Chapter SevenGrace
Chapter Seven
Grace
Not only was he real, but I was here with him and his husband. His sweet, kind, sexy, giant husband, who smelled like lemonade.
Which meant that my hypothesis was correct and I was in another world. But how? Even if I had proved those theorems, how had I actually brought myself here?
I curled up on the couch, the movie still playing, the food abandoned, nausea washing over me, as I tried not to hyperventilate at my world being upended. “2643383279.”
All I could think of was that it had to do with whoever was chasing me.
“5028841971.”
My breathing slowed. Closing my eyes made it better, though the nausea remained. I hurt all over, and my head ached.
In some ways, seeing him was reassuring. He was real. I tried to wade through my sleepy brain to recall if Fade was correct about me having those theories as a little girl.
“6939937510.”
Those memories I wished I didn’t have reminded me that some harsh methods had been used to convince me that it was all a fantasy. It had taken a whole lot of therapy to get me where I was now. That made it difficult to just accept everything.
Part of me wanted to. Wanted him.
“Grace, Peaches, come here.” Evan came into the living room and launched his giant frame onto the massively oversized couch, hauling me into his arms and covering us with a fuzzy blanket.
While Fade hadn’t been small, Evan was big . Fade had a fierceness to him, under his church-boy good looks. Evan was a giant teddy bear. An exquisite, muscular teddy bear, with light brown skin, giant brown eyes, and short, very curly, dark hair.
I shouldn’t let him hold me. But I felt miserable.
Also, I shouldn’t have come home with a strange guy and his boyfriend. But there was something about him that was comforting. Like Fade had been so compelling all those years ago.
“I… I used to date your husband,” my voice went soft. “I didn’t know, I…”
“You can have him, but you get me, too,” he laughed.
“I’m sure this is confusing for you. We’ll figure all this out, okay?
Spencer will help. You’re going to love him.
Hey, if I get to be too much, tell me to fuck off.
I’m touchy feely and our pack makes a whole lot of sex jokes.
But we’re all about consent here. So please, speak up. ”
“I appreciate it.” Why did he smell so good? Why did Fade smell so good? I’d never been with two people before. How come I liked the idea of having him, too?
Fade walked into the living room, smelling of fresh laundry and sunshine. Tall and muscular, he drew your attention. His dark blond hair hung in his hazel eyes, and he had dimples when he smiled, and freckles.
Hot damn.
“I know, right?” Evan whispered. “Wes is hot.”
“Wes?” I blinked.
“That’s my actual name. I guess you don’t remember.
For a while I tried to be cool and go by Fade, but it didn’t stick.
Come here, Peaches. I… I didn’t mean to be a dick back there.
I’m sorry. It’s just a little shocking that you’re here after all this time.
” Fade, no, Wes, squeezed in with us, pulling me into his arms. “I’m so happy you’re here. ”
“I don’t know how I got here. But I don’t think I brought myself here. Sorry. As romantic as it is that I might have crossed the universe for you, I think I was chased.” I sobbed, hurt at the thought of disappointing him.
“Peaches, it’s okay. It doesn’t matter how you got here. You’re with me and Evan now,” he soothed.
I felt cozy and safe with them. The day had been so confusing.
“There’s so much I can’t remember.” I melted under the muscles I could feel beneath his button-down. He whispered into Evan’s ear, and Evan kissed him.
All I could do was stare. That was hot.
“I think she likes what she sees, don’t you, Peaches,” Evan teased.
“How did you snag such a cute husband?” I deflected.
Wes looked away, hurt clouding his eyes. “Your disappearance fucked me up. I went into the military. There I met Evan.”
“I’m so sorry. In the end, I just couldn’t hang on anymore. I tried. I’m so sorry that I was weak.” My chest shook. I’d felt so bad about hurting him by giving up, but in the end–and moving forward–I had to focus on myself so I wouldn’t go under. Or die.
Shit. I’d rather not recall how that place nearly killed me.
“No. Don’t apologize, Grace. None of this was your fault. I’m the alpha, and I should have protected you. Yeah, okay, I saw you in my dreams. But I also know what that means. You were mine to love. You trusted me, and I couldn’t save you.” His muscular arms wrapped around me.
The raw sadness hit me right in the chest as tears ran down my face.
“Easy, both of you,” Evan scolded, running his large hand through my hair. “None of this is either of your faults. You’re together now.”
“I didn't mean to implode your life,” I continued to cry. Had I ruined everything?
“I know, Peaches. You’re not wrecking anything. I’m just feeling too many things all at once. It’ll be okay. You’re here, and that’s all that matters.” Wes held me close.
Heat built between us. But it also didn’t stop my analytical mind. “If I’m from another world, and I’m the one with the theories, how were you supposed to save me?”
Evan snorted. “She’s got you there.”
“I’m the alpha. It’s my job.” Hurt crossed his face.
“You didn’t abandon me.” If I forgot him, that was different. Clearly, he didn’t forget me and it hurt him a lot, which made me feel awful.
“I… I didn’t mean to hurt you.” I cupped his face with my hands, feeling that pull again.
Being here with him felt right in a way I hadn’t felt in a long time.
“I know, Peaches.” His eyes closed as if savoring my touch.
“We will figure this out.” Evan leaned in and kissed him again.
For a moment I wanted to lean in and kiss Wes, too. I could practically feel that stubble on my face, his hands on my body.
“You’re so cute together. Evan, you’re going to have to finish explaining your four men to me,” I said, shaking myself out of my thirsty daydream. Like did Wes have four husbands, too? I was so curious.
Evan and Jett had tried to explain their pack to me, which seemed to be their all-dude polyamorous family that lived in what smelled like a frat house and looked straight out of a show about fancy homes.
“I only have three husbands. Spencer is my platonic life partner. He’s my best friend, and I’d walk through fire for that man, I just don’t want to fuck him. Jett is with me and Brennan. Wes has only me. There’s so much room for you, Peaches.” Evan touched his light brown nose to mine.
“You, sir, are getting a little ahead of yourself.” I laughed to cover the fact that the idea of having both of them made me clench.
Why was I so thirsty? I didn’t even really know them. While Evan seemed into multiple partners, I wasn’t sure if Wes was.
“Oh, I’m not sir .” Evan grinned, snuggling into me. “Unless you want me to be.”
That banter. I’d never had a truly serious partner that wasn’t my dream boyfriend. Was it normal to want them both so badly so soon?
“Will you stop? You’re going to make her uncomfortable,” Wes play-scolded, rolling his eyes.
“It’s fine.” I leaned into Wes, putting my legs over Evan. Then I realized what I was doing and tried to sit up.
“Stay.” Wes pulled me back onto him. “You’re so fucking small. And thin.”
“I’ve always been small.” I shrugged. After all, I was four-foot-ten. Wes and Evan were well over six feet, with Evan being a little taller.
“Who hurt you? Did someone check you out?” Wes frowned as he looked at my face and examined my bruises with care that reminded me of better times.
“At the clinic, they did scans, exams, bloodwork, and stuff. Today I talked to a lot of people. I’ll be fine. I’m just tired.” Laying my head back down, I got cozy, letting the sense of rightness and the yearning for it, override my common sense.
His nose went to my head, and he sniffed me. “You still smell like peaches, but something’s not right.”
“The doctor said that someone drugged me. Would that change it? Sorry, I don’t quite understand why scents are so pronounced here.” No one said I smelled of peaches back home–and no guy I knew ever smelled like them, well outside of Wes. This entire world smelled like a candle shop.
I closed my eyes and inhaled, getting a hit of his clean laundry scent. There was a chuckle, and my eyes flew open as I realized my face was buried in Wes’ shirt. My cheeks burned.
“Sorry.” But I didn’t move my face as I sucked in the scent of him. I remembered that smell. Oh, how I loved that smell.
“He smells good, right? You can lick him. I might want a turn being licked, though,” Evan teased, dark eyes sparkling. “Well, if you like how I smell.”
Oh, I did. Down girl. We don’t lick people we’ve just met.
“It’s chemical. I have a video on it that gets pretty deep into the science that you might like when you feel up to it,” Evan replied.
“Different people are attracted to different scents. My dick stood up when I met Wes. It also signifies designation. One sniff of him and I knew he was an alpha. Just like I smell like omega.”
“And I smell like peaches and nothing. I still don’t truly understand,” I replied. I mostly thought when Fade, Wes, had spoken of alphas, that he meant it colloquially, like the alpha male bullshit some men at my parents’ church spouted.
Until Wes got his magic alpha dick. Now that I remembered as another memory bubble popped.
“Carly showed me a video at the Center to try to get me to remember what I was. Still sounds like bullshit. You’re ex-military and giant,” I replied, still not fully understanding all this alpha and omega nonsense.
Wes’ dick was biologically different from anything in my world. That was why I called it magic. When we slept together, it felt… Hey, stop that.