32. Red #2
Tony isn’t able to respond over the loud roaring taking everything over, snuffing out all my words as the plane lands. I still smell his fear. He fears I’ll die just like Marquette.
He takes my wrist and holds me still.
I lean into his shoulder.
The plane jolts, and he stretches his arm across to hold me more. I don’t think I told him that landings scare me, but he knew all the same.
We are in the first row, so by the time my heart calms down, the door has opened, and we exit the plane into the terminal.
The hot, dry air rushes over my skin and into my throat, stealing my breath and choking me. We make our way out of the terminal, hand in hand. I don’t even remember him taking it. Maybe it was me who reached for him.
We both stop just before the security gate marking the end of the terminal and the opening of baggage claim, where friends and family wait for their travelers.
“Hey,” Tony says. He tugs on my hand, pulling me to a wall, and turns us towards each other.
He looks at me with the same desperation mirrored on my own face.
“Listen. If I could go back and find you, but this time I find you here, the Kelya who wanted a nest and a family that let her be herself, I would offer you a place with me. I’d give you whatever you wanted.
I’d give you a room and nest at my house, and help you turn it into whatever you wanted.
I would care for you exactly as you needed.
We would swim in my pool and go dancing on the weekends; then I’d tie you up and fuck you until you were delirious.
We’d travel—wherever you wanted. I wish I knew you then.
Then I could have found you. I would have been a lone alpha applying to be yours.
Would you have liked that? Just me and you. ”
Tears threaten to burst from my eyes. I look over and through the security gates at all the people waiting for travelers to come out and be greeted.
The Livingstons are probably among them.
A voice goes over the intercom system loudly saying incomprehensible nonsense.
People covered in bags and trying to deal with the arid air pass us too closely, causing Tony and me to move even closer.
I nodded the whole time he was talking. Agreeing.
“Yes, of course.”
“Kelya, you can only have one nest? I can only have one omega, one bond. And that’s you. My inner alpha has spoken. It’s you. I didn’t believe in love, because I hadn’t fucking met you yet. Do you understand? It’s only you.”
I look up to see his red-rimmed eyes. I put my hands on either side of his face, and he grabs my hips, holding me in place. My fingers dance over his cheeks. He looks as scared as I feel.
“But you haven’t smelled me! What if…”
“If I hate it”—he yanks on my body, pulling me closer to him—“then I will cut off my own nose. Don’t doubt my devotion.” To prove his point, he drops his head into the crook of my neck and grazes my skin with his lips. My shoulders drop, and I lean into him.
But as he breathes in what I hope will be my scent—it’s got to be present any second now—my eyes dart back to the gate, and I think I see familiar figures.
My eyes widen as my body recognizes them before my brain does.
Roman, with a black cloth face mask covering his mouth and nose, stands next to Hollis and Noble.
They look older. Taller. Bigger. How is that even possible?
They are wearing formal work clothes, like this is a business meeting.
But that’s not what has my throat closing up.
My parents are with them. All four of them.
My mom and her three alphas. There are seven fucking people waiting for me.
They’re looking out into the terminal, and their eyes keep passing over us. We are invisible…for now.
“Tony,” I whine.
He pulls me into him and rubs my back, and I can feel all my ropes knotted underneath my clothes.
I make a horrible sound. He isn’t going to get a chance to smell me!
I can’t stand here forever. Roman is looking at something off to our right.
Maybe he thinks he sees us somewhere else.
I’m dancing between my feet, and Tony holds me tighter and tighter to get me to stop.
Be still, Kelya, I tell myself. I take a deep breath. Please, please. I just want Tony to smell me, even if it’s just this once.
“Kelya!” Roman’s harsh, commanding voice rings out into the terminal. My hands shake, and I make another sound I can’t explain. Tony pulls back and looks out, seeing my welcome committee.
“Fuck,” he breathes. I can’t get myself to look at Roman, but I can see enough reflected in Tony’s face. Roman is not happy we are embracing. Tony’s arms go hard as stone.
I let my hands drop and pat his chest.
“Tony, let me go.” I’ll let you go, too. After I’m returned, then he will be free from me and can live his life.
“I don’t know if I can…” he says to himself. I take his hands and peel them off me. I hold my purse close and take a step away.
“You’re not coming with me. Let me go.” He doesn’t make a move. “You’re not coming with me,” I say again. “This is it.”
“No.”
“Red. This is red.”