by V T Bonds
My senses tell me she hasn’t been infected or modified by man.
This is a coping mechanism—her fight-or-flight response. It could be her brain’s reaction to stress.
She survived a catastrophic accident.
My soul pings in afflicted affirmation.
This is Shya. She’s surviving in the only way her mind can handle. It simplifies when too overwhelmed.
After a few moments, she sighs.
“I’m sorry.”
Her voice shakes a little, but sincerity flows from her.
“No, don’t apologize. Something is bothering you. What’s wrong?”
I urge her to look up at me with gentle tugs on her hair, checking her eye color. Still electric pink.
“I don’t want to lose you,” her quiet voice squeaks.
I feel my eyebrows lower in confusion, searching her face for a bigger clue. Her mouth scrunches as though she’s fighting tears, but no tears form. The stern expression on her features exudes stubbornness.
“I’m going to shower with you. I’m not going anywhere.”
“But… a shower will take you away,” she says, exasperation clear in her voice. She tilts her head into my hand, a few strands of dirty hair catching in my fingers.
Realization dawns.
“You don’t want to wash my scent away.”
She nods, relief mingling with her resolute countenance.
I push her so her ear rests over my heart, kissing the top of her head and breathing a sigh of relief. After a few deep breaths, I frame her face with my palms and make eye contact.
“We’ll only wash your hair. No soap on your body. Same with me. We’re going to meet some people, so we have to get clean. Okay?”
She takes a moment to think before sticking her lower lip out in a pout.
“I like to smell like you,” she says.
I study her face, fighting the urge to take her pouty lip between my teeth.
“Don’t worry, Little One. I’ll make you smell like me the first chance I get.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
“Okay.”
Another unhappy sigh, but she doesn’t argue when I lead her into the shower.
She lets me lather her hair, keeping her eyes closed and purring as I massage her scalp. Once she’s rinsed, she steps around me to avoid the falling water, but wraps her arms around my waist.
“Dirk?”
“Yes, Little One?”
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
My every sense snaps to attention, hating the sorrow in her voice.
“Shya, come here.” I grab her wrist and spin us both around halfway until the water hits our sides.
“You’ve been through terrible things. You’re allowed to have difficulties. Don’t apologize to me for needing help.”
I lift her chin and stare into shimmery grey eyes.
“Express yourself however you can. I’m here. I’ll always be here. We’ll do whatever it takes to get through life, together.”
Her lower lip quivers, so I lean down and press my lips to her forehead.
“I love you sweet.”
A kiss to her right temple.
“I love you sassy.”
A peck to her left temple.
“I love you stubborn.”
A brush of her nose.
“I love you stormy.”
A kiss to her right cheek.
“I love you sexy.”
A sweep along her left cheek.
“I love you sensual.”
And finally, I center on her lips, hovering just out of her reach.
“I love you, Shya. No matter what. You’re my Omega. My lifemate. Mine.”
I erase the distance between our lips, sweeping my tongue between her teeth in a gentle kiss. One not meant to arouse, but to comfort and claim. Before long, Shya’s sweet tongue tangles with mine, her little hiccups telling me she’s crying.
Happy tears.
I’ll take these kind of tears any day.
I bask in the love winding through us, our tongues a beautiful representation of our souls.
Not wanting to descend into lust, I pull away, smiling down at her groan of disappointment.
“Thank you, Dirk. I love you too,” she says in a breathy voice.
“I know, Little One. Now let me wash my hair before our time is up.”
Her light slate eyes search my face.
She gnaws on her bottom lip before asking, “Can I do it?”
“I’d like that very much.”
I can feel her rapid heartbeat against my stomach, and send praise through our bond. It took courage for her to ask.
“Oh, wait.” Her eyebrows shoot upward on a thought.
“I’m too short to reach.”
A cute little embarrassed blush forms in her cheeks, and I let loose my pleasure at our size difference. My purr bounces around the enclosure as desire races along our link. Without a word, I lower to my knees, making us almost the same height.
Only for her would I put myself in such a submissive position.
She leans over, fills her palm with soap, and starts petting me.
I could die a happy male. Each stroke of her fingers emits pure love and devotion, a soft femininity only an Omega can produce. Mingling with it is a fierceness rivaling my own.
Pride and awe sweep through me, and I etch this memory into the walls of my psyche, front and center so it cannot be stashed away.
She guides my head into the spray, rinsing my hair with soft kneading.
“Now get out of the water. Too much has been rinsed off already,” she demands, trying to push me away from the cascade.
I lay a quick, chaste kiss on her lips before standing and mashing the button for the dry cycle.
It seems as though I have my hands full with a demanding Omega.
My heart swells, knowing she trusts me enough to give me attitude. I have no idea how I got so lucky, but she’s mine.
Only, I will have to share her, at least a little.
Reality intrudes, and I realize I haven’t prepared her for leaving our den. We haven’t spoken about meeting my teammates or their lifemates.
My heart tightens a little as I realize I haven’t asked her about Britani yet.
What kind of Alpha doesn’t discuss that type of thing with their lifemate?
I need to speak with her, but I must tread carefully. The shower is too vulnerable a place to talk about such big changes.
As soon as we’re dry and dressed, I’ll put her in my lap and make sure she understands. It may be scary, but I’ll be there, right by her side, every step of the way.
Chapter Seventeen
Shya
Unease makes my heart hammer against my breastbone.
He’s extremely careful with me, treating me as though I’m made of glass.
I feel as delicate as he's making me out to be, at least in this instance. My emotional endurance already seems stretched thin, liable to shatter at any moment.
I gather his presence in my soul and dive in just like I would our nest, using his larger-than-life iron will for strength and courage.
“I’ll introduce you to each of my teammates, help you sort out their names. You’ll be either in my arms or holding my hand the entire time, unless you want something else, but I can’t let you out of my sight. Ok?”
I nod, letting his assurance wash through me. He brings another bite to my lips and I open my mouth, not paying much attention to what I’m eating.
I’m nervous about meeting the important people in his life.
He pulls me closer to his chest, causing my shirt to fall off my shoulder. I tug it back up, using the annoyance to bolster my courage. He strengthens his purr and I melt a little.
“You’ll also get to meet their lifemates.”
I clamp my teeth and snarl. I can’t help it. I want to be the only female in his life, no matter how irrational that may be.
&
nbsp; His stillness makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Even the bond lies still between us.
The warmth of his palms mold to the edges of my face, tilting my head up. He kisses my forehead, temples, nose, and cheeks before brushing his lips back and forth along mine, reminding me of all the ways he loves me without saying a single word.
The glee soaring through our link tells me he’s happy I’ve staked my claim. His arousal pulses against my hip and in our bond, showcasing how much he enjoys my possessive side. The soothing purr resonating from his chest points out his ability to handle my jealousy.
After he calms me with all these reassurances, I let my growl dip to a purr and my anger drop away.
“Listen, Shya. Nova is the first Omega we found. She belongs to Seeck, or he belongs to her, whichever way you want to look at it. She poses no threat to you. Trust her, please, Little One. She… she sensed you’d met Kwame’s mate before, the other female you glimpsed in my memories.”
Confusion fills me. The last Omega I saw was Georgia, but she doesn’t meet the description in his mind. I never want to see her again.
I’ve never met a green eyed, silver-haired Omega before.
“I don’t think I know her.”
“Her name is Britani.”
I freeze in shock.
I dive into his impression of her.
Wild. Fierce.
Smart.
Bigger than a typical Omega.
I catch a glimmer of her resilience, then delve deeper into what he saw of her. She has scars. Not external scars, but the kind that run deep in the heart.
Could it be? Could it be the same Britani I befriended the day of the accident? Could it be the kind-hearted woman who gave me water, despite the social barriers?
I need to see her. I won’t know if it is her until I meet her face to face.
“I’m ready. Let’s go, I need to see if it’s her,” I demand, urgency throbbing through me.
Dirk settles me on my own feet, holding me while I get used to balancing in shoes.
It feels so foreign to have shod feet. I haven’t worn any since the reactor malfunction, and everything before then seems as though it happened to a different person.
He stands, slides his hand in mine, and leads me to the door.
Nervousness returns as he unlatches, twists, and decodes the locks.
I look him up and down, trying to get used to his attire. He’s so powerful naked, it’s a shock to see him clothed and carrying weapons.
Most of the weapons aren’t visible, but he made sure I knew where each one was stashed away. I refused to accept a knife from him, my stomach knotting so hard I thought I was going to throw up.
He’d agreed to not make me carry one if I promised to memorize where his hidden ones were. He’d also demanded I grab and use one if something terrible happened. I’d said okay, but I’m not sure I could bring myself to stab someone.
His black shirt molds to his torso, making me wish I could tear it apart with my teeth and lick every inch of him. His pants and boots are black too, but much less tight than his shirt.
As sleek and sexy as he looks in them, they offend me. I want him naked and focused on me.
He pops open the last latch and turns to me.
“Quit that before I make you shower again, Little One,” he teases, but I sense the raw Alpha seething just under the surface. I gulp, feeling like a cornered rat. He pulls me close to kiss my head before turning back to the door. With the distraction gone, my nerves come zinging back.
His colossal hand twists the knob and opens the door. With sure steps, he leads me from the safety of our den. I crowd him, thankful when he shortens his stride to match mine.
These shoes feel very weird.
It also doesn’t help that they are too big. The clothes he had for me are also too big. He had to cut some rope for me to use as a belt, since my pants wouldn’t stay up. His belts wrapped around me three times and created such a silly amount of bulk, we just couldn’t make it work.
The shirt keeps slipping off my shoulder too, since the neckline is so wide. It hangs from me, almost tight around my breasts. I’m glad it’s loose, though, because my entire body seems sensitized.
It feels so weird to have clothes on.
He stops before we reach a doorway, fixing his attention on me. I squeeze his hand, a mix of trepidation, worry, and eagerness warring within me.
He tucks my hair behind my ear and gives my hand a quick squeeze too, making sure to not crush it. His kiss reassures and calms me.
Voices and movement sound from the doorway, and I suck in a deep breath, grateful his scent lingers all around me. I have no doubt we’re both saturated with our combined pheromones since we’ve been wrapped up in each other, but peace flows through me as I inhale his warrior’s perfume.
I’m not ready for this, but the time has come.
He steps forward and turns into the doorway. I can’t help but keep close to him, tucking myself behind his hip. Nerves make my stomach tight, and I liken him to a shield—I have my own walking protection, a mountainous Alpha unafraid of the world.
A female Alpha sits with a skeletal Omega in her lap, tucked into the corner chair. Bags filled with clear liquid hang off a pole beside them, and my stomach lurches as I see the lines taped to their arms. I look away as fast as I can, clinging to my Dirk in desperation.
Last time I saw one of those, it disappeared into my own skin. The traumatizing experience threatens to swamp me.
I block it with my lifemating bond, using my Alpha’s strength as a buffer. His arm wraps around my shoulders, pulling me against his side. His quiet purr loosens the bundle of nausea in my stomach.
Three Omegas I’ve never met sit, hand in hand, in the next few seats along the wall, wearing mismatched clothing. None of their features bear any resemblance to each other, but an almost visible connection ties their hearts together.
Standing in front of them is a couple—an Alpha with blazing hair and an Omega with light blue eyes. The Alpha holds the Omega around her waist, his head tilted down to hear her speak. Their lifemating bond shines bright between them, and despite my want to hate the female who has more history with Dirk than I do, I find I can’t.
In fact, I want the opposite. Despite being scarred, her soul emits strength and courage, creating an orbit around her that urges me to move closer.
When she stops talking and looks my way, unexpected tears fill my eyes. An emotion too big to dissect creeps into my heart, rearranging things and highlighting a link I wasn’t aware existed.
We’re connected, her and I. Not in the way of lifemates, but a special bond nonetheless.
Our paths were meant to meet.
We’re sisters, our lifemates connected by their own form of brotherhood.
Before I can recover from the shock, movement in my periphery catches my eye.
Shiny silver-white hair draws my attention, pale skin and striking green eyes barreling into my awareness. My lungs refuse to exhale, hope and disbelief crushing my insides.
This is not the same woman I remember, but it is her all the same. A wildness reflects in her eyes, untamed and unpredictable. The tempestuous part of her simmers just below the surface, and although she scares me, I can relate to her fierceness. She holds the same powerful instincts as I.
She is Omega.
Her eye color is different, but their shape sits in a familiar face. The beautiful cheekbones, upturned nose, and full lips match the Beta I reached for right before our lives were ruined.
She is Britani.
The sensation of familiarity with her before the accident makes sense. Between our hearts coils a strong bond, so much stronger than the vague feeling of friendship we had that fateful day.
She is my sister.
The weight constricting my chest pulls me toward her. My feet move of their own will, my vision flickering between the present and the past.
The transporter door closing, encapsulatin
g us in with our dread.
Silence falling over the room, an air of momentous importance stealing everyone’s voices.
My past hand gripping the control pad, the only thing keeping me upright.
My Alpha, holding my wrist in a sure grasp.
Glass under my feet, shaking as the transporter increases its speed.
Another step, moving closer to the female I failed to touch before.
Extending my arm forward, needing to reach her before premonition bears fruit.
Blinding light and roaring heat, smashing into my cells, damaging me on a molecular level.
Long, warm feminine fingers weaving within mine.
Electricity zaps between our flesh, abolishing doubt and loneliness.
We made it this time. We’re together at last, sisters now instead of acquaintances.
She pulls me closer with formidable strength, and I tuck into her, knocking into her solid frame. Our mates refuse to release our other hands, so we wrap our free arms around each other, helpless against the rise of gratitude.
The weight disappears off my chest, and I fill my lungs only to cry at her altered scent.
She was beautiful before the transporter malfunctioned.
Now she’s whole.
So am I.
We hug and purr, our arms locked tightly around each other. Without words we communicate. Commiserate. Comfort.
The hulking masses at our sides make themselves known, gentle messages through our bonds and pleased purrs rumbling within our own.
Our emotions overflow into them and theirs into ours. Their awe fills me with an odd sense of satisfaction, yet such intense male attention brings a little ripple of self-awareness.
I raise my head and meet Britani’s vibrant green eyes, unsure of when we both began crying, but unable to refute the tears streaming down our faces.
I have to clear away the lump in my throat before I can speak.
“I thought you died. There was a moment I felt your loss so keenly I worried I’d never appreciate life again.”
Her grip around my shoulders tightens for a moment, the untamed creature looming large in her pupils.
“I did, Shya. I was dead. I saw my parents in the afterlife. It was perfect.” The emotions whirling through her attest to the truth of what she says. A growl rumbles at the edges of her words, yet the soft expression on her face tells of the peace she’d found.
