2. One
One
Cozette
When Victor died, it felt like I was being ripped apart on the inside, but it also felt freeing. I may have been in excruciating pain as that terrible half-bond he forced on me died and withered to ash, but I had never felt freer than in that moment. As the chains that had bound me to him for over a year broke and theoretically clashed on the surrounding floor, my soul slowly felt lighter.
I let my alpha die, and I didn’t care one bit.
It didn’t matter to me.
Because he wasn’t my alpha.
Victor meant nothing to me.
He was my nightmare come to life. A true monster, something nobody warned me could exist.
But now I’m free.
All thanks to one crazy omega that refused to back down.
If it wasn’t for Ripley, I don’t want to think about where I’d be right now. My back still aches from the lashing Victor gave me before Ripley intervened, and it’s been a couple of months since that horrific day.
It turns out being malnourished and beaten for over a year really does some damage, inside and outside. I’ve had a lot of recuperating to do, with no real hurry to get out of here because once I leave, that’s it. I’m out in the world on my own for the first time in my life.
I don’t know how to be on my own.
Not really.
“Knock, knock,” a voice calls at my hospital room door, pulling my attention away from my grim thoughts.
When I raise my eyes, I see Micah—the therapist they assigned to me while I’ve been here—peeking in with a dimpled grin on his handsome face ,and my cheeks flush. He’s so classically handsome with his dirty blonde hair, honey brown eyes, and chiseled good looks. Every time he comes around, my heart flutters in my chest, and yet his scent somehow calms and soothes my battered soul. He smells like safety.
Baby powder isn’t a scent that most would find alluring, but I don’t know… I like it.
Now .
It makes me feel warm and happy when I get a hit of it.
“I hear you’re busting out of here finally,” he teases.
“So I’ve been told. They’ve gotten sick of me being here, and they’re kicking me out,” I tell him softly with a smile before looking down at my fingers in my lap.
“Nah, you’re our favorite patient. Well, you’re mine, at least. We’ll all be sad to see you go, but happy that you’re finally feeling better. I just wanted to pop in and check on you before you’re gone.”
He walks farther into my room and takes a seat in the chair by my bed, something he couldn’t do in the beginning. I sit up farther and fold my hands together.
Micah wasn’t the first therapist they assigned me when I got here, but the beta woman that came the first few times ended up having to go on maternity leave suddenly, and he was the only other therapist they had available for a few weeks. It wasn’t easy in the beginning, and his scent reminded me of Victor’s the first time I’d gotten a hit of it, nearly sending me into a panic. Not that they were similar, just that Victor’s was so misleading, so what if Micah’s was too?
I remember I’d held my breath until my chest was screaming, cowering away from him at the head of my hospital bed like a wild, caged animal ready to attack. It only took a few minutes for me to deduce Micah was nothing like Victor after he left and came back covered head to toe in a hazmat suit—completely masking his scent from me—and sitting as far away as he could while still being able to speak softly to me.
I didn’t talk to him, barely even glanced in his direction, but I listened. After his first visit, Ripley stayed with me for our sessions until I felt more comfortable around him.
Micah’s great at his job though, and something about his personality says he’s one of the gentlest souls, which is surprising to me with his alpha designation. He’s been wonderful at helping me work through some of my fears, reminding me that Victor doesn’t hold any power over me anymore, and helping me learn how to move forward after everything.
Now, after all these months spent talking with him while I’ve recovered, I can’t help but feel eased whenever he stops by. I suppose it helps that he’s quite possibly the sweetest man I’ve ever met.
“I’m fine. Ripley will be here soon with her pack to pick me up.”
“And how does that make you feel? Are you okay with being around Ripley’s alphas now?”
I think about that for a minute.
Initially, being around them was really difficult, but I’ve had the opportunity to get to know Ripley’s pack over the course of my time in the hospital. True to her word, the crazy omega hasn’t left my side for a second. And if she’s here, then one or more of her mates is with her.
In the beginning, it was always River or Kian that would come with her, until I felt capable of meeting the others. Her entire pack, as well as her parents, have been incredibly kind to me, and because I trust her wholeheartedly, that trust is being extended to those connected to her as well. I’m making a conscious effort to re-establish my trust in people until I’m given a valid reason to doubt them.
“I… It doesn’t bother me. Her pack is nice, and I trust her. So, if they have her confidence, they have mine,” I tell him resolutely with a nod.
Micah just grins at me, his dimples popping out.
“Good. That’s good. I’m extremely proud of your progress, Cozy. You’ve made excellent strides since we started our talks together. I think you’re going to be just fine out there.”
My brow furrows.
“Will we not have our sessions anymore?”
He pauses, looking unsure at first before he answers me, his tone cautious.
“No, I figured you’d be on the lookout for a more permanent therapist once you left here. I even put together a list of some great beta psychiatrists as well as one who’s an omega in the area, so you can check them out and see who you think you’d have an easier time talking to.”
“But—” I stop, biting my lip.
He raises his brow, but he doesn’t interrupt me, instead waiting for me to say whatever I want to say.
That’s what I really like about Micah. He gives me patience, grace, and the space to get my thoughts out, something I’m not used to.
Victor barely let me speak, preferring not to hear my voice at all unless I was screaming or crying.
I mentally shake that thought away.
We’re moving forward now.
No more looking back.
Victor doesn’t hold all the cards anymore, and he no longer wields any power over you , a voice whispers in the back of my mind.
I don’t want someone else to talk to. I’ve already had to start over when Micah came around, and I’ve shared so much with him. Even still, we’ve barely scratched the surface. Not to mention, I’m already comfortable with him. If I have to start over with someone new, I could backslide or have an even harder time opening up to them than I did with Micah.
During the first few sessions, I barely spoke to him. In fact, he talked during those sessions, giving me the chance to warm up to him. That’s why I could finally open up and talk to him. He made me feel so comfortable by telling me about himself without me having to say anything. He treated me like… a person.
Not property.
Not an omega.
Just… me.
Cozette McClain.
“Can’t I just keep seeing you? I’m comfortable with you, and you already know most of my history.”
My fingers twist together, anxiety over more change flooding through my system.
I hate change so much now. It stresses me out that I don’t know exactly where I’m going from here, other than to Ripley’s parent’s house.
But for how long? When will they get tired of catering to the strange, broken omega their daughter saved and thrust upon them?
I’ve met Valley, Ripley’s mom, and all three of her dads, and they seem like wonderful people, but surely they never thought a random stranger would move in with them. Much less one that’s got a heap of emotional baggage in tow.
Everything is changing again, and it’s terrifying.
I just need consistency somewhere in my life!
“Is that what you want? To keep coming here to see me? If so, I’ll make arrangements for that,” Micah finally says softly, and I relax.
“Yes, please,” I tell him softly. “If it’s not too much trouble.”
I feel like I might be inconveniencing him, but before I can let that thought get away from me, Micah smiles softly.
“It’s no trouble. I’ll set you up for weekly appointments for now, and you have my card with my direct line so you can get in contact with me no matter what. Don’t be afraid to call me if you need to, Cozy. I know you’ve been through a lot, and things are changing in a big way for you. A good way, but a big way. You’ve got this, though.”
Micah stands up, passing me an appointment reminder card he filled out while talking to me. I take it, my fingers brushing his for just a second, and I don’t miss the little zing that vibrates up my arm before I pull back. I give him a closed-mouth smile and grip the card in my fist as it drops to my lap.
With my assurance that I’ll call if anything happens, Micah leaves me, and I’m left alone until Ripley comes bounding into the room an hour later, her omega not far behind her.
She’s still struggling with nightmares most nights, but she told me that the anxiety she feels from her alphas, beta, and omega is what’s really stressing her out these days. Not that she blames them for it.
“Ready to blow this popsicle stand?” she asks me with a grin as I stand, discharge papers and bag in hand.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I mutter, trying—and failing—to smile back.