Page 3 of Unravel Me

Storm tilts his head, then takes pity on me and says, "Yes, I've heard about it. The scandal. Mark Ferguson, your husband—"

He cuts himself off as if searching for the right word. Is it difficult for him to say it too, or does he just not want to offend me?

A scandal on that scale had almost never shaken this city.

The leading candidate for the state senate, admired and trusted by thousands, had turned out to be a sexual predator who had coerced and assaulted multiple members of his own staff.

And yeah, I was his trophy husband, blind to the life he had been living behind my back, naively assuming he was just having affairs whenever I smelled another omega on him. It never even crossed my mind that what he was doing was so horrible.

"He turned out to be a monster," I whisper so quietly that anyone without a purple alpha's hearing probably wouldn't catch it. "But for all the evil he did… there was one thing he provided. He protected me from the people of my past. Very dangerous people. Now that he's in jail, they may come looking for me again."

Especially one of them, the worst.

Rocco Ferro.

His name alone sends a chill through me, so I squeeze my eyes shut as the plea finally escapes my lips.

"If I don't find my True Mate… someone who can protect me and my son—" My voice cracks. "It’s over for me."

Storm lowers his gaze to the surface of the desk, while his omega glances out the window, a thoughtful expression on his face, a heart-shaped birthmark standing out on his cheek.

For a moment I stare at them both. They found each other… They're stronger together. The Bond between them is almost palpable in the air, a powerful energy binding fated mates. Their souls are merged into one, though living in two bodies.

I want that too, the safety, the strength that can come from merging with the other half of my soul.

But I also want to fall in love for the first time, and to finally know what it feels like to be truly loved in return.

"I've been left with almost nothing. No money, no home, no protection."

Storm's expression clouds over. He averts his gaze from me and slowly turns toward Damien. The omega is already looking back at him, hope shining in his eyes, and I suddenly realize the guy is silently rooting for me.

Storm takes a slow breath; his glowing turquoise eyes darken slightly.

"Jared, I have serious reservations about taking your case."

Silence fills the room once again, my hands shaking a bit.

"Is it the money?" I blurt out.

Storm gives an indignant snort.

"No! I wasn't planning to charge you a cent. My reasons for hesitating are rather simple. I told you: I've never searched for someone's fated mate without seeing the other person first. I can't promise you it'll work."

I grip the leaf pendant so hard my knuckles turn white.

"Please," I whimper, barely getting the word out. "My life has been a nightmare ever since I was fifteen. I haven't been truly happy, except when I'm with my son, Tommy. Mark… he beat me. Humiliated me. Controlled me. Please!"

Silence. Storm lowers his gaze to his hands again. Damien does the same.

"And before Mark…" My voice falters. "It was even worse."

My mouth opens as if to explain, but I just can’t. I don't have the strength to say any more. Digging into my dark past, telling them about the Ring, about my desperation and fear, about my life as a model, which seemed glamorous from the outside but was the exact opposite… it would probably break me. Even now, as I just start to scratch the surface, my breath hitches in my chest.

Storm seems to snap himself out of his grim thoughts as he hears my ragged breathing. Damien immediately stands up and gives me a glass of water that I gulp down in a few seconds.

The purple alpha frowns, rubbing his chin as he says, "Listen, this will be a first for me, Jared, but—"

"But?" I seize on that single word as though it's the only thing keeping me alive.