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We hastily walk to the parking lot wrapped around each other, giving little touches here and there. Syn will be lucky if I can wait until we make it home. I am thoroughly addicted to my omega, and I don’t feel an ounce of shame for it. She trails her fingers lightly across my back and shoulders, teasingly, making my gut clench in pleasure with each drag of her nails. I’m whispering in her ear about all the naughty things I’m going to do to her when we get home, watching her eyes glaze over with lust and desire, thankful for the darkness of the night that hides my erection as we walk.
We’re nearly at the car when a big figure steps in front of us, causing us to stumble to a stop so we don’t bowl them over. He’s a giant of an alpha, nearly as big as Nico. Gunpowder fills my nostrils and I work hard not to wrinkle my nose at his harsh scent. There’s a gnarly scar on his cheek that runs all the way up to his hairline. His dark hair is shaved short, and his eyes are a piercing blue as he looks from me to Ripley several times.
He doesn’t move out of our way, just standing there and staring at us. My brows furrow as I look at him like he’s lost it. Then I notice Ripley is frozen. She’s staring at this alpha like she’s seen a ghost. And she’s shaking. I feel a bolt of fear shoot through the bond before it’s gone as quickly as it came, like she locked it down tight.
What the hell?
I pull her closer to me, wrapping my arms around her, and sidestep the alpha. At first, I’m worried he’ll follow, so I eye him warily as I keep taking steps to the side until we’re clear of him. Then I practically drag Ripley away. The alpha doesn’t follow us as I pull her to the car, but his eyes do, and it unnerves me.
He watches us the entire way to the car. Fucking creeper. I get Rip in the car, buckled in, and head to my side. When I glance back up to the spot he was standing, the space is empty. I feel very concerned suddenly, and the hairs on my neck stand up. Something inside of me screams danger. And I’m especially concerned about Ripley’s reaction. Like she’s seen him before and was terrified.
I lock the doors and turn so I can look directly at her. She’s huddled in her seat and looking down, making herself look so small.
“You okay, Little Bird?” I ask her softly.
She nods but doesn’t look at me. “Can we just go home now?” Her voice shakes and it breaks something in me.
My omega is afraid of something, and she doesn’t want me to know. But that’s not going to work for me.
I reach over, unbuckling her, and pull her to my lap, pushing the seat back as far as it’ll go so she’s not squished. I lift her chin with my thumb and index finger so she will look at me. Tears balance precariously on her lower lashes before giving up and falling, gliding down her cheek.
“Tell me what just happened. Why are you afraid?”
She lets out a shaky breath and whimpers, her lips trembling. “You’re going to be mad at me.”
I raise a brow. “Only one way to find out.”
Patiently, I wait her out. I need answers. It takes her several minutes to get her thoughts in order and to calm her shaking. I stroke her back as I wait, letting her know that I’m here and not going anywhere.
“The day you all came to my parents before we bonded? That morning, I went into town to run errands for Mom. I’d felt off the entire time, like I was being watched. It felt like eyes were on me everywhere I went, but I saw no one when I’d look. When I was coming out of the grocery store, I still didn’t see anyone, but I felt really anxious. I got in the car as fast as I could and when I looked in my rearview mirror, I saw a man standing between two cars, just staring in my direction. I was just frozen, and he stood there staring the entire time. I called Knight and told him because I was so freaked out, and he calmed me down and got me to get out of there. By the time I was pulling away, that man was gone. And that alpha we just ran in to was that man. I know it. I couldn’t see him clearly that day, but I know that was him. Why is he following me?” she whimpers, curling into me.
I have to tamp down on the intense anger that wants to flood through the bond. Not at her not telling me. I’m upset about that, but not mad. No, the anger is for the alpha, stalking my omega and scaring her. I hold her close, calming her down as I get more and more upset. Once might be seen as a coincidence, no matter how creepy. But twice? I don’t buy it.
Looks like my little bird has a stalker, and I don’t like it one bit.
Once I have her calmed down, I put her back in her seat and buckle her back up so I can get us home. I don’t believe for one second that the alpha is gone. He’s somewhere I can’t see him, watching as we sit in the car. I don’t waste another second and pull out, heading home. When I get us there, I’m calling a family meeting. Something needs to be done before something bad happens.
Nico is going to lose it. He’s a gentle giant, but when it comes to the people he loves, he can turn into a downright mean bastard. He’s going to try to lock her up in the house and not let her out of his sight. Honestly, I’d be okay with that, but she’d be miserable, and I don’t want her to feel like a prisoner in her home.
I hold her hand the entire drive, and she clutches mine tight as she looks out the window with her head leaned back. So much for our fun and happy date night.
Twenty-Three
Ripley
The entire drive home is tense and silent. I can feel River’s anger, even though he’s trying so hard to keep it from me. I don’t think it’s directed at me, more at the situation. And he’s a little hurt that I kept the whole incident that happened at the grocery store from him. I feel that too.
I don’t know what he plans to do when we walk in the house, but I imagine he’s going to make sure everyone is aware. Nico is going to be so upset. I can already see my protective mushy alpha going into big time overprotective mode. Syn will probably be right behind Nico with the overprotective alpha stuff, and I’m pretty sure Knight is going to go straight into work mode to find whoever is watching me. I wouldn’t put it past him to get me some bodyguards. Heck, all of them may very well get me bodyguards, enough to make it obvious I’m being protected. I nearly groan at the thought of having multiple people at my side every time I leave the house.
When we pull up, most of the lights are off downstairs. The lights in the bedrooms, however, are on from what I can tell in the front. Everyone must still be awake.
I sigh as River parks, feeling myself relax instantly when we’re safely back home. I don’t know why I’m being followed or who that alpha is, but in this place, I am safe.
A paranoid part of me says that Victor is somehow behind this, but that’s absolutely ridiculous. The man is fifty shades of crazy, but why waste time on me? I’m no one special. He was told I was being courted and I haven’t seen him since, thank fuck. But who else could it be?
River gets out after a kiss to the back of my hand and comes to let me out of my side. I let him, because I can tell how happy it makes him to take care of me in any way he can. Once I’m standing in front of him, he props me against the side of the car and runs his nose along the bridge of mine and I close my eyes, savoring the closeness and the love I feel pouring into our bond. It’s tinged with possessive need and fury at whoever is behind scaring me, and I have to say I love every bit of that. I love that I can feel everything he’s feeling. Like a built-in mood detector, kind of.
“Come on. We’re going to have a family meeting. I don’t like that you’re being followed, and the others need to know,” he tells me softly as he pulls back.
