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I nodded. “It cost her. I don’t know if they figured it out, but they blamed her. She became a burden. And they had a reputation by then, couldn’t keep themselves in check long enough to court another omega—though they tried.”
“Nothing came up about that when I searched you,” Ebony noted, looking curious.
My smile wasn’t warm exactly, but it was proud. “Like I said, they had a reputation. There was a murder—my dad was killed. It was mayhem. My mother saw it for the chance it was: she took me and ran. We moved cities, changed names and never looked back. But it was hard for her. She was bonded and in hiding. She had to be really careful. We weren’t rich, but we were happy.”
“What happened to her?” Ebony asked.
I chewed on my lip, eyes burning. “She got sick. Brain tumour. Happened fast. One day she was fine, and then… I was… alone.” My throat was tight with words I’d never said out loud before. Drake’s fingers squeezed mine, but I couldn’t take my eyes from the fire as it popped and crackled. “‘Dare to dream, because a dream unfinished is just magic still waiting to steal you away,’ that’s what she’d say. And she was dreaming until the day she was gone. Every night she would tell me all her plans for the next week, month… year…”
Lenny’s Pizza Place for the four cheese with BBQ sauce instead of red.
Centennial Park’s Autumn light display.
The Grand Canyon to see the sunrise.
My momma’s dreams.
My voice shook, but I forced myself on. “I want dreams that strong. Dreams with enough power that only death can take them from me. Dreams that will live on even if I’m not here.”
I let my gaze flick to Ebony for just the briefest moment.
He was absolutely still, eyes like liquid lava in the orange light of the dying fire, dancing shadows carving grooves across every inch of his frozen expression.
Then I focused on the fire again, jaw clenched.
Icoulddo this with them. They were each little pieces of my soul, anchoring me; giving me strength I couldn’t imagine without them.
“My mom would tell me her dreams every night, and then she’d sing me to sleep.”
Drake reached up, thumb catching the single tear beneath my eyes before he cupped my cheek. I huddled against him, still holding my knee tight to my chest.
“I perfumed a week after she passed. Probably stress. Mom would have had a heart attack. She never wanted me to be an omega—well, she didn’t say that, but only because we never expected it. It happened on the subway. I thought I was in trouble, but then this crazy dog found me, wouldn’t leave me alone. Had my shirt in her teeth and wouldn’t even let me go into my apartment without her.”
I smiled at the memory. Of the great St. Bernard who’d followed me home and never left.
“It was one of my mom’s dreams, getting me a dog so I’d be safe in the Gritch. But she wanted a Doberman, instead I got this goofy St. Bernard. But momma would have loved her anyway.”
“She sounds amazing,” Drake said, drawing me against him.
“She was.” I smiled. She hadn’t just kept me safe, she’d kept me sane.
I owed her everything, right down to this moment, to this pack, who were fighting for me, even when the world had turned its back.
FORTY
Chia pet’s 8th day of life, hair growth 7cm.
Time until execution: 1 day
VEX
I caught Ebony in my nest the next morning, arms folded, examining the chia pet. Love, Rook, and Drake were downstairs prepping to bring me breakfast in bed.
Ebony hadn’t joined the others in the nest overnight yet, and I wondered what was holding him up.
“What are you doing?” I asked, stifling my yawn as I reached him.
“You’re watering it every day?” he asked.
