Chapter Eight
Liam woke from one of his many naps, surprised to find Ollie sitting next to his bed. He’d been gone for half the week, away at an event and something Jensen had called a Gathering. The omega was humming an upbeat tune as he scribbled on a newspaper.
“Intensely edible love,” he said suddenly, looking up at Liam. Liam stared back at him blankly. Was what a question?
“Passionfruit,” a voice said from behind him and he glanced over his shoulder at Jensen, the alpha smiling at him.
“Oh, I love passionfruit,” Ollie said, writing on the newspaper. “Almost as much as I love crosswords.”
He set the newspaper down and leaned forward.
“How are you feeling?”
Liam shrugged, throwing half a glance at Jensen. “Better.”
“Are you up for a walk yet?”
This time Liam did turn to look at the alpha.
“Not this week, maybe next week,” Jensen said. “I’ll leave you two to talk.”
Liam felt an ache of loneliness when the alpha left the room. He wanted him to stay but was afraid to ask. Jensen wasn’t his alpha and even if he was… it wasn’t right for Liam to seem needy.
“You like him, don’t you?”
Liam’s head whipped around at Ollie’s words, the other omega giving him a knowing look.
He shrugged again. “He’s nice.”
“Oh, Doctor Dreamy is much more than that.”
“Doctor Dreamy?”
Ollie grinned. “Jensen’s super-secret nickname in the den. Now, since you’re not ready to come out and see the den, I’ve brought the den to you. In picture form.”
He pulled out a tablet and turned it on.
“This is the bridge, which is how everyone comes and goes from the den. It’s mechanical, and we lower it when we’re not using it, so no one turns up unexpectedly.”
Liam leaned over to see. It didn’t look familiar.
“Of course, you didn’t cross the bridge. We found you on the banks of the river and Jensen picked you up and carried you across.”
“He… he carried me?”
“Uh-huh. Swooped you up and waded back across the river with you in his arms. He brought you straight here. You were badly injured.”
All Liam remembered was the neverending pain, the ground a blur beneath his feet as he walked. And then falling, welcoming the darkness.
“This is the clinic. At least, what it looks like from the outside,” Ollie continued. There was something pleasant about the redbrick house, not foreboding like his pack’s medical building.
“And this is a video of the village as if you were taking a walk through it.”
It looked nice. There were houses of different sizes and shapes scattered along the road. People passed by the camera, adults and kids, in human and shifter form, some waving at them.
“Oh, and these are some of the kids who wanted to say hi.” Ollie pressed a button and suddenly there was sound. There was a group of kids clambering over each other to be in front of the camera.
One little girl with large blue eyes started to speak. “Hi, Liam. Welcome to River Den. We hope you feel better soon!”
The others said similar stuff, some talking about things they wanted to show him or people they thought he should meet. The video ended, and he continued to stare at the blank screen.
“I don’t understand.”
Ollie waved that off. “They’re just happy you’re here.”
“But why?”
“They like new faces. We don’t get too many of those. You’re the first since Hunter. Not counting the new babies, of course. Speaking of babies, this is my brother Cade’s litter. Adorable, huh?”
There was picture after picture of babies; smiling, crying, frowning. Climbing over each other. In some pictures, they were in human form, in others tiger, bear, even… was that a bird?
Ollie caught his surprise. “Oh, yeah. Cygnets. They’re just little fluffy bundles of cuteness, aren’t they?”
Liam was in an endless cycle of sleeping and waking as he slowly healed. Unlike when Nevan would lock him up as punishment, he wasn’t left staring at blank walls. There was a near constant presence in the room with him. Often Jensen or Joe. Ollie was a frequent visitor, too.
He grew to like talking about the den with Ollie, for one reason in particular; when he’d been scared and worried about how he’d pull his weight and repay them for all their care, Ollie had told him he should consider working with their matchmaking company.
At first, Liam hadn’t understood what Ollie meant, but the omega had brought a tablet computer and spent an hour showing Liam the website and pictures from the matchmaking events they ran. He also arranged a little test of sorts for Liam, to see if he could pick up on potential connections between people from videos of them. It gave him something to focus on that wasn’t his injuries or Nevan or his past.
“Morning, Liam,” Joe said, pulling back the curtains. Liam had now been in the den for three weeks and Doctor Jensen had said he’d decide today whether Liam was ready to get out of bed.
“Jensen will be here in a few minutes.”
“What do you think he’ll say?”
Liam felt anxious. He wanted to be up and about, but he couldn’t shake the fear that they’d kick him out once he could get around by himself.
“Good things, I’m sure,” Joe promised. “Don’t worry about it.”
Liam couldn’t help but worry, even as Joe bustled about the room, opening the window to let in some fresh air.
By the time Jensen arrived, Liam had gone from a little anxious to very anxious, struggling to keep his heart from thumping wildly in his chest.
The sensation eased a bit as the lion walked into the room, giving Liam a smile that made the omega’s heart melt a little.
“How did you sleep?” the alpha asked, setting his stethoscope down on the table.
“Okay,” Liam replied softly.
Jensen started his exam, Joe assisting but mostly there to support Liam. Liam normally did his best to stay quiet when Jensen examined him, even when it hurt, but the fear of what being ‘better’ would bring was too much to bear. What if he didn’t fit in and they asked him to leave? What if, once he was better, they started looking for his alpha?
When Jensen’s hand hit a sore spot on his stomach, he cried out, twisting away from Jensen’s hands. The alpha pulled his hands away. “Easy, Liam. Take some deep breaths.”
“I’m sorry.” He wasn’t sure what he was apologizing for; making noise or trying to trick them.
“Shh. You’ve nothing to be sorry for. I need to finish my examination, okay? But we’ll take it nice and slow. I just need to figure out what’s causing this new pain.”
Liam felt bad that he had Jensen worried, but it didn’t compare to the terror he felt at the idea of being kicked out, left to fend for himself or worse; given back to Nevan.
Jensen’s hand moved slowly across his abdomen, mindful of Liam’s hitched breaths and quiet cries.
A few tears escaped his eyes and slid slowly down his cheeks.
The alpha finished his exam and tugged Liam’s shirt down to cover him. He was watching Liam with a thoughtful look on his face.
“Why don’t you relax here for a few minutes while Joe and I get you some breakfast?”
Liam shook his head, dislodging more tears. “I’m… I’m not hungry.”
“Some tea, then,” Joe said brightly. “And maybe some pain relief. You might be sore after that exam.”
They stepped outside, and Liam rolled onto his side, his back to the door, pulling the blanket over him and smothering a sob behind his hands. He felt miserable, wretched, and guilty.
Jensen returned a few minutes later, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Liam kept his back to him.
“I’m a little concerned, Liam,” the alpha said, his voice soft. Liam was expecting him to talk about the pain and the exam and the healing. “You’ve never cried during an exam before. Or afterward.”
“I’m sorry,” Liam said again, another sob rocking him.
“Is there something else going on? Has someone said something to upset you?”
“N… no. Everyone has been really nice.”
Jensen’s hand rubbed circles across his back.
“Do you think you’re well enough to be up and about?”
Liam hadn’t expected Jensen to ask his opinion. Rolling over to face the alpha, he shook his head slightly.
“How do you feel?” the alpha asked softly.
“My stomach hurts,” Liam admitted. It was different to the pain from his injuries. It was duller, heavier, and it got worse as he got more scared.
“Where I pressed?”
“N… no. Here.” It was in the center of his stomach, just above his bellybutton.
“Is there anything worrying you?”
Liam shrugged.
“If there is something, it might help to talk about it.”
Jensen sounded so sincere, it sent another pang of pain through him, and not his stomach but his heart. Why were the people in the den so nice?
“Will I have to leave once I’m better?”
“No, not unless you want to.”
“What… what if I’m not good at my job?”
“What job is that?”
“Ollie’s training me to be a matchmaker.”
Jensen gave him a knowing smile at that. “I would say you’re well qualified.”
“But what if I’m not good enough?”
“That’s very unlikely, given you’re an omega, but if that was the case, then we would find you something else to keep you busy. There’s plenty to do here and lots of people happy to show you the ropes.”
Jensen reached out and took his hand, squeezing gently.
“You’re still in the early stages of your recovery. There’s no rushing this. We take it a day at a time. When you’re ready, a short walk outside to start with and sitting out in a chair during meals. That’s all. How does that sound?”
“You won’t make me leave?”
“No one is going to make you do anything you don’t want to do. The den is a safe place for any omega who finds their way here.”
“Even if—” Liam bit his lip, silencing himself before he could admit that he was already owned, that he belonged to another alpha.
“Even if,” Jensen said, catching Liam’s chin, and gently tipping his head up so they were eye to eye.
Liam managed a smile. “Maybe a walk outside today? Just for a little while.”
The beaming smile he got in return was worth the fear.