Oli
PACK EM UP GOSSIP COLUMN
OLI HART WAS SEEN KISSING MEMBERS OF THE EDGE BACKSTAGE. CAN WE OFFICIALLY SAY THEY’RE TOGETHER?
June 3rd
A s I sink further into the plush seat of our tour bus, I try to focus on anything but the throbbing pain in my throat. The medicine from the doctor was helping, but not anymore.
Chase is staring at the dark purple bruising forming around my throat with pain and self-hatred in the bond.
Sitting in this tense silence is driving me mad. I can practically feel the guys still beating themselves up for yesterday after I finish telling them what happened as best as I can.
“How did you know where to find me?” I ask, looking up at Chase.
They pause before looking guiltily at each other before Chase answers, “Actually, that kid Tommy found us and brought us to the back entrance. We wouldn’t have found you so quickly.”
“I knew he was a good kid.” I smile at Dax in particular.
Dax rolls his eyes before admitting, “I guess he’s not so bad.”
“We had to fight through men in security shirts to get to you,” Aiden adds.
“We can’t trust the label’s security anymore. Clearly, they were paid off or are in on this,” Jack’s voice slices through the low murmur of conversation, sharp with frustration.
He paces the bus’s narrow aisle, his movements full of restless energy and barely contained power. His blue eyes are stormy, and his white hair is sticking up everywhere.
“You’re right, and we need help protecting our omega,” Aiden adds.
Jack pulls out his phone. The screen glows against his determined face. “I’m hiring our own security team. Someone who can actually keep you safe. I’ve been researching and vetting teams in case this new fame became too much.”
As he dials, I can’t help but admire the way he takes charge, protective instincts in full display. It sends a warmth cascading through me that has nothing to do with the pain I’m nursing or the cramped confines of the bus.
There’s a hint of respect in Dax’s hazel eyes as he watches Jack argue with someone on the other end of the call.
Aiden, ever the quiet one, offers me a small smile from where he’s sitting by the window. His soft brown eyes are full of concern, his fingers tapping an anxious rhythm on the cushion beside him.
“Thanks, guys,” I say, trying to muster some of my usual spunk despite the exhaustion pulling at my limbs. “But really, I’m okay. I’m a little roughed up, but I’m going to be fine. You heard the doctor. I just need to rest.”
“, you’re more than just ‘a little roughed up’. We saw what happened,” Chase insists. His tone serious. “We’re not letting anything like that happen again. Not on our watch.”
Tears prick at my eyes. He’s right; it was a big deal, and I need to accept that someone out there tried to kill me.
My gaze drifts across Dax, Aidan, and Chase, their expressions tight with concern. Jack’s hunched over his phone, the lines of his face hard as he talks security details.
“Done,” Jack announces, ending the call with a decisive click. “A team is on the way. Nobody gets to mess with our omega.”
His eyes are steely as he hangs up, the air practically vibrating with his unspoken fury. I’m not just their bandmate; I’m their omega, and the protectiveness that rolls off them feels like a tangible thing, wrapping around me like a second skin.
With my alphas settling around me, the pain eases into a dull ache. Chase pumps a steady rhythm of love and support through our bond. The doctor was right, their presence helps.
“Hey, so…” My voice wobbles a little, vulnerability edging out my usual confidence. “Before everything went crazy today, I… uh, saw something.”
Their heads swivel towards me, laser-focused. Four pairs of eyes, usually so full of laughter and warmth, now bore into me with startling intensity.
“What is it, ?” Jack’s words come out clipped, but his blue eyes soften just a touch as he looks at me.
I take a deep breath, my heart hammering. “It was May and Trevor… they were kissing. Like, really going at it just before I hit the stage.”
For a split second, there’s absolute stillness. Then, as if a switch has been flipped, shock ripples through them. Their expressions morph from concerned to stunned in the blink of an eye, mouths dropping open as they process my words.
“May and Trevor? But he’s—” Dax starts, only to be cut off by Aiden’s incredulous interjection.
“Kissing? Our manager?” Aiden’s usually calm demeanor shatters, his voice tinged with disbelief.
“Are you sure, ?” Chase finally asks, the picture of calm despite the surprise etched deeply in his features.
“Positive,” I confirm, nodding. This weird twinge near my heart is a tangled mess of emotions. I’m unsettled by this and not sure what it means.
“Damn,” Jack mutters, running a hand through his messy hair. “That’s… unexpected.”
“Unexpected is one word for it,” Dax drawls, still clearly trying to wrap his head around the image I’ve planted.
“Maybe it’s nothing,” Chase suggests. “Or maybe it’s something we should keep an eye on.”
“Knowing May, it’s some kind of power play,” Aiden adds, his eyes narrowing. “Trevor’s been around long enough to know the consequences of getting involved with a client. What are the chances that May was at the show when was attacked?”
“Ex-client,” I correct. May is no longer on the label’s payroll after being dropped.
“Let’s keep this between us for now,” Chase concludes, and the others nod in agreement. “We don’t want them to know that we know until we figure out what’s happening.”
As they deliberate, I find myself sinking into the worn leather couch, the conversation around me becoming a distant hum. Then, like rays of sunlight piercing through storm clouds, their presence surrounds me, enveloping me in a cocoon of warmth and safety.
Jack’s hand finds my shoulder, squeezing gently. Chase sits beside me, his thigh brushing mine, offering silent support. Aiden’s fingers graze my arm with a tenderness that contradicts his usual stoicism. Dax hovers close, his protective aura wrapping around me like a blanket.
Their scents—a mix of cookies, coffee, cinnamon, and caramel—meld together, forming a barrier against the rest of the world. My muscles, tense from pain and exhaustion, begin to relax. Breathing in their combined fragrances, I feel the tightness deep inside me ease.
“I know you’re independent, , but we can’t risk something like this happening again,” Jack’s voice breaks through the lingering warmth, an edge of steel in his tone. “After what happened tonight… You need to be with one of us, always. The security can be backup, but we can’t trust them completely, even if they’re on our payroll.”
“Agreed.” Chase nods, his brows furrowing in concern. “She shouldn’t be out of our sight, not even for a second.”
Dax leans forward, folding his arms across his chest. “We need to coordinate better. More eyes on her at all times, more hands ready to act. We can’t let anything slip by us again.”
Aiden, usually so reserved, adds quietly but firmly, “Sunshine’s safety is our responsibility. We’re stronger as a unit.”
“Okay…” I start, my voice barely above a whisper. I lock eyes with Jack. “I know you’ll keep me safe.”
His blue gaze is unwavering, and the corners of his lips are lifted in a soft, reassuring smile. “Always, . You’re our rockstar, our omega, our everything.”
The peace on the tour bus shatters as Trevor’s knock punches through, his voice seeping in like a chill. “We’ve gotta roll out now if we’re making the next city in time!” He sounds like he’s holding back a storm of impatience.
Jack’s eyes narrow, and Chase growls. Dax steps towards the door while Aiden moves in front of me.
“We don’t even know what we are going to do. I can’t sing right now,” I whisper.
Jack opens the door but blocks Trevor from coming in. “We need to talk about the rest of the tour.”
“We will, at the next stop. The buses are leaving. This was just a warning.”
Jack slams the door and comes back over to me.
“He didn’t use to be this way,” I say sadly.
Chase narrows his eyes. “I think it’s the effect of being around May, but the question is, how much does he hate the five of us now?”
The engine roars to life beneath me, a growling beast waking from slumber. I clutch the edge of the seat, feeling the vibrations snake up my legs, rattling my bones with each thrum.
Outside, the world shifts into motion, a blur of neon and steel. Streetlights streak past, and buildings meld into one another.
My thoughts turn darker. Who wants me dead? I don’t exactly have enemies prowling around. The uncertainty of it is killing me.
“Are you scared?” Jack asks, his tone threaded with concern.
“Terrified,” I admit without looking away from the window.
“I’ll get the new security team to meet us in the next city,” Jack says reassuringly.
“No matter what happens, we will take care of it together,” Chase tells me.
Aiden grabs my hand. “If you can’t perform, then we won’t either. We are a band and a pack now.”
Tears gather in my eyes. “I wouldn’t ask that of you.”
“It wouldn’t feel right being out there without you anyway,” Dax’s gruff voice says before he looks away.
If Dax feels that way, I know it must be the truth.
I let myself sink into the silence that follows, the quiet hum of the bus a gentle reminder of the miles we’re covering.
Whatever waits for us out there, I know we’ll meet it head-on together.