to pay the private detective.
Can you make sure it’s paid? I came back to make sure Tony Racine got what he needed.
He needs the money to pay the severance on an omega placement contract. I want him to be able to move on.”
Ash doesn’t smile. Ever. But I can see a little crinkle at his eyes.
“So selfless. Of course.”
“Roman said he wouldn’t pay it, so you may need to take the fall…”
“Got it, Omega. Don’t worry. It’s done.”
He pulls his hand away and takes a generous step back.
“Dinner will be ready in an hour.” Ash leaves, like we didn’t just share a startling intimate moment. Fucking hell! I have to catch my breath.
I sit down, processing the fact that I have someone possibly loyal to me in this house.
Getting more and more worked up, I rush out of my room to my nest deep in the house.
There’s a moment of fear that they locked it, but it’s open, and I slip in, closing the door behind me, then turn on the sconces and the overhanging chandelier.
The water in the pool is bubbling, steaming, and full.
My first thought is it must have been Ash who prepared it until the staggering scent hits my nose.
Cypress.
My nest smells of cypress. My Cypress. I walk up slowly to the pool, thinking I will see the alpha, but it’s just clear.
When I turn around, I notice a pillow placed in the center of my bed.
I tentatively walk towards it, the scent growing stronger and stronger until I am standing over it. I pick it up and press it to my face.
He marked it.
Cypress.
I groan and fall into bed, needing to rub myself down with this pillow, but then I feel the ropes hidden inside the case.
These aren’t the ones I had on me from the plane.
These are new. Dyed red. My heart beats so loud I’m worried it will alert my new pack.
I check to make sure I’m completely cut off from them, and I am.
They are also cutting off their end of the bonds, so there is no worry they will feel my breakdown.
I drop the ropes on the bed and open the cubby in the wall to find my old ones missing. I shake my head. I wondered if he needed something with my scent on it. Cypress, that fucking stalker, was in here. He should be in Barberie.
Not in Saint Kane.
His sweet perfume clouds my anger. His scent is in my nest! The emotion is too great to bear. I crawl into the bed and attempt to bring myself back to my own with careful breaths. Sitting, I hold the ropes to my chest.
I take the red rope dripping in his cypress scent and wrap my leg together, bent at the knee. I try one tie I saw him do on me, then throw the rope around for a second wrap. I pull it tight, and the wonderful feeling it elicits finally allows me to breathe normally.
My head falls back, and my bond mark throbs.
I’m bonded to the Livingstons and can never have Tony.
There is a strange off-chance they allow him into our pack…
but Tony is a bloodhound, famously lone alphas.
He already tried to be in a pack, and it ended in him losing his house, reputation, job, and family.
He said he can only have one bond. One person.
So, why is he here?
He has to know I’m bonded. Shame eats at me for allowing that to happen. But I have to live with my choice.
I do a third wrap on my leg, and that thought moves on.
I breathe through the tight, slightly stinging feeling, and my thoughts come and go, nothing sticking, until finally, I’m able to fully relax.
Then I untie myself, allowing the blood to flow back into my leg.
I lie back, feeling each pull of my heart fill my leg back up with fresh blood. My head rests on the cypress pillow.
He saw my nest.
Did he like it? What did he think…did he think all this was worth it for this little grotto…
I lay there until Ash knocks on the door, informing me dinner’s ready. When I stand up, I realize there are red marks all the way up and down my leg from the dyed rope.
I wrap my new cords up and hide them away in one of my cubbyholes, then leave. In the hall, Ash hands me a scent block spray, then walks away.
Does he…does he know about Tony breaking in? He’s a beta, so he doesn’t have a sensitive smell, so he had to have seen him…
I spray myself down, then go to the dining room.
I’m the first one here, which is fine. Ash brings the dishes out to the table, family style, then sits down on the other side.
“Ash, how did you…” I start to ask him, but the alphas join us. I don’t want to reveal Tony was in this house around the Livingston alphas.
I open a bottle of sparkling cider, and Roman goes to the buffet and pours himself some whiskey. Hollis and Noble sit down holding bottles of beer.
Everyone waits.
Traditionally, if a pack wants to care for its omega, the pack lead will serve the omega first before everyone eats. It’s done out of respect and speaks to our primal selves. The entire time I was with this pack, it was I who served Roman first.
If they really got a consultant, then they would know what needs to happen next. The fact that everyone is still and waiting is further proof this meal should be different. But Roman is a prideful man.
Noble takes the bottle of sparkling cider from me and pours a glass in short crystal stemware.
I thank him, then take a sip.
We wait as the clock ticks, and Roman swallows his whiskey in several big, loud gulps. He’s so fucking dramatic.
Finally, the man turns around and assesses the table.
There’s a platter of pork chops. A bowl of creamy mashed potatoes.
A dish of creamed spinach. And a basket of the most incredible smelling rolls.
Next to the rolls are peach and raspberry jam.
I’m already scheming how to steal the jar and take it to my nest later to eat by the spoonful.
The petulant alpha takes a step forward, grabbing my plate in his dry hands and staring at the pork chops. Hollis and Noble look like they are going to pass out.
I’m bored. Quite honestly.
It’s not impressive to me that it takes this much for this man to care for the omega in his life. I drain my glass and fill up the second one on my own. Eventually, Roman drops a plate of food in front of me and waits for my gratitude.
“You did it,” I acknowledge. “What a good alpha.”