My thoughts scatter in every direction, a stampede of frustrated cattle. What the hell am I supposed to do?
How are they going to react when they get here? I haven’t seen them since I first left this town. I sure as hell don’t want to face them again now. Especially when I’ve been staying in their house without them knowing, and with it being such a wreck from the fire and the storm.
My heart races as that pressure builds in my chest.
Fuck.
Then, without warning, something inside me flips. My skin tightens, the blood in my veins heating up as my Omega instincts start to claw their way to the surface.
I feel it, the familiar rush of heat rising inside me. But this time, it’s different. It’s not just frustration, not just panic. There’s a sharp, simmering edge to it, deep and visceral and tugging at my core.
I dig my nails into my palms, trying to keep control of myself, to hold it together. But it’s like trying to keep a dam from breaking with just my hands.
And then, of course, Ford steps into the room, his steady presence contrasting the whirlwind of anxiety and anger tearing through me.
He doesn’t say anything at first, but I can feel his gaze on me, his awareness sharp. He knows exactly when something’s wrong.
“Lo…” he says, softly. “You okay?”
I should say yes. I should push it all down. But really, I’m just a crumbling Omega mess. I’m not fine, I’m far from fine, and it’s clawing at me, tearing through my chest.
Before I can stop myself, the words come out in a burst of frustration. “I… shit, I’m not okay. I can’t… I can’t keep running from this, Ford. My family… they’re coming. And I don’t even know what the hell I’m supposed to do anymore. I can’t go to my new job like I was planning, because of Dylan, but now I can’t stay either, because they’re coming, and I don’t have a nest, and nothing I touch is safe, and?—”
In the moment I say it, an icy panic rushes through me even harder, my body flooding with that intense, overwhelming feeling. It’s a wave, an undeniable urge to retreat, to hide, to escape into the darkness where everything’s safe. Where I don’t have to face the storm of my past.
My breathing picks up, shallow and uneven. Every inch of me is screaming for space, for a chance to calm down, but all I can feel is this heat, this internal pressure building.
Ford’s response is immediate. Without a second thought, he moves toward me, and before I know it, he’s standing right next to me, his large frame a shield between me and the world.
“Lo,” he declares, “breathe. Focus on me, alright? Just breathe.”
It takes a second for my racing thoughts to slow down enough to catch his words. And then, everything inside me shifts, a recognition of the calmness. My body justknowshe’s not going to let me break.
I don’t even realize it, but my eyes shut, my shoulders sagging as I let out a shaky breath. “I… I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s going on with me. I can’t control anything lately.”
“Don’t apologize,” Ford says, the warmth in his tone as soothing as his presence. He places a hand on my shoulder, a steadying, reassuring pressure. “Anxiety is a bitch sometimes. But it’s okay. I’m here. I’ll help you in any way that I can.”
Guilt floods me. I’m always dragging other people into my messes. I know Tansy said I have people here who care about me, but I feel like I’m taking advantage of that.
“Me and Toby are almost done here,” Ford continues, completely bypassing the inner turmoil that I just word-vomited at him. “And then you can come stay with me and Hayes for a while. Get out of this place. You already know we have the room.”
I sniffle. When did I start crying? “Really?”
“Well, you have a lot to figure out, right?” He offers me a one-shouldered shrug and a sweet smile as his hands slide up and down my back. God, he’s so warm. “That way, you don’t have to leave town yet. You don’t have to put yourself in danger, but youalso aren’t here, at your family home, where they can just barge in on you with a key.”
I swallow hard, gratitude settling deep in my chest. His offer is a lifeline. Someone’s finally giving me a choice that isn’t a trap. It’s not just about survival, either. It’s about a space I can control. It’s about breathing in air I want to breathe instead of air I’m forced to breathe for the sake of pushing forward.
I’d love to be surrounded by their scented air.
“I… I don’t know what to say,” I murmur.
Ford gives me a small, soft smile, and it’s the kind that makes my heart ache. He’s trying to give me more than I deserve.
“You don’t have to say anything but ‘okay,’” he replies, his thumb brushing lightly over the top of my shoulder. “You just need to take care of yourself, Lo. We’ll take care of the rest.”
I can’t hold back any longer. I reach out and wrap my arms around his broad form, clutching him tightly. It’s not just about the situation. It’s about the relief of knowing someone has my back when everything else is crumbling around me.
I press my cheek into his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath the fabric of his shirt. For a moment, I let myself relax, let myself sink into the comfort of his presence. The pressure in my chest loosens just a little.
