Page 11 of Angel Boy
"I'm not cold, Xavier. I'm okay."
But I'm not okay, and we both know it. I sit up and then stand, looking around like I might find something to soothe the growing anxiety in my chest.
"What do you need?" Xavier asks, already moving like he's ready to fetch whatever I ask for. "I'll go get it."
I look up at him, the tears building behind my eyes, threatening to spill over. He's so beautiful, so solid and real and everything I want but can't have.
"Can you hold me?" The words slip out before I can stop them, a broken, desperate sound following as I realize what I said. "I don't need anything else. I won't ask you for anything else. I just... please?"
Xavier's face crumbles as he runs a hand over his face. "Sweetheart, ask me for anything else."
A tear runs down my cheek and then another until it’s just a steady stream, my fingers tightening in the blanket around me. I’m not sure why it hurts even more than when Ryker rejects me, but it does. And I hate that I can’t control my own fragile emotions in this state, that I need Xavier more than anything else, even more than I need the ice cream or the wings or my nest.
Xavier only hesitates for a moment before giving in, the purr erupting from him giving me immediate relief. I sag against his chest as his arms come around me, his tension melting away. He sits back onto the couch and pulls me into his lap, his lips pressed against my head.
The tears come faster now, the frustration and loneliness I’ve been feeling all day seeping out.
"I've got you, babe," he murmurs against my hair, his voice rough with emotion. "You'll be okay, I promise."
And for the first time in months, wrapped in Xavier's arms with his heartbeat steady beneath my ear, I almost believe him.
Xavier
I stare down at the precious bundle in my arms, watching Angel's face in sleep. It's the most peaceful he's looked in months—no tension around his eyes, no forced smile, just soft breathing against my chest. It took him a few hours to truly calm down, the tears finally stopping as exhaustion won out over everything else.
The doorbell had rung when the wings arrived, but I couldn't bring myself to disturb him. Angel needed this more than we needed food. So, I let it ring, let the delivery guy probably curse my name, and just held the most important person in my world while he finally got some rest.
It's past eight now, Angel still curled against me. Both our phones have been vibrating on and off for the past hour or so, lighting up with calls and messages that I've been steadfastly ignoring.
But I know I can't avoid reality forever. Angel's missed most of his evening activities by now, and Carter's probably having an aneurysm over the schedule disruption. Ryker... well, Ryker's going to be furious that his perfectly managed Omega didn't show up to be displayed like a prize.
I let out a deep breath and carefully lift Angel, carrying him to his nest and settling him among the soft pillows and blankets. He stirs slightly but doesn't wake as I press a gentle kiss to his forehead before forcing myself to walk away. Just a few months ago, I would have curled up around his back and held him through the night.
And if he was up for it…
“Fuck,” I mutter to myself, dashing those memories before they become a problem. I close his door and set my gaze on the disaster of a living room—Angel's discarded clothes everywhere, melted ice cream on the coffee table, the general chaos of an emotional breakdown covering the usually empty space. I start cleaning up, needing something to do with my hands while I work up the courage to face the shit storm waiting on my phone.
Finally, I pick up and dial back the most recent missed call.
Ryker's voice explodes through the speaker before I can even say hello, spewing curses and threats that make my jaw clench. The line goes dead abruptly, and then it's ringing again.
"Xavier, I hope you have a good fucking reason as to why Angel wasn't there after the board meeting." Carter's voice bellows through the speaker.
I keep my tone level, not wanting to deal with the additional shitstorm that will come with my disrespect. "Angel wasn't feeling well, and I'm not his boss—just his security detail, as I've been reminded several times recently. He'd already called a car by the time we got outside, and rather than dragging him back into headquarters, we left. He's been at the penthouse ever since."
There's a pause, and then Ryker's voice cuts in, which means they are together. "You must be enjoying this."
"Actually, I'm not," I say, and I mean it. Watching Angel fall apart isn't some victory for me. "It pains me to see Angel hurting like this."
Ryker snorts, the sound dripping with disdain. "Brother, I would say you'd better not be at the house when we get there, but actually, I think this calls for a face-to-face conversation."
Nothing good ever comes from face-to-face conversations with Ryker, especially when Angel's involved. But I'm not going anywhere—not when Angel's vulnerable and needs someone in his corner.
I hang up, not affording either of them a goodbye before I finish cleaning up the living room. I manage to find a can of scent neutralizer to clear up the space and erase Angel’s heat scent, knowing full well that three Alphas in this space might very well end in disaster. Hell, even without his scent, it might end in disaster.
I go to check on Angel one last time, finding the Omega stirring in his nest. He lets out a little moan of contentment when he sees me, something in my chest clenching at the sound.
"Ryker and Carter will be here in a little bit, babe," I tell him gently.
