Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
Cold air hardens my nipples and raises goosebumps on my skin, urging me to shift from foot to foot as I wait for Skye to get home.
Emmett text to let us know they were close and she was getting antsy. If I had to leave my smokin’ hot, tattooed Alpha for a week, I’d be a hot mess too.
The car appears in the treeline and rolls to a stop several feet away. Laughter tumbles out of me when the back door slams open and my Omega flies outside.
“Careful, Darling.” Quentin calls after her.
Snow still speckles the yard and the driveway, so I rush to meet her, not wanting to risk her slipping and injuring herself. She tosses herself in my arms, nose immediately burying against my throat. The force nearly knocks me on my ass, but Onyx’s massive hand steadies me.
“Hey there, dandelion.”
Tilting her head back she grins at me with tear-filled eyes. Holding her with one arm, I brush them away before they can fall. My lips press gently to hers, the kiss meant to be reassuring despite how hard I am having her in my arms.
What’s a perpetually horny Beta supposed to do?
“Give her to me,” Onyx grunts, not waiting for my response before he rips her out of my arms.
Pouting, I smack my hand on his ass and dart away. He can have his moment with her since we both know it will be short-lived. She needs a few hours cuddled up to Caleb to help get rid of those dark circles.
Inside the door I find Skye and Emmett’s suitcases, so I grab them and head upstairs. Em isn’t in his room, so I drop his just inside his door and head to Skye’s. I find him fixing the comforter that is half hanging off her bed.
Oops. Probably should have tidied in here after Quentin let us know they were coming home today.
“Here’s the rest of her stuff,” I let him know, sitting the scent container on the floor near her nest. He has the suitcases with her clothes at his feet, so this one must be her on-the-go nesting supplies. “I brought yours up. Sat it inside your door.”
“Thanks. How were things while we were gone?”
He heads into her closet, so I follow. “As good as expected. Had a little scare with Caleb slipping into a rut, but we had blockers on hand.”
Humming, he sorts out her clothes. I step to his side, a handful of hangers ready for the pieces that need hanging up.
“We should keep an eye on him. If he went into one unexpectedly, it could be a side effect of their bond sickness.”
Oh, shit. I didn’t think of that. I know ruts aren’t as common for Alphas as they are Omegas. Usually, they’re brought on by their bonded mate’s heats or points of extreme distress.
Does being away from Skye so soon after bonding count for that? Or is Emmett right?
Shaking my head, I take the sweaters he put on the hangers and add them back to the racks. Determining the cause of his sudden rut is way above my pay grade.
“We should get them both into a specialist, right?”
Emmett pauses to rub a hand along his jaw. “Definitely. We don’t want to have symptoms keep popping up with no understanding of how to alleviate them. I’ll have Quentin find a doctor for them.”
Good plan, boss man, I want to say, but he still seems withdrawn, so I redirect our conversation.
“How’re you doing? What happened to your Omi must have been stressful.”
“I’m worried about her,” he admits. “She’s the only parental figure I have left.”
Ah. Yeah. I suppose that would cause a lot of anxiety, wouldn’t it? He’s lost his parents and his grandfather; he must be afraid he will lose her next. Death is inevitable for all of us, but knowing that doesn’t make facing it any easier.
Stopping him on his way back from the dresser, I wrap him in a quick hug. “Whatever happens, you aren’t alone, Em. We’ve all got your back.”
“Thanks, Bellamy. I appreciate that.” He pats my back and I let him go, leaving him to his thoughts.
Emmett isn’t as bad with emotions as Onyx or Quentin, but I know him well enough to sense that he needs time to collect himself.
I jog down the stairs, heart beating wildly when I see Skye and Caleb curled up on the couch. They laugh when I toss myself on top of them. “What are we watching?”
I shift to the side so that I’m not crushing her, enjoying Caleb’s arms wrapping around us both as I mold myself to her back.
“Carved. They did mystery baskets this week.”
A food show is going to be torture, but maybe Sterling will be inspired to make dinner early.
Two episodes in, the man in question appears with a stack of papers in his hands. “I wrote a new song,” he tells us, passing part of the pile to me and Caleb. “I thought we could practice for a bit before dinner. You have a show next weekend, Skye, you should also stretch your vocal cords.”
“Shoot. I forgot all about that.”
From the snack bar, Quentin calls, “Don’t worry, darling, I have everything prepared.”
Of course he does. He’s always on top of her schedule. I’m glad he’s her manager. And ours.
I skim the song, testing out the chords as I tune my guitar. It’s a banger. Heavy, dark, and emotional. Perfectly suited for us.
Peeking at Caleb, I can barely hide my curiosity. I want to know what he thinks of the song. Is he excited to give it a try? To find his place not just in our pack but in our band?
Shit, imagining him performing on stage with us makes my heart race. Our fans are going to go nuts when they see him in a cutoff, all those beautiful tattoos on display.
Andddd I’m hard again.
It’s a good thing I’m used to playing with a boner.
“C’mon dandelion. We gotta get a move on.” I call up the stairs as I finish lacing up my shoes.
She jogs down, slipping her arms into a thick jacket. We’re heading to the gym to try out one of their Zumba classes. My girl loves dancing, so she’ll get a kick out of this.
If anything, it will kick our asses and we’ll be starving after, so I can finally take her to Mr. Phillip’s shop.
“Okay, I’m ready now.”
Taking her hand in mine, I drag her outside and down to the garage. We’re taking the SUV. A compromise I had to make with Onyx since apparently my Jeep isn’t cold weatherproof. I don’t see what the issue is as long as I keep the top on, but I’ll argue with him about it later.
“Are you ready to get groovy?”
“Groovy?” Skye snorts, climbing into the passenger seat before I shut her door and run around the driver’s side. I wiggle my brows and buckle us in. Safety first.
We listen to our favorite playlist of randomized genres, bouncing and singing along to each song that comes on during the short drive into town to the gym.
The parking lot is packed and I’m surprised to find Caleb’s car parked several spots down from us.
I don’t point it out to Skye, leaving his presence here a surprise.
“Good morning. Welcome to Obsidian River Fitness.”
I recognize the Beta man working the desk and guide Skye over. “Good to see you, dude. I need to get my mate set up with a membership. We’re signed up for the morning Zumba class, but I registered her as a guest.”
“I got you. Fill this out and we’ll get everything sorted.”
Letting go of Skye’s hand, I quickly fill everything out, selecting all the options for extra privacy since she gets recognized fairly often. We can never be too careful.
“Enjoy the class. I’ll have her badge ready in a bit, so stop by on your way out.”
After a quick high five in thanks, I give Skye a small tour of the place, pointing out the outdoor tracks and the locker rooms before we reach the dance studios. It’s already busy with people stretching and chatting.
Shock morphs to delight when I spot Caleb across the room speaking with a woman with black and purple hair.
“Oh, I didn’t know Caleb was going to be here.”
I lead her through the crowd to him. “Sup, dude.”
Caleb’s flat expression softens. “Hey, Bellamy. Skye. You remember Omen?”
“It’s great to see you again.” My mate practically gushes. The two immediately fall into an animated conversation that I can’t follow.
“So you like Zumba?” I ask Caleb instead.
One shoulder lifts in response. “I do. It’s a good workout. Fun.”
Before I can ask him anything more, the employee leading the class arrives and gets us all moving. He walks us through the moves before we join in, dancing to the EDM song he picked.
Swinging my hips, bouncing on my feet, stretching my legs —this is a full body workout.
We’re breathless by the end of the hour long class, chatter filling the air as everyone cools down and gathers their things.
“That was a blast. We should do this again.” Skye wipes her face with a towel, pushing back the strands of her sweat-soaked hair that have fallen from the high-pony she’s rocking.
“Count me in.”
Wrapping my arm around her, I glance at Caleb, offering him my other arm.
He rolls his eyes, the barest hint of pink coloring his cheeks as he steps closer to me.
I realize the error in my attempt when I remember he is half a foot taller than me.
If I can’t tuck him beneath my arm, I’ll just have to hold his waist.
In the main lobby, we stop to say goodbye to Omen and her Alpha, and we grab Skye’s membership badge.
Bringing her here will be a good way to get her out of the house and active during the cold months.
We can play in the snow when it gets thicker, but there will always be a time limit on how long our grumpy pack leader allows her to be out in the cold.
“So, dandelion, are you hungry?” She says she is, placing one hand on her stomach as I help her into the SUV.
Closing her door, I spin around to ask Caleb if he wants to join us, but the words dry on my tongue when I find him standing so close I can feel his breath on my face.
“Uh.”
He steps closer, backing me against the side of the car. “Yes, I will be joining you for lunch. Before that, I’d really love to kiss you.”
Holy fuuuuuuck.
“Please,” I whimper, hands scrambling against the cold metal at my back so that I don’t grab his shirt and rip him to me. This has to go at his pace.