6. Simon #2
She lives out here on the edge of the city, fighting an intense war inside her own body just to survive another day.
This neighborhood paints a picture of extreme struggle.
The contrast makes me sick to my stomach.
Packing up everything she owns and moving her into our space tonight sounds perfect, but a massive mountain of trust stands in our way.
The navigation app chimes, its mechanical voice announcing our destination on the left.
Wally hits the brakes, sliding the SUV to a stop next to the curb.
A small house with faded yellow siding fills the window. A driveway of cracked concrete leads toward an attached garage. The front yard is neat, showing off budding spring flower beds.
Kristy stands right in the middle of the driveway.
Wearing a light jacket over medical scrubs, her arms wrap tight around her middle. Exhaustion and terror line her face. Tears track down her cheeks, glistening under the pale afternoon sun. She bounces on the balls of her feet in an erratic, anxious motion.
Wally slams the SUV into park and kills the engine. Throwing the doors open, the three of us scramble out into the cool spring air.
My sneakers hit the pavement. The cool breeze bites through my thin t-shirt, but the adrenaline masks the chill.
Kristy meets us halfway up the driveway. Fear for her friend radiates from her, yet she holds her ground against the aggressive Alpha energy rolling off the three of us. Relief floods her expression at our arrival.
"Follow me." Kristy turns and speed-walks toward the wooden gate at the side of the house. "She locked herself in the shed in the backyard. The spare key unlocked the deadbolt, but she refuses to answer me."
Wally stays right on her heels. Kel and I flank him, our shoes thudding against the concrete.
"We appreciate you calling us, Kristy." Wally keeps his voice calm and steady, projecting a safe Alpha presence for the stressed Beta.
Kristy pushes the wooden gate open, letting the old hinges squeal in protest. "Calling you was my last resort. Watching her suffer like this is agonizing."
Kristy talks over her shoulder as she leads us past the side of the house. "Her Heat hit early and way off schedule. She panicked and locked herself out here empty-handed. She has zero supplies."
Kel lets out a low curse and picks up his pace.
His shoes thud against the tall grass. I run right behind him.
An Omega going through a spontaneous Heat without a nest or basic supplies is a nightmare.
She suffers out here in a cold shed with zero comfort.
My stomach twists into a tight knot. Hiding in a backyard shed instead of staying in her house or calling a doctor makes no sense.
I shove the questions down and focus on the path ahead. The details can wait. Getting through that door is the only thing that matters right now.
We follow Kristy into the backyard. Afternoon shadows stretch across the yard, making the space feel isolated.
A massive oak tree dominates the space, its budding branches reaching up toward the sky.
Behind the thick trunk sits a large wooden shed, looking like an old carpenter's workshop.
Boarded-up windows block out all the light.
Kristy stops a few feet from the door. Wrapping her arms around herself again, she turns to face us.
"Wait." She holds her hand up. "You need to know how bad this is. Bringing her water and protein bars earlier revealed her hallucinations. She begged a ghost to claim her. Expect her to treat you like strangers."
Wally offers a tight nod.
"She needs help." Kristy swallows hard. "Living this long is a miracle. It has to be because of..." Trailing off, she shakes her head to bury whatever she almost said.
"Look, she has an IUD." Kristy squares her shoulders. "But I will go get condoms right now if you carry anything."
"We are clean." Kel meets her stare with absolute certainty. "Team doctors test us every month."
Kristy nods toward the wooden structure. "You better be. Give her an STI, and they’ll be talking about your disappearances on True Crime podcasts for decades to come."
Wally runs his hand over his hair. “We respect Omegas too much for that.” He steps past her to take the lead. Kel and I follow right behind him.
We step up to the door.
The scent hits like a wall. It coats the back of my throat, thick and overwhelming. Lavender and honeysuckle sour into a corrupted mix of burnt sugar and pain. It smells like an Omega pushed past the absolute limit. The potent aroma makes my eyes water.
My stomach twists. A low, vibrating growl starts deep in my chest, matching the sound rumbling from Kel. The scent of a distressed mate triggers an involuntary reaction. My body wants to tear the shed walls down to get to her. Alpha instincts roar to life.
The urge to protect, to soothe, and to claim crashes over me in a violent wave. The sheer agony woven into her pheromones feels like a punch to the gut. The phantom pain of her bond rejection echoes in my chest, a terrifying preview of our future if she sends us away.
Wally holds up a hand, stopping me and Kel from rushing the door. He turns his head to lock us in his dark, controlling gaze. He orders us to rein in the aggression with a single look. Walking into that shed acting like feral Alphas will only terrify her more.
Taking a slow breath dials back my urge to break things. I focus all my energy on a calm, safe presence. Kel mimics the motion, locking his jaw tight as he wrestles his instincts under control.
A low, broken whine bleeds through the wooden walls.
The sound cracks my heart in half. She sounds so lost and broken inside that dark room.
Stepping forward breaks all the rules of claiming.
Tossing out the polite boundaries discussed in the car is necessary.
Getting to the other side of that wooden door is the only thing that matters.
Wrapping my arms around her and pouring every ounce of my Alpha scent into her lungs until she remembers how to breathe is my only goal.
Proving we offer safety over a threat will show her she isn't alone anymore.
Wally reaches for the brass handle and turns it, pushing the door open. The scent rushes out even stronger than before. Praying for control is my last defense. She needs help right now, not an Alpha slipping into a rut.