Page 85 of Beg for It

I don’t speak or acknowledge him, my eyes now closed as I wish my body to go into a sleep and never wake up.

They leave, the door closing behind them. Once I know they’re gone, I manage to drag my heavy limbs and practically crawl my way to my nest. Once inside the closet, I curl up into the fabric I’ve stolen, the pieces of clothing that smell just like my pack. I thought I cried every tear, but prove myself wrong as a wave of sorrow hits me.

“Fuck,” I hear someone hiss. “How come you never told me it was this bad?”

Am I dreaming? Is Lee really here?

“Why the fuck would you care?” I hear Jamie hiss. “You’re the fucking reason he’s like this.”

“Fuck you!” Lee snaps. “He lied to us. I didn’t do this.”

“You’re fucking kidding me, right?” Jamie growls. “He kept it from you all because from the moment he came to this school, you all treated him like the enemy. Why the fuck would you think he’d feel safe enough to tell you that the two people who were his biggest tormenters were his fucking alphas.” Jamie barks.

“He had plenty of time to tell me after we put that shit behind us,” Lee shouts back.

“You can’t do shit to change the past. The fact is, he’s your omega. You know you all fucking want him. You're obsessed with him and I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if you were in love with him. I see the way you are with him. It’s not just an obsession, you care for him. The kind of emotion that would make you kill for him.”

The room is silent and for a moment I think I’ve drifted back to sleep.

“Cam,” Lee’s soft voice sounds closer this time. I’m too weak, too tired, too drained to open my eyes or speak. The familiar numbness has taken over and I don’t know if I have the strength in me to fight it.

“Fuck, Cam, baby, look at me. Speak to me.” I feel his hand on my face and my body warms. “I’m gonna talk to them okay? I’m gonna make them see. They want you. They’re going out of their minds without you, leaving a bloody trail behind them. They’re just too blinded by anger to see past it right now, but I’ll get them to see okay?”

I don’t answer him, not even sure my mouth could work right now. He presses a warm kiss to my forehead and it’s almost enough to make me snap out of it.

“Stay with him,” Lee says, his body leaving mine.

I want to cry out, tell him to come back, but my lips won't move.

“He’s experiencing rejection. And if those stubborn alphas of yours don't do something about it, the damage might not be fixable. You already know the fragileness of his mental state. Something like this could kill him.”

“Don’t you think I know that,” Lee hisses. “Am I pissed he lied, yes. But I don’t want to fucking lose him. You know what, you're right. I do love him. I love that man so fucking much it hurts. That's why it pained me to find out he lied to me. But I’m not going to let that overpower me and fuck everything else up. I’ll get my Alphas to listen, to see that he’s ours. And I know they will. I just need to speed shit up before it’s too late. Stay with him, if he gets any worse, bring him to the hospital and call me.”

“You should be here with him. He’s your omega,” Jamie insists.

“And he’s your best friend,” Lee snaps. “I’ll be fucking back.”

Part of me wants to cry that he’s gone again, but the other part of me can’t get his words out of my head. He loves me. He said he loves me.

Maybe, just maybe that's enough to keep me from letting the darkness swallow me whole for good.

But for now, I need to sleep. I couldn’t stop myself from drifting off even if I tried.

CAMDEN

I’m startled awake, gasping for air. Clawing at my chest, my head spins.

Why am I so hot? Everything hurts. I feel like I’ve tumbled down a hill in a barrel.

My throat is dry when I swallow. I need water.

I try to sit up, but let out a pathetic whimper as the throbbing in my head intensifies, followed by a sharp cramping in my stomach. Groaning, I wrap my arm around my abdomen and lean over. What the hell is wrong with me?

How long have I been in my nest for?

Getting on my hands and knees, I crawl towards the closet door. It takes way too much effort to push it open, like my arms are being weighed down by bags of rocks.

My eyes shut when the light from the open window blinds me. It takes a moment for me to adjust from being in the dark for so long.