Page 42 of Bound By Song (Evie Quad Omegaverse #1)

EVIANA

A s we stand in line at the checkout, I feel like I’m on the edge of something I can’t quite grasp. My mind is spinning, my body still tense, but the act of picking out soft things – pillows, blankets – feels like a betrayal to everything I’ve forced myself to be for so long.

I don’t need this. I never needed any of it.

But I can’t ignore the pull inside me, the way the soft fabrics make my body relax just a little. The way the pillows feel in my hands. I want to want this, but I don’t know how to. Or maybe I already want this, but feel guilty for it.

My mind’s a mess but Blaise, bless his heart, keeps talking. It’s more to himself than to me but his energy is contagious – ridiculous and somehow comforting all at once. He’s so there, so present. He’s not trying to force me to feel anything. He’s just...helping me find my way through this storm.

I glance at the pile of things in the cart – blankets, towels, food, snacks – and for a moment, I freeze.

It’s too much. What am I doing? Why am I letting myself get swept up in this?

I close my eyes for a second, trying to steady myself.

This is fine. I’m allowed to have this. Eva said so. It’s not too much. This is probably the bare minimum for an omega. I’m sure omegas collect this stuff over years, I’m just catching up. What’s that saying? Making up for lost time?

Yeah, that’s what this feels like. I’ve denied my omega for so long, that now that we’ve finally acknowledged her, we have a lot of making up to do.

This is acceptable. Accepted. The right thing to do.

But the words ring hollow, the guilt still heavy on my chest.

“Eviana.” Blaise’s voice is warm as he reaches over, grabbing a few more things from the cart.

His energy is like a rope thrown to me, and I grab onto it.

“Look at us. We’re getting everything you need .

Everything you deserve , honeybee. We’ve got snacks, drinks, pillows, the fluffiest blankets you can imagine.

We’re gonna turn that house into a home. ”

His words settle over me, like a warm blanket, and I realise, maybe for the first time, that he’s right. Grams’ house isn’t a home, it never was, but maybe it’s time to make it one.

We finally reach the checkout counter, and I let out a deep breath, trying to ignore the pounding of my heart. The cashier, a beta girl with dark hair and a wide smile, looks up from the register as we approach, her eyes widening at the sight of the guys.

I imagine they have that effect wherever they go. They’re so good looking and striking.

It’s weird that they’re ‘mine’, but we’ve not done anything. Well, anything more than that amazing kiss and…you know…with Xar…

“Oh my god,” she gasps, her voice high with excitement. “You’re – wait – are you—?” She pauses, blinking at them. And then her eyes widen even more. “You’re them ! You’re—oh my god, this is crazy! I can’t believe it. I’m such a huge fan!”

I freeze, my stomach dropping. There’s no way this girl can know who I am. Right?

The fan starts gushing, excitement practically vibrating off her. “I’ve been to every one of your shows!”

Hold on…my shows? I don’t do shows. Does she mean the livestreams? Has she somehow figured out that I’m Honey?

How?

My breath catches in my throat, and my pulse is pounding in my ears. I want to shrink into myself, to hide behind the nearest shelf, to disappear. The walls are closing in around me again, and I feel the all-too-familiar urge to retreat.

I turn slightly, trying to keep my face hidden behind the cart, hoping the fan won’t notice. But of course, she does.

I want to sink into the floor. I can’t breathe, my chest tight, like I’m suffocating under the weight of her words.

All I want is to disappear. The thought of being seen like this, in front of the guys, in front of her – it makes everything feel so wrong.

I feel small, invisible, exposed, and I’m shaking from head to toe.

I can’t do this.

“Wait, are you with them?” she asks, her eyes flitting from Blaise to me, her smile growing even wider. “Oh my god, you’re their omega , aren’t you?”

Wait, what? She doesn’t recognise me? Then who is she talking…

Oh.

It hits me.

I have no idea who these guys are.

But clearly, she does.

“Wow, this is amazing. You’re so lucky! Can I get a picture? Can you guys sign something for me?”

I think I’m on the verge of passing out, my breath coming in sharp snatches that don’t seem to be offering any sort of relief, my vision darkening at the edges when a hand lands on my shoulder.

It’s warm, gentle, and strong.

Xar’s voice is soft, a steady anchor in the storm. “Eviana,” he says, looking at me with concern, “It’s okay. You don’t have to do anything. Just breathe. She’s not asking you for anything. We’re used to this.”

I nod, but my breath is still shallow. I can’t shake the panic. I feel my whole body wanting to retreat, but Xar doesn’t let go of my shoulder. His presence is grounding, even as the world feels like it’s spiralling.

The fan doesn’t seem to notice my distress, too caught up in the excitement and Blaise is doing a fantastic job of distracting her taking selfies.

But Xar gently pulls me closer to the counter, leading me back to the task at hand.

“We’re just here for the goods,” Dane says lightly, trying to keep things casual.

“Gotta get back before the storm gets much worse.”

I manage a weak smile, still dizzy with the rush of emotions, but their steady presence keeps me from slipping. As the transaction wraps up, I feel a small sense of relief. We’re moving on. We’re leaving. But the weight of the interaction lingers.

The fan’s excitement still hangs in the air as we move through the checkout line.

My chest tightens with every word she speaks, her gushing admiration for the guys swirling around me, a reminder of how little I know about them and the wider world outside of my little farmhouse.

I can barely keep up with everything happening around me, my mind spinning faster than I can process.

Blaise stays close, his hand resting lightly on my shoulder, grounding me. “It’s okay, Eviana,” he says softly. “You were wonderful. Now we can go.”

But even as I nod, trying to catch my breath, the unease lingers. My body is still shaking slightly, the weight of the fan’s recognition and the thought of being so seen unsettling me. The whole experience feels like I’ve stepped into someone else’s world, and I’m struggling to keep my footing.

“Thank you for keeping me together,” I whisper, my voice barely a breath.

Blaise flashes me an easy smile, his presence a steadying force. “Anytime, honeybee. I know we keep saying it, but we’ll keep repeating it until you believe us: you don’t have to do this alone.”

But as we head out of the store, a new question nags at me. Why was she so excited?

I look at Blaise and the guys again, still wondering. I know there’s something I’m missing, something important about them. The way they move, the way they carry themselves – it’s obvious they’re more than just...ordinary. But I still don’t know who they are, not really.

And it feels like something that should matter more, something I should have asked about long before now. But in the whirlwind of everything, I hadn’t thought to question it.

“Blaise,” I say, my voice hesitant, “why was she so...hyped? Who are you guys?”

Blaise looks over at me, his expression softening, though there’s a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. He doesn’t answer right away, and I wonder if he’s trying to figure out how to explain it to me – how to explain them.

His grin returns, a little more playful. “Guess we’ll have to tell you everything soon, Eviana. But for now, let’s just get out of this storm. We’ll head home, get everything set up and then we can talk.”

I glance at the guys, still uncertain, still feeling like there’s so much more to this than I understand. But for now, I follow them as they load the bags into the car.

I still don’t know who they are, but there’s a part of me that’s starting to wonder if maybe...maybe that doesn’t matter as much as I thought.

The storm is relentless now, the rain slamming against the car like a thousand tiny fists, while the wind howls as though it’s trying to rip us off the road entirely.

The wipers swipe back and forth in a losing battle to clear the windshield.

I grip the edge of the seat, my knuckles white, my chest tight with unease.

Every gust of wind sends the car rocking, and I feel like I’m one wrong move away from losing it.

I can’t believe it’s already Sunday. This week has been the longest and shortest of my life. Definitely the strangest. My omega feels like we’ve known these guys our whole life, but what happened in the store just proves that we’re all still strangers. And it’s freaking me out.

“Relax, Evie,” Blaise says from the passenger seat, glancing back at me with a grin that’s far too relaxed for the situation. “Xar’s a great driver. Worst-case scenario, we end up in a ditch, but it’ll be a soft landing with all these pillows.”

I let out a shaky laugh, but it does little to calm my nerves. My pulse is racing, my chest tight, and I can’t stop my mind from spinning with all the ways this could go wrong.

“It’s fine,” Xar says, his voice steady from behind the wheel. “The storm’s bad, but I’ve got it under control.”

I want to believe him, but the car lurches slightly as we hit a deep puddle, and a small yelp escapes my throat. Before I can fully process my own embarrassment, Xar pulls the car to the side of the road, the tyres crunching against gravel.

“What are you—?” I start, but Dane’s already unbuckling his seatbelt and turning in his seat towards me.

“Get over here,” he says, his voice softer than I expect but leaving no room for argument.

“What?” I blink, confused.