Chapter 24 Raynor
Raynor
PAST
Vae had been drifting away, but she’s back now. We can hug her and touch her without her flinching. She’s much happier as well, though I sometimes find myself wondering what happened.
I don’t know what caused her to disappear inside herself, but I’m relieved it’s over.
Someone knocks on the door.
I roll out of bed and open it. Vae stands in front of me with a guitar.
I blink at her.
“What’s this?”
“I know your other guitar got damaged, so I found you another one. It’s not brand new, but I gave someone a cake, and he liked it, so he gave me this on my birthday before he passed.”
She made cakes for other people?
“Wait, what friend?”
“He used to come down to the community centre.”
“You go to the community centre?”
“Yes, I bake in my spare time and give it to them,” she says with a chuckle.
“Why don’t we get any cake?” I’m not sulking. I’m not.
“You didn’t want any when I asked. Something about a cleansing diet and keeping your God-given abs.”
Yeah, that sounds like me.
“I’d like to try some cake next time.”
She looks startled. Have her eyes always been so green? The colour is extraordinary.
“Anyway, this is for you.”
“Why?” I ask, not meaning to say it out loud.
“Because I believe in you.”
So simple. I take the guitar; she smiles at me. I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated her smile before. Then she turns and leaves, and I have a horrible sensation I’m losing something precious.
PRESENT
It’s been six days. Malcolm and Deacon were dropped off to catch a bus yesterday to go meet the Omega Storm.
I could care less. Vae has been avoiding me, and I have planned and plotted a foolproof way to get her back in my clutches.
Apparently, one drive from bringing her to heaven on my fingers back to our house had her brakes on hard.
There was an Uber waiting when we got home, and she’d given me a flimsy excuse and bailed.
I was frustrated, but not enough to break the fragile trust I’d started to build.
But today…I’m through waiting.
Vae rocks up to the house, rushing through the front door.
“Raynor!”
I smile as I hide in the dark of the lounge where she should overlook me. As soon as she goes rushing past, I sneak out and lock the door, pocketing the keys.
I follow her as she goes from room to room, and when she can’t find me in mine, she slumps, and, I swear, I see all the happiness go out of her.
She turns, her eyes widening before she schools her expression and steps towards me.
“You said the house was leaking?”
“I lied.”
My clear admission rocks her.
“You…lied?”
“Yes. I lied.”
She is delightfully offended, her mouth opening in a cute little circle, her eyes glinting. “You lied to me?”
I take a step towards her, and her eyes get wide, shooting to the space between us before she shuffles back a little bit.
It’s adorable.
“Vae, you’ve been hiding.”
She stops breathing; her hazel eyes are so beautiful when she’s panicking. I step closer again.
“Are you concerned about what we did? Did you hate it?”
Her face flushes with colour, and her eyes drop to the left.
“No, you didn’t. You loved it, so you thought I regretted it?”
Her eyes lift to mine, wide, frightened, hypnotising.
“You silly, silly omega.”
Her perfume fills the hallway, but she’s still so unsure. I ease back a bit.
“Come have dinner with me, and let’s watch their game together.” I have to force my voice into my normal tone, without all the intent to hunt her down. I’m pretty sure if I keep doing that, she really will run.
“What are we eating?”
“Well, as much as I’d love to wow you with my new skills, I have no new skills, so I actually ordered us some of those massive sandwiches from your favourite bakery.”
“With the cute little green cakes?”
“Oh, my dear Vae. To stop you from running away, I spent over a hundred dollars on cakes for you to try.”
Her eyes widen. I hold out my hand. She doesn’t hesitate, but then I know her weakness, and I have no issue exploiting it.
I drag her into the kitchen and reveal my trap.
She falls for it hook, line, and sinker. “Raynor…this is too much.”
“They have three new cakes, but you have to eat first.”
She spins around. “What kind of new ones?”
“Something with orange,” I whisper, leaning in, tempting her.
She leans into me, her tiny hands gripping my shirt, forgetting she needs to be afraid.
“Here’s the deal, my sweet omega: you come with me and eat a sandwich, have a drink, and we watch the game. At halftime, I will bring out one of the new ones. At full time, you can have the second one, but if you make it to the morning, I will give you the absolute Rolls-Royce of cakes.”
She’s staring up at me; I can see the fight going on in her head. Will she or won’t she? I know she can’t resist.
“You are diabolical,” she whispers.
“I know. But you are a slut for cake.”
Her smile blooms wide and completely free of nerves, and I know I’ve done it. Whatever wall she’d erected is down, and I’ve got my Vae back.
I grab the sandwiches and follow her into the lounge room. We both set up the TV and the room, moving the coffee table off to the side and sitting on the floor, shoulder to shoulder.
“I’ve missed this,” I say. “I’ve missed you. It’s like something’s wrong with my life everywhere when you aren’t here.”
She leans her head on my shoulder as the pre-game entertainment comes on.
Vae changes the channel.
“Hey, change it back.”
“No.”
I reach for the remote, but she holds it out away from me. I roll up onto my knees, but she shifts away, laughing.
“We are not watching,” I glance at the TV, “ew, we are not watching Omegas On Heart Island.”
“I love this show. It’s only the pre-game show, anyway.”
“No, Vae, you can’t be so mean to me. Give me the remote.”
I struggle, leaning over her. She wiggles, giggling, and tickles my side.
I jerk back, laughing, but I’m overbalanced, and I fall into her, my weight toppling her backwards.
She stretches out, struggling under me. While I’m trying to come to grips with the sudden change in my circumstances, she’s winning the war.
I lunge up her body, and I see the exact moment she realises what we are doing and how we are suddenly touching. A few months ago, I wouldn’t have done anything but jump off her, rush to my room, and jerk off, but today is a new day.
“Tell me to stop, and I will,” I say in a hoarse voice.
She opens her mouth, but nothing comes out.
I shift my weight, one thigh is pressed up between her legs, and I’ve got my arms braced around her shoulders and head, holding myself up.
“Vae,” I growl.
“We should think about this, what we’re doing, because it might ruin everything, and if we ruin everything, I don’t know what I will do because I love you guys so much and-”
I kiss her into silence.
She moans into my mouth, but her arms come up, encircling me and pulling me down. The laughter and excitement transforms into something darker, hungrier. I feel like I’ve been starving.
“Vae,” I pull my mouth from hers and kiss along her neck, dragging my teeth over her pebbling skin.
She arches her head to the side, but I pull away. I want to take this slowly.
Her eyes open and track my movements.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going out the back to get some air, otherwise we won’t be watching hockey or eating cake.”
She sits up and, to my extreme pleasure, looks torn.
“We need to watch their game.” She pauses. “And eat cake.”
I hold out a hand to her and hoist her up and into my arms. “Hey, Vae.”
“Yes, Raynor?”
“You taste better than any cake I’ve ever had.”
She grins at me, pure happiness shining out of her. “You taste as good as the vanilla cheesecake, no, better.”
“Are you sure? You don’t sound sure?” I tease.
She brushes her hair back, and the honeycomb candy scent of her hits me full in the gut. It takes everything I have to quiet the growl that wants to erupt out of my throat into a small noise.
Her eyes widen, but instead of looking scared, she leans into me, her pupils huge and black, her perfect pink lips parted.
“Vae,” I whisper. “Don’t hide from me again.”
“I didn’t think you’d ever see me as anything more than your friend.”
“You have never been just my friend,” I grumble and kiss her hard on the forehead. “Come, I’m going to have to spoil you now with cake number one so we both don’t lose our minds, rip our clothes off, and fuck each other for the next month.”
“That’s an option?”
I snicker and grab her wrist, towing her behind me as I go into the kitchen and unveil cake number one.
Fucking her is something I wouldn’t hesitate to do, but if I suddenly find happiness, I’m going to throw Mal and Deacon’s game and bring two furious alphas down on our heads, and neither of us wants that.
“Okay, tell me about the cake.”
I pull out the piece of paper the pastry chef gave me, unfold it with great flair, and begin reading in a pompous voice.
Vae grins at me but listens intently. When I finish, I hold a forkful out to her. She takes it and closes her eyes, savouring every mouthful.
“I’d be happy to feed you cake like this for the rest of our lives, Vae.”
Her eyes pop open, and she opens her mouth. I shove another mouthful in to stop her from saying what I know she’s going to say.
“It’s not that you're an omega, and it’s not your heat, but you’re right. Let me prove it to you.”
She’s wary, but she’s still here.
I’m taking that as a win.