Chapter 32 #2
Jewels wrapped her arm around my shoulders. “One Eye and DJ didn’t bond with me during our first heat together either, though we had close calls. They wanted the same. To make it special. Clear minds. So nothing could influence our decisions besides our natural emotions.”
I nod again, trying to smile, which makes them laugh a bit. The smile must be horrible, but their words settle over me.
It was the right call to make. No one gets to make that call except me and my Pack. No one else.
I nod, again, more so to myself. “You’re right.”
“Of course we’re right,” Jewels says.
I can only imagine what Penny would have said at that moment. She’d probably have agreed with Cyclops, not knowing any better.
“Thank you, seriously."
Jewels flips her rainbow hair over her shoulder. “Post-heat omega brain can be kind of a bitch. They are bossy things.”
“Very,” I confirm, realizing we are outside Reed's nest door. “Thank you guys.”
“Give me your phone,” Lacy says and I do. She returns it a moment later. “Now you have our numbers, and we have a group chat. Don’t be a stranger. Even if… things change.”
“You too!” I say, sliding my phone back into my pocket. Real friends, with plans. Plans after our first meeting.
I open the door as they turn around, heading back down to the Bar when a hand slides around my waist and another over my hand on the handle. Pulling Reed’s nest door shut. I’m pulled into another room. If I wasn’t instantly surrounded by cinnamon, I’d be scared.
“Why is your scent burnt, Trouble?” His grumbly voice is right in my ear. The room he pulled me in is dark and small. Like a closet. The door clicks shut in front of me and I try to turn around to face Soren, but his grip around my waist doesn’t let me.
“Nothing, Soren, it's fine.”
“It’s not. Who hurt you? I know it wasn’t Lacy or Jewels. Do I need to go downstairs and find out for myself?”
“No, just a moment of post-heat hormones. I’m fine,” I say but he shakes his head.
I trace my fingertips over his ring on his pointer finger. The texture of the metal band calms me like I hope it does him.
But I can tell it doesn't. No matter how much I push out my scent, he doesn’t relent. He doesn’t loosen his hold on me and his scent carries a sharp edge to it.
“You can't get mad.”
“I can’t make that promise.” My eyes dart straight ahead of me. To the solid wood door in front of me. He doesn’t make promises he can’t keep.
I’d bond you right now, Trouble.
Good to know. That fact soothes my omega and I actually smile.
“I’m not even mad over it anymore.”
Soren hums. “I’ll be mad enough for the both of us.”
“That’s not how it works.”
“That’s how it’ll work between us. Nothing gets to make you upset, not like this, not like anything.
You are mine. Which means your love is mine, but so is your anger, your sadness—it’s all mine to comfort or bear as I please.
” His lips trail over my neck over my hair. “Now tell me, Trouble, who hurt you.”
“It was something stupid a prospect said,” I say, hoping it's enough.
It’s not, of course.
“Which prospect? What did he say?”
“Just that…” The idea of repeating it makes my stomach lurch but I do it anyway. “That if my mates didn’t bond me during my heat…are they really mine?”
“I’ll kill him.”
“You don't even know who,” I say but it falls on deaf ears as Soren slides from around me faster than I can comprehend, let alone try to stop him. He’s down the hall and I’m tripping over my sweatpant bottoms trying to keep up. I stop by the nest. Banging on the door quickly before following Soren.
“It’s okay,” I say but he doesn't hear me. His wide shoulders are covered in a black t-shirt, and if I wasn’t trying to stop him from beating up someone I'd stop and approach how hot my beta is.
Cyclops makes the dumb decision to approach Soren. They meet in the middle of the bar, on the dance floor, red lights shining down on them. Chest to chest, the two angry men face off and I stop right out of range.
I’m too exhausted to risk getting hit. I’m not ready to experience a bar brawl up close and personal.
“Soren!”
“Oh, your little omega snitched on me? To a beta no less? How fucking pathetic. What the hell are you going to do?”
“Apologize.”
“About what? About being right?”
“Now, Prospect.”
“Don’t Prospect me, you have no power.”
“Oh really?” That's about all the warning Cyclops gets before Soren swings. His fist makes a nasty sound as it connects with the prospect’s face.
I involuntarily take a step back, falling right into Neven’s arms. His caramel scent and wide hands gripping my arms being the only indication it’s my lead alpha behind me.
Reed and Asher stand beside me, making no moves to stop Soren at all. I stare at them with wide eyes. Reed’s watching the fight, his eyes trained on the two men going blow for blow. Asher gravitates toward me, taking up space on my other side and grabbing my hand.
“Why aren't you stopping him?”
“This is MC business. It’s Red’s call.”
“But it’s my fault,” I whisper and I’m surprised anyone hears me.
Neven leans down, his lips near my ear as he says, “It’s not your fault. Soren swung because he wanted to. You didn’t pick up his fist and make him.”
“But I told him what was wrong—”
“And he still made that choice. He’s a big boy, Omega."
I try to let the blame roll off of me, but watching my Packmate getting hurt, into a fight, doesn’t make my worry go away.
Cyclops lands a hard blow on Soren’s jaw and I gasp. Holding my hands to my lips to try to dampen the sound. Reed stands with his arms across his chest and I want to order him to make them stop, but I know I can’t.
Soren delivers two hits back, knocking Cyclops down, but Cyclops hooks his foot around Soren’s leg, tripping him too.
Soren doesn’t miss a beat and straddles him, landing punch after punch. A sick crack has me covering my ears and turning in Neven’s arms so I’m facing his chest.
“And don’t you ever look at my omega again, let alone say some stupid shit to make her upset.”
As Soren turns to walk toward us, Neven lets me go. I run into Soren’s arms, who lifts me up and keeps striding as he walks past our Pack. His scent sharpens as his eyes train on someone standing in the shadows.
He doesn’t tense up, or seem nervous at all, but stops. Maybe out of respect? Which makes me nervous for him.
“Soren?” I ask but he just stares down at me.
“It’s okay, Trouble,” he says, kissing my forehead as my legs wrap around his waist.
Reed has approached a pissed and woozy-looking Cyclops, helping him stand on shaky legs.
“We respect omegas around here. And when you don’t”—Reed shrugs, dusting off his hands—“this is what happens.”
The figure from the shadows steps forward. “Class, now.”
He doesn’t sound mad, but he doesn’t seem happy either. The authority he gives off makes me shiver, which makes Soren chuckle in my ear.
The man is something stupid tall. Like six-foot-six. Full of muscle. An older white man with blond hair and sharp green eyes.
I hear grumbling before I see Neven, Asher, and Reed follow after the man. Cyclops too, and soon Soren and I.
When the man said class, he really meant class.
At the front of the room, the man leans in front of a desk with a whiteboard behind it.
In the rest of the room sit rows of desks with two chairs at each table.
No one sits. Everyone leans against different parts of the room.
Soren, being last to arrive, leans against the table closest to the door.
Even when I try to get down from his arms, he locks them, keeping me tight against him.
I try not to be embarrassed, being so affectionate in front of men I don't know.
But if this is what Soren needs, then so be it. He just defended my honor, he can have whatever he wants. Holding his head to my shoulder, I play with his hair a bit as I stare at the back of the classroom.
“What’s going on?” No one makes a move to answer the man at the front of the room. I feel the want to, but I slam my lips shut. I’m not even facing the man, let alone the one he’s even talking to.
Apparently tired of waiting, the man sighs. “Red.”
Reed stands right next to us, so I can actually see him. He shrugs, eyes meeting mine for a quick second before he looks away. “Rules are rules.”
“Where does beat the shit out of each other fit in with our rules?”
“Under Respect Each Other, Packs and All.”
“And how did your unbonded Pack fall under that?”