Chapter 31
Alric
No one has said anything, but we’re all thinking it. Today is her heat and we aren’t fucking her. Instead, we’re at an overpriced hotel a few blocks from Harper’s apartment, preparing for tonight’s party. I should care about it, but my only thoughts are a maddening loop of Madeline.
I might never recover from the emotional blow of her choosing a medically induced coma over sharing her heat with the three of us. Had we failed her so egregiously she would choose to suffer over having it with us? The insidious question repeats in my head.
We know she has her reasons. I can’t begin to understand them, but it’s her life and her choice. Being her scent match doesn’t give me a claim to that without her permission.
My body knows she’s going into heat a few minutes away, as if her omega side is calling out to me. I have to force myself not to return to Harper’s apartment and beg Madeline to give us a chance to prove we’re everything she could ever desire, even if she doesn’t know it.
Tonight’s event starts with a five-course dinner, after we’ll all move to the grand ballroom for a night of celebrating the app’s success.
As CEO, I’m scheduled to give a speech, but seeing how it currently feels like every atom in my body is being ripped apart, I’m not sure how I’ll manage to do that. Poorly, I imagine.
There’s a knock on my hotel room. Typically, I wouldn’t stay in one for a party, but since I can’t be with my own fated mate during her first heat, my plan is to overindulge in whiskey to the point that I forget who I am and what I’ve lost.
Is it a terrible coping mechanism? Undoubtedly.
I open the door to Hunter and Zachary, both of them just as miserable as I am.
We’re all in suits for the evening. Mine is a classic black and white, while Zachary’s is a deep burgundy with gold buttons, and Hunter’s is dark blue. They follow me back into the room.
“How are we supposed to get through tonight?” Zachary asks, leaning against the dresser.
Hunter motions for us to join him. “Come on, guys, group hug.”
I sigh deeply. “I don’t think that’ll make us feel any better.”
Of course, he doesn’t listen. He grabs my wrist and pulls me towards Zachary, who obliges him with a small smile as Hunter wraps his arms around both of us, our faces much too close.
“I know this sucks.” Hunter pulls us even closer.
“We’ve all come so far, and let’s not forget that.
Seems like yesterday we were bright-eyed college kids with big dreams. There’s a lot to celebrate tonight on a business level.
I know we’d all rather be fucking our omega’s brains out, but for tonight, let’s try to relax and enjoy what we can.
We need to trust that Madi will return to us when she’s ready.
We’ll be there whether it’s tomorrow or fifty years from now.
Damn, I really hope it’s not that long.”
Zachary chuckles at that.
It better not be. I miss Madeline more than I can articulate. I’m not sure I can last fifty more minutes, let alone years, with my chest ripped open like this.
Our phones all chime at the same time and we step away from our little moment, quickly checking the notifications. We work in different parts of this company. There’s no one who would be texting all three of us at the same exact time, except her.
My heart stops for a moment and it feels like the world stops spinning.
Madeline:
I’m sorry I ruined everything. My heat is here and Omega’s Comfort is picking me up. They’ll take care of me, but I want you there. If you can’t make it because of your event or you changed your mind about me, I understand.
“Let’s fucking gooooo!” Hunter yells and the room explodes into chaos. All three of us rush towards the door, sprinting down the hallway.
Joyful relief burns ridiculously bright in my chest. I feel like I could explode with gratitude and excitement that she needs us.
That she wants us. I try to remember that it doesn’t mean forever but fuck, it’s enough for now.
We’re going to make this so good for her.
Every fear and anxiety she has about us, her heat and pack life, we will wash it away.
Other hotel guests fling themselves out of our path as we run through the pristine lobby and past the red carpet for the arriving guests. A taxi drops off a couple here for the event and we all hop in, Hunter throwing himself in the front seat next to the confused driver.
“Omega’s Comfort, please.”
“Which location? There are at least five of them scattered across the city.”
“Fuck, we don’t know where she is!” I growl.
Zachary messages her and all of our phones are notified.
Zachary:
Sweetheart, which location? Are you still at Harper’s?
No response.
“We’ll make another stop until we know the location,” I tell the driver and rattle off Harper’s address. If Madeline doesn’t get back to us in time, then Harper will probably know where we should go.
Hunter opens his wallet, takes out five hundred-dollar bills, and gives the cash to the driver. “I need you to drive faster than you’ve ever driven before.”
The driver nods excitedly and floors it, sending us all flying back in our seats as he weaves in and out of traffic like a professional stunt driver on the set of a Hollywood blockbuster.
Harper’s building is only a few blocks away.
The anticipation has my fists clenched at my sides, desperate to get to Madeline.
I won’t know a moment’s fucking peace until she’s in my arms again, moaning between us.
Dread punches me in the gut when we arrive. There’s an ambulance out front and a hysterical Harper on the sidewalk. She’s being comforted by an older nurse with a high blonde ponytail, Omega’s Comfort embroidered on her scrubs.
Where the hell is Madeline?
We scramble out of the car and race towards her. Harper lets out a wail and nearly collapses, but Hunter reaches her in time and holds her up.
“He took her! I’m sorry. I should’ve checked. He took her away.”
Blackness floods my vision, anger poisoning my blood.
“We’ve already called the Omega Protection Services,” the nurse says, calm and professional. “They are aware that two men pretending to be Omega’s Comfort staff arrived ten minutes ago. Building security has footage of her getting in a vehicle with them.”
Harper sobs. “He was wearing scrubs and it was a nice car. Neither of us has ever used Omega’s Comfort before, we didn’t know to look out for an ambulance.
I didn’t even stop and think to verify his identity when he knew her name and that she was waiting for them.
” She clings to Hunter, both of them looking as terrified as I feel.
Zachary grabs his phone, frantically typing something. “Unless Madi deleted our app, we’ll be able to pull up her exact location. I need to get into our system and pass a few layers of security to get into the back end, where I can access her account information.”
Please, honey, don’t have deleted NourishNow. We need to find you.
Acid burns through me at the thought of Madeline going into heat with that monster.
“Got it!” Zachary holds up his phone, triumphant. “We have her location, but she’s moving.”
The Omega’s Comfort driver waves us over. “Come with us. This is a medical emergency and we don’t have time to wait for Omega Protection Services to get here. Let’s move!”
Zachary joins the driver up front to navigate. Hunter and I follow the nurse into the back, slamming into the seats. Zachary yells directions over the sirens blaring above us. The ambulance makes a few rough turns, traffic parting for us as we run red lights.
“Okay, it looks like she’s finally stopped moving. Warehouse district, fucking bastard,” Zachary growls.
“Alric, we’re going to find her.” Hunter is trying to be reassuring, but I can’t stop the snarl that comes out. My alpha instincts claw at me, tearing apart my insides. I scream to let my rage out. How dare he take her from us when we just got her back?
When we find him, I’m going to tear him limb from fucking limb.