Orpheus had been one of the biggest reasons I kept my distance from Juneau. It was true that our chances of making it out from under his thumb unscathed were low. There were only six of us against a massive MC. Even with Silas backing us there was always a chance that the Sons of Silence Prez would go back on his word.
But somehow I knew everything would work out. My visions would have been very different if they weren’t going to.
“We won’t let anything happen to you or Juneau, I promise,” I whispered, wanting to lean forward and reassure him with a kiss, but I stayed back. I wasn’t sure if he wanted that from me right now.
Podcast nodded, his head turning to the omega sleeping in her nest. He then began to rebuild the nest around her. He gently moved her around until he’d recreated a similar one to the one they’d made together for her heat, just cleaner.
I stepped in once he’d finished, lying behind Juneau and bringing her neck up to my mouth again, running my tongue along the raised bond mark.
Podcast settled in on her other side. He surprised me by threading his fingers through mine. I knew he was still angry with me. I could feel Storm and Doc’s anger too, but underneath all of that was the tiniest thread of hope.
I held onto that as the bond between Juneau and I continued to cement itself. Things would be okay. I would make sure that they were if it was the last thing I ever did.
Chapter Thirty-One
Wakingupandfeelingsomeone else’s emotions was the strangest experience. Ivy had once tried to explain it to me by telling me it was as if you were sharing your body and soul with someone else. But she only had to share with Nicky.
When I woke up sandwiched between two sleeping men, I was confused for a moment. My heat was gone, taking the aching need along with it. Instead, I was left with the guilt rolling off of Rex in waves, even in his sleep, and the fainter emotions from Podcast, Doc, and Storm.
I hadn’t meant to cry like that in front of the pack. As soon as I realized what Rex had done, my first thought had been relief. The decision that I had been grappling with for weeks had been taken from my hands and I was happy for it.
Then I heard yelling downstairs and went to investigate. There I saw Podcast’s fist connecting with Rex’s head. In over two months of knowing him I’d never seen him angry. His hands moved too fast for me to keep up, but it was easy to understand that their fight had been about me.
Rex’s hurt and guilt was so acute in that moment that it stole my breath as I called down to them. I wasn’t sure if it was to announce my presence or break the tension, but it stopped their arguing almost immediately.
Doc’s arms were safe and warm, and I was so sure I was okay with what Rex had done until Bat pointed out that I was crying.
It all seemed to slam home at that moment. I would never see my mother, or Nicky, or Timothy, or any of the people who had been with me my entire life. They were long dead, and I was going to have to grieve for them all at the same time.
I’d always believed that my father dying was the worst pain I’d ever felt, but I was completely wrong. This was so much worse because I feltguiltyon top of my grief.
I was happy to stay in the future with all of its wonders, and with the pack that had turned my opinions about alphas on their head and made me want to be a part of them.
Rex shifted behind me, his hands gently turning me until I was face-to-face with him. “Don’t feel guilty, princess,” he said, still half-asleep.
“I can’t help it,” I whispered, not wanting to wake Podcast up. “I’m going to miss them, but on some level I’m also happy to be staying here with you all… and that makes me feel awful to even say out loud.”
“It’s not awful, and I think you’ll see them again, things aren’t as linear as you’d think. You know that better than anyone,” Rex said, his icy eyes finally opening.
“Since when did you get so wise?” I asked, pursing my lips to keep my sudden, out-of-place giggle in.
The corner of his mouth pulled up into a smirk. “Since a certain blonde omega decided to turn on my woo woopowers like she was jumpstarting a car.”
“You call them woo woo powers, but I think you actually like them,” I said, reaching out to give his chest a teasing pat.
Before I could pull my hand back Rex grabbed my fingers and pressed them flat against the planes of his chest, right over his pulse. I could feel it fluttering beneath the tips of my fingers, but also nestled right next to my own heartbeat.
“I’ll do everything in my power to take care of you, Juneau Wilde, and while I can’t give you the family you lost, we can become your family. If you’ll have us,” Rex’s voice was a low rumble as he spoke, his eyes softer than I’d ever seen them.
After going so long not knowing how Rex felt about me, he was finally an open book thanks to the bond. I could now feel his affection, worry, guilt, but most importantly I could feel his love for me. It had a fresh, new feel to it like someone discovering new buds on a rosebush.
Eventually, like rosebuds, if we took care of those emotions they would blossom into something truly wonderful. For the first time since I woke up with a new bond and fresh grief, I finally felt something akin to hope.
Hope because we now had all the time in the world to grow the little buds of our relationships into something much, much stronger.
“Yes,” my answer was simple, but it was all Rex needed. He scooted forward and pressed his lips to mine. It was different from the desperate kisses we’d shared in the middle of my heat. This kiss was far sweeter, as if we were sealing a promise with it.
Of course Rex, being Rex, had to spoil the moment. “But don’t expect me to always be so sweet, Princess. I am an asshole after all.” His whisper was full of laughter as he brushed a thumb down the curve of my cheek.
