Nexus Chapter 27

27.
      “Oh most definitely.  You are the first of the Nexus Drew.” Esbeth stepped away from her and smiled.  
      Drew didn’t share her joy at the fact.  To be honest she felt quiet sick.  If what Esbeth said was true, then Drew would not be able to stay with Seth.  That though had her building a wall in her mind before everyone could sense how upset the prospect made her.  
      “Are you sure the nexus is chosen for us?  What I mean is, we don’t get any choice at all?  Like some type of arranged marriage?”
      “I suppose that’s the best way to look at it, an arranged marriage.” She watched Drew’s expression become despondent.  “But, as I understand the prophesy – love in integral to a nexus, so who ever you get as your nexus mate.  That person will love you and you will love them.  It’s not possible for it to be otherwise.”  
      Drew was tempted to ask - what if she was already in love with someone, but that would have given away her feelings for Seth.  So she kept her mouth shut and nodded as if Esbeth had answered all her questions.
      “Okay this is the way you see if you’ve found your nexus partner.”  Esbeth motioned Darius over.  
      “Darius please stand facing Drew hold your left hand up, palm out.”
      Darius did as she asked.
      “Now Drew, lay your right palm flat against Darius’s left palm.”  
      Drew laid her palm against Dar’s, his large hand dwarfing her much smaller one.  
      “Now I want you both to raise the other hand, left in Drew’s case and right in Darius’s, close it to a fist leaving only your index finger pointed.  You know, ET style.” She grinned at her comparison. “Okay now touch your finger tips to each other.”  
      They touched finger tips and waited for Esbeth’s next instructions.  
      “This is it.  Take a big breath people, we are about to see if you’re a nexus.”  
      Seth felt his fists clench as he watch Drew go through this test.  His stomach was one big knot.  He couldn’t sit still, he shifted in his chair continuously.  He felt like leaving the room, but at the same time he would never be able to walk out, he had to know which of his Omega brothers was going to get the woman he wanted.  No he couldn’t take this, he started to get up only to sit right back down again.  
      “Chill and relax, your starting to broadcast.”  Ross hissed at him quietly.  
      Seth snapped his head around giving Ross a look that should have vaporized him on the spot.  
      “Ouch!  Just trying to help you.”  Ross backed up, lifting his hands in surrender.  
      “Help me by shutting the fuck up.”  
      “Ok now -” Esbeth spoke
      Seth’s head whipped around again to see what would happen with the test.
      “slowly, while keeping your palms together, pull your index fingers apart.  Very slowly.”  
      Drew and Darius slowly separated their index fingers.  
      “Nothing!” Esbeth smiled.  “You are not a nexus.”  
      Seth felt his shoulders relax a little, one down and three to go.  
      “Okay, Marcus you next.”  
      “Just so everyone knows,” Marcus stood up and went to stand in front of Drew. “If it is me and I’m found dead in a couple of days – Seth did it.”  
      Everyone laughed releasing some tension, only Seth and Drew stayed silent.  
      They repeated the process of laying their palms together then touching index fingers.  
      “Ok now slowly pull apart.”  
      Seth tensed again his fists aching with the pressure he was putting on them.  
      Drew and Marcus separated their fingers.
      “Nothing.  Okay, um…, Dante?”
      “Yeah its Dante.”  He stood up and went to stand in front of Drew.
      They repeated the test.  Nothing happened.  
      “Damn, that’s a pity.” Dante winked at Drew, giving her a sly smile and went to sit down.  
      “Ok Ross you’re up next.” Esbeth called him.  
      Seth felt his jaw clench, it was Ross it had to be Ross.  He and Drew were already close.  Ross was going to be Drew’s nexus mate and Seth would have to leave the compound, he could never deal with his best friend having Drew when he couldn’t.  
      It didn’t even occur to Seth that it could be him.  He never thought that far, his emotions were in too much turmoil.  
      “I think Ross will probably be your match Drew.” Esbeth said, but while she said it she watched Seth for a reaction and wasn’t disappointed when she saw his jaw clench and his fist curl again.  She’d been watching his reactions right through the tests and she thought she knew for sure who the nexus would be.  
      It could be that he was just infatuated with Drew.  Jealousy wasn’t an emotion confined to normals.  There didn’t have to be a supernatural reason for Seth’s reactions, but Esbeth had her doubts.  The little test she’d given at the start of this by saying that Drew had to bare herself to the men had pretty much convinced Esbeth who the other half of the nexus was.  
      “Okay, lets do it.”  
      Drew and Ross started separating their fingers, there was a small flash and a spark.  
      Drew felt her stomach drop.  No, this couldn’t be right, she didn’t want Ross.  There had to be some mistake.  She felt like she was going to be sick.  
      “Oh my!” Esbeth gasped.  “That was amazing.”
      Seth got up and started walking out the room.  If he stayed he was going to kill Ross.  He felt like his world was smashing in around him, the only thing that came close to how he was feeling right now what the night Kyle had died.
      “Where are you going Seth?” Esbeth asked him.
      “Out.”  
      “You haven’t had your test yet.”  
      “What’s the point Ross and Drew are a nexus.” He kept walking.
      “No they aren’t,” she called after him stopping him dead. “it was almost, there was definite potential for a nexus between the two of them, but it wasn’t a connection.”  
      “Your next for the test.”
      He turned to face her “What about Gabriel?”
      “I’m not an omega, if there is no connection amongst the omegas then I’ll do the test with Drew.”  
      Ross moved away from Drew, infinitely happy that it hadn’t been a connection.  Drew was beautiful inside and out, she had spirit and kindness and he would have loved to be her nexus mate, but not with Seth in the way.  He loved his best friend too much to ever do something like that to him. Seth might not know it, but there was no way he was getting away from Drew with his heart still in his possession.  In fact Ross was pretty sure his friend was already past the point of no return, even if Seth didn’t know it yet.  
      Seth went to stand in front of Drew, his heart in his throat.  Could it be possible?  Could he even hope.  
      Drew was tormented, all she saw was that Seth had walked away.  As soon as he realized that she wasn’t his problem any more he’d walked away.  She’d felt her heart break in that moment.  He’d even been willing to throw Gabriel at her to avoid having to do the test with her.  She almost bulked when Esbeth told them to lay their palms together for the start of the test, but she didn’t, she had to know one way or the other.  Regardless of the outcome of the test, Drew would make sure she wasn’t Seth’s problem any more.  
      They touched the tips of their fingers together.  
      A tension hung in the room.  
      They started separating fingers.
      “Slowly, slowly.” Esbeth said in a breathless whisper.  
      Drew watched in awe as their index fingers separated, only they didn’t, there was a thin line of silver energy between their finger tips, keeping them connected even as they moved further apart.  The energy kept expanding in the widening gap between their hands.  Flowing in waves and pulsing.  
      “That,” Esbeth beamed at everyone in the room. “is a nexus connection.”  
      To Drew those words where like her death knell.  She was tied to a man who didn’t love her.  He was her nexus mate and he would always be, but he would never love her. Drew didn’t care what Esbeth thought the nexus meant.  She felt her eyes well up, so she dropped her head so no one would see the tears in them.  
      She missed the grin that lit Seth’s face up like a ray of light.  He felt the most profound happiness he’d ever felt.  Drew was his, forever.  He could keep her, and love her for the rest of their very long lives.  Somewhere in this tension filled half hour he’d realized that he loved her.  Loved her with a passion that was beyond fierce and she was his.  He wanted to jump up and down, he wanted to run around the room hi-fiveing everyone.  
      Drew was his!  Drew had always been meant for him!
      “Wow.” Selphie breathed, “I knew it.”  She grabbed Drew pulling her into a hug.  
      “My L-dar is never wrong.”  Drew hugged her back.  But when her cell phone rang she wanted to kiss the thing.  
      “Excuse me.” she ran out the room as she answered her phone.  
      “Hello,” she managed to get out while tears flowed freely down her cheeks.  
      “Drew?  Little-Girl what’s wrong?” Brynn’s voice came through the speaker of the cell phone.  
      “Nothing, everything… Oh Brynn, everything is so fucked up right now.”  
      Drew pulled open the front door and moved out onto the steps.  Sitting down in the sunshine.  
      “Must be if you are using language like that.  What happened?”  
      “I can’t explain, not over the phone at least.”  
      “Well then come here and explain.”  
      “You know that’s a fantastic idea.” Drew sniffed, cheering up.  Brynn would know what to do, Brynn always knew what to do.  
      “I’ll be there in a couple of hours.”  
      “you better be or I’m going to come find you.”  
      “I will be. Love you Bry.” Drew hung up.  
      She was going to try something she never would have thought to try before.  She closed her eyes and visualized the wall in her mind.  She painstakingly removed a brick in the center then visualized leaning toward the hole in the wall and calling
      Ross, come here now!
      She didn’t want to growl to call anyone, Seth would hear that, and she couldn’t face him right now.  So she used the ability Ross seemed to have heaps of and called him by broadcasting, she needed Ross’s help , and she’d bully him into helping her if she had to.  
      
      Gabriel and Ross suddenly sat up straight, tilting their heads to the side as they heard Drew’s broadcast. Everyone was still discussing the nexus, and Seth had gotten congratulations all round for being the lucky guy to be Drew’s nexus mate.  
      Gabe looked at Ross, then opened a connection to him.  
      Something isn’t right with Drew.  
      Ross nodded and replied
      I know, should I send Seth to her.  
      No, don’t do that.  I think right now he’s part of the problem.  Go see what she wants, try and talk her out of what ever stupid she’s planning, if you can’t, help her and we’ll take it from there.  
      Ross nodded and stood up.  Leaving the room quietly.  Seth was still too happy to notice much.  
      
      Kyle stood in the corner of the room with a shit eating grin plastered over his face.  He was so happy for his brother he could burst.  It was time that Seth got over the Veronica crap and lived life instead of just existing.  
      He’d  come to the living room following the twinge that let him out of the mausoleum.  He still didn’t understand why the barrier that had kept him prisoner for fifty years had suddenly dissolved.  Kyle suspected it had something to do with Esbeth and this nexus she had explained to everyone, but he wasn’t sure.  Esoteric shit had never been his deal.  He left that to the brains of the outfit,  but the hows and whys were something he could try and figure out later, right now Kyle just wanted to be happy for his brother.  Seth looked so happy it made Kyle grin again.  It was about friggin’ time.  
      
      Ross opened the front door and went to sit on the stairs next to Drew.  
      “You screamed in my head?”  
      “I need a car, I’m going to Brynn.”  
      “Why Drew, aren’t you happy?  Seth is your nexus mate, I’d think you’d be over the moon.”  
      “Why? Because I’m tied to someone who doesn’t love me?”
      “But…”
      “No, I don’t want to hear it Ross, I don’t want to hear that he’ll get his shit sorted out.  He walked out!  Seth was happy when he thought you were my nexus mate,  he just got up  left cause I wasn’t his responsibility any more.”  
      “That’s n…”  
      “I told you I don’t want to hear it!” she yelled at him and felt bad immediately, this wasn’t Ross’s fault.
      “I’m sorry Ross.  Listen can you just get me a car so I can go to my sister.  I need some time to get this all sorted out in my head.  I’ll be back, but right now I need a little time…please Ross.”  
      He nodded, there was going to be no swaying her where this was concerned.  Drew had made up her mind that Seth didn’t love her, and Ross wasn’t going to try and force her to listen to the truth.  Any fool could see that Seth loved her madly.  Right now it looked like Drew didn’t want to be any fool.  
      “Your car is in the garage Drew, Seth had it fetched the day we got back here.”  
      “It is?”  
      “Yeah, give me a minute and I’ll go find the keys for you. The gas tank is full and you can get right in and drive.”  He got up and went up the stairs.
      “Thanks for understanding Ross.”  
      “No big.”  
      Drew sent out another mental thought this time to her sentin.  
      Khettah, can you hear me sweetie.  
      Yes Drew
      I’m going to be gone for a day or two, will you watch over Seth for me please.
      Can’t I come with you?
      No angel-cat you can’t, Brynn would get a fright.  Will you look after Seth?
      Yes Drew, I will. Be safe.