Page 10 of Bonds and Beasts

"Do you want to come out from under there yet?"

I shake my head. As far as I'm concerned, as far as my omega is concerned, we live under here now.

"Okay then. Let's keep talking. I was born on a farm in Ohio…"

Easton

Bello's room is perfectly medieval. I've lit the fire in the hearth for him, though it's been mild for late September in Michigan, it's downright chilly and damp tonight. I managed to move him to his bed with Dean's help, and Dean immediately left to check on the unknown omega. I lean against the wall near the door.

The omega, whom I have not seen. The omega whom my alpha is straining toward under the surface. When I'd first come across her scent, it was an otherworldly, out-of-body experience. Everything went black at the edges of my vision. My alpha was closer to taking over than I'd ever experienced. I'd never been so out of control before.

Now that the rut blockers have taken effect, the mad frenzy has subsided. My alpha is back at my center where he belongs. But in the wake of the scent-induced rut, a pull has been left behind. A very distinct pull. One I've heard described in books, in sex ed classes at school, in every romance movie and book ever written. Within my body, a mating bond flares—I know the omega in that room is my mate.

The realization hits me like a freight train. A low purr starts at the base of my sternum and crawls its way up my throat unbidden. I yearn to go back to those rooms, to soothe her. But I also need to make sure my pack alpha wakes up, and that he isn't still in rut when he does. I thought I gave him the right dose from the package, but that was my very first time using rut blockers. Now I'm terrified I either gave too little and he'll wake up still feral, or too much and he won't wake up at all.

Thankfully, Bello puts both fears to rest. "That purr isn't for me, is it?"

I look over and find him looking back at me, green eyes clear, pupils back to their usual size. I stop purring.

"No," I say. That gets his attention.

He sits up, swinging his legs over the edge and setting his feet on the ground. "What happened?" Bello presses the heel of his palm to his forehead.

"What do you remember?" I push myself off the wall and shove my hands in my pockets.

He frowns at his shoes, forehead scrunched in concentration. "Whines, the red door, opening it and—" He cuts off as his eyes go wide. "Flashes of movement and, holy fuck, did I go into a rut?"

"Give the man a prize," I say. I'm being an ass. I'm being unkind. It's not Bello's fault. Lead alphas are lead alphas because of how dominant they are, but it leaves them more susceptible to rut attacks. He couldn't have controlled it any more than he can control the sun. Still, this is a clusterfuck and I'm frustrated. Frustrated that everything went down this way. Frustrated that we've potentially found our mate, and this is how it happened. Bello’s just an easy target right now.

He still looks confused. "It was an omega? There was an omega in that part of the house?" I nod. His expression sharpens, his eyes narrow, and a muscle in his jaw ticks. "Why the fuck was an omega left in this house alone with three alphas, and why did no one warn us?"

"I don't know." Hot anger rises up in me. His questions are ones I've been sitting with since I started waiting in this room. There's no reason someone else should be in this house. There's no reason we shouldn't have been told.

"Well, I'm going to goddamn find out," Bello growls.

Adison

Dean’s still talking. I have never known anyone to talk as much as this alpha, even before I was locked away in the west wing and only had Mr. Clocks. It's my new favorite sound. I don't know if that's because Dean’s voice is truly nice, or if my ears are desperate for any new sounds since we stopped going anywhere.

He tells me about summer work on a farm with six cousins. He tells me about his aunt, who really does sound lovely. He tells me about his favorite movie. He tells me he works in movies. In between each of these topics, Dean asks me to come out from under the bed and to tell him something about myself. I stare at him. Every answer is a whine. I don't know why I can't speak around my omega anymore. Maybe I've lost the ability since I was secluded from people. My scent plummets further as I start to panic that I'll never be able to talk again.

Something brushes against my wrist and I jerk back. While I was thinking, I hadn't noticed Dean reaching out. The tips of his fingers are suspended between us.

"Sorry, I just wanted—" He pauses, and it takes me a moment to register footsteps coming up the hall to my room from the study. More than one set. The alpha in his rut springs to mind and I pull my knees up, trying to squeeze myself into the tightest ball I can.

"Stay here, please," Dean says. I meet his eyes over the curl of my elbow and nod. He nods back and stands. I suddenly feel much more exposed.

"You cannot be in here right now." Dean’s voice slices through the room.

"That omega is my mate and I have every right to be here," the angry alpha growls. Every muscle in my body feels like it's twitching. Tremors work their way up my arms and I feel like I'm vibrating.

"She's all our mates. She’s scared, Bello. She's freaked out. She hasn't said a word and she won't come out," Dean explains.

"And you're too fresh on rut blockers to be in here," another voice joins in. I don't recognize it. Are there three alphas in my bedroom?

"Won't come out of where?" the angry alpha asks. Footfalls again.

"Stop!" Dean yells.