Chapter 25 Jesse
twenty-five
Jesse
None of us is willing to drive without Veda, so we pile into Major’s truck and leave mine behind to be picked up on another day. It doesn’t really matter; nothing really matters after all we learned.
Veda has a baby.
I couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth, but now it all makes too much sense. St. James gave Major the impression that whoever his grandkid was had done something really bad. Of course, for the prude, an unmarried pregnant woman is the worst that could happen.
We are Veda’s punishment. She grew up as a rich kid in Dallas, and I feel that he was trying to get her away from everything as a message that there are consequences for every action.
I have a few opinions about her grandfather, but I decide not to say them out loud.
I have plenty of time to decide what will happen with Anderson St. James.
We have to concentrate on Mirasol right now.
Without asking, I know what my packmates are thinking. We haven’t exchanged a word since we all left Veda’s bedroom after the nightmare, but there’s no need to put into words the fear that crept into me.
If there's an Omega trafficking ring, it’s hard to believe that Veda’s grandfather is not involved.
Not that St. James deserved it, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt. Veda seemed to believe her grandpa raised her without really knowing what she was, but Mirasol raises some questions. There are too many Omegas around this one Beta, too many girls he likes to mistreat.
It all means that rescuing Mirasol might be harder than we think, and we have to do it quickly.
Once the doors are locked and we head away from the township, Veda visibly relaxes. Major is driving, and she’s in the passenger seat while Derrick and I share the back.
“Nothing against your township, but this was intense,” she says as she rests her head back.
“Are you okay?” I ask, and she gives me a smile from over her shoulder.
“I am now that we are going home.”
Home.
She doesn't notice, but each one of us freezes when she calls the ranch her home. She’s only been there for a couple of weeks, but they were the best weeks of my life.
Veda woke up something in me.
Better than a mating bond and more than scent-matching. Before her, we went through life pushing from one day to the next. Now, surviving is not enough anymore. Veda arrived, and I want to live. I crave life. I relax into my seat, making bold plans to steal this woman for myself.
The mating ceremony means nothing. Let the packs come home and try to steal my woman.
If anything, Arthur is correct to voice his fear.
I have a month to make up her mind, and I’ll take every opportunity.
By the time the mating ceremony is here, there will be no doubts in Veda that she belongs to us.
“I need you now to walk me through everything that happened,” Major interrupts my thoughts.
Damn, he can ruin a mood, can’t he?
Veda shifts on her seat, positioning her body to face his.
“What do you mean?”
“I need every detail that you remember about your pregnancy and the lead-up to your grandfather taking Mirasol,” he says in a hard voice that makes me flinch. “I need to know the hospital where you had the baby. I need to know if you remember the names of the doctors. Everything.”
She nods, taking it all in. Yes, we need more information to start the search, but I thought he was going to give her at least the ride back to relax.
“Maybe you can gather information later—” I start.
“No,” she says firmly. “I shouldn’t have let him take her. I didn’t want to give her away, but he had nine months to fill my head with lies. My brain feels clear for the first time in a long time. I want my daughter back.”
“Mom said a lot is going on with your hormones postpartum,” Derrick adds, softness in tone. “You need rest, food, and care. She gave us a list of everything you need.”
“And we have some textbooks too.” I made sure to pack those. “So you can read up on everything you want to know about being an Omega.”
Veda’s cheeks flash red, and she opens her mouth, bet anything to tell us we are doing too much. Major is quicker than her. “You need to be strong so we can get your daughter back. You need the food and the care, Veda. Your only job for now is to build up your strength.”
His words have an impact, and she swallows her protests at once, “Thank you.”
Veda doesn’t understand what an honor it is to take care of her. We’ve lived our whole lives thinking we'd never get a chance, but again, I’m met with the feeling that this isn't just because she’s an Omega. I want to see her smile because she’s Veda.
“I have hospital details I can share with you. I have everything in my phone and computer. Something I always thought was odd is that Grandpa didn’t let me go to a fancy hospital.
He’s known to like expensive things, but I gave birth in a small hospital outside Dallas.
The doctor gave Mirasol straight to Grandpa. Right away, I never even held her.”
She says it with such bravery, but I know the memory alone sinks deep like a knife twisting inside a fresh wound. I reach over and squeeze her shoulder. “I’m sorry, sweetheart.”
“It’s okay,” she says even as she wipes her eyes with the back of her hands. “It feels different now that you all know. I don’t feel so hopeless anymore.”
“We’ll do everything to bring her home,” I say, bold enough to call the ranch her home once again.
She doesn’t correct me on that.
Instead, her smile is big, and she looks happier than I’ve ever seen her. It occurs to me how small the pieces of Veda we’ve got until now are. She came to live with us while still recovering from the emotional stress her own family put her through.
Nothing will be the same once she’s back on her feet. If I think she’s a ray of sunshine now, I know she’ll be the whole sun when she’s properly cared for. The prospect excites me. I hate that she went through it at all, but this is an opportunity to help. And I’m taking it.
For the rest of the trip, Veda tells us everything about the pregnancy. She mentions Mirasol’s sperm donor a few times, but she doesn’t dwell much on him.
“Were you in love?” I can’t help but ask.
She makes a face, tilting her head to the side as she really thinks this over.
“I thought I was, but I think I was just lonely. I don’t think about Joe at all. I don’t miss him, and I never cried for him.”
“I’m glad you didn’t cry for him, darlin’,” Derrick drawls. “He sounds like a whimpy little shit that doesn’t deserve your pretty tears.”
“Why, thank you. I didn’t know my tears were pretty.” Veda giggles.
“Everything about you is pretty.” Derrick shrugs, and she turns as red as a tomato.
Major clears his throat, obviously uncomfortable with all the flirting. He should get used to this, because it’s sure gonna happen a hell of a lot more.
“You said your name isn’t St. James, but Darling,” he asks. “Is that your mother’s last name?”
She shakes her head. “No. It’s my grammie’s maiden name. Carrying the St. James last name has always been a lot, and Grammie was the only one who ever cared for me, so”—she lifts a shoulder—“I was being a rebel.”
That makes Major chuckle. “You’re a brat.”
She gasps, but I see there’s a smile in her eyes. Major sees it too when he glances her way. “Can’t deny it. It’s who you are.”
“I like to think I’m a good girl,” she says, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “I only know my mom’s first name. It’s Manuela, though I’m not sure if I’m even pronouncing it right. Grammie told me accidentally once, and Grandpa got really angry with her.”
“See, I feel that St. James knows a lot. He’s involved in all shit,” Derrick says.
“What do you mean by all shit?”
Major sends his brother a hard stare over his shoulder, but Derrick doesn’t seem to mind. We shouldn’t keep secrets from her; this is her life, and she trusted us with the truth. She deserves the same.
“We’ve learned about some bad people who started trafficking Omegas a long time ago, when they first disappeared. It’s been happening under our noses,” I said with a tip of my chin, letting my packmate know I’m not going to lie to her anymore.
Veda’s face transforms in front of me as she takes a sharp inhale.
Fear scent sours the car, straightening our spines.
Major grips the wheel, Derrick balls his hands into fists, and I sit here with a horrible sense of impotence.
I don’t ever want to smell her fear again.
Understanding comes to Veda’s features, followed by horror.
She’s a mother, so her mind goes there without any word from us.
“It might be unrelated,” Major says. I know he’s cursing me, but I don’t care.
“But it might be very much related.” Veda shakes her head. “Do you think Grandpa is involved in something like this?”
“Too many Omegas disappearing under his care,” Derrick adds. “It doesn’t look good.”
“Too many Omegas?” She twists her nose. “Do you mean my mother too?”
“We know nothing yet,” Major reminds all of us. “But in order to find Mirasol, we need to be open to every possibility. Prepared to investigate everything.”
“Right. Okay,” Veda nods, her eyes focusing on something beyond any of us. “I want my daughter back. I really do. I’m ready.”
This woman is so strong. I can’t imagine the pains she had to endure all this time in silence.
I think back on our days feeding the chickens and laughing, and I wonder how hard it was for her to just do that.
To wake up in the morning and fight. My admiration for this woman only grows until it doesn’t fit in my chest anymore.
It becomes more than me, spilling through the seams of my soul, and when I least expect it, it turns into music.
Longing notes on a guitar as if all I feel for her takes the form of a melody.
I don’t consider myself a musician, even if she called me that before.
I’m a guy who enjoys playing guitar, but most of what I play isn't original. From time to time, inspiration comes rushing, and I’m always happy to open the door and let it happen.
My fingers strum over my denim-clad leg, and I don’t hide the silly smile coming to my lips. A woman so good that she can inspire music inside a fool’s heart. That’s my Veda.