Chapter 3
Chapter Three
“ W ell, that went well,” Callum muttered.
“Somehow, I think coming here only made the situation worse.” Orion exhaled a breath while rubbing the back of his neck. “Emerson doesn’t want to talk to us.”
That was the understatement of the century. Question was, how did they fix their predicament? How did he convey his regrets and apologies when the person he was trying to make amends with iced him out? “Julia would’ve known what to do.”
Her death fucked Callum up. He thought he’d found the one. The omega to his Alpha. There’d been no signs she’d secretly suffered or been addicted to drugs. She’d gone into heat cycles like any other mated omega, and they’d had fun together. Identifying her lifeless body in a morgue flipped some switch inside of him, turning him off to the rest of the world.
For years, Callum blamed himself for her death. Looking at Emerson only compounded the grief. He’d only realized what he’d done to Emerson when the omega left. At that, he’d needed a swift kick to the ass to get him to realize what he’d done. Then instead of giving Emerson room, Callum tried to ambush him.
Emerson was right. There wasn’t a damn thing Callum could do about the tuition or the expenses. The academy helped the omega get grants and financial aid to attend Cascadia. So where did that leave him and Orion? He shook his head. If Benji was there, he’d be laughing his ass off, telling Callum, “I told you so.” He’d revel in Callum’s misery.
“What do we do now?” Orion hedged. “I thought for sure he’d at least talk to me.”
“Now, we get off the campus before we’re escorted off. Then we regroup and try again.” Callum strode across the lawn to the front gates of the school.
Nestled in the Cascadia Mountains in the Pacific Northwest, Cascadia Academy sat on forty-five acres. The buildings were gothic revival with a hint of Gregorian architecture. all stone was handset and some of the stain glass windows contained the original lead filament. The school boasted a twelve-hundred seat cathedral with twenty-foot copper spires reaching up toward the grey and purple clouds, heavy with the coming snow. How Emerson found the place, he’d never know, but it fit him.
“Mr. White,” a woman called out to him, waving her hand as he hurried for the exit. “Mr. White...”
Shit. The longer he stayed put on campus, the worse the situation of his making became. He shouldn’t have showed up at Emerson’s doorstep and tried to force the omega's hand or attempted to intimidate him. When Callum heard his name again, he turned around, painting an inviting smile on his face. “Yes? Hello. Sorry about that. I was so enamored by the architecture of the school I got lost in thought and didn’t hear you.”
She pursed her lips, folding her arms. The light purple bruise of a mated mark peeked out from the collar of her shirt. Flirting with her would get him nowhere. Shit. “Would you like to explain to me why I shouldn’t call the police, and have you trespassed from this campus?”
He could kick himself. “I’m sorry. My son and I only hoped to speak with Emerson. We’re... Complicated.”
Orion joined him. “We did not know he’d leave home and come here.”
Surprised, she stood there for a second before shaking her head. “I’m not here to hear your sob story, Mr. White. I have a fragile omega inside in the midst of a panic attack because you and your son cornered him. We take protecting omega seriously here. You’ve broken that trust.”
Callum scrubbed his face. The scent of the coming snow filtered around him along with evergreen and pine. He exhaled and his shoulders fell. “I didn’t intend to scare him or send him into a panic. As I am sure you’re aware, his mother passed and... Well, things are a bit of a disaster.”
“We know about his mother, Mr. White. He’s told us everything. Seems to me, you’re in the lurch.” She lifted her chin. Even though she stood a good six or eight inches shorter than him, she’d perfected that imperialistic expression, looking down on Orion and him.
“With all due respect, ma’am, you don’t know a damn thing about us,” Callum said. “You know what Emerson has told you.”
“So, he hasn’t been raising his siblings on his own?” She quirked a brow.
Okay, maybe Emerson had told the school everything. “I work long hours. His brother also has college. He helps around the house...” Every word that stumbled from his mouth was laced in excuses and defensiveness.
“Don’t come back here, Mr. White. You’re not welcome here. We’re a sanctuary for omegas coming into their own. Having you here will undo the progress Emerson has made since his arrival.”
Right. “Just tell him we’re sorry.” What would everyone say if they saw the Alpha grovel? Callum would never live it down. Still, being a hard ass hadn’t worked either. If anything, his refusal to take into consideration Emerson’s feelings, brought them to the moment they were in. Every turn he made was the wrong one.
“I will relay the message. Whether he accepts or hears you out, is up to him. We don’t believe in forcing reunifications.”
“Understood.” He turned then, smacking Orion on the back of the shoulder so he followed. Emerson might have won the first round, but Callum would figure out a way to get back in to see him. When he did, Callum wouldn’t leave until the omega was by his side.
Emerson stood at the window overlooking the campus as Callum and Orion slipped into the waiting car just outside the fence of the school. He exhaled, sagging while chewing his thumbnail. That’d been a close one. Fending off both Orion and Callum took every bit of his courage. Especially since they both looked like shit.
The caring side of him worried they hadn’t gotten enough sleep or weren’t eating the premade meals he’d created to make his departure easier on them. Had they not tried to guilt him with Scout, Cora, and Cinder, he might have listened to them. Or at least given their proposal some thought. Instead, they used manipulation.
“Looks like the coast is clear,” Ronan said, peering over his shoulder. “Would you like me to walk you back to your dorm?”
Emerson examined the Alpha with the pale green eyes and an affable smile. He was kind. Caring. Approachable and commanding when the need arose. Like it had earlier. It would be so easy to say yes and spend a few extra moments with the Alpha who smelled like cloves and dark chocolate with a hint of bitter coffee.
“I’ll be fine since they’ve left. Thank you for your help,” Emerson said. “I appreciate you interceding for me.” Heat filled his cheeks, and his stomach did that little squirrelly flip-flop thing whenever he got bashful.
“Not a problem,” Ronan murmured. “You know, for what it’s worth, I’d never ignore you or treat you like hired help. Family means something.”
A pang of longing hit Emerson square in the chest. “Not all of us get the happily ever after, Alpha Thomas. I’m sure your omega is so very happy having you as their mate.”
Ronan laughed. The full body sound shot straight to Emerson’s groin and tightened his stomach. “I don’t have a mate.” He leaned in closer, lowering his voice. “I’m also one of the sex-ed instructors. In fact, I help any of the omegas who need assistance through their heat cycles.”
Emerson gapped.
“I thought you’ve been paying attention.” Ronan’s tone dripped with arousal and debauched intentions.
“I’ve learned to block out all sexual interactions.” Emerson swallowed hard, mentally trying to slow his heart rate while not thinking about the Alpha beside him, naked and aroused.
“You’re denying yourself carnal connections?” The growl in Ronan’s voice slipped down Emerson’s spine like butter over warm, fluffy pancakes.
“Life is easier that way for some of us.” He cut his gaze in Ronan’s direction. “Cuts down on disappointment and heartache.”
“Bullshit,” Ronan snapped. “You are the maker of your destiny.”
Emerson chuckled softly. “I know. Hence why I’m here. I might never be a mate because of my past, but at least I’ll be able to care for myself without having to rely on an Alpha.” More specifically an Alpha that didn’t care whether Emerson was alive or dead.
“So, you’re not going to give an Alpha a choice or a chance?” Incredulousness filled his voice.
“No,” Emerson answered with a shake of his head. “I tried that already. Here I stand and there they leave.” He motioned to the black sedan pulling away from the curb. “I’m not meant for a mate. I’ve made peace with that knowledge.”
“I don’t accept that answer,” Ronan said. “You’ve never experienced a normal, healthy relationship with an Alpha. How can you resign yourself to a solitary life without first understanding what you’ve given up?”
“Easy.” It was Emerson’s turn to bend his head and lower his tone. “Try witnessing your stepfather and stepbrother fucking an omega while being in heat. Then tell me how you’d react.”
Ronan made a choked sound while staring at Emerson.
“While you’re ruminating over that, why don’t you add in three heat cycles and not being able to relieve any bit of the pain or arousal while simultaneously caring for your younger siblings and being ignored by the two Alphas in your home. To wit, neither could even help find someone to easy their lowly omega “family member” through said heats.” He hadn’t meant to vomit up his past or make himself sound so pathetic, but some things needed to be said.
The memory tumbled through his mind at full speed. He’d woken early, his body aching. His dick hard as slick eased from his ass. The second he adjusted himself he came. He couldn’t remember his dreams from the night before, but figured they must have been good to at least wake up with an erection. Then the fevers started. His skin flushed while perspiration dotted his forehead, and his hands trembled. None of the symptoms made sense, until he tried to move, and a wave of dizziness swallowed him whole. How he made it through the next several days, he couldn’t say.
But he'd done it.
A look of horror washed over Ronan’s face. His cupid bow lips pulled into a grim line. Menacing energy wafted off him, wrapping its tight coils around Emerson. A shiver worked through him. Such indignation from an Alpha on his behalf. Emerson didn’t know if he should feel validated or guilty for laying his truth bare for someone he didn’t know.
The decision was taken from him the second Ronan sighed. “I’m sorry, Emerson. Truly. I can’t even begin to understand how scared you’d been or how lonely you must have felt.” He turned away, placing his hands on his hips. “It’s the duty of an Alpha to protect omega, whether family or potential mate. You’ve been failed every step of the way. My offer stands though. If you’d like to explore what being with an Alpha is like, my door is open to you. Just don’t wait until you can’t move because your heat has consumed you, okay?”
Emerson nodded. “I understand. I appreciate your help and your attentiveness. I owe you.”
“You don’t owe me anything,” he replied. “I’m just looking out for a vulnerable omega.”
Emerson gathered his things then went to the door. “For what it’s worth, I wish I would have met you on the outside. Maybe I wouldn’t be as jaded as I’ve become.”
“Hindsight is always twenty-twenty.” Ronan gave him a small, sad smile. “See you in class tomorrow. I’ll let your remaining instructors know you’ve gone back to your dorm for the day.”
“Thank you,” he replied.
Emerson lifted his chin as he stepped out of the office. Though Ronan’s words swirled in his mind, he also couldn’t get the look of dejection on Callum’s face out of his head, either. Or the way Orion spoke to him. They used aggressiveness while Ronan used comfort and kindness to get his point across. Maybe that’d been why he’d gravitated toward the Alpha when he first arrived on campus.
Either way, Ronan had given him tons to think about. Because even when Emerson spewed his rhetoric, the words were hollow even to his ears. If anything, the words became a rehearsed monologue. Something he practiced day in and day out, so whenever someone showed interest, he could shut the interaction down before he could get hurt. Where has that gotten you, Em?
Absolutely nowhere.