Rise of the Underdogs: VALIK

XVII

Learning that my sire killed Heaven’s father, I was immediately feeling a fear I didn’t know existed. It settled in my chest like ice, sharp and cold, spreading through me with every breath. I blinked at my best friend, his eyes flicking to the door as he swallowed tightly. The silence between us stretched, heavy and loaded. I was quiet, processing the information. I’d put her in her own room, though it hurt to know she barely had anything. The space felt too empty for someone who deserved so much more.

Again, I turned to Jacob. My eyes searching his face as I fought with the reality that was my life. “All this time, and you just… accepted me?”

“For the last time, you, like Logan, are not Austin. You never were, and you never will be, Valik. He would have gone scorched earth after a humiliation like rejection. That asshole might have taken my father, but he also gave me the best wingman in the universe,” he said, unfolding a quilt over his sister’s sleeping figure. The fabric was soft and worn, something familiar and comforting in a moment that felt anything but.

“I don’t want to be him, Jake. I love my family,” I whispered, my voice hoarse. “Especially the ones who chose me when I had nothing and no one else.”

“And that’s what sets you miles apart from him.”

Yeah, there was no arguing those words.

After making sure everything was okay, Jake dragged me to the entertainment room. He wanted to smash zombies, and I was eager to help him beat our previous record in C.O.D.: Black Ops. The room smelled faintly of popcorn and old soda, controllers already waiting on the couch like they knew we were coming. It was the kind of normal I hadn’t felt in a long time, and I was ready for it.

As time ticked on, I scowled. Unease settled in my bones, low and steady, like a warning I couldn’t shake. Something felt off. Not loud or obvious — just a quiet itch under my skin that wouldn’t go away.

Getting up, I moved quietly and quickly through the halls, my boots barely making a sound against the polished floor. The packhouse was dim, the lights low, casting long shadows that stretched across the walls. I stopped in the dark, standing about fifteen feet from Logan and Paul’s office. Heaven’s voice reached my ears as I inched closer, her words soft but strained. Her scent hit me next — lavender and chamomile, warm and grounding, curling through the air like a lifeline.

I heard her crying, felt her pain like a punch to the chest, and wanted to end her suffering. Especially when she started questioning both men about who her Mate was. They weren’t answering her fast enough, and it was making her and her wolf double anxious. The tension in her voice was rising, and I could feel her heart breaking with every second they hesitated.

‘Step in,’ Ehno stated, pushing me to make a move.

Centering myself, I stepped out of the shadows. “It’s me, Heaven.”

Those three words, spoken so clearly and openly, opened a can of worms I didn’t expect. Admitting that I was still working on me felt like ripping off the Band-Aid. Yet, it was that look in her eyes. That misting of tears she was holding back with all her strength. It wasn’t just sadness — it was fear, confusion, and hope all tangled together.

When she said she was nothing more than an Omega Medic, I felt my heart break a little. As soon as I agreed with Paul, I felt his end of the mind-link open.

‘You… care. That came out wrong. I meant that you don’t bother with status. Like your brother,’ Paul said, tripping over his words.

I nodded slowly. “Heaven, can we take a walk? I’d like to talk to you privately.”

Her hazel gaze locked on mine, steady and unreadable. “I see.”

Raising a brow, I shook my head. “It’s not what you think, Heaven. I’m not rejecting you, so push that thought out of your head, okay? I just… I need to clean the air between us, to give you a chance to speak your mind and make your boundaries abundantly and absolutely clear.”

“My boundaries? What about yours? What about finishing the rejection you were handed last year?” she pressed, likely thinking I’d turn on her.

“We can talk about that too. You can help me figure out how to do it without destroying everything this pack worked so damn hard for,” I said, leaving the conversation open-ended.

Glancing at my brother, I watched him nod once, his expression unreadable but steady. A faint creak echoed from the floorboards behind him, probably from Ember shifting her weight as she leaned against the doorframe.

“That’s it,” I stated, shaking my head. Grabbing her, I pulled her over my shoulder. Her body tensed for a second before she started squirming. Behind me, I heard Ember giggling as she stopped at the door to the office. “I see you’re still as stubborn as ever.”

“Put me down!” Heaven squealed, only serving to make her best friend laugh even harder. “Em, stop it! Your laughing is only making him braver!”

The black girl shook her head, fighting between giggles to hold herself steady. Her platinum curls bounced with every laugh, and the sleeves of her oversized hoodie were pushed halfway up her arms. “Nah. Think about it this way, Ven. You finally one-upped a high-born Lady getting Valik as a Mate.”

“It’s not funny!”

Jake cackled from somewhere behind us, probably leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and that smug grin he always wore when things got chaotic. “Oh, yes the hell it is! This is comedy gold!”

Her fists beat against my back, but I barely felt it. She was warm, her scent curling around me like a soft breeze. “Seriously, put me down!”

“Nah,” I said. “Not until you talk to me.”

“Fine! You brazen bastard! I’ll talk to you, just put me down! I’m not a sack of potatoes,” Heaven squeaked as I playfully smacked her backside.

I chuckled, walking down the hall to the stairs. Taking them two at a time, I made my way to my bedroom. The hallway lights flickered slightly as we passed, casting long shadows across the floor. The scent of cedar and clean linen greeted me as I stepped inside, mixed with the faint trace of my cologne still lingering in the air. A hoodie was tossed over the back of the chair, and my boots were kicked off near the closet, one tipped on its side like it had lost a fight.

“Not your room,” she whimpered, her voice small but firm.

Setting her on her feet, I gently moved her hair from her face. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes wide and uncertain, lips parted like she wanted to say more but couldn’t find the words. A faint crease formed between her brows, and her fingers curled slightly at her sides like she was bracing herself. “Heaven, we need to talk, and I need to air my room. I also need a shower and to put away my stuff.”

As if she was hit with a sudden clarity, she nodded stiffly, her gaze dropping for a second before meeting mine again. The light from the hallway spilled across the floor, catching the edge of her boots and the soft hem of her sweater.

“You’re not obligated to do what I can handle on my own. You’re my Mate, not my servant, okay?” Caressing my thumb over her cheek, I smiled before moving to grab clean clothes and disappearing into my en suite bathroom.