“You’re ours, omega. You belong with us.” Hayes leans in and presses a kiss to the juncture of my neck, and I imagine what it will be like when he marks me there.
“I do,” I murmur, blissfully happy. “I really do.”
For the first time in my life, I finally belong somewhere. And it’s better than I ever could have imagined.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
OLIVIA
Something is wrong with Nigel.
It’s not like him to miss work, and in the past week, he’s been missing more than he’s been here. Worry gnaws at my gut. He and his pack are getting older, and Emeline’s behavior at dinner the other week was concerning. I know Nigel doesn’t want to face the early signs that may indicate her going feral, but ignoring them doesn’t mean they’ll go away.
It only means everyone in his pack will suffer in silence.
Which is why I am standing at Nigel’s front door, unannounced, nerves fluttering inside of me.
“Livvy?” Nigel’s eyes are wide and accented by dark circles. He glances behind him before stepping outside and shutting the door. “What are you doing here? Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. But I’m worried about Emeline. And you. You’ve missed several days of work.”
The man who is more of a father figure to me than my own dads sighs heavily and lets his head hang. I’ve never seen him so defeated,and I hate it.
“I’m fine, dear, I promise. But Emeline...” His voice breaks on her name, and I wrap him in a hug.
“What about Emeline?” I whisper, pulling back and prompting him to continue.
“She’s not well. I didn’t want to admit it, but you’re right. She’s slipping through our fingers, and I don’t know what to do. I thought Theo and I would be enough. But after Trevor died, she was so sad. She retreated into herself and didn’t let us comfort her for weeks. Then it seemed like she was coming back to us. Getting better.” Nigel closes his eyes, his face scrunching up as though he’s in pain. “She’s not getting better.”
“There are treatments,” I tell him. “Therapy. Things that can help.”
“But they’re Band-Aids. We all know that.” He looks so lost.
My heart thuds as my mind begins to whir. Even as I talk with Nigel, part of me is in my lab. I’ve always wanted to help people. To be more than the socialite my mother envisioned me to be. Now, the need to help is personal. It has a familiar and beloved face, and a new sense of urgency floods me. We can’t rush preclinicals, but maybe if Emeline is on another treatment, we’ll get to clinical trials in enough time. If the medicine we’ve developed is safe, I’ll get her in.
I don’t want to tell Nigel that we’re close to a cure, because I don’t know whatcloselooks like. In the scientific community,closecould mean six days, six months, or six years.
Emeline doesn’t have six years.
I won’t add to his pain by promising something I may not be able to deliver.
“She’s strong, Nigel. She has you and Theodore to fight for her. Don’t underestimate how important it is to have people in your corner.” I should know. Until recently, I hadvery few people in my corner. But now? I feel like I can do almost anything.
Raised voices float through the closed door, and Nigel sighs. “I should get inside. She’s having a bad day.”
“Okay. Please keep me updated. And let me know if your pack needs anything. You’re not alone in this.” I squeeze Nigel’s hand. “I love you, Nigel.”
“Love you too, my dear.”
I give him a melancholic smile. As I turn to leave, Nigel’s voice is warm when he speaks again.
“In case I haven’t said it since you’ve been home, I am so proud of you, Livvy. So proud.”
Tears well in my eyes, and I quickly brush them away as I turn to offer Nigel one last smile. “Same, Nigel. Very much the same.”
My heart is a chaotic mess as I start my car and make the first turn toward the lab. All of this is so unfair. To the omegas whose minds break after their hearts, to the betas and alphas who are left to watch them shatter, and to the friends and family who are powerless to help.
The lab is empty, save a few researchers on other projects. I bypass their stations, heading to the secure room where we’re conducting preclinicals. It’s late, I know, but after seeing Nigel, I feel like I have to observe how the medicine is doing. Otherwise, I feel too helpless.
