Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
CALEB
“Are you back, boss?” Orla asks, hustling into the bar as she puts her stuff in the back room. I have a place set up for employees to be able to change if they’re coming from school or another job, and it’s helped them more than once when they’d be late otherwise.
“No,” I grunt, looking around the back of the bar to make sure I’ve done everything she and Mickey will need for tonight.
While I have other people working for me, they’re the two that have been with me the longest. I’ve owned the bar for about six years, and I trust them to watch over things for me. I also plan to kick extra money their way since I’m not here.
“I need to take care of some things, but the kegs are refilled, I changed things out in the fridge and cleaned it so you’ll be good for tonight,” I explain.
Orla leans against the wall as she gazes at me. Her hair is pulled back in a top knot, and I have a feeling she sees more than she lets on.
“You know Mickey would help me do all that, so what’s really going on?” she asks. “Is it Aisling or Hollis? Are they okay?”
While Aisling moved on from the bar, Orla’s never forgotten her. She told me she always knew Aisling was meant for bigger things, and that sometimes people are only in your life for a small amount of time.
She’s smart, I’ll give her that.
“Hollis is pissed at me,” I sigh. “She came in with a bat earlier. We found her sister.”
Orla has heard a lot while working here, and one of those things is Hollis’ sister that everyone seems to have forgotten about except for a select few. Her jaw drops as she blinks at me, shaking her head.
“Way to bury the lead, boss. Holy shit. This isn’t common knowledge yet, is it?” she asks.
“Very few people know,” I admit. “I feel bad leaving you alone at the bar. Lars is making sure that the coffee shop is handled and then he’s taking off as well.”
“I know you’re close, but why is her sister being found such a big deal?” she asks.
“She’s Lars and my scent match, and we’ve both been a bit dense about it,” I say. “Think you can hold down the fort for me? I’ll add to your pay for the time I’m gone.”
Orla waves my words away because she knows that I'll take care of her.
“I know you will. Damn, she’s your scent match. Aren’t they identical twins?”
“If you saw them together, you wouldn’t know they were twins outside of their having the same eyes,” I say. “Even then, you’d have to really know one of them to see the similarities. They’re both very different in their personalities.”
“So it’s not like fucking your best friend?” Orla asks cheekily.
Ugh, this is essentially what Hollis was insinuating when she yelled at my brother. I can see why that would be a concern, but when I look at Nova, I only see her.
“That’s adorable, but mind your business, Orla,” I grunt. “Make sure you walk home with Mickey. Tell him to skip the booty call.”
“Now who’s sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong?” she teases as I walk toward the back door to leave.
Rolling my eyes, I ignore her as I continue my walk to the car. I’ll pick up Lars, swing by our house, and then drive to Tyde’s place to see Nova. Maybe we can manage a conversation where she doesn’t cry.
Hopefully.
NOVA
I’m pacing the floor as I talk on the phone with Pack Kelly when the doorbell rings. Tyde glances at me as I give him a tight smile before I disappear into the day room to continue my call.
Some might call it running away, while I call it gathering distance. I’ve been returning texts and calls for hours, and also setting up new appointments with packs who want to discuss my services.
Word of mouth is huge, and it seems that my clients are very pleased with me.
“I know Quinn has an appointment soon, but I’m worried it’s so far out of the way for you ,” Linus says.
I can practically hear him chewing on his lip, and shake my head.
“I’m not that far out of town,” I say. “I’ll be going home soon anyway, so it won’t be an issue for long.”
“ Still ,” Linus muses. “ When is Adira’s next appointment?”
“I just rescheduled it for Thursday,” I say. “I missed it since I had my heat. She’s been doing really well so the shift isn’t too terrible.”
“Well what if Adira just came here instead and you could see them both on Thursday ?” Linus asks. “Adira and Pack Dresmond won’t mind, they’re here often anyway.”
“Oh, are you sure?” I ask. “I’ll probably need to give Quinn an IV drip too…”
“I don’t mind ,” Quinn calls out. “ The snow isn’t getting any better, Nova, and we don’t want you driving all over for us.”
“ You’re on speaker,” Linus says sheepishly.
“I can see that,” I tease him. “If everyone is okay with that, then I’ll see you Thursday. I’ll bring everything I need for the appointment. Quinn, how are you feeling?”
I vaguely remember her asking me while I was in heat if I’d be able to see her if she needed me, but I’m unsure if that was a real question or a test to gauge how bad things were for me.
“I’m better ,” she says. “ The nausea is starting to taper off now that I’m implementing the suggestions you gave me, but I’m still really tired. I’m exercising every day, even if it’s just stretching and silly dancing in the studio with Linus.”
“I miss dancing with her ,” he sighs. I love how he loves her.
Linus is so incredibly in tune with Quinn.
Curling up on a cute couch by the window, I gaze outside as I ignore the voices at the front of the house.
“ Quinn is working maybe once a week at the club now since we never know how she’ll feel. ”
“ Growing a baby is hard work,” she says with a small yawn.
“Yes it is,” I chuckle. “Naps will be your best friend. You’re doing amazing. You’re almost in your second trimester, which means you could experience a burst of energy or continue to feel tired. Everyone is different.”
“ As long as the nausea decides to calm its tits, I’ll be happy, ” she says.
“I hope it does,” I admit. “I’ll see you on Thursday at two then.”
“ Take your time on the roads,” Duncan rumbles next to Linus. “ Late is better than never, Nova. Are you sure your tires can handle the snow?”
My lips twitch in amusement. What does it say when other packs care more about me than Caleb and Lars? My eyes close for a moment as I pack away the shattered pieces of my heart. I seem to be doing that a lot.
It’s all going to spill over at some point, and I can only hope that I’m alone when that happens. There’s so much trauma threatening to bubble over, I feel like I’m going to sound like a crazy person when I finally break.
“My tires are solid,” I promise, opening my eyes to find Tyde rushing into the room with wide eyes. I can feel his alarm through the bond, and I wince. Oops. I almost forgot that he can feel the whiplash of my emotions. “The van should make it just fine in this weather. I’ll see you then.”
Saying goodbye, I hang up and raise my brows at Tyde.
“I’m not going to ask if you’re okay,” he breathes. “If you ever want to go outside and just scream, I don’t have neighbors. I also won’t judge because your emotions…Fuck, baby.”
There’s no time for me to respond as I gaze at him with wide eyes and no explanation for the feelings and memories threatening to spill out of my own personal Pandora’s Box.
“Nova,” Caleb says, walking into the room. Tyde merely inclines his head at me as if to tell me he’ll keep my confidence, and I turn to face Caleb. “Is something wrong?”
“No,” I lie, my voice strained from overuse. This is what happens when I disappear for a few days. “I just needed to rearrange some things so I’ve been on the phone. You’re back?”
Caleb grinds his teeth for a moment before he nods.
“We are,” he says, glancing at Lars as he joins us in the room. They seem to take up so much space, and I regret coming in here to finish my call. “What are you rearranging?”
“My life,” I mutter. “My phone was overflowing with requests from people who want to be new clients, current clients checking on me or rescheduling missed appointments.”
“Anyone unhappy with these missed appointments?” Lars growls.
Huffing out a laugh, I shake my head. “It’s rarely an issue when I’m working with omegas and packs.
They all know how quickly a heat can come, and that they’re not an exact science that you can track perfectly,” I explain.
“I need to check on the van, make sure nothing has cropped up that needs to be fixed.”
“Do you often find yourself doing that?” Caleb asks carefully.
“Bertha is ancient,” I smirk. “There’s always something to fix on her high maintenance self.
It’s never something I can’t do myself or watch a video for.
Duncan was worried about my tires being up to driving in the snow, but I just changed them.
Well, Malcolm actually did that because I was nursing a sore head at the time. ”
“They’re good to you,” Lars says, though it’s not a question.
“It’s nice that Pack Ledger checks on me when I’m supposed to be somewhere or do something and I’m not there. My clients all worry. There’s not much I can do about protective alphas when I’m driving so often,” I say, shrugging.
“You collect people,” Tyde purrs, picking me up. The smooth weight of my curls slides over my shoulder as I snuggle against him, refusing to remind him that I can walk just fine. “We both won’t fit on that tiny couch. I keep wanting to redo this room and never get to it.”
He walks out of the day room and into the living room without a word to Caleb and Lars, and they both find themselves following us like lost puppies.
Remember you don’t need to apologize to them , Tyde whispers through the bond. You’ve done nothing wrong.
Other than exist, that is.
Tyde growls in annoyance, making me sigh.
“Why does it feel like there’s a secret conversation happening?” Lars asks, watching as Tyde folds himself onto the couch with me between his legs again.
I really like how safe it makes me feel. His entire body surrounds me this way.