Adam led the way up to the front door. We walked up the porch steps, which creaked beneath our combined weight. He nudged me ahead.
I swallowed hard, then knocked on the white hardwood door. A moment or two later, Xan answered. His dark gaze slid over me, then moved past me to my mates, before a smile crossed his face.
"Hey, guys. You here to see River or Gracie?"
"Both," I blurted. "R-River first…if he'll see me, that is." I ducked my head and stuffed my hands into the pockets of my oversized hoodie.
Xan softened. "Of course he wants to see you," he said gently. "C'mon, come inside. Man, in another couple of months you'll be toting around a baby carrier."
I knew it was meant to lighten the mood, but my stomach churned violently at the thought.
Adam coughed softly. "Xan."
"Aw, shit. Sorry. Adam, Fletcher, feel free to take a seat wherever. Sky, you wanna come with me?"
I glanced back at my mates, their faces solemn but hopeful when they nodded me on. Yeah. I needed to do this on my own. I took a steadying breath.I can do this.
"Yeah," I said and followed the other Omega down the hall of the nicely-decorated home.
We paused outside a door. Xan turned to me. "He's still feeling a little rough, but he's okay, I promise. And please, don't look so worried. He's been worried about you."
I blinked, surprised. "Really?"
"Yeah. Go talk to him. I'll be nearby if you need me."
"Thanks." Steeling my nerves, I gently knocked on the door, then let myself in.
River was laying propped up in bed with pillows. He was bare-chested, his torso and shoulder swathed in fabric bandages that covered the gunshot wound. I hesitated in the doorway, just staring at him.
He turned those bi-colored eyes on me, but they weren't sharp, like I'd expected. Just tired.
"Come in," he murmured, the gravel in his voice rougher than usual.
I closed the door behind me and walked over to the bedside, folding my hands in front of me.
At one point this morning, I had it all rehearsed, what I was going to say. All of that flew out the window when I was right beside my brother, my twin, my flesh and blood. The Alpha to my Omega genes.
But instead of that familiar crackling of haywire energy as our auras collided, I just felt…numb.
"I'm sorry," I uttered. "River, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. If I hadn’t?—”
"If you hadn't what?" he asked, gruff. "If you hadn't gotten yourself kidnapped? If you hadn't been too pregnant to shift anddefend yourself from a psycho dead-set on tormenting us? What, Sky? Because I can’t see how any of this is your fault."
I stood there, unable to form words, but tears pricked hot in my eyes.
River sighed, then grimaced, as if that hurt. "You didn't do anything. Dr. Thompson's the one who did this to me. Not you, so don't apologize, okay?"
I was quiet for a moment, and then spoke, a little quieter. "Iamsorry though."
"Sky—”
"Hear me out? Please? Let me do this?" I gripped at the dangling hoodie strings, pulling on them as if I might be able to hide from the world if I pulled hard enough. "I'm sorry for what I did to you and Xan last year. I'm sorry for being a psychopath whose broken brain put his brother in the place where an Alpha should be… I'm sorry that I… I didn't see it sooner, and I?—”
My voice cracked. I wiped the tears away. "I'm just sorry, okay? I was really messed up. Maybe I still am, but it's better. I have Fletcher and Adam now and I'm gonna be a dad…for real this time." The tears found their way down my cheeks anyway. "Thompson was going to cut her out of me. Promising to help capture you was the only bargaining chip I had. I'm sorry.”
He shook his head. "Sky. You're my brother. My twin. We went through literal hell together.”
I sniffed and nodded.
