Chapter Sixteen
It was all a blur. They were walking toward the door, going outside, like Griffin had said, and then… lots of small people, loudness, and something sailing through the air toward Griffin. He acted on instinct, pushing the omega out of danger, and putting himself in front of it. But the danger wasn’t what he’d thought and, as the others closed in on them, his bear rose to the surface, looking for an escape. With no chains to bind him, his bear broke free and he ran.
He didn’t know how far he fled but found himself pacing in a clearing, his mind warring with itself. The bear pulled at him, tried to drag him under. It would be so easy to give in to that, to let it take over. To not have to think, to reason, to understand. He could just be. But it wasn’t a peaceful being. It was an existence filled with aggression and the heat in his blood. Always looking for his next fight, always sensing danger. But he was tired of struggling with himself, tired of straining to hold onto the last shred of his sanity. His bear called to him, and he was ready to give in.
And then a cheetah burst into the clearing, fast and sleek. At first, Beau snarled and tried to scare him off, the cat’s scent confusing. It was familiar, and it gave him pause. And then the cheetah became a man, became Griffin, the omega gently persistent as they moved closer to each other. Griffin reached out and touched him, pressing a hand to his flank, talking softly all the while. Beau clung to that touch, to the sound of the omega’s voice, and the call of his bear started to recede. He backed away when he realized the change was coming, sinking to the ground when it was over, exhausted and drained.
A hand touched his back, Griffin’s voice surrounding him again. Beau turned, seeking out the omega, the one person in all the world who grounded him, who made living bearable. Launching himself forward, he held onto him with everything he had.
The omega brought him back to his rooms, and Beau fell into a light sleep. He could hear voices nearby; Griffin’s, Ronan’s. The smell of food called to him, but the lure of sleep was too deep, dragging him down.
It was dark when he woke, a blanket thrown over him. Out the window, he could see a sky full of stars and a bright moon. Turning onto his side, he reached a hand out, wishing he could touch those distant lights.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
He jolted at the sound of Griffin’s voice, looking over his shoulder to see the omega sitting curled up in an armchair.
“Would you like a closer look?”
Beau nodded, and Griffin got to his feet, crossing the room, and holding out a hand. Beau took it, letting the omega pull him upright. He followed Griffin out into the corridor, stalling when they reached the door leading outward. Leaving hadn’t worked so well for him the last time.
“It’s okay,” the omega encouraged. “We’re not going down, we’re going up.”
Griffin spoke briefly to the two shifters keeping guard outside before he guided Beau to a small spiral staircase heading upward.
“This leads to the roof,” he explained as they climbed. Beau noted he didn’t bother turning on a light; they didn’t need it, their eyes well accustomed to the dark.
They reached another door, and Griffin pulled back a bolt, pushing it open. A rush of cool air hit Beau, and he closed his eyes, taking in all the smells and sounds.
“Come on,” Griffin encouraged, taking his hand. They stepped outside, and suddenly there was nothing above them but a carpet of stars and the bright, shining moon.
Beau was lost in the beauty, stars twinkling everywhere he looked. For such a long time, his life had been a series of rooms, of cages. Chains and locked doors. This… this was nothing like that.
He dropped his gaze a little, spying lights in the distance.
“That’s the nearest town. It’s about twenty miles away,” Griffin said quietly.
Turning in a slow circle, he spied more lights.
“That’s a city. It’s about half a day’s drive, but there are so many lights you can see it on a clear night like tonight.”
Beau turned his gaze back upward, preferring the stars to the other lights.
“That’s Orion, the hunter,” Griffin said, pointing to a bunch of stars to his left and helping Beau see the outline of the hunter, with his belt and sword. Beau stared in fascination, the image coming to life in his mind as Griffin spoke.
“And over there is Ursa Major, the Great Bear. Just like you.”
“What about cheetahs?” Beau asked, scanning the sky for the shape of Griffin’s shifter animal.
“Well, there are some big cats,” the omega said, turning slowly. “There, that’s Leo, the lion. And, see over there, that’s the Lynx.”
“Where are you?” he asked, searching the sky for the cheetah.
A hand touched his. “I’m right here,” Griffin said, smiling softly.
Beau turned to him, searching the omega like he’d searched the sky, looking for meaning.
“Why did you bring me up here?”
“I wanted to show you something beautiful.”
In the moonlight, the omega seemed almost ethereal, unearthly. Beau was half-convinced he couldn’t be real, someone that perfect didn’t stoop so low as to care about a failed fighter. And yet, here they both were.
Feeling brave, Beau reached up a hand and touched Griffin’s cheek. The omega stilled, a slow smile crossing his face.
“I could be yours,” Beau offered. The omega’s smile faltered, but Beau kept talking. “I could be your protector, your bodyguard.”
If he couldn’t go back to fighting, he could still be useful.
“Yeah,” Griffin said softly. “You did a pretty good job of that earlier today. But my safety isn’t your responsibility.”
Beau felt crestfallen, letting his hand fall to his side. The one thing he’d thought he might be able to do, that he might even be good at. Of course the omega didn’t need him, he had people around him, people he trusted. Beau couldn’t be trusted. He wasn’t right in the head, could lose it at any moment, become a monster.
“I… where will I go?” he asked, turning away from Griffin, and looking out toward the lights. Who would want him? Where would he fit in?”
“Go?” Griffin sounded puzzled. “No, Beau, you’re not going anywhere. You’re staying here. I told you, I think you’ll fit in here. I think you might even grow to like it. I know it’s different to what you’re used to, but it’s a good place. At least, I think so, though I might be a little biased.”
Most of what Griffin said passed him by but he clung to the one thing that mattered. He was staying.
“It’s getting chilly out here. Are you ready to go back inside?”
Beau took one last look at the night sky, hoping it wouldn’t be long before he saw it again. Then Griffin led him back inside, down to the room he’d set aside for Beau.
The omega paused in front of the door. His hand found Beau’s, squeezing gently.
“Get some sleep,” he told him. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,” he replied reluctantly, wishing they didn’t have to part. Somehow, he slept easier when the omega was in the room.