Chapter 17 Mona
I stretch my body long, practically squealing with relief—waking up in a soft bed is a luxury I will never again take for granted.
I look around the room, breathing it all in.
Orion's scent still lingers on my clothes from our earlier hug, and behind it, less strong, is Grayson's.
It's permeated the walls, like he's lived here his entire life.
I haven't seen him yet, but I can hear muffled movement downstairs through the surprisingly thick walls—built, no doubt, for shifters.
Orion never mentioned this was where he and Grayson lived, but I figured it out pretty quickly. I don't know how I feel about that yet.
I try to listen closely, but I can't make out anything they're saying. I have to face them, eventually. Him.
Not him. His twin.
The cabin is deceptively large. When we pulled in, it looked like a charming fairy tale cottage nestled amongst the overgrown wildflowers and canopied trees. But inside, it sprawled.
A long, winding first floor opened to a living room with four massive couches and walls covered in artwork and old photographs.
We passed a small office and what looked like a reading room, and a lounge with two leather chairs beside an ongoing game of chess.
In the kitchen, Orion opened a wicker basket full of sausage, biscuits and gravy.
I couldn't concentrate on anything else after that, and he blessedly gave me some privacy while I devoured every single crumb. It took an embarrassingly short amount of time, and he returned only a few minutes later.
We continued the tour up to a third-floor balcony overlooking the mountain bluffs. Back down to the second floor, we passed six bedrooms before he finally led me to a bedroom at the farthest end of the cabin.
Too tired to appreciate it, I yawned at the sight of the bed.
Orion looked like he had a million things to say.
I did too, and the sun was still bright, but I couldn't hide my exhaustion.
He crossed the small room, closed the curtains without a word.
As the room darkened, my omega curled up inside me, content, and after an awkward goodbye, I fell asleep almost instantly.
I didn't sleep long, though. I'm hungry again. Or, still. I should get up and find food.
Orion never used the word mate, but I could feel it between us. If Beep hadn't kept shouting it, my omega basking in it, I might have dismissed his attention as intense attraction one might feel toward a complete stranger.
The kind you feel when you catch someone's eyes, and something just seems to click. Physical attraction is there, yes, but it's more than that. Chemistry.
Orion and I had it in spades.
Add in all this shifter-business, and I was playing a game where I didn't understand the rules.
I should be terrified. Not stuck with this feeling of rightness I didn't know what to do with. Even Beep, who has protected me through everything, who I trust to keep me safe, and has better senses than I ever could, accepts this entire situation without hesitation.
We are home, Mona. We are safe.
"What does that mean?" I ask Beep.
And, as usual, she doesn't explain.
So, I swing my legs over the side of the bed and look around.
The bedroom is fairly large. Opposite the bed, nestled beneath a window streaked with pollen and water stains, sits a faded blue couch.
Across from that, an overstuffed armchair big enough to swallow me whole.
All the upholstery looks worn and threadbare, with frayed seams that someone has carefully mended. This whole place feels well-loved.
I wander over to the little seating nook by the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, finding them packed with everything from early-century, first-edition tomes to late-90s sci-fi paperbacks. A fine layer of dust coats everything.
It's cozy as hell, and I couldn't dream up a better place to be right now.
I glance out the window and find I'm on the same side of the cabin as the third-floor balcony.
We're not on the edge of the cliff, but I can see the vast, sprawling mountain just outside the window.
It's breathtaking. I watch birds swoop down from the sky.
Notice a lake that, even from this distance, looks massive and deep.
I pull away and wander to a narrow hallway, finding a bathroom. It's small, just big enough for a little clawfoot tub and shower sprayer. I use the bathroom and splash cold water on my face, and just… breathe.
After months of sleeping outside, icy streams and truck stop bathrooms, this all just feels so safe.
How can I feel at home in a place I've never been, surrounded by strangers?
I told you, Mona. You are home. You are safe.
Beep says it more softly this time. I don't bother asking again why I feel this way. I look into the mirror. I can almost see her move behind my blue eyes. They glitter, like she's right there at the surface, watching with me.
I smile at her. I think she smiles back.
Whatever it all means, whatever Orion's explanation about omegas and what happened with his enforcers, if I really am safe right now, whatever the reason…
Well, fuck.
I'll take it.
That's good, you're ready. Now, go find your mates.
"Of-fucking-course you'd say that. You can't give me five minutes to enjoy this?" I pin her—me, really—with a glare in the mirror before exiting the bathroom.
The narrow hallway continues a little further with a closed door at the end. Curious, I wander down and swing open the door. I should have learned my lesson by now about entering places I wasn't invited, but this room is just calling to me.
But when I step inside, I stop short.
There's a massive bed—the largest I have ever seen—lit only by the light in the hallway behind me. I feel around for the light switch and flick it on. The bulbs glow amber, low and warm, bathing the room in honey.
My omega perks up.
There are mounds of pillows, too many to count, in varying shades, sizes, and textures.
The mattress itself is empty, no sheets or comforter—the room seems largely untouched, stripped of scents.
It feels wrong somehow, bare like this. I have a strange urge to gather armfuls of blankets and build a fort on this monstrosity.
Just cuddle and snuggle in, surround myself in warm, soft darkness.
I want more cozy blankets. More pillows. Fuzzy. Fluffy.
Piles of soft to tuck underneath me while I writhe around.
Something itches beneath my skin, spreading through me. Heat builds between my legs. My omega pulses, urging me into the room.
When I realize I'm practically rubbing my thighs together, seeking friction against the sudden ache, I yelp and jump back. Fumbling for the light switch, the room plunges into darkness. I slam the door shut and flee down the hall.
I don't know what it is about that room, but I'm suddenly, irrationally horny.
God, being a wolf is so weird.
When I get back into the bedroom, I pull myself together. Then I debate for all of two seconds before fortifying my resolve and leave my new little sanctuary.
The sounds I heard earlier are louder now, and though I don't remember the way exactly, I follow the voices down the stairs and into the kitchen.
I brace myself, knowing I'm going to see him again.
Not him.
His twin.
I resist the urge to squeeze my eyes shut.
Breathe him in, Mona. Scent him.
Beep's right.
I'm always right.
I swallow my annoyance and do as she says. I follow his scent before I let myself look.
Mate, my omega whispers.
From the first moment the word bellowed inside of me, even as I laid there in the hospital, beaten and bloody, something ancient and knowing unfurled between my ribs, painting my insides with this sense of belonging.
The voices stop.
Orion and Grayson. Chocolate hazelnut. Warm cinnamon bun baked over a crackling fire. Their scents make me weak in the knees. It washes over me. The desire I felt upstairs grows stronger now.
I crack one eye open. Then the other.
My throat feels dry. This is just like the night I met Silas. His forest green eyes, his calming scent.
A lie.
Not a lie, remember? Go north, my brother will take care of you, that's what he said.
Why did he—
He sent you to your mates, Beep interrupts. To protect you.
He killed my father, I snarl back. He tried to kill me.
She doesn't reply at first. And then, No, he didn't.
Her words stun me, so I'm grateful for the distraction as Orion steps closer first. "How did you sleep?"
"Umm… good. Thank you. For the food, and the bed, and… everything."
"I told you, you're welcome here. I hope you'll give us a chance. I know the last few days have been hard."
Grayson still hasn't said anything, but he holds his fists tight by his sides and growls, the sound low, but I feel it in my belly. Orion shoots him a glare, but then turns back to me, all gentle kindness.
I focus on Orion. "Is there, umm… Would it be too much trouble to ask if there's something to eat?"
Orion's eyes brighten, and he smiles with his whole face.
"I'd be honored to feed my mate." I don't think he meant to say that—the word makes him pause, but he shakes it off and puts a hand on my shoulder, guiding me to the fridge.
"What's ours is yours, always. Please help yourself anytime.
And the cafeteria serves community meals twice a day, dinner on the weekends and holidays.
I'll get into all that later. For now, what are you in the mood for? "
He rummages around in the fridge, offering different meats and soups, and breads. Before I can protest, his arms are full. He's still talking, carrying everything over to the counter.