Page 2 of Love in Excess (Beta Accepted #9)

CELESTE

My nerves are shot and I’m barely holding it together, my head throbbing like someone took a hammer to it. My scent’s gone all bitter too, my stomach churning from eating one too many oysters and yet, the Beta sitting beside me is keeping me from completely falling apart.

All golden hair and warm hazel-green eyes that scream safe and that delicious hazelnut-coffee scent that’s doing all sorts of things to my insides . Why the fuck didn’t I go on a date with someone more like Lincoln?

A heavy sigh falls from my lips but it comes out more like a strangled whine, the pounding in my head increasing until I’m squeezing my eyes shut and flailing around for something to grab.

Hunter is always here in moments like this, moments when I need someone to ground me.

It’s also one of the few moments I let myself completely give in to my Omega. Because he’s there.

But he’s not here right now.

Which means I need to keep it together.

A soft hand grabs mine and squeezes, sudden relief coursing through me. I’m not even sure Lincoln knows what he’s doing to me. He’s probably just giving the best bedside manner he can but I’m resisting the urge to crawl into his lap and disappear from the world.

There’s a lot of clicks and shuffling, my eyes opening to see Lincoln checking a few of the monitors while still holding my hand. He throws me a warm smile as he settles again. “The police will question your date first and then, they’ll come to the hospital to get your statement.”

I hadn’t really thought about that. Of course, they would want to come talk to me about what happened.

The problem is that I just want to move on and I’m fairly well acquainted with most of the officers in this city—Hunter is one of them.

I don’t want everyone knowing about my failed date or think that I don’t love Hunter as much as I do.

Fuck.

Everyone knows me as this fierce Omega, but right now I feel small, fragile, like the city’s chewed me up and spit me out.

This morning, I promised Hunter I’d be safe.

We both knew I’d probably find some kind of trouble—something stupid, like mixing gummy worms with hot sauce or sneaking into a restricted server for fun.

Not this. Not pulling away from a grabby Beta and slamming my head into the concrete.

I fumble for my phone in my jacket pocket, fingers trembling so bad I nearly drop it. Lincoln’s watching me, his brow creased with worry. “You sure you don’t want me to call someone?” he asks, again. If he keeps being that sweet, I’m not going to be able to keep it together.

“No, I got it,” I say, trying to sound confident, but my hands betray me, shaking as I unlock the screen.

I need to call Hunter, need to hear his voice as I imagine him wrapped around me and protecting me from the world outside.

I reach up to press my nose to my wrist and whine when I realize the bracelet Hunter gave me is gone.

He found some kind of forever jewelry that encases a mate’s scent into it. It was my engagement present last year and my favorite thing in the entire world. And now it’s gone.

It’s gone.

Fear courses through me, a mixture of confusion and the need to get to my Alpha growing because he’s not ‘here’ with me.

I dial Hunter’s number, my heart trying to leap out of my chest when it goes to voicemail, that deep, baritone in his voicemail hitting my ears. Caldwell, leave a message. I curse under my breath, my control slipping. I need my Alpha. Now. Yesterday.

Lincoln watches as my finger hovers over his name to call again, no doubt my emotions going to alert Hunter through the bond faster than the call will.

“Celeste, will your Alpha be okay knowing you were on a date?”

His question catches me off guard because I’ve never had someone ask me that before.

They just all assume that Hunter has given me permission because what Omega does things on her own?

A small laugh falls from my lips as I nod.

“What? Oh, yeah, we have an open pack relationship, I guess?” I shrug, wincing as it jostles my head.

“I just have to keep him informed, which is why I need him to pick up before he hears it somewhere else.” My voice cracks at the end and I hate it.

I try Hunter again, this time clutching the phone to my ear like a lifeline. And when he answers, I let myself go. I can’t be strong anymore. “Daddy,” I breathe, my voice cracking further, barely above a whisper.

A door closes on the other end, a muffled thud, and then Hunter’s voice comes through.

“I’m sorry I missed the first call. Baby girl, where are you?

What do you need? Are you in trouble?” He’s always been my anchor, the one who helps me let go when the world’s too much, and right now, I want to collapse into that safety, to forget the blood on my cheek and the ache in my skull.

Calling him ‘Daddy’ started as a joke but quickly morphed into my safe word, letting Hunter know immediately that something was wrong.

“I’m okay,” I mumble. “I’m okay. ” But I’m not and I can’t seem to say anything else, my Omega taking over and stealing my ability to speak. I glance at Lincoln and hold out the phone. “Please.”

He takes it, his fingers brushing mine, sending a jolt through me.

He presses the speaker button, picking up where I can’t.

“Alpha, this is Lincoln, a paramedic with Star Medical. Your Omega had a little incident with her… date, I believe,” Lincoln says, his eyes flicking to me, checking if I’m okay with this.

I nod, sucking my bottom lip between my teeth.

A growl rumbles through the phone. “Carter hurt my Omega?” Hunter’s going to tear Carter apart when he sees him again. The Beta met both of us and even asked if he could take me on a date. The fact that he still hurt me, knowing that I had an Alpha, is even worse.

Lincoln doesn’t react to the anger filtering through the earpiece. “I’m not sure of his name, but the police are meeting with him now. Celeste is being taken to Star Medical. She hit her head pretty hard and we just want to make sure nothing’s wrong. Would you mind meeting us there?”

There’s a beat of heavy silence as I hold my breath, more rustling in the background and some murmurs before Hunter answers. “Yeah, I’m on my way. Thank you, Lincoln. Give me back to Celeste?”

Lincoln merely switches the phone off speaker and hands me back the phone. I almost snatch it back and press it to my ear, trying to curl my entire body around it despite the pain in my head.

“Baby girl,” Hunter purrs, the sound warming me from the inside out.

“I have no idea what really happened, but I’m glad you’re safe.

Carter’s dead, by the way.” His tone’s half-joking, half-serious, but I know that Carter is not going to have an easy time.

“Now, just keep listening to my voice, okay? Stay with me. Everything’s going to be okay. When I get there, you can let go.”

“Okay,” I whisper, tears spilling over despite my efforts. “Fuck, I just need…” I trail off, not sure what I need. Him, here, holding me. His strength, his warmth. The way he makes the world fade until it’s just us.

“I know, baby girl. I’m not going anywhere.” His even breathing comes through the phone, a rhythm I latch onto, letting it pull me back from the edge.

“I’m sorry,” I say, my voice barely audible. “I promised I’d be safe.”

“You’re safe now. That’s all that matters.”

The ambulance pulls to a stop and I look over at Lincoln, wide-eyed as I tighten my grip on the phone. “Please don’t take him from me.”

Lincoln just shakes his head as he stands, pressing buttons and adjusting the stretcher. “Celeste, he can stay with you for as long as you need. You focus on holding the phone and I’ll focus on getting you inside. Sound like a deal?”

It does. Especially when Hunter starts purring through the earpiece. I’m the only one who can hear it but it’s calming just the same. “Baby girl, I think I like that paramedic of yours. I’m almost there. Might have to break a few laws but give me three minutes. Just hold on until then, okay?”

I don’t say anything. I don’t need to. Hunter knows that I’m losing my grip right now, that I want to curl into that safety cocoon of my Omega but it’s not safe.

Not yet.