Page 47 of Thorns That Bloom (Venusverse #3)

Sam

The perfectly cast kick right into my bladder finally makes me accept that I have to get up.

When I pat the space next to me only to find it cold and empty, I open my eyes.

I sit up and look around, slowly coming to terms with the fact that what happened yesterday wasn’t just some horrible nightmare.

I notice the folded note with an uneven heart drawn on it that sits on the pillow. With a smile, I reach for it.

It smells like Theo. His pheromones still linger faintly in the air. And so does the memory of his kindness, and the warmth of his touch from last night. They overshadow the crippling pain from earlier almost completely.

Resting against the back of the bed with a sigh—and praying I manage not to piss myself for a few more minutes—I open the note.

Before you read any further: stop and look at the bedside table. That water is for you. DRINK IT! Please. You need to hydrate, ok? *face with tongue sticking out emoji*

Snorting, I glance at the full glass exactly where he said it would be. My chest expands, so much so that the fluttering heart of mine feels like it might fly out.

I made you some porridge for breakfast. I’m not sure what you like, but it’s a comfort breakfast for me. It has butter, brown sugar, maple syrup and apples. I hope you like it. I left it in the pot on the stove, I hope it’s still warm when you wake up.

A strange sensation passes through me. A bittersweet mix of joy and regret.

How long has it been since someone made me breakfast? Or since I let anyone take care of me like this? I stare at the words, as scrambled and with a few little scratched-out mistakes as I would imagine from Theo, and it almost feels like he’s here with me.

Speaking of, sorry I couldn’t be there. I had to sort something important out. I didn’t want to wake you up. Figured you needed your rest. And you looked so at peace. Did you know you mumble in your sleep? Mostly just nonsense. It was really cute tho. *winking emoji*

Am I seriously blushing like a teenager right now?

I roll my eyes, a stupid smile on my lips. Theo's writing gets smaller as he realizes he's running out of space, and I can tell he was panicking to fit everything in because of how closely he squished the words together.

I remembered us talking about both having to work this Saturday, so I called work and explained a little of what happened.

Don’t worry, I talked to my supervisor. He’s the one who suggested to me what happened to you before you came here.

I made him swear he won’t be talking to anyone else!

He knows the gist of what went down and told the higher-ups at your end.

They don’t expect you today. It’s all sorted.

So you don’t have to stress about that. *smiling emoji* I still went for my shift. I wasn’t sure if you’d maybe want to be left alone to think or… Well, I didn’t want to be too much or breathe down your neck.

PLEASE call me if you don’t want to be by yourself. I’ll come if you want me to. But if you need to be alone to think and process, that’s okay, too.

I brush the paper under my fingers, breathing in Theo’s soothing scent.

No one else has taken care of me in this way before. In reality, it’s probably because I’ve never let an alpha be like this. I always enjoyed doing things my way and by myself. But this…feels nice.

I know what happened yesterday was stressful and traumatizing enough, but this is important. There’s a business card on the kitchen counter. I talked to my sister in the morning. She actually deals with your sort of cases. Works for a charity called Spyrax. You might have heard of it?

Narrowing my eyes, I search my brain. It’s definitely familiar. I’ve seen ads for it online.

Trust me, if I’d known that those “people” are still free and walking around, I would’ve connected you sooner.

Anyway, she’ll take on your case and help you get justice, I hope.

When I spoke to her, she said that this needs to be handled swiftly.

They’ll need every bit of information you can give them.

Any proof, files or agreements. All the legal stuff you have.

With that, they might be able to make sure the bastard from yesterday can’t come close to you or the baby.

I know this is a lot. I’m sorry you have to do this. But calling her and setting up a meeting as soon as you can is the best chance of keeping you safe right now.

If you want me to be with you when you meet her, I can, though… it’s probably better if you do it alone, all things considered. You’re strong enough to do it. I know you are.

Could you text me when you wake up? Just so I know you’re okay.

Then, in the very corner at the bottom is his name, with a tiny filled-out heart next to it, which I suspect is a stand-in for something too heavy like ‘I love you’.

While my heart still beats in a steady, powerful rhythm because of his sweet care, the gravity of the situation is coming into focus for me.

He isn’t wrong; yesterday was a lot, and the last thing I want to do is to open that plain white box at the bottom of my wardrobe that houses all the legal paperwork to do with the worst day of my life.

But Theo also wasn’t wrong in saying that this has to be done.

This fucking nightmare needs to be finished.

Put down like a rabid animal. I was so close to feeling complete again, even if momentarily.

So close that the wound inside me almost finally scabbed over.

I can’t have that bastard just waltzing into my life and ripping it off to leave me with a gaping, bleeding hole in my soul again.

One of them has actually done this. What’s stopping the rest of them from feeling the same twisted entitlement to claim this child as theirs, too?

There was some kind of a clause about them staying away from me, I think, but I bet he could get around that, especially if he claims parental rights. If he acts like a good alpha, a good father, a good man wanting to fix his mistakes…he could probably find a way to get what he wants.

Just like when they all acted like they were nothing but poor fools controlled by pheromones and got away with it. ‘Victims of the act as much as the omega was’. The words of their lawyer echo in my mind, sending a violent shiver down my spine.

Vomit rises up my throat, and I barely swallow it back. The water Theo left by the bed comes in handy. I gulp down half of it and finally go to the bathroom. I pee, stretch, and wash my face to wake up properly.

Staring at myself in the mirror, I wonder if I can do this.

Everything inside me tightens in the worst way at the mere thought of stepping back into that maelstrom.

Even if this charity deals with legal issues of omegas, will they truly be able to do anything?

What if the only thing in my future is further embarrassment?

Trying to fight them and losing at every turn, completely powerless to their money and privilege, felt soul-crushing.

Like fighting a raging river with my bare hands.

Will it actually be any different this time? And if not, can I handle another defeat?

I shake my head. No, don’t think about that.

I press my hand against my stomach and remember the way Theo calmed me last night. The gentle way he asked if he could help me. The incredible relief his pheromones brought. “I’m sorry for worrying you,” I whisper down at the baby.

Thinking of the worst won’t help anything. I know that. And if Theo were here, he wouldn’t let me. He’d find a way to cheer me up and get me going, so that’s what I need to do.

Feeling a little lighter, I decide to eat some of the food he made for me. I’m surprised he even found the ingredients to make anything proper. I can smell the sweet, cinnamony goodness the moment I walk into the kitchen. Suddenly, I’m starving.

I woke up a few times throughout the morning—heard him stirring and walking, but I was still too exhausted and unwilling to face the new day. I didn’t think he’d manage to go out, come back in, and cook an entire meal before leaving without waking me up.

When I lift the lid off the pan, comforting warmth and more of that delicious scent roll out. Buttery and sweet. It looks delicious, too. If Theo were here, I would kiss him.

I nearly drop the brimming spoon at the sound of the doorbell.

“Guess he couldn’t keep away,” I say to myself with a smirk, happy that I might get a chance to actually kiss him.

Excited, nimble steps take me toward the door, but as I’m about to reach out, this horrible sensation makes me stop. Wrong. Something is wrong.

It’s not Theo’s scent of spiced coconut. It’s something different. Holding my breath, I carefully put my eye against the peephole.

My heart nearly stops.

No. It can’t be.

Brandon McCarthy. He’s right there.

With a gasp, I stumble away from the door, cold sweat passing over me and that horrible, overpowering tremble quickly spreading into my limbs.

“Sam?” He bangs at the door. “I know you’re there.”

I shake my head, taking another step back. My chest lifts sharply, heart tiredly pounding within, and my eyes dart across the entrance to my apartment.

My apartment. He knows where I live. He knows where I live, and he’s here.

“I can smell you, Sam. I know you’re behind the door,” he says, that forceful voice easily passing through the door. With every word, my body lets out another, more powerful shake. He must hear my panicked breathing because it’s so loud and I can’t make it stop.

“You’re n-not supposed to be here,” I whisper.

The familiar fear keeps surging through me until I close my eyes and hold on to my belly for support. Those words keep ringing inside my head, and when I open my eyes again, they get louder, more demanding.

This is my home. He has no fucking right to do this.