“A Beta without a knot? No Alpha pheromones to soothe you? Doubt it.”
“You don’t need a knot to know how to fuck an Omega, Hudson. And they make synthetic pheromones, so…why would we need you again?” I tilt my head, pretending to consider the why. “I’d rather fuck my guard. At least he looks like he’d have a huge cock.” I huff, rolling my eyes at the man, before shutting the door in his face and heading into the attached bathroom.
Sorry, Thor, hope you didn’t hear that. I wince.
Once I’m alone, I pull the earpiece out of my pocket and stuff it into my ear.
Once the shower is running, I drape a towel over my head for an extra layer of padding and whisper, “Apollo?”
“Dream,”he grunts.“I can see and hear everything. If you need me, I’ll be watching. You’ll be safe.”
“Oh good, is Hawthorne with you?” I ask quietly, cupping my mouth. I feel extra paranoid after that last conversation with Hudson. Why the fuck was he so…? Oh, I don’t even know.
“Yes. He’s here. He says you and Beau just worry about yourselves. He will protect—”Apollo cuts off, and in a muffled tone I hear,“I’m not saying that. I can protect myself.”There's some muffled movement, and then he says,“We will be fine here. protect yourselves.”
“Okay, I have to go now, or Hudson might get suspicious. Wait, do you have cameras in the bathrooms too?” I ask, lifting the towel off my head so I can glance around the room searching for any obvious red lights or lenses but find nothing.
“Yes, but I will cut the feed when you go in there alone.”Apollo explains, and I nod even if he can’t see me.
“Okay, goodnight. Thank you, Apollo."
“Goodnight, Dream.”
After I shower, slather on lotion, and then slip into my nightgown, I head out of the bathroom, peeking out. Hudson’s door is open, but the room is pitch black.
The light in our room is on, but the room itself is Omega free. Beau must still be in the bathroom.Shit. I hope he’s okay…
When I step out of the room after putting my stuff from today in a drawer, I find the bathroom door cracked open. The light is on, so I quickly head toward it, but a soft "Wait" has me skittering to a halt. I spin on my feet, finding the large Alpha watching me from his doorway, eyes narrowed.
“Why?” I ask, glaring right back. “Did you do something to him?”
If he had, I suspect Apollo would already be wearing his blood like face paint.
“No. Beau is asleep in the tub. He took a couch pillow after he changed his clothes and went back in there. When I checked on him, he was already asleep. I um,” Hudson grips the back of his neck and clears his throat. “I tried to wake him so he could get in the bed, but he lost his shit.”
“What?” I frown, turning away from the Alpha, and look at the bathroom door again.
“Why is he sleeping in there? Does he always do that?”
“I…” I snap my jaw shut. Fuck, I almost walked headfirst into that trap.I don’t know. This is the first time I’ve ever slept with Beau overnight.
“You looked surprised. Isn’t he your boyfriend?” he asks, and I flip him off over my shoulder as I creep toward the bathroom door. “You’ve never seen him do this before, have you?” he presses, and I flip him off again.
I can practically hear his accusation trying to claw its way out of his throat.
You’ve never seen him sleep, or you don’t know him well enough to know why he’s sleeping in a bathtub.
Why the fuck didn’t I think to ask Beau about things like this? Why didn’t Apollo warn me, or does he not know about this either? Shit, I don’t even know if this is an every-night kind of thing, or if this is just a response to everything overwhelming him.
“Shh,” I hiss as I reach the door. Gently, I push it open and look inside. Sure enough, there’s an Omega curled up in a ball in the massive two-person tub.
The couch pillow is apparently not to lay his head on, as it’s currently covering his face.
My heart fucking hurts as I look at him like that. No comfort. No blankets. His chemical scent is heavy with anxiety, and I have to force the tears back. It’s like he’s desperate for a nest but doesn’t know how to make one. Or doesn’t think he deserves one.
With Hudson watching me, watching and reporting our every move, my options here are limited.
Wake him? Join him? Or leave him be… I’ll put my earpiece in, and if Hudson pulls something, he can wake me. I’ll sleep with several blades at the ready.
