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"I'm sorry, Mom," I whispered as I gave in to sleep.
5
Niko
“So that just happened,” Levi said as we walked back into our room after our conversation and mini-tour from West.
“It did,” I confirmed. We turned around as the adjoining door slammed open. Avi and Kane joined us, looking equally as shocked and excited as Levi did.
“Smart to tell West,” Kane noted. “It was easy to see they’re close. Last thing we want is to get kicked out before we even start.”
“I think we have a bigger issue,” Avi cut in as he sat on the edge of the bed. His excitement had faded, and now his face was set in a grim expression. “We’ve got baggage—of the hunted and wanted variety. How do we break that news to a shy omega? Do we really expose her to the danger of being with us, or do we save her from what we are and leave her alone?”
“Our plan was to stop in and move on,” Kane said as our covenmate’s words sunk in. “Fuck.” His curse was followed by a spark of magic, then he sat down next to Avi, the beta resting a hand on his arm to calm him.
It was ironic that we had all started as strangers… well, most of us. We’d trained together with the guard and had easily fallen into a group. The more the years and assignments passed us by, the closer we grew. When things started to change, the Arch Mage’s secrecy becoming noticeable, we’d decided we wanted to stick together for good, university or not. We weren’t a typical coven that was formed around a mate. We were a brotherhood of sorts. But if this were true, that this omega was meant to beouromega, the person who anchored us all to each other beyond our promises of loyalty to one another, that meant we’d been following fate’s design all along. How else could you explain us winding up together years before we’d ever had a real reason to be?
I understood Avi’s worry and Kane’s frustration. This woman was not just any omega, not just any kind of mate… She wasfatedfor us. That held an importance that went beyond our designs, beyond our worries. The problem was that we had to be brave enough to not only realize that in our minds and hearts, but in our actions. We needed to make the active choice to accept what fate was offering us despite the risk it might prove to us all.
“We can’t now,” Levi said, eyes desperate as he turned to me, silently begging me to agree. Things with my sweet, gentle omega were different. He’d stumbled into my family’s coven, somehow found me sitting outside of the apothecary waiting for Mom, and the rest was history. He and I were the luckiest ones here, to feel the pull twice. What had we done right, what were we destined for in this life, that meant we deserved the blessing of two mates?
My fingers tapped along the edge of my leather boots as I waited for Mom to finish her shopping. If Old Man Santos got new supplies in, I knew I’d be here a while, and I wasn’t a patient person. I only had one more year before I could get out of this sleepy little coven town. It wasn’t bad… It just felt suffocating at times. After Dad died, Mom and I moved in with my grandmother. They were both worriers to the point I wanted to scream whenever they tried to keep me sheltered and safe.
I froze as the scent of spiced peaches hit me. It was barely noticeable under the intense scent of fire and magic, but once I zeroed in on the scent, I knew I’d found a mate.
Already?
Most people didn’t find their mates ever, and here I was, pre-university yet already finding mine. Standing up, I glanced around frantically, trying to find the source. Then this burly, ginger-haired guy nearly slammed into me. His eyes were full of fear, and as I glanced behind him, I could see people coming out of their shops, trying to pinpoint the powerful scent. They wouldn’t be magnetized toward him as I was, but they were nosey witches who couldn’t resist the chance of discovering the powerful being who’d just wandered into our midst.
That was enough to kick in my instincts. My hand banded around his wrist as I pulled him inside. We almost crashed into Mom, who took one peek at him and gasped. She looked around warily before taking off her bracelet and muttering some runes. Thankfully, she was a master runeworker, so the effect was immediate. When she shoved the bracelet onto him, some of his magical aura was dampened. I still felt the mate pull, but his sheer power level was lesser. He could still make waves in the coven town, but there wouldn’t be as much of a glaring sign pointed straight at him. It would buy us a little bit of time.
“You can’t walk around like that,” she warned. He blinked back at us, utterly shocked. There was no way he didn’t feel the connection I did, but how had he ended up here? And a better question… What was he?
“I didn't want to,” he argued weakly. “But I’m desperate.” Taking a second look at him, I could see the dirt on his cheeks, dark bags under his eyes, and even though he had bulk to him, he was obviously half-starved.
“He’s my mate,” I told her in a hiss. She nodded once before rushing up to the counter. We couldn’t hear what she said, but a moment later, she had three bags in hand and was pushing us outside.
“When we get out there, you both run home. I’ll follow slowly, make sure no one noticed,” she promised. I nodded, tightening my hold on his arm.
“What’s your name?” I asked him softly as we walked outside.
“Levi,” he answered.
“Nice to meet you, Levi. I’m Niko, and I’m going to keep you safe.” After that vow, he willingly followed me home.
“Niko?” Levi’s voice knocked me out of the memory, and I blinked a few times to refocus my brain.
“Sorry, got lost in thoughts for a second,” I said as I ran a hand over my face. “I’m not sure how to even fucking answer. We can’t just leave our mate here, but we also have targets on our head.”
“I’m staying,” Kane said bluntly. “I’m not passing up this chance. I thought you all were fucking nuts talking about this infamous ‘her’ that would finish this coven, but she’s even more alluring than I thought possible. I don’t want to just fuck her. I want to get to know her, protect her, build a life with her. Mating is weird, but I’m going to see where it takes me.”
“Then we all stay,” Avi said firmly. “We’re isolated here, flying under the radar. There’s no reason for them to follow us this far.”
“They will eventually, so she has a right to know,” Levi said. “And I’m going to have to tell her what I am.”
I agreed with my omega. I wasn’t sure when she’d need to be told the truth, probably after we at least laid some foundation for a relationship, but the truth would need to be shared. We could keep some of our secrets and start getting to know her, but for this coven to have arealrelationship withouromega, we needed honesty between us. On the bright side, we had the easier end of the deal. Between Levi’s secret and our shared status as wanted witches, whatever baggage she threw at us would likely pale in comparison. “You are, but secrets can come out later. Let’s figure out who she is and the best way to tell her first,” I argued. “Everyone takes big news differently, and I don’t want to cause more damage than good.”
“Fine,” Levi agreed semi-reluctantly. “But I agree. I want to stay. Something just feels right here.”
