Absolute Devotion (An Omega’s Preference #3)

7. Nala

seven

NALA

The blankets have been thrown onto the floor, sweat clinging to my body as I try to stave off the growing irritability thrumming through my limbs. Nightmares of those caged nights plague my mind, Alphas reaching for me and yelling for me to show them what I owe them. I struggle to breathe as I scramble around for anything to soothe the panic and fear from those horrific moments.

My gaze darts around, searching and failing to find comfort in this studio apartment. My Omega whines for our mates as I grab acceptable clothes to run off my heightened emotions. I used to run all the time, whether in the basement of the Omega dorms or around the block when I was still at Joel’s house. I haven’t needed to run for a while.

But the emotions are pulling me apart. I just need to breathe.

Throwing on a pair of shorts and a sports bra, I dart down the stairs and into the cool night air, sighing with relief as I take off down the street. A brisk wind whips through my hair as I clench my fists and keep my head down, allowing nature to hold me close in the darkness. Does this ever get better? I ask myself. Nothing answers but I don't expect it to.

I’m not sure how long I run or where I’m headed until I collide with something that is most definitely not a pole. The familiar surroundings tell me I landed a few houses down from Joel’s, my need to feel safe and at home overriding everything else. However, the presence in front of me smells like the very air I’ve been enjoying, the feeling of summer in the darkness.

Slowly, I back away and look up to see a man I never expected to see again. Dark gray eyes stare down at me, Montgomery Tanner himself standing before me. “Monty?” I ask, my voice cracking. “What… why…”

He doesn’t let me finish, his arms wrapping around me and dragging me into his large chest. I don’t resist pressing my nose into his shirt, taking large gulps of his scent as I relax against him. Montgomery was one of those memories that I didn’t hate but I couldn't believe in his promises. He boasted a life of happiness and comfort, everything I could possibly want but just like the others, I couldn’t tell if it was my scent or me.

I told him that if we ever met again, it would be fate.

I never believed those words and Montgomery fell away into a distant memory.

The thick arms crushing me against his chest are definitely not a memory. “Why are you out here at night, princess? You should never be out this late alone.” It feels like I just left his house, like there hasn't been months since we last saw each other.

My face scrunches up at his words. For the day that I knew him, he was both loving and an overprotective Alpha that made me want to willingly submit to his demands. Like now, I want to apologize and tell him I won’t do it again. Instead of answering, I just snuggle in closer, avoiding the nagging thoughts that I have three other mates who will be hurt and confused that Montgomery exists.

That I never told them about the cages.

Hell, Montgomery will be mad that I didn’t tell him either.

“Princess, look at me. Let’s go inside and get you cleaned up, okay?” He gently wraps a hand around the back of my neck and pulls backward so that I can meet his eyes. Then he briefly brushes his lips against mine before ushering me up the sidewalk and into a house that looks a lot like Joel’s. He sits me in the corner of his couch, reaching for me again when my body betrays me and I flinch.

Montgomery’s expression darkens as he pulls back and I wait for his reaction. Six months ago, I gladly slept in his arms, protected from the rest of the world. Now, I’m just overwhelmed, confused, and really strung out.

The Alpha says nothing, disappearing into the kitchen as I curl into myself. My thoughts roam from chaotic to downright self-hatred until he returns with a white mug, little white mounds floating on top. The rich chocolate aroma fills my nose as he hands the drink to me and then once again sits beside me.

I stare at his massive thighs, beckoning for me to crawl into his lap just the way I did months ago. He reminds me of a linebacker, his aura larger than life, every last inch of him packed with muscles. Montgomery is much thicker than Xylo and Bear, his stomach protruding just slightly beneath his suit jacket. He’s no less handsome than the others, his scent doing things to my body that I can’t help.

“Take what you need, princess.”

I scoot closer before climbing onto his lap and settling against his chest. I nearly disappear in his embrace, warring with my thoughts and desires. “Why are you here?” I choke out before pressing the mug to my lips. Why Montgomery has fresh chocolate in his house is beyond me but I’m grateful it’s not the packaged stuff. “Monty?”

He leans back against the cushions, content to play with my hair as he holds me. “I’m part of an investigation and it brought me here. I had no idea you were here as well or I would have come sooner. You told me that if we saw each other again, it would be fate. Nala—”

I shake my head as I take another sip. “You wouldn’t have known where I was. I took off. It’s fine.”

“You’re so goddamn precious, Nala. It was never fine . I found you curled up just off campus, terrified, and trying to fight off two Alphas. You never explained what was going on but I’ve known since then that you were mine. Even after you took off, I never looked for someone else.” His hands seem to have a mind of their own, one wrapping around the back of my neck again, the other settling on my bare waist between my shorts and sports bra combo.

Heat spears through me beneath his touch, all those Omega lessons rushing back at me. Coming into contact with my mates just before my heat is going to make the spikes worse. And yet, I can’t find the energy to move. It feels safe here. Like it felt safe between Xylo and Zahria.

A whine pulls from my throat that I try to cover up by gulping down hot chocolate. It backfires in my face as I sputter, Montgomery laughing at my plight. He removes the cup from my hands and places it on the table beside the arm of the couch. “Nala, I already know about them.”

“How could you—”

“That investigation I’m part of has a few members that all smelled like you. You kind of smell like them too. If you were mated, you would have never looked at me twice but you’re all of ours, aren’t you?”

I clear my throat and sit up straighter, frowning at the man I once dreamt of spending a forever with. “You’re on the POCA task force?” I don’t believe in coincidences and all of my mates on the same force feels odd. It also feels safe. Montgomery nods, searching my expression for answers. “Michael was after my brother-in-law. And me at some point.” A growl bellows from Montgomery, the vibrations rumbling through me.

My first thought is to take off until I realize he’s not angry at me. Instead, I lean into him, pushing away my fear and try to soothe his rage. A strange sound falls from my lips, a soft vibration that has Montgomery pausing. It takes me a few minutes to realize that I’m purring for him.

“Alpha?”

I called Zahria that earlier as well but it feels right. These four are mine.

“I’m not angry with you, Nala. I’m angry that I couldn’t keep you safe, that you still suffered. I hate that you had to endure so much on your own, that you thought you had to endure that on your own.” A smile creeps onto his lips as his fingers gripping my waist spread out, the tips brushing the edge of my bra.

I gasp, my back arching slightly as I clamp my thighs together, not wanting another heat spike to hit me so soon. The closer they come, the sooner my heat will, and I’m not ready. “Alpha, I—”

He raises an eyebrow, even as he removes his hand. “Nala, you tell me what you need.” When I try to slip off his lap, he tugs me back. “That worked six months ago, princess but not now. I need your words. I need you to tell me what’s too much and what’s not enough. What do you need right now?”

I don’t want to speak. I just want him to figure it out as I wordlessly point and whimper for things, as stupid as that sounds. But Montgomery wants me to flourish; he always has. “Just right here. And my hot chocolate.”

He chuckles, reaching for the mug and placing it back in my hands again.

“You stay too. I like being here. It’s safe.”

“Then why did you leave, Nala?”

“Because I thought things would change.”

“If you’re talking about your scent, I loved being drenched in it. My apartment smelled like you for days. It was all I could think of. It’s all I wanted. It’s all I still want.”

“Even with them?”

“Even if it means I have to share you, Nala.”

“You put extra marshmallows in here.” I told him one time the perfect hot chocolate to marshmallow ratio. In the end, it’s mostly a chocolatey marshmallow drink.

“I would never forget something that important.”