28. Chapter Twenty-Eight #2
Soren brushes the back of my hand with steady, gentle fingers—an anchor of reassurance.
My gaze lifts, meeting his warm, patient eyes.
“Only when you're ready, Butterfly. You don't have to do anything until you’re ready. This is on your terms. Your timetable, no one else's. We just wanted you to know there is a way out. I told you before and I’ll keep on telling you until you believe us. We’ll help you every step of the way.”
The tight fear inside me eases by slow, cautious increments. They aren't rushing me. They aren't disgusted, exasperated or impatient—they don't see this cracked, frightened version of me as something broken beyond repair. Their eyes don't hold judgment, only compassion and fierce protectiveness.
The tightness in my chest eases, a little piece of tension loosening from around my heart.
The tight knot of shame frays at the edges .
“O…kay.” I’ll try. If not for myself, I’ll do it so that Pack Carmichael is a distant nightmare I can shut away. Perhaps, over time, I can even shut out the darkness they leach through our one-sided bond I never wanted.
I draw my fingertips over the familiar, hated raised skin on my neck where they tore my flesh. Perhaps this psychologist can erase the hooks that Pack Carmichael sank so deeply inside me. The chains still remain, their rusted edges raw and tender, the marks lingering on my heart and mind.
Inhaling deeply, I let my eyes drift closed for a moment, focusing on the steady reassurance of Asher's arms around me, the comforting warmth of Phoenix’s strong hand, steady on my shoulder, Soren's calm presence solid as stone.
Their concern radiates unmistakably outward—raw, tangible, protective in every careful shift of their bodies, every gentle murmur meant only to soothe.
What touches me so deeply is how completely I'm the center of their focus, how unquestioningly they're here, wide-awake in the middle of the night because of me.
I'm tired of fear consuming me. I attempt to steady myself, inhaling quietly again, breathing in their mingled scents that are so, so calming. Rain pelts the glass outside, a constant rhythm. Asher’s bond hums through me, inviting solace, comfort and suddenly, exhaustion creeps up on me again.
I yawn, body heavy and impossibly tired despite waking up so violently.
Tempting sleep creeps at the edges of my consciousness.
“You should try and rest now, Emma,” Soren says.
“I shouldn’t be so tired.” I should be wired from reliving my hell, but my eyelids are so heavy.
“You’re healing. That takes a lot of energy,” Phoenix says.
“Let’s get you back to bed.” Asher stands and carries me to the bed before arranging the blankets over me. A sweet ache and a deeper pang resonates through me when he steps back.
My heart thuds, the storm and shadows threatening to creep closer once more.
“Wait,” I whisper, startling myself with how suddenly the word escapes. They freeze, all three turning quickly back to face me .
“I don’t…” I swallow, embarrassment causing heat to bloom across my cheeks.
The thought of admitting how needy I am, of wanting them near, makes my stomach knot, but the lingering fear of being alone and drowning again in nightmare shadows propels me to continue.
“I don't want you to leave. Please…stay with me?”
My plea hovers in the air between us. It’s open and vulnerable, and my heartbeat is loud in my ears.
Phoenix’s sudden smile breaks across the darkness first, a warm, brilliant expression of undisguised joy and quiet relief.
He crawls onto the mattress without the slightest hesitation before settling next to me on top of the blankets, snuggling down into their softness.
“Hell, Tough Girl, you don’t have to ask me twice. There’s nowhere else I want to be.”
The bed dips as Soren sits on the edge, one hand lightly touching my ankle over the blanket. “I’ll stay as well, Emma. For as long as you need.”
Asher hovers near the door, every line of his tall frame rigid.
His dark eyes flick in my direction, the longing unmistakable, fiercely palpable even without the unguarded flow of his emotions humming through the open bond.
There's such powerful yearning, a desperate ache radiating from within him, it ripples starkly toward me in waves.
Beneath the force of his desperate want lies that heavy undertow of guilt, the bitter edge of refusal shadowing everything else he’s feeling. Though he wants fiercely, achingly , to stay, he won’t. The sting of self-blame spears through the bond, jagged and raw.
The fluttering pulse of honesty and regret whispers truth deep into my heart.
Pack Carmichael forced their claim viciously, indifferent to my pain or fear, branding me like a meaningless possession beneath their teeth without a second thought.
Asher's deep, soul-crushing guilt reflects who he truly is—honorable, protective, and caring so deeply for how his instinctive bite hurt me that it's tearing him apart.
The rawness of his shame tells me every truth I could ever hope to find .
His bond is warm, steady and true. The brightness illuminates the shadowy darkness of every corrupted mark Pack Carmichael inflicted on me.
Where Asher's bond is open and honest, the cruel shadows lurking in my soul are drowned out by the sheer profundity of clarity and warmth he offers. He’s pure light searing away my darkness, and that tells me more than any spoken word.
Suddenly I can’t bear the idea of losing that warmth, even for one night.
I want him here. With us. With me .
I rub my chest over the burn of lightness. His gaze drops to my hand and his eyes flare. Horror fills his face and the emotions through his bond dims.
I reach toward him, my fingers trembling. “No! Don’t! Please…let me feel you.”
“Moonbeam…” The word is drawn out. Tortured.
“Please, I…I don’t want you to hide the bond. I need to feel you. It… it drowns them out. It helps, and I…I want you to stay. Please,” I whisper. The ache inside me is unbearable. I want him here, his scent mingling so perfectly with ours.
Hope flares across his guarded expression. “Are you sure, Emma?”
He moves slowly forward, the bond opening slowly, tentatively, as though still afraid I'll retract my invitation. My chest tightens—this time with gentle warmth—as I realize he's afraid, too. Afraid he still doesn't deserve this. Afraid I'll pull back.
But I won’t. Not when he’s given me this precious, fragile truth. Not when his feelings, washing steadily over me, are the first real anchor I've felt. He may have bitten me against my will and without my consent, but I’m giving my consent now.
His fingers brush against mine as he holds my gaze.
He burns in all the good ways.
“Please stay.”
Warmth unfurls inside my heart as his large hand closes around mine. “Anything for you, Omega. Anything .”
His answer is a careful, shuddering breath of gratitude, whispered hoarsely into the quiet darkness as he finally lets himself sit beside me .
And stupidly, old fears rise. I have three alphas in my bed—alphas I asked to be here. They’re going to want to take from me. This is how out of control I am. The more I try to shut down my mind, the more it rebels.
Phoenix throws an arm around my waist, tucking the blankets tight around me before kissing my cheek. “Relax, Tough Girl. Nothing is going to happen to you tonight, or any other night, except exactly what you want. Tonight? I’m sensing you need comfort. Any other night? Whatever you need, Emma.”
For a moment, I just lie there, his words echoing softly in my mind.
Comfort. Choice. Safety. The way he says it, so matter-of-fact, makes my chest ache.
My gaze slides to him, searching his face as if to see if he really means it, but he’s already letting his eyelids drift shut, fatigue overtaking him.
His breathing evens out, his arm still draped over me. A few moments later, a gentle snore escapes him, warmth puffing against my cheek.
Soren lays down on the other side of Phoenix. He lifts his brows. “Out like a light as usual. Night, Butterfly.”
“Okay, knock it off. Let’s all get some sleep now,” Asher murmurs quietly, his voice a soft rumble.
His sharp cheekbones cast shadows in the half-light, strong jaw softened by the faintest trace of dark stubble, and dark eyes infinite with emotion as they rest on mine.
Beautiful, raw and open. His gaze shimmers, drawing me into those fathomless depths, deep down to a sea of vast and immeasurable emotions that rebound through his bond.
Warmth, longing, protectiveness, and something deeper, endlessly tender floods me, holding me steady.
My breath whooshes out. His gaze burns as a soft smile curves the serious set of his mouth.
The shift transforms his features. Warmth chases away shadows, leaving only brilliant tenderness and gentle protectiveness behind.
And in that single heartbeat, wild things take flight inside my stomach.
Heat pools in my chest and floods warmly downward at the astonishing beauty of his smile, leaving me flushed and quietly shaken.
Asher’s eyes finally drift closed, thick lashes shadowing his cheeks but even as he lets himself rest, his emotions don't fade. They continue to pour into me in wave after wave of overwhelming warmth, cradling me softly in the depths of his honest affection.
I never thought a bond could be like this. This was what Mira told me it was like. Now I know why she looked at her alpha the way she did. It all makes sense.
The soft, comforting rumble of their purrs weave together into a deep, soothing vibration that seeps through my skin, calming all my raw edges. It's the best drug imaginable for my weary omega soul.
This time, when I start to relax, no dark memories resurface. It’s too light inside.
I snuggle into their warmth, losing myself in the soothing resonance until all my anxious thoughts and lingering fears fade into silence. Surrounded by the steady presence and reassuring strength of their warm bodies, I let go, slipping effortlessly into a dreamless sleep.
For the first time in far too long, there are no shadows chasing me, no nightmares waiting—just the tender security of knowing I'm safe. At least for now.