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Of course, by then, Storm had already returned to school and she was ignoring my texts. Now, she was back and my alphas had said I couldn’t go to her. It was killing me slowly. So much so that I had even been told to go home from work early today. My focus wasn’t there and after the third glass I had dropped and shattered, my boss came out and told me to leave.
I was driving back to my house, stuck in midday traffic, and all I could think about was Storm. At the next intersection, I knew if I turned left, I would head back to my home. Ignoring the memory of my alphas' command in my head, I turned right. Storm’s parents’ house was just down the street.
My car pulled up to the gated entrance, and I waved at the stationed guard there as he buzzed me through. The driveway extended in front of me for several yards and then it wrapped around the semicircle in front of their house. I pulled the car to a stop and jumped out. My phone vibrated in my pocket and I grimaced. Victor must have gotten an alert that my location changed.
“Sorry, alpha,” I whispered and flicked the volume button, turning it to silent. “Forgive me.”
I marched up to the front door, took a deep breath, and lifted the door knocker. Before it had even left my fingers and connected with the door, it was swinging open. Standing on the other side was Storm’s mom, looking as if she were about to burst into tears at any moment.
“Oh, Ryan. Thank the gods you are here. Please come in.”
“Mrs. Vareth, what’s the matter? Can I help?”
“I do hope so. It’s Storm.”
“Storm? What happened? Is she okay?”
Storm’s mom bit her lip, wringing her hands. “She’s not doing well. Her dads and I figured out that she and Riley bonded before the school kicked them out. When Storm realized it, she fell into a mood that no one can get her out of. Please, Ryan, help her. She’s always listened to you.”
“Bonded? Kicked out?” I had so many questions, but they could wait. “Where is Storm?”
“Where she’s been for the last week: her nest. She won’t come out.”
My face fell. I couldn’t see her there. An omega’s nest was sacred. No one could enter it without the omega’s express permission. Storm wasn’t likely to give me that, not if she was still mad at me. But Mrs. Vareth’s pleas got to me, not to mention my concern for my friend, and I nodded before starting up the stairs to Storm’s room.
At the entrance, I found her father, Greg, leaning with his head against the wood. He looked worn out, like he hadn’t slept in days. I tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned bleary eyes on me.
“I hope you can help, Ryan. We didn’t mean for this to happen when we told her about the bond. She’s taking all the blame onto herself, and it’s killing me to see her so upset.”
“I’ll try, Mr. Vareth.”
“Oh, please call us by our first names, Ryan. You are like family.”
He patted my shoulder and then shuffled down the hall and downstairs, I presumed to find his omega and the rest of their family. Turning, I lifted my hand and knocked twice on her door. From inside, I heard a snarl, and then something crashed.
“Storm? It’s me. May I come in, firefly?” I received no answer, but I heard something else hit the wall. “If you don’t answer me, I’m taking that as acceptance and I’m coming in. Three, two, one.”
I twisted the knob, surprised when I found it unlocked. I moved to push the door open and met with resistance. Putting my back into it, I shoved hard and heard her dresser scraping along her floorboards. No wonder it wasn’t locked. She had barricaded the doorway. How she managed that was beyond me. Her adrenaline must have been racing while she rearranged.
I pushed with everything I had, until there was just enough room for me to squeeze through and into her bedroom. The sight before me had me gasping aloud. Her room was destroyed, the bed stripped, and the mattress overturned. Clothing was thrown around and things were shattered all over.
It looked like she was the victim of a robbery.
There was no sign of Storm, but I could hear her agitated muttering coming from her nest room. Cautiously, I tiptoed over and rapped on the wardrobe style door. Through the slats on the door, I could see Storm pacing, her hands tugging at her hair. When she spun and I caught a small glimpse of her face, I threw caution to the wind and ripped her door open.
Storm’s eyes flashed with fire as she whirled to face me, the intruder in her space. When she saw it was me, her ire seemed to grow. Her green eyes spit fire in my direction as she stomped over to me.
“What are you doing here?” she snarled. “Get out of my room. I don’t want you and your judgmental pack anywhere near me, Ryan.”
I held my hands up in surrender. “It’s just me, Storm. No one else is here.”
“You’re still not invited in. Get out.”
“I’m sorry, firefly. I was wrong and an idiot. I didn’t stop to think about what you wanted, just what I thought I did. That was terrible of me. Please, firefly, forgive me?”
“Riley is mine, Ryan. Mine. I won’t give her up for anyone. And I won’t be told that what we have is wrong.”
“I know and I am so sorry that I told you anything different. I didn’t understand then because I was in shock. But fate works in mysterious ways, they say. If you are sure and she is sure, then it’s obviously meant to be.”
