“Fuck.” Nico drinks more of his water, making a face as he becomes pale. “I feel sick.”
“Then don’t drink anymore,” I sigh, taking the glass from him. He hasn’t been hungry since we left without Rosalia, and he’s getting worse every day. “We need to make an effort as a pack, or we need to let them both go.”
“I want to go see them first,” Pablo says softly. “Alone.”
“Are you sure?” Ciro asks. “It could drag you into pack politics…”
“Fuck it,” he growls. “I can’t live my entire life being the weakest link. I’m sure. I’ve been doing some reading, and if the omegas in a household can’t get along, then a pack is screwed, Ciro. I need to fix some of this.”
“We also need to stop babying Rosalia. There has to be a way to be protective without cutting off her wings. I don’t want to remind her of the way her father treated her.”
“Ugh. That’s a very low bar,” I groan. “Let’s try raising it. Did she like when you took her out on dates, Nico?”
“She enjoyed my company, she loves this city, but there was too much happening in her mind for her to really enjoy it. I’m also starting to wonder if moving back to Michigan is a good idea. We have a lot of shit to take care of there, however our cousin Emilia is still a problem. I can’t find her if I’m across the country.”
“We can have a second home here,” I suggest immediately. “I fucking hate the snow. Let’s spend the winters here and have a few people run our businesses in Michigan. Roland, Marco, and Lonnie would be good off the top of my head. They’re loyal, and looking for more responsibility in our organization. As forEmilia, we don’t even know if she’s still in Michigan. She’s currently lost in the wind and we have to either admit defeat or ask for help to find her. We can’t take on all of Dad’s sins, or we’ll never be able to live our lives.”
“This doesn’t help the current situation,” Pablo says impatiently.
“You don’t need permission to see Rosalia and Verona,” Nico says. “Just say the word, and one of us will drive you. We aren’t your keepers, Pablo.”
For a moment, I’m concerned my brother hurt his feelings because his lips part in an ‘oh’ before he gets up abruptly and leaves the room.
“Is he?—”
“No, Dario. He’s fine. I can feel it through the bond. I think it just hit him that none of us expect him to fall in line. He’s our omega, not our employee or a pet.”
“Damn. We may just get out of this with our skin intact after all,” I snort. “What a novel idea. Our omega is actually a completely sentient being.”
“Fuck off,” Nico groans. “I’m going to see if a shower will help this headache. It’s a pounding that won’t stop, and I’m fucking nauseous too.”
“Is it yours or hers?” I ask.
It’s no secret how tightly Nico is bound to Rosalia, despite there not being an actual bond. I think the separation is going to make it worse, and I wonder what kind of fresh hell will hit us next. Thank god I’m a beta. I can’t handle being connected like that to another person.
“Both,” he wheezes, getting up and stumbling from the room.
I busy myself with work in an attempt to keep myself from spiraling, because this isn’t something I can fix. If I show up at the house, they’d all throw me out, right?
Fuck. Pulling out a pad of paper, I begin to put together a care package for the two of them. I’ll deliver it in person, and hope it’ll gain me entrance to see them. I’m no one’s scent match, I may be the least offensive of my blood brothers.
Maybe. Goddamn it. I’m usually better with people than this.
The sound of a door opening and closing snaps my head up, and Ciro and I rush to the front of the house together. Nico is nowhere to be seen, but I can still hear the shower from the open bedroom door. I doubt much time has passed, so who the fuck just left.
Yanking open the unlocked door, I watch as Pablo disappears into a taxi without a backward glance. Fuck, we need to get him a key to the fucking house.
“That’s an omega on a mission,” Ciro muses. “Is the location active on his phone?”
My mobile is still in my hand, and I almost drop it in my rush to check it.
“Yes,” I say, seeing the dot moving. “I guess he didn’t want a ride.”
“No cages,” he reminds me. “If Pablo wants to jump in a taxi and go, he can. We should get him a ring that’ll track him just in case. If something happens, we’ll be able to find him. We have too many enemies in this damned city.”
“What’s going on?” Nico asks.
Turning to glance over my shoulder, I see he’s dripping all over the floor and also naked.
