Chapter 14
Fourteen
Silas
"Okay, so I know we're not doing a vegetable garden this year, but it's tradition." Pulling the bowl of tomatoes from around my back with a flourish, I smirk at my omega. She has dirt on her forehead. Her cheeks are rosy from the mid-morning sun, and there's a smile on her face.
I already know she's going to scrunch her nose up at the snack, so I take matters into my own hands. Popping one into my mouth to entice her into eating, I smirk.
Bad idea. As I open my mouth to smile, I bite down at the same time. My fucking tomato squirts right into her damn eyeball, making her screech and flinch away.
"Oh shit, I'm sorry!" I gasp, already lifting my shirt to wipe the tomato juice from her eye.
"Silas!" Vivie huffs and bats my hands away. "Damn you!"
Unable to control my laughter, it bursts from me in deep peals of happiness and surprise. The moment of levity continues as she playfully glares at me and snatches the bowl away.
For just a moment my stomach sinks when her upper lip lifts like she's going to snarl, but she doesn't. Instead, she playfully nips at my shoulder and retreats with a beaming smile on her face.
"Mine," she grumbles and stuffs her face full of cherry tomatoes. With her munching away and humming quietly, I relax back onto my hands.
I worry my heart won't ever rest again. Since she went missing, it feels like it has been irreparably bruised. There's this constant ache, like it's holding back for fear of being hurt again.
When Vivian was kidnapped, it completely stopped working.
Then it restarted when we found her, and each day since it gains some speed.
When she smiles or shows signs of life, it skips over itself.
Then I swear I'm about to have a heart attack every time because I'm waiting for her happiness to fade again.
My mind feels similar. Even now as she enjoys her time planting the flowers I had delivered for her in the garden bed I weeded and prepared, I'm thinking of every angle to keep her content.
Sometimes life feels like a battle against the demons that made us who we are today.
Without the expectations placed on me as a child to be the best I could be, I wouldn't be so wired and ready to be everything everyone might need.
I can wear many hats, and that's because I was raised to believe that's the only way anyone would want a beta.
That makes my parents sound like emotionally abusive assholes. Maybe that's true on some level, but they love me. I know they do, but my constant questioning of their anxieties pulled us apart.
Still, their words and lessons linger. I know I don't have to earn my pack's love. That doesn't stop my brain from being hard-wired into being determined and focused on doing everything I can to help my mates and give them what they need.
So you see, we all have our issues.
Vivie might think we put up with hers because she's our scent match. Our fated omega. But it's like that for all of us.
Jarek has his hands full trying to encourage me not to be so serious all the time.
I'm on the hook for keeping the pack calm and contained.
Kade is pack lead, guiding us through life and making the tough decisions.
Vivian has three, now four, dominant men to deal with and spread her pheromones throughout the pack to keep everyone content and feeling included.
What we are is a pack. For better or for worse. In sickness and in health. In my opinion, our differences are qualities that make us unique and show how perfect we are together.
I don't give a shit what my woman is diagnosed with because we love all of her. I'm sure if I went to a psychiatrist they'd suggest some kind of mental health disorder for me too, but she'd love me anyway.
The right people glance at the title and read the book. The title is just a hint. A real partner feels curiosity and motivation to learn more. Why, how, when, where?
Which is why when Riot wanders out on the back patio, I smile. He's been asking all the right questions. We might not answer them all because many of them are Vivie's stories to tell, but he's asking all the right things that clue me into his feelings for my omega.
As Riot gets closer and eventually stops a few feet away, standing above me and Vivian, I notice he looks incredibly unsure. Maybe this is the perfect opportunity to show him he's more than welcome in this home.
"Hey, man. Sorry, I can go up front and give you guys some space," Riot offers, shoving his hands in his pockets.
Vivie pulls her hands out of the dirt with a startled gasp. Alarm flitters through the bond, but it's quickly soothed when she sees Riot.
"Sorry," Riot murmurs, and crouches down. "I didn't mean to scare you, Firefly. I was just coming out for some fresh air, but can leave you two alone if you'd like."
From her profile, I see her blink up at him with her big blue eyes.
I nibble on the inside of my lip when her perfume blooms brighter than the yellow flowers she just dug a hole for.
Clearing my throat after a few moments of them being lost in each other’s eyes, I stifle a laugh when my princess jumps again.
Riot swallows and slaps his hands on his thighs. "Right, I'll just?—"
"Stay," Vivie whispers, grabbing his knee with her muddy grip. "P-please."
I already know what he's about to do, so I have my response ready when he looks at me for permission. "You listen to Vivian. We trust her judgment, and she knows what she wants. If she asks you to stay, then you don't need my permission."
Riot nods, holding eye contact with me. "Noted." He stands and steps back toward one of the Adirondack chairs I brought over. "I'll sit if that’s alright with you. I'm a bit sore and tired."
A wave of exhaustion almost pulls me down, but I quickly separate myself from Vivian's feelings in the bond. Her shoulders hunch and her hands go limp in her lap.
"Me too," she mutters.
Did Riot just remind her that she was tired or something? What the hell was that? It was like him saying he was tired brought on a tidal wave of sleepiness for Vivie too.
"Come here, princess." I get my feet under me and scoop her into my arms. It takes some maneuvering, but I get us settled in the chair beside Riot. "Okay, you just rest."
The words are barely out of my mouth before she's tucking her face into my neck and snoring softly. Running my fingers through her hair, I hum and rock back and forth as I would for a small child. I can't purr, but I'll do everything in my power to make sure she has a good nap.
"Here," Riot murmurs, setting my water bottle on his armrest closest to me so I can reach without it being in my way. He grabbed the bowl of grapes when I wasn't looking as well.
Adjusting, I wince when the bone in my ass holds too much weight on the solid wood of the chair. Once I'm settled, I look over at Riot and smile. "Thank you."
We're silent for a while, and eventually he tips his head back. His black eyepatch he's upgraded to makes him look dangerous even in the soft sunlight.
I stay vigilant, hoping Vivie doesn't have nightmares or anything while she naps.
When I can't take it anymore, I break the silence because I have so many questions for this man. "Fresh air, huh?"
As if I reminded him why he said he was out here, he inhales the fresh spring air. "Caught the lie did you?"
Smirking, I study his strong jawline and the way his throat dips and curves over his Adam’s apple. "I notice everything in this house. Especially when the new mate is bullshitting because he doesn't know how to express his feelings."
A low rumble from his chest makes my pulse race for a new reason. He glowers at me and says, "I feel like if Vivian would talk more, you two would say very similar shit."
I bark out a laugh and quickly snap my mouth shut when my girl whimpers. "Shh," I coo and palm the back of her head.
To Riot, I chuckle quietly and admit, "You're not wrong. We're blunt when we want to be, and we're also a fucking hoot. So why did you really come out here?"
His jaw clenches and his good eye flits down to the flowers at our feet. "I couldn't stand it anymore. Being away from her," he admits softly, but he almost sounds pained. As if it's hard for him to say something like that.
That's something we have in common. "I get it. Being away from her makes my heart literally stop beating. We are all madly in love with each other, but she's the soul of us. We orbit around her."
I see him frown and know I have my work cut out for me when it comes to convincing him of his place here. I'm pleasantly surprised when he proves me wrong.
"I think it's a bit different. She doesn’t bear my mark nor do I have hers, but we’re connected. We have something, but I'm afraid it's just the trauma talking."
His words spark a new thought in my mind. We've been so worried about getting her back on track and healthy again that we haven't thought much about anything else. "Is that all you're thinking about? What it is?"
"Well yeah," he grumbles and itches his chest. Does he feel her? "I need to figure it out. If I leave, it will be based on that."
I really fucking hope he stays. "So, you haven't wondered why she sought you out in the first place? There was some weird shit going on before she was taken."
His head snaps toward me as if he's hanging on to my every word. "What do you mean?"
A memory from not so long ago slams into me like a bag of bricks.
"Do you not feel that?"
Confusion steals my words for a moment as I study her. What's she talking about? "Feel what, princess?"
I sense her frustration rise at my question at the same time her lip rises. The sparkle of her sharp canine draws my attention, then she's fucking growling at me. Oh no she doesn't. I grip her chin and harden my tone. "Don't you growl at me, Omega. I'm your mate, not your enemy."
"But you don't feel it!" she snaps. Her hands fly up to her hair and yank on the strands. "I don't—I can't—" Tormenting her beautiful hair, she stomps her foot in agitation.
"Silas?"
I glance down at my omega and ponder what must have happened that day. I was there, obviously, but I wasn't privy to even a quarter of the reason we were actually outside.
"She was acting different before she was kidnapped. For a while. She asked me if I felt something, but I had no idea what she was talking about. What if..." I trail off, not sure if I should say it out loud without knowing for sure.
"What if she felt me?" Riot guesses. The look on his face doesn't stop me from nodding, but I feel bad for him. He's pale and staring at the woman in my arms like he wants to do a deep dive into her mind too.
"We'll figure it out. When she's ready," I add, hoping he hears the undercurrent of warning in my voice.
Nothing, not even the possibility of finding answers, will disrupt Vivie's ability to rest and recuperate.
"Understood," he grunts, raising my respect for him.
Kissing the top of Vivian's head, I will her brain to settle and be kind to my omega. I got you, princess.