Chapter Thirteen
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
THE AUDACITY OF my bodyguard!
It’s been a few days since our show in Grand Rapids, yet his stupid words still haunt my every waking thought. Pulling me aside and claiming me as his mate was ridiculous! His claim about the type of connection we supposedly share is equally abysmal.
Shared pain can be devastating. Most of the packs who share the connection are vocal about how taxing it can be. I wouldn’t wish that Fate on anyone, let alone someone who works a dangerous job like Ridley does. To be mated to someone who regularly risks their life to protect others-
I shudder, imagining the pain I would feel if he got caught in the crossfire on a mission. No, thank you. I will continue living as though I do not have a Fated connection until I have proof it exists. I certainly won’t be taking my flirty bodyguard’s word for it. Even with the undeniable pull between us.
Leaning against the couch, I watch Ridley’s character move on the screen. In our down time, he and Lex often play video games on the console he brought. Today he’s chosen a cozy farming game. Something relaxing after spending the afternoon at a protest outside of Senator Pierson’s rally in St. Louis.
I am tempted to drag Omen to the back for a girl’s night, but my bestie’s wrapped up in whatever happened between her and the members of Primordial Covenant. After going on an impromptu date with their drummer a few days ago, she has withdrawn into herself. I thought we had gotten past her fear of their connection, but the way she has been avoiding them tells me otherwise.
There isn’t anything I can do to change her mind. She has to overcome her fears on her own.
“What made you want to work for the DAU?” The question slips from my lips, and I silently curse myself when I see Ridley grin. I shouldn’t be catering to his delusions by asking him personal questions, but sitting here doing nothing is too boring.
“I started working security after the Alpha Academy, so it was a natural transition. As for why I wanted this line of work, it was more of a necessity than a choice. I have four little sisters, two who presented as omegas. If I didn’t have an outlet for my protective nature, I’d channel it all to them, and that wouldn’t work out well for anyone involved. I got into enough fights in high school trying to keep assholes away from my sisters.”
A slight flare of jealousy lights up my soul, but I squash it down. I always wanted siblings when I was growing up. It wasn’t in the cards for my family. At least not until we adopted Omen. Even if she was already eighteen and technically an adult, she became the sister I never had.
So I understand Ridley’s protective instincts for his siblings. I feel the same about Omen. Like I could tear apart anyone who dares to hurt her—physically or emotionally.
“I bet they’re all grateful for your career choice, then.”
He laughs, the sound lighting up every fiber of my being and making my heart pound in my chest. Fates dammit, why does this alpha have to be so dreamy?
“They certainly are. Though my omega mother isn’t as on board as everyone else is. She’s a worrier, so knowing her only son intentionally puts himself in danger to protect others makes her anxiety spike. I try not to let her know the severity of any injury I get while on the job.”
“She sounds wonderful. My mom is the same way, but she works with the DAU, so she also knows injury is inevitable. Two of my dads work for the DAU, too, one as an undercover operative. She just patches him up, scolding him the entire time. They’re very cute together.”
I can’t hide the longing in my voice. Thankfully, Ridley doesn’t comment on it.
“What are your sisters like?”
His smile grows, taking on a soft quality that makes my heart race. “They’re amazing. And annoying, but that’s pretty normal for siblings. Two omegas, a beta, and a female alpha. All strong willed and chaos incarnate. They might be glad I joined the DAU, but they love pushing my buttons. Dragging random packs home or getting into trouble with the police.” His head shakes, but there is so much love and humor in his eyes. He is obviously a great big brother.
I listen as he tells me stories about the pranks they pulled and the adventures they went on. These little snippets of his life make it harder to keep denying the pull between us. If I admit he’s right about the pull between us, I could be part of their family, too.
If you asked thirteen-year-old me what her dream mate would be like, she would have described the alpha sitting beside me. He’s everything I’ve ever wanted, and completely unattainable all the same.
Sometimes Fate really sucks.
I’m entranced by his stories, unable to look away until Lex steps into the living room, shirtless, with water still dripping down his chest. Fates, these men are way too attractive for their own good. I’m pretty sure there will be a wet spot on the couch when I get up, which is embarrassing as hell.
“Where’s Omen?” he grunts, peering back towards her nest. I glance across the couch to where my bestie was sitting, only to find the seat vacant. Scowling, Lex crosses to the front of the bus and curses. Panic churns in my stomach as he slams the bus door open and heads outside.
“Shit,” Ridley groans, running a hand through his rich brown hair. “He’s going to kick my ass.”
We both stand, ready to go search for Omen, when we hear footsteps headed back inside. The breath I didn’t realize I was holding whooshes out when I see her step into the living area. I don’t have long to let my relief simmer before Lex is stomping in behind her, his angry words cutting around us.
“It’s my job to protect you. How the hell am I supposed to do that if you’re sneaking off the bus in the middle of the damn night? Or do you not give a shit about your safety? “
Omen’s lips twist into the most malicious look I’ve ever seen cross her face, my gut sinking at the way she’s lashing out. “I needed a minute to myself without you three silently judging me!”
I try to reassure her we are only worried about her, not judging her for pushing Pack Graves away, but it’s clear she isn’t hearing me. She’s trapped in a cage of anger. Her nest door slams shut a few minutes later, leaving us all on edge
Ridley’s hand rubs soothing circles between my shoulder blades as I sink onto the couch. I should shrug the touch off, but when I feel this helpless, it’s hard to maintain the badass facade I usually embody.
“For someone with firsthand experience in the New Hampshire cult, she sure doesn’t seem to give a shit if they find her.” Lex grits out. “That woman needs fucking therapy to deal with the trauma she is still harboring.”
My hackles are immediately up, ready to defend my best friend, but a small part of me admits he is right. Omen is behaving recklessly in a way she never did before. Her fear of discovery has always been prevalent in her mind, stopping her from taking risks. It seems whatever has happened between her and Pack Graves has had a bigger impact than I originally imagined.
“Ridley, a word.”
I sink further into the couch, guilt swirling uncomfortably in my stomach as he drags my bodyguard outside. It isn’t necessarily my fault Ridley didn’t notice Omen slipping outside, yet I can’t help but to blame myself.
RIDLEY
I follow Lex outside, hand running through my hair to prepare for the reaming he’s about to give me. Not that he’s wrong. It is my responsibility to watch both omegas when he is sleeping or taking a moment to himself, and I fucked up by not noticing Omen slip from the bus.
“I understand it’s difficult to watch Omen when Bea is in the room, but you need to get your shit together. Our job, protecting both omegas, comes first. Fate can fucking wait.”
Blowing out a breath, I’m torn between ribbing him for admitting he gets distracted by our girl too and wanting to admit my mistake. I opt for the latter, recognizing he’s too riled up to handle my teasing right now. “I fucked up. It won’t happen again.”
He nods stiffly, his body tense. “We’ll check on Omen later, but if this behavior continues, I will call Donovan and pull her from the tour. I will not have her traipsing into danger because she can’t deal with her trauma.”
Biting my tongue is difficult when I want nothing more than to point out he does the same thing. He accepted a position in the DAU’s security department to continue running from the demons chasing him. As much as I try to hope we get away from every mission unscathed, it can get treacherous.
“Let’s go back inside. Bea is probably worried as hell about Omen,” I offer instead. He tells me he is going to stay outside for a few minutes to get his anger under control. I leave him be and head in to check on my omega.
She’s a ball of guilt and concern where she huddles on the couch, nervously picking at her nails. I gently cup her hands, pulling them apart to stop her from hurting herself further. “She’ll be okay, sunshine.”
Bea collapses against me when I sit down beside her, and I wrap my arms around her. Pressing my face against the top of her head, the salty, tipsy scent of coconut and pineapple helps settle me.
She shifts, bumping her nose against my neck as she searches for my scent. My lips turn down when I remember the scent blockers preventing me from providing her with the same comfort she’s offering me.
Fates-damn this job for stopping me from caring for my omega the way I want to.
Last night after Bea convinced Omen to leave her nest, we discovered she had a mini heat. The overly sweet scent of sunflowers still clings to the back of the bus despite the air system constantly running to disperse it.
We’re headed to the next city early to drop by a laundromat to help Omen air out her nest. Bea seems worried, but not as concerned as I would be if my sisters started having the short breakthrough heats while they were traveling. Her reaction makes me think these may be normal for the other omega. Which is more concerning, honestly.
“Are you sure the two of you can handle her laundry?” Lex asks for the third time this morning. He is going to stay on the bus with Omen, who is still recovering from her mini-heat.
“Yes, Lex,” Bea grumps from beside me. Her hands are on her hips, like a magnet guiding my attention to the inches of skin I can glimpse beneath her crop top. Fuck, do I want her laid out before me, all those glorious curves on display and ready for me to taste them.
“Fine. Call me if you have any issues.”
She waves him off and drags a bag of pillows out to the car we called. Jogging along behind her, sweeping it from her hands and tossing it over my shoulder with the blankets I’d grabbed on my way out. I smirk when she protests, letting her watch me carry them with ease. I’m fully aware how turned on my mate gets when I flex my back muscles.
The drive to the laundromat is short, and it’s empty inside when we arrive. I aim for the back corner, where I can see both entrances and the back exit. Bea helps me load up several washers with Omen’s bedding, pouring in detergent while I drop coins inside to get them running.
Music plays on the radio overhead, a mix of popular songs and classics. Bea dances along to the beat, getting lost in the rhythm. I lean back against one of the folding tables and watch her, white knuckling the edge to hold myself back from wrapping around her. My control is tested when she sways closer, grinding her ass against me in a sensual motion that has me harder than I’ve ever been.
“Bea,” I warn, my voice thick with desire. This little seductress just flutters her lashes at me over her shoulder, baring her throat to me.
Fates fucking dammit, I cannot take one more second of this torture.
She yelps when I grip her around the waist and flip us around, sitting her on the table and stepping between her thighs. The heat of her presses against my aching cock, making me groan. When her hands grab the material of my cut off and tug me closer, I give in.
My lips meet hers in a clash of fiery passion. The wick of a candle ignited, burning brighter and brighter with each swipe of her tongue against mine. I nip the soft skin of her bottom lip and suck it into my mouth, soothing the pain. Her perfume is thick in the air around us, soaking into my skin and drowning me in the tantalizing hit of her pleasure.
When her hips start to rock, I drop one hand to grip her thigh and help her grind against me. The breathiest moan slips through her lips as I devour her, entranced by the way her eyes flutter with each bump of her clit against my tip. Her breaths come faster, her chest heaving and her nails digging into my pecs as she tenses. She’s so close.
“Eyes on me, sunshine. I want to watch you fall apart, grinding on my cock.”
Those mesmerizing dark blue orbs snap open to meet mine, dragging me beneath the crashing waves of her ocean. I’m so fucking in love it hurts to hold myself back from begging her to let me sink my teeth into her. I want to feel her in my soul, to know every emotion flickering through her heart.
“Ridley.” She moans my name long and loud, her eyes rolling back into her skull as she falls apart. Fuck, she’s a dream come true. So gorgeous she deserves to have myths written in her honor. Men would go to war to bask in her beauty.
But they’ll never have the chance because this omega is mine.
“Shit,” I whisper when the main door opens and an elderly couple shuffle inside with a small basket of laundry. I carefully step back, keeping my arms around Bea to steady her.
She blinks at me before turning to see new visitors walking in. A light blush tints her cheeks when she glances back at me. I’d worry she was second guessing what happened if I couldn’t see the satisfaction and heat in her eyes.
We hurry to swap everything to the dryer when the washing machine beeps. I chuckle when I catch Bea grumbling beneath her breath about walking around with drenched panties now. If pre-cum wasn’t coating the inside of my boxers, I would offer to trade her.
Reality sets in when my phone pings and I see an email from the DAU waiting for me. I grimace, turning my head to look at Bea. She senses my attention and smiles at me. Whatever she sees on my face has her joy falling away.
That just won’t do.
Fuck the DAU. They can’t keep me from my Fate Matched mate. As long as we don’t bond until I am no longer her bodyguard, it shouldn’t matter what happens between us.
“Sunshine,” I mutter as I pull her against me. Her chest presses against mine and she’s stiff in my arms. Leaning down, I press my nose to hers so I can stare directly into her eyes. I need her to see into the depths of my soul to understand how much I mean what I’m about to say. “I’ll never regret a moment spent with you. Getting to help you find release? That’s a Fates damned dream come true. You’re mine, Bea Powell. My omega, my Fate Matched mate.”
Air whistles from her lips as she blows out a breath, relief crossing her face at my admission. I hide a wince, hoping the next part won’t steal her happiness again.
“But I can’t claim you.” Her eyes flare with outrage, but I press my lips to her before she can speak. A quick peck to buy another second of silence. “ Yet , sunshine. After this mission with the DAU is over, you can bet I’ll be sinking my teeth into this pretty throat.”
She shudders when I run my thumb across the soft skin, circling where I want to place my mark on her. When she nods, a smile slipping back on her face, I grin back at her. This tour can’t end soon enough.