Page 8 of Nothing is Free

I can’t let them take away my baby. If my mates can’t help me, then I’ll help myself. Whether it means my own death. . .well.

CHAPTER 5

OMARI

An excerpt from Freeya’s Journal:

January 16

Mercy suggested I write about my true mate experiences with Omari. Considering we couldn’t find much on the topic, maybe one day this will help someone else understand how unique this actually is. I mean, if journaling helped my bestie find clarity in her darkest moments, then who I am to say this won’t help me make sense of all of this? So, where do I begin?

Today I had the craziest idea. I wanted to see if my bond to Omari was stronger than my bond with my Alphas. Considering he’s my true mate, I wanted to see who could find me first. I know, bitch move, right? Honestly, I love and care for them all equally and I wasn’t trying to place one mate ahead of theother, but it was a theory. Theories, of course, need to be tested. Scientific method and all that shit.

Anyway, after an hour of persuading a surly Dez—well, after I sucked him dry, and he could no longer think straight—I convinced him to let me get lost, with a security detail close by, of course. The only thing left to do was to choose a public location.

To confuse them further, I decided to take Mercy’s sister, Faith, shopping for some new clothes. She was fresh out of the hospital and didn’t want any purchased by her old pack. I mean, I don’t blame her. Poor Faith. . .that’s another subject entirely.

Getting back on topic, that is how we ended up at the mall surrounded by a multitude of scents from Alphas, mated Omegas, and Betas. Faith had her own security detail, of course, Beckett, Quincy, and the nerdy tech guy, Malcolm, who refused to leave her side. Hey, the more scents the merrier.

Let’s just say, after exactly one hour of shopping, guess who found me first standing in a dressing room in only my bra and panties. Omari. When I asked him how he found me so fast with all the other scents meant to confuse him, he leaned forward, the warmth of his body was a stark contrast to the cool temperature of the little room, making goosebumps rise on my skin. Omari wrapped his hands around my waist andpulled me into his arms then buried his nose into my neck and inhaled. With those sage green eyes blazing with enough heat to melt my panties, our gazes locked, and he smiled.

“Champagne and roses, Petal. Your scent is the only scent I smell and the only scent I seek.” Swoon. Theory proved. My Omega will always find me, no matter the obstacles put in his way. Dez found us shortly after, but I doubt he needed to follow my scent to find me. He only needed to follow the screams and moans coming from the dressing room. I?—

“Mari?” I jump at the sound of my name. So lost in my Petal’s journal that I didn’t hear the door of her bedroom open. I hang my head, my shoulders slump forward as I slowly close her journal and brace my arms on either side of it. The smell of leather and cinnamon envelops me, and I inhale Dez’s scent, letting it soothe me. It’s been the hardest four days of my life, the comfort I usually seek from my Alphas, I’ve refused. Rising up slowly, I run my finger over the journal, wanting to keep reading, to get lost in Freeya’s words, anything to feel close to her. Instead, I sigh and turn to face my Alpha.

Dez stands in the doorway, dressed in his usual all-black uniform of long sleeved t-shirt, combat trousers, and black army-style boots laced up to the calf. He isn’t wearing any of his gear, but I know it’s somewhere close by. Dez stays ready, always. From the dark circles under his eyes, I know he hasn’t slept. I don’t think any of us have really, but I know Dez won’t rest until he gets a lead to follow. My eyes find his gorgeous brown ones, panicked and wild, there’s a pleabehind the look he gives me. Out of the three of my Alphas, Dez needs to possess and dominate me. He doesn’t like to show his vulnerability to anyone but me, and now Freeya. Considering he’s been surrounded by his team for the past ninety-six hours, he needs to vent his emotions in the only way he knows how: physically. I watch his chest rise and fall rapidly, his arms dangling at his sides, fingers loose, as if he’s attempting to force himself to relax in my presence.

“I knew you would come find me eventually,” I say, leaning back, resting my hips against my Petal’s desk. My eyes skim over to Freeya’s wrought iron canopy bed, purple velvet and satin comforter with a mound of matching throw pillow sitting cold and untouched. I close my eyes and rub the center of my chest; I can feel her anguish and it’s killing me. I sigh and focus on Dez who has now stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

“I won’t ask you how you’re feeling because I can feel it, Mari. It’s the same way I felt when I found you, my mate, right there in front of me and I could have lost?—

“Don’t, Dez. Don’t.” I stop him from mentioning my own kidnapping. The last thing I need is to relive the nightmare of almost being sold on the Black Market. The abuse I suffered from the traffickers, constantly being transported from one hellhole to the next to elude Dez and his team.

I came from a poor family. When I presented as a male Omega, I could practically see the dollar signs in my father’s eyes. But news spread in the small country town I was born in and before my father could mate me off to an affluential family, I was snatched and taken. With no money, my father approached Dez’s security firm and attempted to negotiate by selling me to Dez. Dez being the kind and noble white knight that he is, told my father to fuck himself. Saying, and I quote, “He is no longer your concern. I will find your son, but you will never see him again.”

The night he found me I was locked in a shipping container on a ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. I close my eyes, the images flashing behind my lids still haunt my nightmares. I attempt to push the memories down but fail at my efforts. The metallic scent of blood, the bite of chains, and the cold feeling of corrugated metal against my bare back. Naked. Starving. The darkness. The cries and whimpers of the female Omegas beside me. Fuck. Petal, think of her. She needs us. Our baby needs us.

“You found me, Alpha, and that’s all that matters,” I say as I take a step in his direction. The closer I get to him, the easier it is to breathe; the visions, my memories fade away like they always do when I am near my Alphas. I chose Dez the moment he held his outstretched hand to me in the darkness. He is my guiding light. He gave me a home and I found my pack with him, Avion, and Vic.

“You will find her as well,” I say confidently, letting the feeling of hope flow through our bond as I continue forward, stopping to stand right in front of him. Dez inhales, taking in my scent, nostrils flaring, he groans and turns his back to me. His hands rise to rest on top of his head, and I know he is fighting his own battle, his own demons he keeps buried deep within. I know he blames himself. I know he blames himself for how long it took him to find me, and judging by the pain flowing through our bond, he is suffering at the loss of our Petal. Especially now that we know she is carrying our child. Now more than ever he needs control, he needs a clear, level head in order to do what he must to get her back. What he doesn’t know, what I won’t divulge until this is over, is that I have a plan. He turns slowly, eyes clear and focused, his breathing calm and measured.

In a strained, husky whisper, he commands, “Get on your knees.”

I don’t hesitate, knowing what he needs. I’ve locked myself away, grieving the loss of my true mate, neglecting my Alphas, when they are just as important. My self-imposed isolation is over. If we have any chance of getting to my beautiful Petal, I need to be stronger, for all of us. I know without a shadow of doubt in my mind, I am her only chance. I lower myself to my knees before him and bow my head, waiting for his instructions.

I let the pain of his grip on my hair ground me before he yanks my head back. I know Dez will never hurt me, everything we do is consensual, and I trust him with my life. It’s why I don’t flinch or cry out. Pain is fleeting, but the pleasure from the pain can be an addictive eternal bliss. Right now, I want to drown in both, I want to feel everything.

Holding my head in place, I don’t know when I close my eyes, but the sound of his bark has them spring open. “Eyes on me, Omega,” he says, as his fingers wrap tighter around my curly strands, the muscles in his forearm flex underneath his skin. My mouth waters, my skin heats, I clench my teeth, grunting from the force of his grasp. The wave of need hits me unexpectedly. My cocks stirs—the first signs of desire in days—I need his touch, I want to beg and plead for it.

Our eyes lock as he bends forward, brushes his nose against mine. “You seem to have forgotten who you belong to, Omega.” Dez tsks, controlling the movement of my head as he tilts it to the side, exposing my neck. His nose skims over the side of my face, down my cheek, stopping at my parted lips. My breath hitches in anticipation, wanting, no, needing him to kiss me, but I know Dez, his lips are a reward. By the sound of slight annoyance in his voice, he plans to punish me for shutting him out first.

“Dez, I?—”

“Did I give you permission to speak, Omega!”

His bark sends a chill down my spine as all the blood flows at the sound, my cock suddenly rock hard. He pulls away abruptly, releasing his hold, leaving me swaying on my knees. I don’t reply, I don’t know why I tried. I know he knows why I did what I did, but it doesn’t mean I didn’t hurt him, Avion, and Vic because of it. Our entire dynamic has shifted in the months since my Petal joined our pack. With her being my true mate, there have definitely been some growing pains. I’ve been more aggressive, at times possessive of Freeya, wanting her and only her when I know she is not only mine but ours. My Alphas have been nothing but understanding, each of us adjusting and relearning each other with our Beta in the mix. It was only a matter of time before?—

“Never deny me again. Never deny us again, Mari. We are your Alphas. I’ve felt your pain for days and not being able to comfort you has almost turned me fucking feral. Vic had to leave the house, throwing himself into work at his shop. Avion has locked himself in his office,” he says through gritted teeth, the scene he was creating suddenly dissolves around us as he stands before me bewildered and broken.

---