Drax staggers back like he’s taken a punch. “W-w-what?” All the color drains from his face, making the black and gray tattoos on his neck seem even more pronounced. His massive hands, which were just readying to smash my skull, now hang lifelessly at his sides, and his clean scent seems to have taken on a chemical, bleach-like tone.
“Bonded?!” Orin’s reaction isn’t one of shock but of fury, his face turning redder with every passing second. “Tell me this is just your idea of a sick joke, Adler.”
“He’s not joking, Orin.” Luca motions to me. “Just look at him.”
Orin scans me over, assessing me. I must look like total shit as he lets out a huge huff before grabbing the nearest trophy within arm’s reach and throws it. Orin is renowned for his composure, so his sudden outburst has us all stunned. He usually has perfect control over his emotions, and this is the first time I’ve ever seen him lose his shit in… well, forever.
Even Drax seems stunned from the way his eyes bulge like saucers as a hushed silence descends.
“Sorry about that.” Orin swiftly composes himself, readjusting the cuffs on his gray shirt. “I’m just…” A vein in his neck throbs. “Surprised.”
Drax stays quiet. His jaw is slack, hanging open, blinking at me in total disbelief. Coupled with sagging shoulders and a pained expression, he looks like a broken man. A man who hashad his heart pulverized. I should feel victorious after putting him in his place, but talking about her only makes me realize just how much I’m missing Sabs.
“It was…” How can I describe what happened? “An accident. A very happy accident, considering that she’s the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.”
“A fucking accident?!” Drax finds his tongue again, eyes narrowed into slits, looking like he wants to tear my head from my shoulders. “How couldn’t you control yourself? Alphas are taught to restrain their urges, right?” His voice wavers, looking to Orin as if seeking confirmation. “I thought you had to take classes on that stuff.”
“I know that Sabs is your friend, and you’re angry.” Luca steps in to play mediator. “But maybe if we all talked this through?—”
“Did he talk it through with Sabs before he bonded her and tied her to him forever?” Drax jabs a finger in my direction. “He’s just another alpha jock who only thinks of himself. Weren’t all sports teams forced to take mandatory consent and conduct training after what happened with the Blandon Pack?”
He thinks I’m likethoseD-bags? Guilt swims through me at the gravity of what I’ve done, but to paint me with the same brush as those asshole football players?
After the Blandon Pack was expelled, there were calls to fix some of the toxic alpha-centric culture on campus. Although the football team was the main offenders behind omega harassment complaints, all sports teams were forced to attend. I was furious at having to be patronized about how to treat an omega. My desire to take care of and protect omegas is built into my DNA, but maybe… Like Drax said, maybe I’m just as bad as them after all.
“It’s not what you think.” Luca attempts to lower the tension in the room. “It really was an accident. Under the circumstances, Adler did everything right.”
“I’m guessing Sabs would disagree.” Drax snickers. “Considering she’s not here right now.”
“I’ll stand by her,” I insist. “I’d never bond an omega then leave her to fend for herself! I know how serious this is.”
“If you’re so intent on looking after her, where is she?” Drax spits.
Bitter hate radiates from him. If the situation were reversed, I’m sure I’d feel the same way. My younger sister, Isabella, hopes to attend SVU in a few years. How would I feel if I found out that an alpha bit her during a one-night stand?
“She…” Now I look like a fucking chump. “She left.” I wince, holding my head as a wave of pain makes my legs wobble.
“I’ve got you, brother.” Luca props me up while Drax scowls like he’d rather I fall.
“We have no time to debate bonding ethics right now.” Orin rubs his temple like he’s trying not to self-combust. “It won’t change what’s happened.”
“But—” Drax begins to argue.
“We need to find her, Drax,” Orin cuts in. “Look at what them being apart is doing to Adler. Bond sickness hits omegas worse. Whether you like it or not, she needs to be with him.”
Drax’s lips curl. “Great, so you bonded her, and now you’re making her sick too.”
“They need to be together while their bodies adjust to the bond. Sabs needs help,” Luca appeals to the glowering monster. “We need you to tell us where to find her, Drax.”
“Or we can find another way.” My stubbornness gets the better of me. “One that doesn’t involve asking a stray for help.”
“You may not like this ‘stray,’ but I’m the only one who knows where your omega is,” Drax snaps.
“If you care about her at all, you’ll help us,” Orin tells him. “Don’t do it for him. Do it for her.”
“Then you can leave,” I sneer.
“Actually,” Orin clears his throat, “I think it’ll work out best for everyone if Drax stays. You’ve known Sabs for years, yes?”
