Chapter 14
Chapter
Fourteen
Aries
Two Weeks Later
“What’s wrong?” I asked. Cassie had been staring at the computer screen for ten minutes now, her eyebrows furrowed and eyes unfocused.
She blinked a few times to clear her head before turning to me, immediately plastering on a smile that was absolutely a mask. I narrowed my eyes.
“I swear to all that’s holy, if you tell me you’re fine—”
She let out a laugh, but chewed on her bottom lip as if she couldn’t seem to find the words.
“You know there’s nothing between me and Leon, right?”
“He said that,” I agreed, tilting my head to the side, trying to figure out where this was going.
“It’s just that I don’t want you to hold back. If you guys like each other, and it seems there’s chemistry there, then you should go for it. He’s finally coming to life. It’s because of you.”
“I did think there was something between you at first,” I agreed, “but he reassured me there wasn’t. Nothing’s going on between us, though, Cassie. Healing takes time.”
She rolled her eyes. “Girl, I know that as well as you do,” she said, shaking her head. “But sometimes you can heal while also finding yourself a pack.”
“I’m hardly a pack,” I laughed, shaking my head. “I gave up on my pack dreams a long time ago.”
“Why?” she asked bluntly. We were at that point in this friendship. We’d all grown close over the last two weeks and spent nearly every day together. It was one of those friendships that just clicked.
She was right about chemistry. My omega decided he was ours that first time we met. Then, again, when we found him on the side of the road. There was no denying that I was drawn to the beta.
Leon brought out every protective, feral instinct in me, but we were both so broken that it couldn’t happen.
It was the exact reason he stayed with me now. After that first night, I couldn’t handle him going back to that apartment with Cassie. She was eager to have her own place, and I was eager to keep him safe.
His sleepwalking was just as bad as ever. My security system had alerted me, and I’d rerouted him back inside at least three times since then, and it had only been a couple weeks.
We’d shared meals and late night talks. Grown closer than either of us expected. Yet, my past still hovered over us, not letting me get any closer than I already was.
“I designated the day before my eighteenth birthday,” I said, opting to finally tell her the truth.
“My mom hated omegas, even though she was one. She found herself on the side of life that meant using her designation to make money. The moment she realized what I was, she beat the shit out of me. It was bad.”
My voice was hollow as I recounted the story, starting with the kidnapping, then onto Gideon’s mansion, and finally our escape. It wasn’t a pretty story but it was time for her to know where I stood.
“My alpha was my world, but even he couldn’t stop it.
Too much time has passed now. My alpha is long gone.
The thought that I was going to live with him was nothing more than a pipe dream.
This is my life now.” I gestured around at the gym.
“I find purpose here. I feel fulfilled teaching omegas and betas to defend themselves, because everyone should know safety.”
“And that’s admirable,” she promised, meeting my eyes to show how much she meant it.
“But?” I said, rolling my eyes.
“But… that doesn’t mean you have to spend your life alone. It’s okay if your pack never goes beyond you and Leon,” she said gently. “You’ve been through enough, Aries. You deserve happiness, especially for that little girl that designated and found out the hard way that not everybody was kind.”
Her words hit me square in the chest.
I’d been through enough therapy that I’d heard them before, but something about another survivor telling me that I didn’t have to still be in survival mode hit harder.
I’d watched some of the girls that escaped with me find their packs. I watched them find their own brand of happiness, flourishing with alphas that we all pretty much swore off when we escaped.
Fate had a funny way of coming through.
I just didn’t think fate would find me. And it wasn’t that Leon wasn’t enough, it was that Nikolai still held so much of my heart that I didn’t know how to let it go.
At some point, I was going to have to talk to Leon about it. I didn’t want to be cruel or lead him on.
“And what about you?” I questioned, turning the tables.
“I’ve turned our shared apartment into an amazing bachelor pad,” she teased.
“Leon’s old room is now a massive nest, and honestly, I’m thriving.
I can’t let that part of my life change me.
I’ve always been an optimistic, happy person, and I want to find that girl again.
I’m not letting what happened to me take that away.
They’ve taken enough. That starts with indulging my omega and finding me. ”
“That’s amazing, Cassie,” I said, my voice full of sincerity. I meant every word. She deserved the world.
She leaned forward, her hand grasping mine, warm fingers wrapping around and squeezing my hands.
“You deserve to find that level of peace, too, Aries.”
With that, she dropped my hand and turned away, letting the conversation end.
I walked back to my office in a daze.
That’s where Leon found me two hours later, staring off much the same way Cassie had been earlier.
“Hey, what’s going on?” he asked.
His voice was full of concern, eyes open and trusting as he looked at me. Usually we didn’t touch each other, but he walked around my desk, his hand resting lightly on my cheek.
I looked up into Leon’s eyes, my heart melting for the compassion this man still held after everything. Those pretty, soft blue eyes were eager and inviting and I wanted to get lost in them.
“I’m okay,” I promised. “Cassie and I just had a conversation earlier, and I’m trying to figure out how I feel about it.”
He winced. “She can be a bit pushy sometimes. She means well, but don’t take her too seriously.”
“No, this time she was spot on,” I admitted. “We’ve never really dove into my past, have we?”
He dropped to his knees, his hand trailing from my cheek down to my arms until he could take my hands in his. It was so natural that I don’t think he even thought twice about it.
He was offering me a captive audience, and I found the words spilling from my lips before I could overthink it and stop myself. Once again, I explained what I’d been through and who I’d left behind.
Not once did he flinch. He looked angry on my behalf, but there was no judgment there, and very little shock.
“My heart still belongs to Nikolai, and I think it always will. But she’s right… maybe there’s room for more.”
He gave my hand a squeeze. The hope in his eyes was burning bright now.
“Does that mean…?”
I took a deep breath, his scent filling my senses and wrapping around me, my shoulders finally relaxing. I swear this beta was like a drug.
Not that it was the only reason I wanted him around. He was so much more than a scent.
“If you feel the same… maybe we could give it a shot?” I questioned.
God, I was pathetic. I didn’t know how to be flirty or romantic.
But it didn’t seem to matter. Leon’s face split into a wide grin. Instead of answering, he moved closer, stopping just a breath away from my face. His eyes asked if I was ready, waiting for permission.
So, I leaned in and brushed my lips over his.
Leon’s hand slid into my hair, holding me steady as his plush lips pressed against mine.
They were soft and warm and inviting, and I melted into it.
For the first time in a long time, my omega was truly awake.
As if his kiss jolted us back to life, reminding me that I was so much more than the shell of a person I’d been.
My omega was still in there, desperate for his touch.
We weren’t meant to live solitary lives. My therapist even used the words ‘touch-starved’ at one point, but I’d refused to feel weak again. I ignored it, pretended it wasn’t an issue.
But now, here with Leon’s lips on mine, his hand touching me, fulfilling a craving I’d all but given up on. My entire body leaned into his, pulling him closer and widening my legs to make room for him as I kissed him back just as fiercely.
We were both breathless when he pulled away, his beautiful, blue eyes shining. That blueberry lemonade scent had evened out over time, but now it was sweeter than ever, teasing me and making my mouth water.
He was gorgeous. His angular features, the slight dimple in his chin, and the crooked grin I adored… all of it just melted me completely.
“Is that a yes?” I questioned, a goofy smile on my face.
He tipped his head back and laughed, the sound was the most relaxed I’d ever heard him.
“That was a fuck yes.”
“When are you free, then?” I said, not letting it go. I needed solid plans. Something to look forward to.
He frowned. “Well, my shift is just starting for the night, but it’s a short Wednesday. I’ll be free in four hours.”
“Four hours? That’s plenty of time,” I said with a grin. “I’m logging out now. I’ll be back for you.”
“You’ve got it, boss,” he said, standing up and putting a bit of distance between us.
I felt cold all of a sudden and hated watching him walk away. Now that he’d given me a taste, my needy side was coming out. Something I’d locked away a long time ago.
I’d learned over the years that my omega wasn’t safe. There was no one in my life I could truly be needy or desperate around anymore. Then Leon walked in and reminded me that I could still have a piece of that life I craved.
As soon as I was outside, I had my phone in my hand, calling Briar.
“Hello—” she started, but I cut her off.
“I have a date in four hours. Help! I don’t know how to date.”
“Well, hello to you, too,” she laughed. “I’m gonna guess it’s with a cute, little beta that’s already moved in with you?”
“I—well—I did plan to tell you about that,” I stuttered over the words, knowing I’d walked right into that trap. “He sleepwalks. It wasn’t just me thinking with my omega.”
“Oh sure, only partly,” she shot back. “And I see how it is. Two new people come into town and suddenly you don’t care about me.”
“Shut up, you know you’re my number one,” I said, rolling my eyes with a small laugh before cutting to the chase.
“Which is why you’re going to give me the details. Now.” And Leon called me a bossy omega. I had nothing on Briar.
“Well, they kind of crashed into my life. Lexi brought them in, and I figured it was just a standard thing, you know?”
“Except it wasn’t standard, was it?” she prompted. I could hear her amusement and promptly ignored it.
“No. Not at all,” I admitted. “I felt drawn to him from the start.”
“But you couldn’t get your head out of your ass, huh?” she continued. Leave it to Briar to roast me while being a good friend. “We’ve gotta let go of our past sometime, and it doesn’t mean giving up on any old flames we’re holding onto. It’s just allowing yourself to be happy in the meantime.”
“What if I don’t know how to be happy?” I said, admitting some of my vulnerability.
“Something tells me that you’ll figure it out,” she promised. There was no judgment in her tone this time. We’d all been through way too much for that.
“So, where are you going to take this fine young beta on a date?” she demanded.
“That’s why I called you. I have no idea.”
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed,” she teased, “but I’m also not an expert in dating.”
“Fuck it. I’m going to Club 21 first,” I said with a groan. Apparently, this was turning into a multi-friend matter.
“I’ll meet you there. I could use a drink,” she said. “Plus, I’ve gotta be there for this conversation. It’s going to be ahhhh-mazing.”
She cackled before hanging up the phone.
I didn’t even bother to head home first. I just ran straight to Club 21, hoping I’d find Lexi and Silva inside. Lark was still in New York, so she was out.
I burst through the door of Club 21, and both Silva and Lexi were chatting at the bar, laughing about something. They jumped up in seconds, eyes ready for a fight, then relaxed when they saw it was just me.
“What the hell’s got you bursting in here like your ass is on fire?” Silva demanded.
“SOS,” I said as I flopped into a seat at the bar. “I have a date and I don’t know what to do.”
Lexi’s eyes widened before she let out a soft laugh. “All of this over a date?”
I gave her a look. “Come on. It’s me we’re talking about.”
“Wait! Is that cute, little beta you created a new position at the gym for?” Silva cocked an eyebrow at me.
“Maybe,” I said, though my smile definitely gave me away.
Lexi’s smile softened. “Look, I get it.”
Seeing them both find their packs made me want to have one of my own. I just couldn’t get past the guilt. But between Cassie’s pep talk and Leon saying yes, I was finally ready.
Now I needed a fucking plan.
“Guys, I’m freaking the fuck out here. I don’t know how to date.”
“You’re going to go home, take a shower, then you’re going to get all cute. After that, you’ll go out. Simple as that,” Lexi said as if that solved everything. They had to be fucking with me now.
Silva nodded in agreement. “Go to dinner and make it a rule not to talk about anyone’s past.”
Honestly, that wasn’t a terrible plan. We’d gotten some of that out of the way already today.
“Look,” Lexi said, “I know that everybody says ‘just be yourself’ when you go on a date, and it sounds like stupid advice that makes no sense. But for us, it’s especially important. You can’t overthink. You can’t get in your own head and let it win.”
I swallowed hard.
“Here,” Silva said, making me a quick shot.
In fact, she made three, setting one in front of each of us.
She waited until Lexi and I picked ours up.
“We made it out of hell. We are bad bitches. And you are going to do amazing on this date. Go build the kind of life that we all were desperate for, because you fucking deserve it.”
“You’re right,” I said, feeling stronger already.
“Wait for me!” Briar said, bursting in, her dark hair flying out behind her. She ran in, breathless, but there was a grin on her face.
We all set our shots down as Silva refilled them and poured another.
“I’m not repeating that speech, Briar,” Silva said. “The gist of it is: she’s going to be amazing tonight, and then give us all the dirty details afterward.”
“I don’t kiss and tell,” I joked before slamming back the shot, feeling a whole lot stronger than I did when I first walked in here.
I swear, I’d be lost without these omegas.