I opened my mouth. And nothing happened.
I knew he hadn’t missed it, for the simple fact he squeezed me tighter.
For a while, Lawson couldn’t do anything but cuddle me. When he put some distance between us, the look on his face let me know he had already figured out what happened. And why I was suddenly at a loss for words. After a few steady exhales, he spoke, but his voice held all the telltale signs of his designation, turning his words into something I couldn’t ignore. “Tell me, Simona.”
As always, inside my thoughts everything worked fine. In fact, the volume was up and the words were flowing effortlessly, it was like I was yelling. “I caught Brody and another boy at school hooking up. I don’t know who the other person was, but it was pretty clear what they were doing. I ran, but Brody was faster. He caught me, barked in my face, stealing my freewill so I had no choice but to follow his command. The instant I did what he wanted, he laughed. Brody wasn’t finished being an asshole. In this next bark he made it impossible for me to tell you how he lashed out and hurt me. He twisted his words and infused his bark with his designation, so I’m not ever allowed to say what happened.”
All the words stayed trapped inside my head and locked inside my throat. In the awful silence, Lawson figures out I’ve been manipulated. “I’m sorry, Simona. I promise we will find a way to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
I try to speak, but no matter how I approach it, I have no choice but to stay silent. In time, Brody’s compulsion might fade but right this second, I’m not able to say a word about what he did.
Being bark sensitive is awful.
Being bark sensitive around a loving family shouldn’t be an issue but in the real world where people use others’ weakness to exploit a situation it is a real problem. Especially for an Omega. In my world, I don’t have a loving family either, aside from Lawson. And we’re doing whatever we can to fix it.
I’m not the first Omega with an issue, and I won’t be the last, but it sure does suck. I thought I was getting better, but given how today panned out, maybe not.
“Dad.” I hissed, frustrated when no other explanation came. I was fighting to keep the tears at bay—because I knew if even one fell, Lawson would lose all control.
Honestly, I was doing okay until he hugged me to his chest. The movement made fire race down my wrist as it pressed between us. I didn’t cry but I did grunt in pain. As soon as he heard, his arms became soft like clouds.
The way he held me might have loosened, but the bond we shared was flooded with his strength and reassurance. We stayed snuggled for one last second before he shifted gears.
He kept his voice soft, his tone measured, and even though he wouldn’t look into my eyes because he knew I wasn’t ready to face an Alpha, as my dad, he gave me his full attention. “Show me nice and slowly, Simona. You know I’m not angry with you, don’t you?”
I nod instantly.
Stepping away was hard, but he waited until I glanced at him, giving me a wink as encouragement. I took more steps, unsure how far he wanted me to go until he held his hand up as a sign for me to stop.
Then the look on his face shifted.
“God-dammit,” he snarled under his breath, his jaw snapped with a loud clank.
Lawson rubbed his hand down his face, perhaps to shieldme from his anger, but it highlighted the flush to his skin. His presence was so huge no matter what he did to hide away, it didn’t help. When he looked at me—it was clear, he was back to making me handle things in real time. I came face to face with his Alpha—and he was pissed.
“Brody?”
My mouth opened, and inside my head I screamed yes. Lawson must have seen something in my eyes, or he just figured it out himself.
“Simona.”
My head swam with the effect of Lawson’s bark, and while it came from a place of good, it had the same effect as if it hadn’t—it took my choice away. I stood as still as a statue, unable to look away as Lawson slowly reclaimed his control. Bit by bit, the storm faded until all that remained in his eyes was empathy—shining just as brightly as the pride in the fact that I had faced him.
“I’m sorry I barked,” he said, his voice softer now. “But you know learning that most Alphas are good is just as important.”
“I know that.” I agreed.
“Good. Just because an Alpha barks doesn’t mean they’re always going to manipulate. I needed to remind you, and in turn you reminded me how far you have come.”
“Because of you.”
“No, Sim, because of you. We will beat this little shit at whatever game he’s playing, I promise you that. And when you are at Unity, you are going to flourish. Perhaps all those journals you filled with your secrets will become something to share with others,” he teased lightly, referring to how I like to write. “Or maybe you’re going to be a chef, making amazing food for people around the world to try. Or you might become an artist and use colour as your language. It does not matter what you do because I know you will blossom into the mostbeautiful Omega who will find a pack that sees you for who you truly are. They’re going to be awestruck not just by your beauty, but your strength and the way you see the world. If the last thing I get to see is you succeeding, Simona, so be it. First though, I am going to fix you up. Hop up into my chair.”
By god, there is something about sitting in his chair that takes me back to a time in my childhood where everything was full of happy innocence. I think it’s the way the leather scents so much like him, and I associated him with home. It was always warm even in the middle of winter.
Sitting in Lawson’s chair was as good as one of his cuddles. Leaving me there, he got busy getting supplies, but of course he also made sure to grab one of my blankets, wrapping it around my shoulder before going back for the first aid kit. He felt less volatile the more he had to do.
Except his face was flushed, his breathing more shallow than usual.
