Page 39 of Bound By Song (Evie Quad Omegaverse #1)

We race down the driveway, Xar helping me to clamber over the fallen trees – I make a mental note to sort them out once the storm clears while praying that’s the full extent of the damage I’ll have to deal with – and we get in the car.

As Blaise starts the engine, it feels like the storm intensifies, battering against the windows with the kind of force that makes me want to curl into myself.

Maybe it does, maybe it’s just my anxiety.

Who knows. I can’t help but glance at the others in the car, their presence overwhelming, even though they’re quiet.

I can feel the weight of their eyes on me, but I can’t meet their gaze for too long.

It feels like they’re waiting for something from me.

“Just breathe,” Dane says from beside me in the backseat, his voice steady. “We’ve got this, Eviana. There is no one out there that can hurt you. Not with us around.”

I nod, unable to speak. I don’t know what I want from them right now, but it is comforting to hear those words. Still, the unease doesn’t fully leave. The storm rages outside, but it feels like there’s a different kind of storm brewing in the car, a quiet kind that I can’t escape.

Was this crazy? Going out in a storm? Or is it crazier that I’m venturing into a storm with three alphas?

What would Grams say?

As we drive, I notice the trees being bent sideways by the wind, branches breaking off and swirling around in the chaos. The intensity of the storm makes the silence in the car feel louder. I can’t stop thinking about what Xar said earlier, about how it’s going to get worse.

After a few minutes of tense silence, the road begins to narrow, the tires crunching over gravel and debris as the storm thickens around us.

I glance at the guys, but none of them meet my eyes.

The drive’s taken longer than I expected – longer than it usually takes to get into town.

Maybe it’s the storm slowing us down. Or maybe we’ve gone somewhere else entirely.

Eventually we pull up outside a building, headlights cutting through the sheets of rain, and I frown. This isn’t the supermarket I usually go to. I don’t recognise it at all.

I expected the usual – stocking up on food, maybe some firewood, something practical to protect the house.

But when we stop, I see it.

A shift in the plan.

And I hadn’t expected this.

My eyes widen as I read the sign, and my stomach drops. The letters are simple, elegant, almost too delicate: ‘ Omegas’ Haven ’.

I freeze, staring at the store. My heart skips a beat. No.

The words hit me like a bucket of cold water. My breath catches, and for a moment, I can’t process what I’m seeing.

I glance at the guys, all of them already getting out of the car, but they don’t speak.

They don’t need to. The look in their eyes says it all – they’ve brought me here for a reason.

They stand there, waiting in the torrential rain, as if they’re giving me space to process.

But there’s no mistaking it now. This isn’t just about supplies. Storm supplies. Basic supplies.

No, it’s about omega supplies.

Nesting supplies.

I can feel the panic rising in me again, this time much stronger.

I’ve never been to a store like this. I’ve never needed to.

I grew up keeping to myself, basically raising myself as a beta.

I never had to think about what it meant to be an omega – never had to face the overwhelming reality of it until now.

What am I supposed to do here?

I sit frozen in the car, unsure of how to move. My hands are shaking, and my breath comes too fast. I can’t even bring myself to open the door.

Eviana, just breathe. It’s just a store. It’s just stuff.

But it feels like it’s more than that. My mind races, my chest tightens, and I feel completely out of place.

I never asked for this. I never wanted it.

But now, sitting outside this store, surrounded by everything I don’t understand, I feel small.

Like I’m being suffocated by my own need to run and hide.

“What is this?” I whisper, my voice trembling as I stare at the building.

Obviously, no one answers. They’re outside the vehicle in a storm. They can’t hear me. They’re giving me space, letting me figure this out on my own, but I can’t. My heart races as panic begins to rise, filling my chest with each passing second.

I don’t know how to be an omega.

They think they’ve found their omega, the one to complete and unify their pack, but they don’t know how broken I am. They’d never want me if they did.

Dane moves around the car, opening the door before he speaks. His voice is low and steady, cutting through the tension.

“Eviana, it’s okay. We’ve got you. Let’s just get what you need and get back before the worst of the storm hits.”

I want to argue, to say no, but the words don’t come. I can feel their presence, urging me to move. I shake my head, trying to clear the fog in my brain. I feel lost, exposed, out of place. I never asked for any of this.

“Evie? Are you okay?” Xar asks, his face full of concern when I still don’t move.

Somehow I manage to nod. “Yeah, I just…can you…give me a minute?”

“Of course.”

“Can you all…wait outside again? I need to make a quick call.”

If they’re surprised by my request, they don’t let on, giving me nods before stepping back once more and closing the door. They even stand with their back to the car to give me privacy, but the way they fan out around the vehicle feels oddly protective and comforting.

It’s ridiculous really. They’re standing outside in the rain – in a storm – just patiently waiting for me.

I’m the worst.

A rush of anxiety crashes through me, and I pull my phone from my pocket, my hands trembling. I can’t do this . I need someone to talk me through it. I need her.

I quickly dial Evangaline’s number, praying she’ll pick up. The phone rings once, twice, before she answers, and I immediately feel a sense of relief hearing her voice. It’s grounding, familiar, but also full of concern.

“Evie?” Her voice comes through clearly, cutting through my panic like a lifeline. “What’s wrong?”

“I—” I swallow hard, trying to push down the rising tide of panic.

“I don’t know what to do, Eva. Everything’s happening so fast, and I can’t breathe.

The guys— They—” I break off, unable to explain properly.

“I think my omega’s reacting. I-I didn’t think it would happen now, but it’s all hitting me at once.

And I thought I was okay with it but then they brought me here and now I?—”

There’s a beat of silence on the other end, then a sharp intake of breath from Evangeline. “Wait. What are you talking about? What’s going on?”

The words tumble out, faster than I can control them. “I can smell them. They’re my mates, Eva. My alphas. I didn’t know, I didn’t understand until now. But I–I don’t know how to deal with it. The storm, the neutraliser – it’s all too much. I feel like I’m losing control.”

There’s a long pause before she speaks again, her voice softening. “Oh, Evie…” She sighs, a sound heavy with understanding. “You’re okay. Just breathe. You’ve always known deep down that this day would come, haven’t you? You can’t pretend to be a beta forever, Evie.”

I try to steady myself, gripping the phone tighter as I try to make sense of it all. “I don’t know how to handle it. I’ve been so isolated. I never learned how to be an omega. I didn’t even know what it would be like.”

Eva’s voice shifts to something calmer, more directive.

“Eviana, listen to me. You are an omega. Suppressants don’t change that.

I know it feels like this is all new, and it’s scary, but you’ve always been one.

Suppressants don’t make you any less of an omega, Evie. Denying it doesn’t change who you are.”

The words hit me like a wave, and I take a sharp breath, trying to hold it together. “I–I don’t know how to be what they need though, not when I don’t even know how to be me . I’ve never done any of this before.”

Her voice softens, but there’s still that firm edge to it.

“You don’t need to know how to do it all at once.

You’ve already been living as an omega, even if you didn’t realise it.

And right now, your omega knows what she needs, even if you don’t.

And that’s okay. You’re not alone in this.

Listen to your omega. She will tell you what you both need.

And by the sounds of it, these alphas are going to support you too, Evie. They sound good.”

I feel a tight knot in my chest at her words. There’s truth in them, but it doesn’t make this any easier. “I don’t even know where to start.”

Eva exhales slowly. “Start with a nest.”

“A nest?” The word feels so foreign on my tongue, absurd and ridiculous.

She doesn’t need to know about the pathetic den in the attic that I crawled into.

My omega scoffs that that wasn’t a nest. I’ve allowed myself to dream of having a nest – a real one – but Grams’ voice inside my head always stopped me, so I repeat her words now. “Eva, I’m not a bird.”

She lets out a short laugh, but there’s warmth in it.

“No, but you’re an omega. A nest will make you feel safe, grounded.

It’ll help you through this. Just let yourself embrace it, okay?

Ignore Grams’ voice. She did the best she could, but she was wrong about a lot of things.

Especially when it came to omegas, and us.

I’m starting to think she may have been wrong about alphas too… ”

I swallow hard. Grams always made me feel like being an omega was something to hide, something to be ashamed of. “It’s hard to think about it like that. Grams was everything to us. She was our rock.”