Chapter 51
Chapter
Fifty-One
Weeks later
SIMONA
“ T ristan,” I say calmly, even taking a few exaggerated breaths with her. Trying to get her to calm down. She looks like she’s about to pop.
“Sim, I can’t do it. She’s going to kill me even before I can open my mouth.”
Her camera moves slightly. Behind her it looks like a tornado has torn through where she’s getting ready. Tristan’s blue eyes are full of panic, her face washed out. I understand completely. I sympathise too but I’ve been coaching her for a while now, even talking about what to wear. And the black dress was not what she decided on.
“Go change. You look like you’re attending a funeral.”
“I am! My own!” she shrieks before she leans her phone up against something so she can finish doing her makeup.
I swap hands so I can reach out for Dominic’s. He points to the direction sign, a reminder we’re nearly at our destination. He’s not hurrying me up—he’d happily pull over and wait for hours, but Heidi is on a tight deadline. I’d like to respect that but at the same time I know Tristan needs me.
“How many times have we been through this? You know she’s going to be upset.”
I spend the next few minutes hyping her up, making sure to stay real with her too. She knows her discussion with Raney won’t be easy, but Tristan’s like me—the guilt is eating her up.
Dominic pulls into the visitor park out front of Verdune, and I send a text to Heidi letting her know I’ve arrived, asking her to come out to me. I’m still a little haunted by the last time I was here, and how I freaked out being in her office with her Alpha. I want to give her the chance, in case meeting Dom has the same effect on her.
Dom and I stand to the side of the entry doors. The security guard gets up when they see us loitering, but Heidi calls them back to their station as she walks past, Kai in tow.
Heidi has always been one of those people who notice things others miss. Her gaze shifts from me to Dominic, cataloguing everything—the way he holds his hand, his protective stance, the way he bends down to quietly reassure me—as she powers through the foyer towards us. Her steps quicken, but Kai catches her hand, pulling her focus back to him and slowing her down.
And it works, giving me the space to assess my own observations. She doesn’t look unhappy, just concerned. She lets him pull her in for a hug. I release a whoosh of air. I knew she’d mentioned packing with Kai and his pack—she’d told us herself—but the way he touches her, grounds her, is the confirmation I needed.
“She’s okay.” I say it for my benefit more than Dominic’s, but he squeezes my hand supportively.
The door’s barely open, and her scent barrels out. I take a moment to read more—assessing her appearance while also tuning in to what her scent reveals.
We have barely a second before Kai is laughing. “Come on, Little Moon, get your shit together. It’s not like you’re a fucking saint yourself.”
His comment has me taking a step backwards into Dominic. And Dominic reads me better than a book.
“Wait,” he barks. His hand shoots up like a stop sign.
Heidi and her Alpha pull up in an instant.
From the corner of my eyes, I keep a close watch on them. I can see her shock; she’s trying to figure out what the hell is going on. I can feel her concern across the distance, but it’s not Heidi that’s thrown me, it’s her Alpha. He looks like Kai, sounds like him too, but all the voices in my head are screaming that it’s not Kai.
Dominic turns to face me, his back to them—an obvious message, though it’s meaning depends on who you are. The Alpha rolls his eyes, scoffing under his breath, clearly taking it as Dominic dismissing him as a threat. My gaze shifts to Heidi next, catching a crispness to her apple perfume—a sign of her caution and nerves, which only feeds my unease.
Dominic waits for me to look at him. “Amore Mio, trust your gut. What’s going on?”
I blow out a quick exhale, trying to sort through fact from fiction before putting my mind in order enough to explain. “I don’t think that’s Kai. It doesn’t make sense because it looks like him, it sounds like him. He’s with Heidi and I know they’re together, but he’s not like I remember.”
“Okay,” he counters, brushing the hair off my face and blowing his scent, grounding me like only my Alphas can. “Do you feel unsafe with him?”
“Not unsafe but thrown. It’s not adding up, and that’s what makes me uneasy. Something isn’t right about the situation. ”
He tips his head to the side, an acknowledgement that he heard, but also a sign that he’s thinking. My gaze flickers from him to Heidi, then over to Kai. A breeze blows, and in the air is a hint of spice. His scent doesn’t set off warning bells, but it still feels off. Something is weird because I don’t remember Kai’s unique scent carrying a hint of spice.
“Does it worry you enough that you’d like to leave?”
And I don’t know how to answer that.
I barely have time to consider answering him before Heidi starts towards us, leaving her Alpha behind with a few hurried, whispered words. As she approaches, her steps slow the closer she gets.
“Come walk with me, Sim. Allan’s roses are blooming. They’re gorgeous. You have to see them for yourself.” She takes command, in an Omega way not an Alpha one, but it’s Heidi too, so in a lot of ways I don’t feel like I can say no. I mean, I did also come here to talk with her. Walking by ourselves will give me the space to do that.
My eyes search Dominic’s. Not for reassurance or encouragement, but because I’m a sponge for this man. I want everything he offers. He catches on, winking knowingly, and I turn, accepting Heidi’s hand as she passes.
That should strike me as odd. Heidi is not normally a touchy-feely girl but like with Dom, I’m drawn to her magic.
We’re quiet as we walk. Both of us are naturally the more reserved out of the Scorned Girls but I think we also need the chance to get figure out what’s going on. Each step, I feel the ribbons of our friendship binding us back together.
“Ho, I need to tell you something,” I offer as we come to a stop in front of a manicured rose garden. The space is stunning, and deserves more of my focus, but I turn to her instead.
Heidi cuts me off, her words clipped, fast, and low. “Is that the Alpha I need to save you from? We can run. There’s a door back into Verdune around the corner. The guards would be able to stop him from reaching us. We’d be safe in three, maybe four, seconds.”
I suck in a shocked gasp. Oh wow. She grabs my hand, and we start walking toward the door she mentioned. My heels dig in and she walks past me. “No. Wait. No. That’s not Brody. No, no, no. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. I have a pack and they’re keeping me safe from Brody.”
She staggers as if I’ve slapped her, staring into my eyes, searching for any signs that I’m not telling the truth.
Then it’s my turn not to give her the chance to think. I rush closer, wrapping my arms around her and squeezing with all my might, causing her to squeak. “Heidi, I’ve missed you so much.” I put some space between us so she can see me. Hopefully helping her in the sense she can see the truth on my face, as I tell her what’s been going on. “I can’t tell you everything, only because I’m having a bit of trouble knowing where to start. But I am one hundred, probably two hundred percent safe with Dominic. One day I’d love to tell you everything about how we met, but for now, all I’ve got is I am sorry for not telling you sooner. Please forgive me for being an awful friend and keeping secrets.” I take another big breath, purging everything I’ve been holding on to. “Heidi, I’m packed. I’ve changed my name. I had to be careful with what I told people because Brody, the Alpha you were going to save me from, is still out there.”
“Jesus, Sim, give me a photo of him. Right now. I have contacts with some of the best people in security, the Phoenix Group included. I’ll keep you safe.”
I bite my lip before my smile moves from a grimace then back to a smile again. “Um, I can tell you some Brody stuff, and one thing is I sort of already have the Phoenix Group watching over me. And the Fallen, if you can believe that. ”
Her eyebrows flick up and stay there in her shock. “Jesus, does Raney know?”
“About me being packed?”
“That too. I meant her Dad’s club being your security though.”
“You’re not worried about the Phoenix Group?”
“Pffft, they’re a bunch of pussies.” She smirks, laughing under her breath to a joke I don’t get. She waves me on.
“I don’t think Raney and King have spoken much.”
“Okay. Anyway, back to you. So you’re packed, and you’ve got security following you everywhere because this Brody is an asshole. What aren’t you telling me?”
I shrug, blowing out a breath, watching her watch me. “All the details, I guess.”
“Why, Sim?” she presses gently. With concern, with compassion. Being a good friend.
It’s like a switch flips inside me, the lights shutting off as everything bottled up punches outwards in a blast that hurts. I wish I wasn’t so overly emotional, but there’s no holding it back. I burst into tears.
But it’s Heidi who turns my world upside down. Because she starts crying too, right there with me.
“Fuck, Sim, come here. Oh my god, I’m so sorry. Please don’t cry. I’m working on being more open with my emotions. Freaking Kai and his pack keep pushing me to feel safe, making me softer, and I love it. But it’s a little overwhelming.”
I snuggle in her arms, crying on her shoulder, feeling happier than I have since I told Tristan my secrets but sad I’m still an emotional trainwreck.
Heidi matches me tear for tear. She sniffs when I do, hiccups through her sobs just like me. But then my beautiful bestie lets out a howl that sets me off again, making the tears stream down my face even faster.
“DOMINIC! DOM!! Get your ass here, Simona needs you! And bring some fucking tissues, Kairo.” She stops yelling and presses her head against mine. “Shit, Sim, we can’t let anyone at Verdune see me like this, they’ll be in my office asking for pay raises, and I’ll be saying ‘yes, have a vacation on me too’.”
She’s joking. I know she is. Her being light and easy is entirely appropriate and perfect.
We’re an hour from home when Tristan texts, letting me know she’s alive and relatively okay. I get another message straight after telling me she’ll call in the morning.
I’m so relieved. On top of my own issues, Tristan and Raney have been on my mind all day. “I think I should call Raney. I feel bad she’s the last to know, Dom.”
“So do it.” He rubs my thigh, leaving his hand there.
“It’s late,” I argue, but it’s only to triple check he thinks it’s okay.
He doesn’t get the chance to answer because my phone lights up, illuminating the inside of our Range Rover.
“Oh my…” I whisper, looking at him and then answering the call. “Raney?”
She doesn’t speak right away, and in the quiet I hear the tell-tale sounds of someone crying.
“Raney? Are you okay?”
She answers, using a weird sound as opposed to words before someone else picks up the phone. “Simona, sorry. This is Kozantine. Raney needs a moment.”
“Okay,” I answer quickly. And then I wait, but first I have to know. “Koz, is Raney okay?”
He laughs quietly, barely making a noise. But it's unmistakably a laugh. “Yes. She’s exhausted. She should be sleeping right now,” he growls and it’s clear it’s directed to her before he comes back to our conversation. “Except she apparently cannot go another second without speaking with you. Now though she’s running, carefully micina, to the bathroom. She’ll be right here.”
I look at Dom, gripping his hand on my thigh while I wait. I can hear people speaking in the background, but I can’t understand what they’re saying. It takes a few minutes but eventually Raney clears her throat.
“Hey, Sim. I know I sound like a lunatic, but I really needed to hear your voice. I couldn’t go to sleep without talking with you.”
“Are you okay, Raney? You’re scaring me. Do you want me to come see you?”
She takes a big, noisy sigh. “Yes, I’d love that. But”—she takes another louder inhale before speaking—“the but is a big one, Sim.”
“Oh my god, Raney. I wanted to tell you, I’m so sorry I didn’t.”
“What?”
“Hey? I thought you were calling because Tristan told you.”
“Tristan told me what?”
“No, you tell me first.” I back pedal at a hundred miles an hour, annoyed at myself for putting my foot in it.
Dominic growls under his breath, feeling my distress rising. It’s not a frustrated growl, and all it does is wrestle the beast inside me back down so I can think without panicking. Then it’s my turn to take a moment. I’m calmer when I answer. “Sorry. Like you, I have something to tell you. I was seriously about to call you. I haven’t been honest with you, Raney, and I hate myself for it. But keeping my secrets was necessary.”
I hear her gasp. I can literally picture her hand over my mouth, her eyes wide with worry. “What, Sim. Jesus, please don’t tell me you’re sick. I need you so much. Shit, Koz, get on the phone and get someone down to pick Sim up. She’s in trouble!”
I feel her panic and distress over the phone. “Raney! No, I’m okay. I’m as safe as can be, and weirdly that wasn’t what I was calling to tell you. Well, it was in a way, but more importantly I wanted to tell you I’m packed. I’m Simona Torres now.”
You could hear a pin drop.
“Excuse me? Torres? Why do I know that name? Koz?”
“Raney, I can answer that for you. Dominic is one of my Alphas, and you met him when you had to see Reid.”
“Dominic. Dominic? Like Koz’s lawyer Dominic?”
“Yes.”
She sucks in a gulp of air. “Alright then.” And then she stops talking and clearly starts contemplating something before it’s her turn to shock me. “I want to see you, but because my emotions are so fucking volatile all I do is spend my days crying, eating and sleeping. I beg you, stay away, it’s so embarrassing for me. Anyway, even if you did come over I wouldn’t let you in the house in case you looked at one of my Alphas the wrong way. Which I know you wouldn’t but try telling my Omega that, she’s feral. No, shit, someone needs to talk about losing your fucking mind when you’re pregnant.”
I’m sure I heard her say she was pregnant. But is Raney pregnant? “Sorry, Raney, can you repeat what you just said?”
And then she bursts into tears, wailing in my ear. “See even you, my beautiful, sweet best friend in the world thinks I’m crazy. I mean, I totally get it, I am. What a perfect end to my day. Not.” She moans, sobbing before the call disconnects.
I’m so thrown, so stunned, all I can do is look at Dominic, who is laughing under his breath. He looks at me, his teeth flashing in the headlights of the oncoming traffic. “Amore Mio, I am sorry, but your girlfriends are…”
We’re interrupted by another call from Raney. I answer, and she’s talking. “No shit, Sim, it’s like I’m living in a washing machine. Or riding a swinging fucking pendulum. I go from crying to sneaking off with Puck in the middle of the night when I should be sleeping. Hey, Sim, will you be a godmother to my child?”
“Of course.” And then I drive the conversation. “Raney, I really wanted to tell you I was packed ages ago. My therapist is encouraging me to share with you what I want obviously, but what happened and why I can’t talk just yet. It’s all interconnected but I’m not really ready to explain it yet.”
“Your therapist? Oh Sim, you know I’m hugging you in my head right now, don’t you?”
“Yeah. Lawson died, and I ended up in hospital, Raney. It wasn’t great.”
“Sim, darling, I am so sorry. You never need to tell me anything else if you don’t want to, but I will always, and I repeat always, always, always, love you. I’m here for you. We just have to be long distance besties for a little while. My gyno said my emotions should start plateauing by the next trimester. I hope that’s okay.”
“Of course it is.”
Our conversation continues to flip-flop back and forth all the way until we arrive home.
“Simona Torres… It’s got a great ring to it. I’m very proud of you for hooking up with a teacher, a mystery Alpha who sounds amazing, and my lawyer. Hey, thank you for also kicking Tristan’s ass into action. I am happy for her and Dad, still a bit salty though, but you can’t help who you fall in love with. I know that in spades.” I go to hang up. “Hang on, Sim, Koz wants to speak with you.”
“Okay. Love you, talk with you tomorrow. ”
The sound muffles as the phone gets shuffled over. “Simona, congratulations for packing. I only heard part of the discussion. Tell Dominic to call me in the morning. I’ll send a few of my men to join your security team. They’ll be bringing some very nice new merchandise I just received. But if your pack wants something particular all you need to do is let me know. Yes?”
I get choked up on his generous offer. “He heard. Thank you, Koz.”
“No thanks necessary. You are very important to my micina, Simona. I consider you family.”
He hangs up as Dominic parks. Before he’s even turned the ignition off, my door opens, and I’m in Ryder’s arms getting a hundred honey-dipped kisses dotted over my face, catching my happy tears.