Poison Ivy Ch. 09

"No, no -- Nothing like that. I'm fine. Just... You know. Trying to get home." She forced an unnatural sounding chuckle and winced again.

"Uh-huh. Listen, I'm gonna tell you where the station is, because I don't want a sweet, pretty little girl like you, an Omega no less, wanderin around the streets, lookin for it. But please, be quick about it. Some nasty men are out there, and they'd be more than thrilled to find an innocent thing like you out there on your own."

Nodding, she tried to placate the man who was so inexplicably concerned for her safety. "That's exactly what I was planning on doing." Not a lie. "I've already run into some of those nasty men, and just barely got away." Also not a lie. "My uncle is sick, okay? I just need to see him one last time." Not really a lie. Just partially a lie.

Okay, that one was kind of a lie.

He shrugged, managing to look both concerned and unaffected, and reached behind the counter to pull out a map. Who even used maps anymore, outside of land nav training? With her phone confiscated by the infuriating Alphas who now ruled her life, she was lucky ol' Green Eyes here had kept this crinkly relic of the past.

Unfolding it in front of her, he pointed at a woodsy area on the northern border of Lostra. "We're here," the man said solemnly. He flipped the map over, revealing a close up of the area he had pointed to before. "Here, precisely." He marked a street on the map with a black sharpie. "The bus station," he continued, "is here. You're lucky it's so close. Just walk south until you hit the intersection. Take a left. You should be on a street with sidewalks. The other directions don't have sidewalks. Okay?"

He glanced up at her to make sure she was tracking, and she nodded enthusiastically before he continued. "There's a little strip of businesses and shops about a half a mile down the road. The station is just past the first stoplight you'll come to, right..." he made another mark on the map, "here. Listen, take this," he told her, folding the map back up and handing it to her. "And this," he said, writing something on a scrap of paper he had pulled from the register. "I would take you myself if I had someone to watch the store. Call me if you find any trouble. Or... If any trouble finds you. We clear?"

"Yes, yes thank you. Thank you so much."

The corner of his mouth twitched, but he held onto his somber expression. "Welcome. Use that number. Don't worry bout the time." He looked at her pointedly. "And get right back on home. Trouble don't care who gets in its path. It just knocks 'em down and keeps on goin."

She gave a small smile. For whatever reason, Green Eyes had been genuinely kind to her, and he didn't deserve to see the tendrils of frustration that were beginning to thread through her thoughts. A sweet, pretty little Omega like her shouldn't be out at night alone. She inwardly bristled. She doubted anyone from her old battalion would ever have described her as sweet.

Bossy, yes. Bitchy, definitely. Irritating, absolutely. A pain in the ass, even. But never sweet.

And innocent? BAH! That was rich.

She took the bag he handed her and turned around, walking toward the door. Glancing back over her shoulder, she smiled again. "Really. Thanks."

Green Eyes nodded once, then went back to reading some book he had hidden behind the counter. She narrowed her eyes at the cover. A fair-haired beauty, wearing a bright pink, lacy little number, locks of gold blowing in the wind, held onto the chiseled chest of a man towering over her. She chuckled.

Feeling just a little bit better despite the act of betrayal she was about to commit, she slid through the door, breathed a deep lungful of the chilly night air, and started walking. Fuck it. She was a sweet little Omega, and she was walking alone in the middle of the night. Take that, universe.

A little defiance was always good for the soul.

Moving away from the warm lights of the gas station, she shivered, but not from the cold. A prickling sensation on the back of her neck had her whirling around to search the shadows for whatever was watching her, but no one was there. She shivered again, the creepy sensation nearly impossible to ignore. But what could she do? Run back to the gas station and admit defeat? Beg him to take her back to Hunter, her head hanging in shame? Give up on a tolerable future for her daughter? Such a large part of her wanted to go down that road, the road that led back to her mate. But the part of her that was desperate to protect the little life nestled deep inside of her, the defiant part that wanted to prove that she could do this, she could win against the world, was ultimately stronger. She watched the shadows for a minute more but could see no movement or signs of life. Shrugging, chalking up the strange feeling to nerves, she turned around and kept walking.

...........................................................

Raptorial eyes tracked the retreating figure of the Omega, her lithe body swallowed up by the shadows that closed around her the further she got away from the gas station. He had half a mind to storm into the brightly lit shop, grab the Beta who had captured her attention for longer than necessary, and shatter his face against the register. Just who the fuck did he think he was?

Growling under his breath, he abandoned his violent fantasy and stalked toward Ivy instead, her steps hurried, her body tense. Didn't she feel him? Was she blocking out what the bond was telling her, even as it dug deeper into her mind and body? He had been awake the second he felt her struggling with some unknown decision. Curious to find out exactly what had her so conflicted, he'd let her go, following behind on silent feet as she left him.

She had left him. For fuck's sake, they still weren't over this?

It took them only about thirty minutes to get to the bus station. Hunter stayed close in case there was trouble, but far enough away to remain hidden from the occasional quick glances over her shoulder. Just having her inside, somewhere warm and relatively safe, took some of the pressure off his chest. He waited a few moments while she stood in front of the schedule board, either trying to find or decide on a place to go. She would be staying right the fuck here, unbeknownst to her. He could guess at the reason she had run, but ultimately, it didn't matter. She was his.

And he was never fucking letting her go.

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Ivy gaped at the massive tits on the heavily makeup-ed, huge haired, gum smacking ticketmaster. "Holy shit, are those real?" She squeaked, then clapped a hand over her mouth. When was she ever going to get a hold on what came out of her mouth? Probably never.

Luckily, instead of being offended, the redhead chuckled. "Sure are, hun," she said, winking conspiratorially. She adjusted her bra and pulled the front of her shirt down to reveal globes the side of fucking watermelons. And not those tiny seedless ones, either. Nope.

"Woah, those are... impressive?" Were they? Or were they a pain in the ass to take care of, like little annoying pets hanging from your chest? Regardless, the redhead beamed at her, the bright pink of her lip gloss sparkling in the artificial ceiling lights. Shit, this woman was over the top. No half measures for this chick. Ivy admired her for that.

"Where you heading, hun?" The incredibly well-endowed ticketmaster smacked her gum noisily.

"Where. Right. Ah.... I think..." she trailed off. This was it. There was no going back, if there ever had been. She closed her eyes against the pain that flared up in response to that thought.

Keeping her eyes shut, she pushed the words past her lips without thinking about what they meant. If she did, she wouldn't be able to do it. "I'd like a ticket to Weatherpine, please." The station wasn't very close to her uncle, but once she got there, she would call him and hope he would be sober enough to come pick her up. The bus was scheduled to arrive early next evening, so the chances of that were pretty slim, but she would figure it out when she got there.

"You got it, sweetie," the Big Breasted Beauty said in a high, saccharine voice. "That'll be --"

"Better make that two," a deep, rumbling voice said from right behind her. A voice she instantly recognized, a voice her soul recognized. Ignored and suppressed, the bond sprang to life, deluging her in a barrage of emotions she couldn't even begin to understand.

Ah, shit. She hung her head, a heavy sigh on her lips. An icy sensation spread through her stomach. Ivy didn't know if it was relief or disappointment, but it quelled some of the nausea she'd had since leaving him.

Scratch that. It was definitely relief. Not that she'd ever admit to that.

The Big Breasted Beauty (BBB) narrowed her eyes at a spot above Ivy's head as two roughened hands grabbed the counter on either side of her, caging her in.

"Oh really?" BBB said sweetly, flashing a worried look at Ivy's tensed posture. "Because I'm not quite sure the lady wants company."

What? This girl was... she was defending her? How had she run into two people in a row that were willing to go out of their way to keep her safe? Was she just emanating some sort of helpless vibe? It was oddly touching.

Hunter growled from behind her, his hands drawing closer to her sides, his front pressing into her back. The BBB was faster, and apparently more dangerous, than she looked. With a movement that was nearly too quick to track, but one that still left aftershock jiggles of her watermelons, she had an intimidating can of pepper spray aimed at his head.

"Listen, asshole," she said in a voice that had dropped several octaves. "You're gonna back the fuck away from her, and I'm gonna personally walk her to that bus and wait until it drives off." Keeping the nozzle aimed at him, she grabbed a walkie talkie from behind the counter and spoke into it. "Frank? Gonna need you out here, sweety."

There was a crackle of static before a sleepy voice came back through. "Godammit Sandy, you make me get up to make the coffee one more damn time, I'm gonna turn your ass red."

Sandy whined back into the radio. "But you make it so much better than me, Frank!"

"Woman, it is six scoops of grinds and a pot of water. It aint that hard to figure out how to work a shitty little coffeepot, now let me sleep!"

Ivy stood frozen, gaping at the scene unfolding before her. Was she dreaming? What in the fuck was actually happening?

Hunter slowly wrapped his hands around her upper arms and was steadily dragging her away from the counter. Sandy's eyes shot up to his and narrowed, as if she was just remembering they were there. "Get out here, Frank, NOW!" she hissed into the radio.

A door opened from behind Sandy, and a light-haired man, muscular for a Beta, walked out of the office on the other side of the little room. His shirt was wrinkled and untucked, and his hair was rumpled from sleep. Bloodshot eyes assessed the situation he'd been woken up to fix.

A little belatedly, the security guard (if his mussed-up uniform was any clue) fumbled for his gun. Hunter already had his weapon aimed at the larger-than-normal Beta. "I wouldn't do that," Hunter admonished calmly. Sandy let out a little cry, and started to rush toward her (coworker? Boss? Boyfriend?) ... Her Frank. Whatever they were to each other, it was clear they cared for one another. Frank held his hand up in Sandy's direction, stopping her with the simple gesture.

"We're all right, baby," he told her, trying for a comforting voice that almost, almost hit its mark. Whether for Sandy or himself, or both, he was nervous. He locked eyes with Hunter and nodded, and she felt Hunter nod back. "Take a break, baby. Go make that coffee now, yeah?"

Sandy made a noise of worried protest. Ivy gripped the forearm holding the gun over her shoulder. "Stop it, Hunter. Please? Stop scaring them. She just wanted to help."

The Alpha grumbled grumpily. She tilted her head up to look at him. Eyes dark as a midnight storm stayed locked on the perceived threat of Frank. Well, shit. This had escalated quickly.

"I'm serious," she said, trying to wriggle out of his grip, which, of course, only made his arm tighten around her. "Leave them alone."

She swallowed and raised her chin, looking back at the wide-eyed bus station couple. "He's my mate, not my abductor. We're just... We had a fight. I went a little crazy."

Frank, thankfully, slowly crouched to drop the gun on the floor and kicked it away, holding his hands out in a gesture of peace.

No longer facing a threat to her safety, Hunter dropped the barrel down toward the floor, a soft click telling her he had put the safety back on before he took half a step away from her and slid the gun back into the holster at his side. She turned and gaped.

"Wait... Is that my gun? What the fuck are you doing with my gun? That was a gift, Hunter! Give it back." She held out her palm, as if it would be that simple.

He smirked, his eyes doing all the talking for him. They quite clearly said, "Yeah, sure. Nice try."

"Not the time or the place, Ivy," his deep voice warned quietly. He turned his attention back to Frank. "We'll be going now," he said, reaching into her pocket and drawing out the stack of cash. Ivy groaned. Was she really that incompetent of an escapee? He pulled a few bills from the stack and leaned over to put them on the counter.

"For the tickets," he explained.

Ivy smiled brightly at the busty red-head as they backed away toward the door. "Thanks Sandy. Nice to meet you!"

Sandy startled as if she'd been in a trance, her apprehensive and bewildered eyes meeting Ivy's. She hesitated, then smiled back. "N-No trouble, hun. If you, ah, if you need anything..." She trailed off, once more fearlessly glaring at Hunter. "Well, you know where to find me."

Ivy smiled again as Hunter's big hand wrapped around her upper arm, tugging her toward the door. They walked a block or two before he released her, pulling out his phone and tapping at the screen.

"Hunter, I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to -- "

He held up a finger, silencing her. Without looking up, he continued tapping away on his phone.

"Just let me -- " she started again, and was met with yet another finger-of-silence. She huffed a frustrated breath. "You're not even -- Gah! Stop that!"

Hunter finished whatever he'd been typing, slipped the phone into his back pocket, then finally turned to look at her. She immediately regretted wanting his attention. A storm of fury, hurt, disappointment and relief raged on behind his gleaming, tempest eyes.

"Why?" he growled, stalking toward her until her back hit the brick wall of the building behind her. His hands came down on each side of her head, and he leaned down until they were at eye level.

"It won't change what's going to happen next, Ivy. But I need you to tell me why."

She shuddered, turning her head away. That very much sounded like a threat, and he had never really threatened her before. Well, except for when he said he'd chain her to the bed in Torrin if she tried to escape again. And there was no way he would ever find out that the thought of him chaining her to the bed was kinky enough to be kinda hot, and thus, had been entirely ineffectual as a real deterrent.

His hand gripped her jaw, pulling her gaze back to him. She could feel the restrained fury in his fingers, but even as his grip tightened, he was careful not to hurt her.

"What..." She scowled as the word came out in a high-pitched squeak, like a mouse caught in a trap. She cleared her throat and tried that again. "What's going to happen next?"

The corner of his mouth tugged up in a look that was both terrifying and ridiculously attractive. Fucking hormones. Fucking Alphas.

He tsked at her, the cocky bastard. "You first," he said in a somehow sultry voice. She could admit that he deserved an explanation. Steeling herself, she started talking.

"I...I didn't want to leave you. But I had to try."

His eyes narrowed.

"Wait, Hunter, just hear me out. I can't bring a child into this world. I won't send my daughter, our daughter, away to some secret compound when she's big enough for some old and wrinkled diplomat to stuff his dick into her. I was going to... I just wanted to give her a chance, you know? I was lucky enough to be able to live my life for myself. I know you don't see it that way, but I'm grateful for what my dad did. He gave me freedom, made me strong, and he kept me away from..." she gulped. "Well, you know. I just wanted to give her the same thing." She placed a protective hand over her belly and looked down.

A finger hooked under her chin and brought her face back up to his. "It won't be like that," he murmured, his eyes softening as they searched her face. For what, she didn't know.

She felt a quick flash of irritation. "How? How can you know that? Can you promise that? I mean, look at Aella, how Maverick held Cody over her head and her and Eva over mine. Look at my biological parents, and what a royal clusterfuck that ended up being. Look at --"

He cupped both sides of her face, cutting her off. His fingers stroked her temple, down her hair, where he played with a loose strand. "Yes," he purred, helping to ease some of the tension from her shoulders. "It will be different. We are different."

She scoffed. "Oh yeah? How so?"

He lowered his head and slanted his lips over hers. His tongue flicked the seam of her lips, coaxing her to open, and possessively dominated her mouth when she did. She gripped his arms, holding herself steady as he plundered, taking more than she had offered, like he always did. He broke away, leaving her breathless and flushed, needy and desperate for his touch.

"We are fated mates, Ivy." He kissed her forehead. "There is no stronger bond," he continued, kissing the tip of her nose. "Hurting you would cripple me." He kissed her left eyelid. "Hurting our daughter would kill me." Kissed her right eyelid. "Losing you would stop my heart." Kissed her chin. "You understand? These aren't metaphorical, empty sentiments. They are very literal, and very real facts. You, and her, and the bond, are wrapped around my heart. Physically. It beats now, only because you're mine."

She looked at him, her gaze suspicious and assessing, but there was nothing in his expression besides sincerity. Surrendering, she leaned into him. Her body wracked with sobs as she let his words take root. He pulled her to him, holding her head against his chest and murmured words of comfort into her hair.

"Let it out, now. That's it. Just trust me, Ivy. Let me carry this for you."

She struggled to stop the waterworks, tired of feeling so emotionally drained, all the damn time. The bond pulsed with renewed energy, drawing them together like magnets. His claiming mark, it's shiny pink skin slowly marking her with unmistakable permanence, began to throb in time with her heartbeat. With a start, she realized the great flaw in her plan. The bond she was trying so hard to suppress would never have been severed or truly weakened.

A future she hadn't wanted had been chosen for her. She swallowed past the lump in her throat and faced the truth of his words. They were different. They were fated. Regardless of how it had all played out, they were always going to end up here. She had always been his, just like he had always been hers. They did match each other. Their scents, their bodies, their souls, fit together so well, it was impossible not to see that, this thing they shared? It was special.