26. Delilah
Chapter twenty-six
His smile makes my heart melt, and I swear I fall in love with Roman all over again. His blue-green eyes spark like firecrackers when he laughs, and I can’t help but giggle along.
“No peeking! I see your eyes open!” Isaac crows, tickling my side as we walk down the hallway toward the door I’ve been forbidden to open for weeks.
I close my eyes, letting them lead me forward, their hands warm and sure on my skin.
The excitement and joy in the air tastes like popping candy on my tongue, effervescent and playful.
Alex’s hand tenses on my back for a moment before he pulls away, his fingers lingering on the thin strip of skin around my middle where my shirt rode up.
I shiver with anticipation, knowing that if this is what I think it is, that touch is going to be the most innocent one I get from him for the rest of the night.
“Are you ready, Lilah?” Roman asks in my ear from behind.
I nod. “Yes, Alpha,” I reply eagerly.
“On the count of three…” Isaac says.
I giggle, my shoulders tensing with excitement.
I hope this is my nest. They’ve been asking me about nesting materials and colors for weeks, as if I wouldn’t put it together.
But that doesn’t mean I won’t be surprised by whatever they made for me, or ungrateful.
It’ll be so nice to have a space of my own in the house, a safe haven of peace and security.
“One…”
My hands shake at my sides, the nervous excitement building. I want this so bad. Need this nest so bad. More than I’ve needed anything. Need to be safe. Need to nest.
“Two…”
I’ll take a mattress under the stairs at this point. Anything is better than what I have. But I need to be grateful. It could be anything behind that door. Whatever it is, don’t forget to smile and thank them.
“Omega! Wake up!”
I scream as I’m pulled from my dream, moving to the nearest corner and cowering with my arms over my head.
The room is too bright, the voice too loud.
Nothing smells right. Too much alpha, and not my pack.
My neck aches as my severed bonds try to twitch back to life, but the phantom connection just hurts all over again.
“Why are you still asleep at this hour? Get up! What’s wrong with you?”
Bones. It’s Bones. I’m on my feet before I’m conscious of deciding to stand, staggering along the wall toward the door.
I have to focus on my breathing, trying not to let him see me cry.
But all I smell is smoke and leather, his alpha scent even more potent in such an enclosed space.
I was having such a good dream, and my exhausted body is still half asleep.
I freeze when he growls, clasping my hands at my waist and looking at my feet.
“Why didn’t you cook breakfast?” he demands, several feet away but somehow his presence fills the whole room.
“I-I’m sorry, Alpha. I didn’t—I must have—I’m sorry,” I stutter, my nails digging into my palms.
“And now you’re in here, whimpering and crying in your sleep. What is your problem?” he goes on, words biting like teeth.
I flush hot, not looking up or answering. I don’t know how to explain that I was dreaming about my pack, or more specifically my old nest. About how much I want it back. But I can’t say that, can’t ask for it. Not when they’ve already been generous enough to let me stay for this long.
“What? Nothing to say? Cat got your tongue?” Bones demands, and I hear him take a step forward.
“No, Alpha. I’m sorry, Alpha. I’ll be better,” I whisper, barely audible to my own ears.
“Good. Now get out of here so I can work out,” he snarls, half to himself before snapping at me.
I flee as quickly as I can, going right to the kitchen, realizing they’ve left the dishes for me. I set to cleaning right away, not wanting further trouble.
“Ah! The pampered princess lives after all!” Siren taunts from behind me.
“Rin…” Phantom’s warning growl sends a shiver down my spine even though it isn’t directed at me, and my shoulders curl forward defensively as I wash the dishes. I can feel the looks on my back, like cigarettes being extinguished.
“What? You don’t see the rest of us getting to sleep whenever we want,” Siren says matter-of-factly.
“Cut the attitude or take a walk,” Phantom says, his accent coming forward.
“I don’t know why you’re defending her. If she has a problem with anything I’m saying, she can tell me herself. Unless she’s too weak to fight her own battles,” Siren says, first to Phantom then to me.
I freeze, my hands shaking. I don’t look up, closing my eyes and willing the ground to swallow me up. I don’t have anywhere to run to escape them right now, and old instincts of staying still and enduring whatever is thrown at me take over.
“See? Absolutely pathetic. I bet your old pack had to wait on you, hand and foot, didn’t they? Probably had them running around, just to please you and spoil you,” Siren says, each word laced with poison.
I shake my head, my hands trembling more and more. No. I pulled my weight with my old pack. I kept the house. I cooked. I did all the things omegas are supposed to do for her alphas. And they adored me, rewarded me with a beautiful home and nest, but never spoiled. Never. I would never do that.
The wet plate slips from my hand and falls into the sink, shattering and making me yelp before I swallow it down.
I whisper apologies as I clean up the shards with my hands.
Siren laughs and I fight back tears. I just want to hide, to nest, to have a moment to breathe a safe breath. Where is Joker? Why isn’t he here?
“It’s okay, baby girl. Let me take care of this,” Phantom says, teleporting to my side.
I jump and drop the pieces, the edges scratching me, but thankfully not breaking the skin. Ever so gently, Phantom moves me away from the sink and cleans up before I can stop him.
“Stop coddling her. She fucked up, so let her live with the consequences,” Siren snipes from the table.
“Rin, you best get to stepping before I make you regret standing there,” Phantom snaps, nearly shouting before turning a harsh glare onto his packmate.
“What’s going on in here?”
I look up for a moment at the sound of Bones’s voice.
He’s shirtless, covered in sweat even as he wears his mask.
My eyes linger for a moment on the flat plane of his stomach, the subtle outline of his muscles before I drop my eyes and dash down the hallway.
If he’s out here, that means my room is clear.
Phantom calls out my name but I don’t turn.
I resist the urge to slam my door, but I do lock it before disappearing into my pathetic attempt at a nest.
I pull the blanket around me as I curl up, knees tucked under my chest as I press my face to the cot. It smells like alpha in here, worse than ever. I try to gather my pitiful nesting materials closer, but even they smell wrong. Ash and sour fruit and bitter tannins, my ruined scent.
I let out a few tears, trying to comfort myself. But it’s hard to escape the loneliness swallowing me from the inside. Because even after all their protective words, neither Joker nor Phantom come to find me.