Time He Pays
1194 Words
AUNIKA
Beeping.
That was the first thing I registered. Steady, electronic beeping that matched the pounding in my skull. Then the smell; antiseptic and stale coffee and something underneath that made my nose wrinkle.
Hospital.
I cracked my eyes open and immediately regretted it. Fluorescent lights stabbed through my retinas like ice picks. Everything hurt. Not just my head, everything. Like I'd been hit by a truck, then backed over for good measure.
"Oh, thank God." Isadora's voice was thick with relief. I thought... "Jesus, Aunika, you scared the hell out of me."
I turned my head slowly, carefully, like it might fall off if I moved too fast. My best friend sat in a plastic chair that looked like it had seen better decades, her dark hair pulled back in a messy bun, makeup smeared under her eyes.
"How long?" My voice came out like sandpaper on wood.
"Three days." She leaned forward, gripping the bed rail. "Three days, Aunika. The doctors said... they said you nearly died."
The memories hit me in waves. The gala. Marlon. The mate bond snapping into place like a live wire. His rejection; cold, public, final.
I, Marlon Lance, reject you as my mate.
My chest tightened, but not from physical pain this time. From the gaping hole where the bond used to be. Where my wolf used to be.
"My job," I whispered.
Isadora's face crumpled. "Aunika...."
"What about my job?"
She reached into her purse, pulled out a manila envelope that looked suspiciously official. "Your resignation was... accepted. Effective immediately. They, uh, they packed your things."
Of course, they did. Couldn't have a broken omega cluttering up their pristine corporate image. Bad for business.
I stared at the ceiling tiles, counting the water stains. Fourteen. Fifteen if you counted the one that looked more like mold than water damage.
"There's something else." Isadora's voice got smaller. Careful. The way people talked when they were about to deliver news that would hurt.
I didn't answer. I just kept counting ceiling stains and trying to pretend my world hadn't imploded.
"He's engaged."
The words hit me like a physical blow. My ribs screamed in protest as I tried to breathe around the pain.
"What?"
"Marlon. He... he announced it yesterday. At some charity function. To Victoria Sterling. You know, the blonde whose father owns half of Manhattan's art galleries."
Victoria Sterling. Perfect Victoria with her perfect breeding and perfect trust fund. The kind of woman who belonged on Marlon's arm at galas and charity functions and board meetings.
The kind of woman who would never be found passed out on a hospital floor because her mate rejected her in front of half of New York's financial elite.
"Nika, I'm so sorry. I know this is..."
"Did he look happy?"
The question slipped out before I could stop it. Dora stared at me like I'd grown a second head.
"What?"
"When he announced it. Did he look happy?"
Isadora was quiet for a long time. Too long.
"He looked... relieved," she finally said.
Relieved. Of course, he did. Relieved to be free of the unwanted mate bond. Relieved to announce his engagement to someone appropriate. Someone who wouldn't embarrass him at investor meetings.
I closed my eyes and tried to find my wolf. Tried to feel that warm, familiar presence that had been with me since I was sixteen.
Nothing.
She was gone. Really, truly gone. Not sleeping or hiding or sulking. Just... gone. The rejection had killed her as surely as a silver bullet.
"Ms. Aunika Duvall. We meet again." A woman dressed in a beautiful suit and a beautiful smile to match, walked in. I arched my brows as i glanced between her and Isadora. What was she saying?
"Who the hell are you?" I probed, struggling to breathe.
"Someone you need. There are some things you need to know about your grandfather, and we have to leave now," She continued.
"The medical bills..."
"Are handled," she said quietly.
Isadora frowned. "What do you mean, handled? Nika doesn't have insurance that covers..."
"Her bills are sorted by her grandfather," she insisted. I didn't know what it was, but she seemed like the way out. She seemed to be the help I would really need. I could see the hesitance in Dora's eyes. I knew she had doubts, but what's the worst that could happen?
"I'll give you a few minutes to think about it. When you make your decision, you can meet me downstairs in the car," She stated and walked away.
Isadora stared at me, confusion written all over her face. I was just as confused as she was. I didn't know who the woman was, neither did I know my grandfather.
I sat up slowly, ignoring the way my vision swam. The room was small, cramped, with a window that looked out over the hospital parking garage. Perfect. Exactly what I deserved.
"I need to get out of here."
"Nika, the doctors said you need to stay for observation. Your vitals are still..."
"I need to get out of here," I repeated, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. The floor felt cold against my bare feet. Cold and real and exactly what I needed.
Isadora grabbed my arm. "Where are you going to go? Your apartment... Auni, they cleared out your apartment. The home owner said you were behind on rent."
Of course, they did. Couldn't have a dead omega's belongings cluttering up their property either.
I looked at my best friend; the only person in this city who'd given a damn whether I lived or died and made a decision.
"I am going with her," I said.
She blinked. "No way. You can't be serious, right? This is a joke."
"I have nothing now. I am nobody. This is the closest to help I can get. I have to take the chance."
"Lady, what are you talking about? You don't know who this woman is or anything about her. Do you know who she is? What if she is a l*ar? A deceiver?"
I stood up, testing my balance. Shaky, but functional. Everything else could be fixed with time and determination and the kind of cold rage that was currently filling the space where my wolf used to be.
"This is the only chance I've got."
She stared at me like I'd lost my mind. Maybe I had. Maybe that was exactly what I needed.
"You nearly died, Auni. From the rejection. The doctors said most omegas don't survive that kind of trauma without..."
"I'm not missing this chance. I'm taking this even if my life depends on it."
The words came out harder than I meant them to. Sharper and Dora took a step back.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
I looked at my reflection in the darkened window. Pale skin, tangled hair, a hospital gown that made me look like a ghost. But my eyes... my eyes looked different. Colder. Like something had died in them and something else had been born.
I turned back to Isadora, who was watching me with growing concern.
"He needs to pay."
- Writer
