25. Nash
Nash
Achirping sound jerks me awake.
My eyes snap open to darkness while thunder rattles the apartment building hard enough to shake the walls. For half a second, I don't know what woke me. The disorientation of being woken up in the middle of the night is something I've always struggled with. But then, the sound happens again.
That's my work radio.
Something's wrong.
I scoop it off my bedside table as my stomach sinks. "This is Sheriff Dempsey."
The voice on the other end sounds exhausted. "Sorry to wake you, Sheriff."
Something cold settles in my chest. "Detective Guffrey. What's happened?"
A crackle of radio chatter sounds in the background. "Flooding on the eastern side of town. Multiple roads are underwater. Two accidents near the county line. Power lines down near Miller Road. We've got reports of mudslides starting on the mountain roads."
The need for sleep evaporates instantly as I bolt upright in bed. "How many deputies we got out?"
"Three, sir."
"Okay, what do you need, then?"
There's a pause. "Everybody, sir. It's mayhem out here."
I scrub a hand down my face and glance toward the bedroom doorway. My nostrils flare as I draw in a greedy lungful of Nelly's scent. I know she's out there, buried in her nest, trying to do her best with what we all know is coming.
I don't want to leave her.
But I don't have a choice.
"I'll be there in twenty," I say into the radio.
Guffrey sighs. "Thank you, Sheriff. I'll let everyone know."
My radio goes silent and I push to my feet.
The warmth of Nelly's scent moves with me as I get myself ready.
My cock stirs. Damn it, that thing is a menace.
I adjust myself as I'm pulling my boxers on, opting for a slightly tighter pair so I can at least look like I'm not ready to jump someone's bones.
To be honest, I'm surprised it took them this long to radio me for an issue.
It's hard to get ready. It's even harder to put my uniform on.
Not because duty is a problem. Absolutely not.
I've spent most of my adult life running toward emergencies with a determined look on my face.
That's the job, after all. I was trained for it from a very young age.
That's what happens when you grow up in a home where legacy is expected.
The problem is leaving her.
The problem is knowing she's stressed, exhausted, halfway through a pre-heat, and one bad piece of news away from trying to sprint through a hurricane to get to that damn house just to blow off steam. My instincts hate every part of the way I piece myself together.
But the town needs me.
So, I get dressed.
Piece by piece, the sheriff replaces the man, and by the time I'm finished, my head is already shifting into emergency mode. We'll need road closures and shelters for those experiencing the worst of the flooding. Search and rescue may be necessary, depending on how bad the mudslides are.
I step into the hallway, relishing how quiet the apartment is before lightning flashes through the blinds.
I watch Nelly for a little bit as she lies there, curled up in the middle of her mountain of blankets and pillows.
While holding tightly to that little stuffed bear I found in the grocery store.
I've got Levi stretched out in my chair, his hand draped over the arm of it as if he's waiting for Nelly to tag him in for something. Beau has somehow managed to fall asleep on the floor with only a couple of pillows and a blanket to his name.
I'm surprised Nelly let him have anything from her nest. Omegas are usually territorial about their things.
Unless it's pack.
I shake the thought from my head. We've got enough going on right now. I need to head out. I should let someone know where I'm going, though. So, I reach down and pat Levi's shoulder.
He doesn't budge.
"Levi," I murmur.
I flick his ear. "Levi."
He scrambles, his hand swatting at his ear as he bolts upright. He pants for a moment, his eyes darting around before they land on me.
And then, his face falls. "The fuck, Nash. What—"
His gaze rakes over me as I speak. "Dispatch called. I have to head out."
Beau draws in a deep breath. "Everything okay? Nelly up?"
"Sh," Levi hushes. "You'll wake her up if you keep talking at that volume."
"Sorry," Beau whispers as he gets up, all grunts and groans.
"How bad is it?" Levi whispers.
I look over at Nelly. "It's bad. We've got mudslide threats happening now. I have to get out there and coordinate. Just wanted you guys to know in case I'm not back for a while."
"You need me to fix you a sandwich or something before you head out?" Beau asks.
"I'm good," I say, then grin at him. "While I'm gone, Nelly's the responsibility of you two."
Levi crooks an eyebrow. "That's a terrifying sentence."
I just shrug. "Don't let her leave."
Beau snickers. "Wasn't planning on it."
"I mean it," I say as I peer back down at her, still sleeping like a rock. "Don't let her go to that house just because I'm not here."
"We won't," Levi says.
I sigh. "If she gets upset—"
Beau puts his hands on his hips. "We'll handle it."
Levi places his hand on my shoulder. "She'll be fine. You need to get out there, though."
"We won't head out anywhere until you're back," Beau says.
I just nod as I rake my hand down my face. Each step I take toward the front door is agony. It's like moving away from Nelly is physically killing off a part of me, and I want to know why. I want to know how this woman has crawled under my skin in such a short amount of time.
Maybe she's always been there, and I just didn't realize it.
I open the door. "If you guys need anything for her, just give me a—"
Levi chuckles. "You're acting like we're babysitting a hurricane."
I crook an eyebrow. "Are you looking at the same nest I am?"
As if on cue, Nelly shifts on the couch, and we all go silent. There's a tinkling sound, like little bits of something are falling to the floor. A flash of lightning illuminates my place just long enough for me to see what's happened.
Nelly shifted on the couch… and jellybeans sprinkled themselves onto the floor.
Levi rolls his eyes. "Okay, fair. We'll call if anything happens."
My radio chirps on my hip. "Sheriff?"
I grimace as I pick it up and talk into it. "I'm heading out the front door now. Where am I headed?"
The radio chirps again. "Grocery store. We got our first mudslide. We need to head out."
"Coming," I say as I look in between Beau and Levi. "No one lets her leave."
"Nash?" Nelly groans as she shifts again.
Fuck.
I should've put my radio on silent when crossing through the room.
"Hey there," I say as I walk back toward her and crouch down.
She grunts as she shifts to face me, looking more tired than ever before.
"You go back to sleep, Nelly. It's the middle of the night."
"Mmm," she hums as she scoots her body closer to the edge of the couch. "Why are you dressed?"
I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "Work."
She peeks an eye open. "Oh."
"I'll be back as soon as I can. You have my word."
Her one open eye searches mine. "You have to?"
I smile despite myself. "Unfortunately, yeah. But I'll be back, okay?"
She sighs, and the sound is pure misery. Like it pains her for me to leave.
It's almost enough to keep me planted right where I am.
Almost, anyway.
"Stay safe, okay?" she asks.
"Always," I say as I place my hands on my knees and stand. "Levi and Beau are staying here. Let them take care of you, all right?"
She wrinkles her nose. "Bossy."
Levi chuckles, and out of the corner of my eye, Beau covers his smile with his hand.
I just shake my head. "Get some more sleep, Nelly. I'll be back before you know it."
She mumbles something incoherent before burrowing back into her nest. Within seconds, her breathing evens out, stilling into a rhythm that makes me comfortable enough to try heading out again.
I finally make it out of my apartment.
The complex itself is quiet. It's the middle of the night, though, so it's not like that's a shocker or anything. It's the world that greets me outside that makes me pause.
Christ, this storm is eating our world alive.
The exit door nearly gets ripped from my hand as I open it up. The wind-driven rain slaps against my face as I rush toward my cruiser. Lightning flashes and thunder cracks, and I have to resist the urge to run back inside just to see if it woke up Nelly.
"Jesus," I murmur as I slam my way into my work vehicle.
Things look worse than they did yesterday. Driving is a bitch. There are downed tree limbs everywhere. Orange cones outline downed power lines sitting in people's yards. There's standing water everywhere my tires splash.
It looks like the town's losing the fight to this storm, and the damn thing's not even done yet.
A siren wails somewhere in the distance as I head toward the grocery store. Another answers the call. And then another. Until I'm almost certain the direction I'm headed in also has an emergency that needs tending to.
And just like that, my radio crackles to life in my dashboard console.
"Sheriff?" Detective Guffrey chirps through.
Work takes over as I pick it up and press the button. "I'm in my cruiser headed to the store now."
"Then change direction, Sheriff," the detective says. "We've got an accident that needs all hands on deck. Mudslide took out a home on the outskirts of town, not too far from the vineyard. EMS needs help digging people out."
"Shit," I hiss. I press the button on my radio. "Give me the address of where you guys are headed."
When the detective rattles off the address, I whip a U-turn in the middle of the road.
I drive as quickly as I can, which isn't saying much, toward the wailing sirens.
I pass by a car with the electrical company's emblem on it.
I take note of the company vehicle's number.
The sirens grow louder, but it does nothing to drown out my worries.
Because part of my mind has stayed behind at the apartment.
Back there with the guys.
Back there with the Omega sleeping in my hoodie with jellybeans stashed away in the pocket like contraband.
She'd be a wonderful pack Omega.
My hands tighten on the steering wheel. I have to focus.
This town is depending on me right now, and I can't let them down.
For now, I simply have to take comfort in the fact that Nelly's not alone.
She's safe, she's protected, and she's in a nest that she was able to build after all.
It has to be enough for now. And as another bolt of lightning splits the sky in half, illuminating the flooding streets ahead of me, something settles heavily in my gut. A feeling I've learned not to ignore.
There's war building in the atmosphere.
And somehow, I know this night isn't finished with us yet.