Chapter 10
Cordelia
I’m brushing Gale when I hear a familiar tread and groan. Three days of dodging alphas, townsfolk, and family. Licking my wounds and hiding from everyone. I should have known it was not going to last.
Calling a rain check on Katsu was stupid, I realise that now, but panic prevailed. Alphas never give up the chase; they just give you a reprieve, and I’ve been waiting since the moment I ran.
“Why are we up this early?” Sofia mumbles. “I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“Your self-inflicted pain gets no sympathy,” Asher says. “You need a sock or something; the scent pouring out of the lighthouse last night nearly knocked me into a heat.”
I turn in time to see Sofia blush bright red and swat at Asher.
“Morning, was there a text? Did I forget we had a meeting?” In other words, go away; I’m sulking.
“A meeting? Is that what we call this?” Asher grumbles. “This is an intervention planning assembly. Someone needs to do something about our mother.”
I turn back to Gale and continue working in long, smooth strokes while he munches contentedly on his breakfast.
“So, how did the date go, since you’ve been hiding from the whole town ever since?” Sofia asks with a cruel giggle. I want to smack her.
“It was terrible.”
Asher and Sofia pull out their phones and hold up the photo of us on the love seat. We are clearly having a good time.
“So, so terrible,” Asher says, mocking me.
I roll my eyes, trying hard to ignore them.
“How was your date with Devon?”
“Oh,” Asher grumbles. “He ditched me. Sofia walked past, and he couldn’t contain himself, his-”
Sofia wraps a hand around Asher’s mouth. Asher gestures to her groin and then makes finger motions like they are walking away from her, then she stabs a finger into Sofia’s forehead.
“Ow!”
“So, Devon was on a date with you, saw Sofia, and his dick ran after her, and she got a knot to the face?” I ask innocently.
“What? No!” Sofia shouts. “No, it wasn’t like…oh, you two are dead to me!”
Asher and I crack up. I hold out my fist, and she bumps it.
“That alpha smelled-”
“Asher,” Felix says softly, interrupting Asher before she can say something she may well regret.
Asher subsides. “I’m just saying, don’t do me anymore favours, Sofa. That was really embarrassing. Worse, because it was the second time that night. And tell Devon to stay away from me for a few days.”
Sofia ducks her head. “We’re sorry.”
“I don’t care.”
The tension between them is thick and awkward. I can see how sorry Sofia is, but she’s also still in that blissful honeymoon period, and her alphas can’t do any wrong yet. I transfer my gaze to Felix.
“And how did your date go?”
Felix comes around Gale and leans against his shoulder, stroking the horse with long, elegant fingers.
“Good. He got scared on the first photo shoot, stumbled back into a table, managed to break it, slipped, then vomited and fell in said vomit, before hitting his head and passing out. The whole thing was live, so as soon as he came to, he took off, swearing never to come back. Last I saw, he was going viral. I may or may not have made sure that his audience got a perfect view.”
Felix shrugs with the same cold nonchalance he always has.
“No loss,” he says coldly.
I stare at him. One day, someone’s going to crack that wall that keeps all his emotions hidden, and he’s going to explode.
“But we’re all here for you,” Felix says with wry amusement.
I snort, not at all surprised. “Well, what do you want me to say? It was fun and funny, and they are all very….” I stare at them. I was about to say how much I liked them, how much I enjoyed the date, except I am not ready to admit that yet.
That won’t work.
“Nice. They are nice.”
“Nice?” Sofia wrinkles her nose. “You think Seb is nice?”
I huff and roll my eyes. “Sure, he’s nice.”
“You and Sebastian are like tinder and a match, like a grey sky and rain, the ocean and the tide. Cordelia Lake and Sebastian Sol don’t do nice. You do powerful, magnetic, passion.”
I pack up Gale’s stuff and watch as he lets out a neigh and trots off, bucking and rearing while a magpie circles overhead.
“Can I ride him today?”
I only just suppress a shriek. When I turn, I find Imogen a foot from me.
“You want to?”
“Yes. I love Gale. I’ll exercise him so you can go on another date with Seb, though why anyone would want to baffles me.”
I guess it would be hard for a fifteen year old to find her brother dating interesting.
I blink at her, unsure what to say, but when I look up, my friends are staring at me, waiting for me to answer.
“Well, because he’s nice,” I say weakly, knowing I’m never going to hear the end of it.
Asher lets out a buzzer sound and shakes her caramel mane of hair.
Even Imogen stares at me like I’ve suddenly grown a second head. I turn away from them all and stomp back to the house. They follow, making themselves at home. Sofia puts the kettle on, while Imogen sits beside Felix and tells him wild stories with massive arm gestures.
It’s the same and not. So much has changed.
I go upstairs and get changed. I glance at the picture of Gale and shift it, staring at the books.
There was a moment last night where I was lying in bed wishing I’d never written the books.
And I hated that because the books are mine.
It’s my secret, but it’s given me confidence and security.
In a way, it’s helped me connect to the world, and I’m not so afraid that I will live in Sunshine Cove until I’m moldering away.
My books are my legacy, my stamp on the world.
And my message is love.
I’m not ashamed of that. I just don’t want to share it with everyone either.
I nudge the photo back and pause, looking at the bed, where I’ve left Seb’s jumper lying on my pillow.
I walk over, my fingers flexing, and pick it up, bringing the material to my nose and inhaling deeply.
It’s not as strong, but it’s enough to bring the anxiety down and leave me with a warm, gooey feeling inside me.
I set it down, patting it, before I tear myself away.
I’ve got missed messages and emails from him, too.
It’s time to stop hiding. I trot downstairs to find the Sunshine Omegas making themselves comfortable in my home.
Sofia hands me a cup of coffee, and we sit on the couch next to each other.
“All right, let’s call this meeting to order,” Asher says. “What are we going to do about Mum?”
Sofia shrugs. “Go along with it.”
“She matched me with the same alpha. He hates me so much he didn’t even show up for our date, Sofia,” Asher says sharply. “It’s embarrassing.”
I sip my coffee, thinking it over. “I know it seems bad, but I think it’s actually a good thing.”
They all turn and look at me.
“Were you not against this, heart and soul?” Imogen asks the question the rest of them don’t.
“Well, yes, but this one is different. It’s cute and charming, and it was really well thought out, and it was fun.
You know, when I think of having a romance with someone, one of the first priorities is that I can have fun with them.
They are clearly thinking this through. I just… well, I just don’t think it’s so bad.”
Sofia reaches out and pats my knee. “Did you kill my best friend and crawl into her skin? Are you from this planet?”
I snarl playfully but shove her hand off me. I’m not sure why, but it doesn’t feel good today.
“Look, it’s a few dates and some fun. It can’t hurt to indulge them.
They are having a great time, and it’s helping the town.
We are getting a whole lot of tourists in.
Devon’s had heaps of work; Mack is working on fixing up some of the shacks that have been empty.
Elijah and Franco are working their butts off, and the restaurant is booked out whenever it’s open. ”
“All good points,” Felix says, but he’s staring out the window. “I think Asher objects to having to spend time with the alpha she finds abhorrent. And I wonder if the case is that you actually looked forward to it and having him was disappointing?”
Asher gets really still, her eyes narrowed on her twin. “Maybe if you stopped mooning after your sweetheart and paid attention to your date, he would have left earlier.”
Felix turns to face her. “I don’t have a sweetheart.”
“There’s someone, Felix. Is she married? Bonded? In a pack?”
Felix glowers, and the room gets dangerous. He stands up very slowly. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Asher. There is no one.” He stalks out.
“You can lie to everyone else, but you can’t lie to me!” she shouts at him.
Imogen shifts her weight, then bounces up. She doesn’t like it when the twins fight.
“Stay on the trails and make sure you go with Kady,” I throw at her.
Imogen squeals, launches herself at me, hugs me tight, and then bolts out of the house. Kady is Imogen’s best friend and has a horse as well. If they are going to go out, my rule is they have to go together.
Asher has her arms crossed and is glaring at her mug on the coffee table.
“Asher?”
“He’s keeping secrets. We never keep secrets.” The forlorn, hurt tone is probably the most truthful she’s been all morning.
“He’s allowed to have them, though,” Sofia says gently.
She sighs. “I know, I just don’t like that we’re all growing up and apart. He will tell me when he’s ready. I think I just miss the water. It’s been a week since I’ve been able to get down and go see Banjo.”
Banjo is the local dolphin, and for some bizarre reason, Asher and the dolphin became the best of friends. He follows her around while she does her research, and she plays with him like he’s a pup or something.
She has spent far too long trying to get me into the ocean, but I flat out refuse to go out there and meet him. No, thank you.
“Tomorrow is supposed to be a good day.”
Asher brightens. “I know. I’ll put the boat in and head out early.”
I nod, thinking that she’s insane, but Asher has always walked to her own tune and forged her own path.
Asher stands and blows us a kiss. “I’m going to go apologise to Felix, or he’ll be sulking for the next week.”
“Bye! Have fun tomorrow.”
And she’s gone, super quickly, and it’s just me and Sofia.
“Talk to me, Cordie. You’ve been quiet and not quite yourself.”
“I don’t feel like myself. It’s weird, my body doesn’t feel like mine, my life doesn’t feel like mine. Everything is rolling out of control, and I feel like I’m just barely hanging on.”
“Is it terrible dating Seb?”
I close my eyes. “No, it’s not terrible. He is…incredible.” I can’t lie to Sofia; I never could. She can see through me.
“So, you’re finally owning your feelings?”
“Yes, I guess so. When he’s nice, I see the alpha who charms the whole town, the guy they all ask for help, the one they look up to. I’ve heard people say the future of Sunshine is Sebastian Sol. It’s a lot of weight for one person, and I-”
Sofia snatches my cup and puts it down before turning back and grabbing my hands, squeezing them hard.
“You are enough, more than enough for Seb. Please don’t ever think you aren’t, Cordie.
I know that you feel like you need to make up for what your mother lacks and for all the help the town has given you guys over the years, but you don’t.
We love you both; you are family and, further, Sebastian would never leave you.
He loves you, Cordie; he always has. I know you don’t believe me yet either, but you will. ”
My eyes prickle, and I fall into her arms. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” I admit in a weepy sob.
Sofia pats my back and then carefully pulls back. “Uh, I hate to ask this, but while I was away, did you have a heat?”
I blink at her. “No, it’s, no. I couldn’t.” I think about it; all the signs are there. “No, it didn’t come. I thought it was going to once or twice, but it never came, so I thought I was maybe a bit broken.”
Sofia laughs. “You are such a goose, Cordie.”
“A heat?” I squeak. “What am I going to do with a heat?”
“Have delicious sex with the alphas of your dreams?” Sofia teases.
I stare at her, imagining Katsu, Fox, and Bas naked, waiting for me.
“Oh…”
“There you go. Oh, wow, you are potent, aren’t you?”
“I have a suppressant patch on,” I mutter.
“It’s not working.”
I stand up and go to the front door, yanking it open, only to find Katsu on the other side with his hand raised, just about to knock.
He inhales, and I see the way his pupils grow, his nostrils flare.
His chest expands as my scent fills his body.
It's somehow incredibly intimate and at the same time has me wanting to turn tail and run.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Sofia raise her hand and wave, slipping out of the house through the back.
“Hi,” I murmur.
He opens the door and steps towards me. Once again, he captures my chin and stares into my eyes as if he’s taking the measure of everything about me.
“Let us help you with your heat,” he demands.
My stomach clenches and slick pools in a sudden rush between my legs.
“Let us take care of all your needs, Omega.”
I am in so much trouble.