Chapter 30
Cordelia
We get back from that incredible evening and walk straight into bedlam. The town is full on in decoration mode for Light Knot Night. There are stars, snowflakes, and glittering ice crystals everywhere. I don’t know where to look; it’s incredible.
Charming, absolutely charming.
Sofia calls out to me from the bookstore, and I stumble in, flanked by Sebastian.
“Have you told them yet?” she asks as soon as she sees me.
I shake my head, my happiness fading. “No, they don’t know. I am going to do it.”
Sofia grabs my hand. “You need to do it, Cordie. Why are you waiting?”
I shake my head, unable to tell her that I’m terrified that if I give them a reason to leave me, they will abandon me just like my father did. I pick up a book and try to focus on something else other than the pit of dread in my stomach.
Sebastian prowls around the store. “When are you going to put the books back up?”
“I’m not,” Sofia says defiantly. “Not until it’s all okay.”
Sebastian growls and continues stalking. His aggression and unease are slowly seeping into me, and I turn to watch him, wondering what is upsetting him.
He glares at all the strangers who are walking past in a very un-Sebastian-like way.
On impulse, I walk over to him and lean into his chest, wrapping my arms around him.
“It’s okay. We’re okay.”
He relaxes second by second. When I turn around, Sofia is staring at us with the softest expression.
“I’m going to go find Fox and stop him from bringing home any more animals,” Sebastian murmurs and kisses my forehead.
I watch him go, then spin to confront Sofia, who is leaning on the counter with her chin on her hand. “What’s that look?” I accuse.
“You make him happy. Like, really happy.”
I stare at her. “I know.”
She shakes her head. “You don’t know how amazing you are.”
“Aww, bestie.”
“Shut up, you,” she growls playfully, but she comes to me, and we hug. This time, her touch and scent doesn’t irritate me. “We need to catch up, girls night or something. When this is over.”
“Absolutely.”
Fox walks past, peering in the window. I wave at him, and he grins. He’s so adorable.
“Excuse me, I have alphas to play with,” I whisper, my body thrumming with excitement.
Sofia says something, but I’m already heading out the door. It chimes as I slip out, too excited to even slow down.
Fox crashes into me, but grabs my waist before I can fall, and spins me around. His eyes are shining, and he’s pure happiness. He looks how I feel.
His lips press into mine. I wrap my arms around his neck as he pulls me off my feet, laughing into the kiss. He pulls back and grins. “What shall we get up to today on this most auspicious of days?”
I open my mouth and get halfway through a reply when we’re suddenly interrupted. “Sebastian just went to find you-”
“Fox, darling, can you take this down to Grandma’s. Cordie, I need you to help me here.” Lorelei smiles widely and holds a box out towards us.
Fox let’s go of me, his smile dimming only slightly. He takes the box. “Grandma?”
“Yes, straight away; it’s urgent.”
No, don’t take him away. Boo! I want to cry now. Who am I going to flirt with and tease all day?
He takes the box, kisses me on the cheek, and reluctantly leaves. The lingering sage, lemon, and browned butter disappears with him, stealing my happiness.
“Good, you come with me,” Lorelei says. “You can help me with the decorations on Main Street.”
I frown thoughtfully, watching her back. There’s something off about her tone. I know this woman; I've spent years with her and her family. There’s clearly something wrong. Even her steps are wrong, her heels clomping hard on the pavement.
But I also know you can’t push her.
She will tell me when she’s ready. Or she won’t.
Hours later, I run into Katsu and Sebastian. We have a moment alone when, not to anyone’s surprise, Yolanda suddenly appears.
“Hi!” she says, looking nervous. She gulps and then forces a too-bright smile. “I need someone to help me. Please, Cordie?”
I glance at Sebastian, who looks up and shakes his head, muttering in frustration.
I know she dated him for a year in high school. The worst year of my life. But I’ve never hated her. In fact, I would consider us friends now. Not close but still friends.
“Okay.” I turn to my alphas. “I will be back.”
They wave as I disappear with her.
“What’s going on?” I accuse. The beta gets all shifty-eyed and turns red as a beetroot.
“I don’t know anything.”
“Yolanda,” I growl.
She just ducks into the café.
“Wash your hands and start boxing cupcakes.”
I pester her for another couple of hours, but she doesn’t give me anything.
As soon as I escape, I find Fox, but before I can even get close, he’s whisked away by Milton and Franco.
I put my hands on my hips and glare after them. I thought this game was done, and we were past it. Why is the town conspiring to keep my alphas from me?"
“What are they doing now?” I mutter and make a decision to get to the bottom of it before I unalive some poor fool.
Floyd grabs me to help with a job, then I’m handed off to Gwen. And it continues. I see them in the distance, in passing, but I don’t get close.
The day passes quickly in absolute torment.
And then it’s night, and there’s just twenty-four hours left until I make my match.
The urgent need to tell them contrasts with the crippling yearning to be with them, to touch them.
My omega instincts are crying, and it’s almost painful being apart from them.
The ache in my chest encompasses all my thoughts.
Mum is waiting for me when I finish hanging white snowflakes on the beach railings.
“Hey.”
“Hey, you. I thought we could have dinner together since it’s going to be the last night.”
“It’s not the last night.” I protest, but then I realise it really is. She is moving on, and so am I. One way or another, after tomorrow, things won’t be the same.
“It is. Everything is changing after this,” she says, echoing my thoughts.
Sebastian appears, growling. He grabs me and pulls me up against the wall, hiding me with his body. “The town is on a mission to keep us separated. Hello, Ms Lake.”
Mum laughs at him. “You have two minutes before I sound the alarm!” she teases.
“I knew it!” he says triumphantly.
“Sebastian, the town isn’t against you, don’t be so paranoid.” She lets out a tittering laugh, but neither of us believe her.
He glares at my mother. “She got to you, too, didn’t she?”
Mum laughs and pats his shoulder. “You are such a suspicious creature.”
He narrows his eyes. “You are all in on this together. Uncalled for. I thought I was your favourite?”
“Not true, I just want to have one more bonding moment with my daughter before I give her to you. Would you deny a mother one night with her baby?”
Sebastian seethes. “That is completely unfair. You can’t pull that card.”
Mum smiles unrepentantly. “I just did.”
“Oh, you are evil.”
“I am. What are you going to do about it?” Mum laughs at him, and we all know she’s won.
“Nothing right now, but your time will come.” Sebastian strokes my hair and kisses the tip of my nose.
Mum laughs. Sebastian lets out a defeated sigh and drops his forehead to mine.
“I’m sorry. I can’t win this fight with you. They are too powerful.”
I snicker and run my thumb over the stubble on his cheek. He is so beautiful.
“Go have a fun night with the boys.”
“I’m going to steal into your window.”
“You absolutely will not!” Lorelei growls as she appears out of nowhere like our guardian prison guard.
Sebastian sighs. “Killjoys.”
Lorelei slaps his arm. “Come on. You three can come have dinner with me. Where I can keep my eye on you.”
I watch them leave, hating it. Wishing I were going with them.
“Come on.”
Mum and I have dinner, and then I go up to my room and work on edits. I’m supposed to be deleting the book, but I still can’t bring myself to do it.
I’m in Sebastian’s hoodie, wishing I’d stolen some clothes from Katsu and Fox, when the stairs outside my bedroom creak.
I spin on my computer chair, watching the door as it slowly opens. Fox creeps in and closes the door behind him. I grin as he tiptoes to me and pulls me up into his arms before collapsing on the bed and wrapping around me like an octopus.
“I am so tired! This town sure knows how to work a person,” he whispers.
“What are you doing here?”
“I needed to see you.”
He kisses me and then snuggles into me, like a teddy bear, except incredibly warm. I hold on to him, stroking his back.
“Are you okay, Fox?”
“Yeah, I will be.”
I wish I could see his eyes, but he’s holding me too tight.
The door explodes open.
“I knew I heard a sneaker!” Mum announces.
“Mum, I’m old enough-”
“Of course, you are, but this is the last night, and this is my house. Fox, go home. You can keep her tomorrow.”
Fox reluctantly pulls himself away from me. He moves slowly, trying his best puppy-dog expression to convince Mum to let him stay, but she absolutely ignores him.
He glances back at me, blows me a kiss and disappears. Mum pulls my door shut, leaving me alone in the room.
Again.
With an unsettled feeling in my gut like there is something wrong.
The rain is sudden and violent. I snatch up a coat and an umbrella and race down the stairs as quickly as I can. I burst outside and open it, rushing to him.
“Fox!”
He whirls, and I skid into him, stopping only when I’m pressed up against him, staring up at his startled expression. The rain on the umbrella thunders down, and it’s just him and me in a world all of our own.
I let out a nervous laugh.
“I miss you. I-” I let out a frustrated sound, stand on my tiptoes and press my mouth to his.
His arms band around me, and he kisses me back just as deep. With all the feelings I’m feeling. We kiss for a long time, devouring each other in the rain.
When he pulls away, he sighs, his hands gently stroking my face. “Little bird, your mother is on the porch.”
Of course, she is.
“I’ll see you tomorrow?” I ask uncertainly; if he says no, I won’t let him go. I swear. I’ll find a way to keep him here. My throat aches, and I’m suddenly staring up at him through tears.
“What’s this? My little bird, don’t cry. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. And tomorrow, we’ll never be apart again. It will be fine. I love you, don’t you know that? It’s going to be fine. Please don’t cry.”
I lean against his chest, weeping without really knowing why. Just this is hard, so hard, and everything, and I stuffed up. I should have told them the day I met them.
“I love you, too, Fox,” I say brokenly.
“Tomorrow is going to be the first day of the rest of our lives, I promise.”
His hand strokes my back, soothing my chaotic feelings.
That uneasy feeling fades, and I touch my lips to his once move before I shove the umbrella into his hand and dart back to my house. If I didn’t go then, I’m not sure I could have.
It’s not until I get back up to my room that I notice all the Lynn Marino books out. Or the open laptop with my book clearly on display. I don’t know if he saw or not, but tomorrow is the day.
I have no choice.
They are right. Forever can’t start on a lie.