30. Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty
Lucas POV
I followed Dakota out to his SUV, where two more buckets of flowers waited in the back. Even from a distance, the bright colors and fresh scents reached my nose—roses in deep burgundy and blush pink, delicate greenery, and what looked like dozens of smaller accent flowers I couldn't name.
"She seems better today," I commented, keeping my voice low as I reached for one of the buckets.
Dakota grunted, lifting the heavier container with ease. "Working helps. Gives her purpose."
"I think it's more than that," I said, carefully balancing my bucket as we walked back toward the greenhouse. "She needs to create something beautiful right now. Something that isn't broken."
Dakota's eyes slid to mine, his expression thoughtful beneath his usual scowl. "You making bows in there?"
I grinned, unashamed. "Damn good ones, too. Not bad for a rookie." I held up my free hand, wiggling my fingers. "Told you I'm good with my hands."
\
Dakota rolled his eyes, but I caught the slight upward tilt of his lips before he could hide it. "You'll use any excuse to flirt, won't you?"
"It's not flirting if it's just stating facts," I countered, adjusting my grip on the heavy flower bucket. "Besides, she needs the distraction. You should've seen her face when I came in—all tense, like she was waiting for bad news."
Dakota's expression sobered. "She has reason to be tense." He paused, glancing toward the greenhouse where Vivian was visible through the glass, already sorting through the first buckets we'd brought in. Her purple hair was pulled back in a messy bun, a few strands falling around her face.
Her movements were fluid and purposeful, hands moving with practiced precision as she lifted stems from the water and examined them.
"She belongs in there," I said quietly, watching her work. "You can see it. Like she's finally breathing right."
Dakota didn't respond immediately, his dark gaze lingering on Vivian through the glass.
"Yeah," he finally said, voice gruff but tinged with something like respect. "She's stronger than she looks."
We reached the greenhouse door, and I shifted my bucket to push it open with my shoulder. The warm, humid air enveloped us immediately, carrying the rich scent of soil and greenery. Vivian looked up as we entered, her eyes brightening at the sight of more flowers.
"Perfect timing," she said, already clearing space on the workbench. "I've just finished sorting the first batch."
I set my bucket down where she indicated, careful not to disturb her meticulous arrangement. "One more to go," I told her, nodding toward Dakota who was positioning his bucket near the sink.
"These are gorgeous," Vivian murmured, gently touching a deep burgundy rose. "Mrs. Sullivan has excellent taste." Her fingers moved with reverence over the blooms, her expression softening with genuine pleasure. The tension I'd noticed earlier seemed to melt away as she immersed herself in the flowers.
"I'll get the last one," Dakota said, already heading back out.
I lingered, watching as Vivian began organizing the flowers by type and color. Her movements were graceful, practiced—an artist with her medium.
"Need any help?" I offered, though I suspected she might prefer to work alone now that the actual flowers had arrived.
She glanced up, a small smile playing at her lips. "Actually, yes. Could you fill those green buckets with fresh water? About halfway." She nodded toward a stack of containers near the sink. "I need to condition these stems before I start arranging."
"Condition?" I asked, moving toward the sink.
"Cut them at an angle, remove excess foliage, give them a fresh drink before they go into arrangements," she explained, already selecting stems from one of the buckets. "Helps them last longer."
"Makes sense," I said, filling the containers as instructed. I watched her hands move with practiced efficiency, stripping leaves from rose stems with a small knife. "You really love this, don't you?"
Vivian glanced up, a genuine smile spreading across her face. "Is it that obvious?"
"It's written all over you," I replied honestly. "The way you touch them, how your whole body relaxes when you're working. Like you found your place in the universe."
A faint blush colored her cheeks as she returned to her work. "I don't know about the universe, but I've always felt at home with flowers. They're honest in a way people rarely are."
Dakota returned with the final bucket, setting it down with careful precision next to the others.
"Thanks," Vivian said, glancing up at Dakota with a grateful smile. "These are perfect."
Dakota nodded, his expression softening slightly as he surveyed the colorful array of flowers. "Need anything else?"
"I'm good for now," she replied, already returning her attention to the blooms. "But thank you both for your help."
I caught Dakota's eye, a silent question passing between us. He gave an almost imperceptible nod—he'd stay nearby, keeping watch while giving her space to work. Our protective instincts were in overdrive, but we were learning to balance them against her need for independence.
"I'll be in the house if you need me," I told her, reluctantly moving toward the door. "Just shout if you need more ribbon expertise."
Vivian laughed, the sound bright and unguarded. "I'll keep that in mind. Your bow-making skills have improved remarkably fast."
I gave her a mock bow, enjoying the way her eyes crinkled at the corners when she smiled. "I'm a man of many talents."
"So I've heard," she replied with a hint of dry humor that made Dakota snort behind me.
As I stepped out of the greenhouse, the cooler air hit my skin, a stark contrast to the humid warmth inside. I paused for a moment, watching through the glass as Vivian returned to her work, her entire being focused on the flowers before her. Dakota shut the greenhouse doors, before standing off to the side, leaning against the wall, posture relaxed. Guarding without hovering.
“Keeping guard?” I asked with a smile on my face.
Dakota gave me a look, one eyebrow slightly raised. "Someone has to."
"Not arguing that," I said, keeping my voice low. "Just figured you'd want to be back at the boards, working the case."
"Theo's got the research covered," Dakota replied, shifting his weight and crossing his arms. "Gabriel's on calls with the lab about those trace samples. Besides..." He glanced back through the glass at Vivian, who was now humming softly to herself as she trimmed stems. "She's more relaxed when she thinks we're not all hovering."
I nodded, understanding the unspoken sentiment. "But still protected."
"Exactly." The word was clipped, efficient, pure Dakota.
I studied him for a moment, noting the softening around his eyes whenever they landed on Vivian. "She really is something…and I have a feeling we are all going to fall for her before the end of this case.”
Dakota's jaw tightened, but he didn't deny it. "We need to stay focused on the case."
"I am focused," I countered, glancing back at Vivian through the glass. She was now carefully arranging stems in graduated heights, her hands moving with the precision of a surgeon. "But I'm not blind either."
Dakota exhaled slowly, a sound halfway between resignation and frustration. "It's complicated."
"When isn't it?" I asked with a wry smile. "Four Alphas, one Omega, a murderer on the loose... I'd say 'complicated' is putting it mildly."
Dakota's dark eyes met mine, serious beneath his perpetual scowl. "She's not like the others we've protected. There's something about her—"
"That gets under your skin," I finished for him. "Yeah, I noticed."
We stood in silence for a minute before I turned to leave, “We will have to make a choice all together eventually…we can ignore the pull we are all feeling or we can do something about it.”
I then left Dakota to his thoughts, I knew that we had a choice to make…but we would do it as a pack…just as we always have done since we formed. I coudln’t wait to see what that choice was.