Chapter 10
Chapter
Ten
CASSIDY
Bellamy and Winter really hate exercise. Not only that, their muscles have atrophied from lack of movement, which means we need to work on flexibility and strength.
“Come on, lazy bones,” I murmur, moving into a room on the third floor full of rugs and comfort. I woke them up to stretch with me before I go on my run with the guys.
It’s about six in the morning, but I told them last night about how Riley thinks it’ll help. He also suggested a nutrient dense beverage, and since Abbott looked at the ingredients and decided he hated them, he’s making them smoothies instead.
Yes, we’re all pushy as fuck.
Abbott, Shiloh, and Ansel smirk as they come in with water bottles, leaving a couple near Bellamy and Winter.
“Group stretching?” Bellamy asks, amused.
Two days have passed since I presented them with their nest, and they accepted the opportunity to decorate it. Abbott’s eyes widened when he saw that paint was being delivered to the house, but instead of offering to do the work for them, asked if they’d ever painted before.
Apparently, they both painted each others’ rooms when their parents married, so they’re well used to the work. My worry is that they’re going to be too weak to do much at a time.
I can’t micromanage everything. That’s no way to live. They’ve had too much of that happen already. They’re almost nineteen years old. I have to allow them the freedom to do things for themselves in what I want them to think of as their own home.
That’s what I want it to be.
“Yes,” Abbott says easily. “We do everything together. After this, there’s breakfast waiting for you while we go running. People will start to talk if we don’t join the run club again.”
“Like who?” Winter asks.
“Society,” I grumble. “You’re not ready to meet everyone yet. For the record, we aren’t hiding you. I’m just not comfortable with going out to meet people while you’re not feeling great.”
“I don’t like people,” Bellamy says, making a face. “I’ve always been much happier hanging out with Winter than going out. My social anxiety isn’t fun.”
“Understandable,” I admit. “We don’t want you to think you’re a secret or something.”
“I’d prefer it if we were,” he says seriously. “People will be looking for us.”
“Who?” Shi growls, startling Bellamy. Yep, it’s never good when his emotions start leaking everywhere. He’s the contained one usually.
“Clara,” Bellamy mumbles. “Petty fucking bitch.”
“That’s the spirit,” my insane alpha cheers, making Bellamy laugh. Granted, they’re all insane, but Shiloh is the one who enjoys taking his time with a kill.
“Stretch,” I order, already on the ground. “Legs apart.”
Abbott smirks at me, making me blush as he complies. He knows exactly how sexy he is. His hair is messier than normal today, and his beard makes me think about using it as my private chair.
Focus, Cassidy. They’re all too sexy for their own good.
I lead them through stretches, and I notice the way Winter and Bellamy wince as they do them.
“Don’t go any further than what’s comfortable to start with,” I remind them. “We’re going to be able to lean in further than you for the stretches right now. I’m sure your muscles will be sore.”
“Cages do that to you,” Winter mutters.
“I had them burned,” Abbott grunts. “I’m tracking down everyone who’s had anything to do with that trafficking ring and killing them. Systematic, concise justice.”
“I don’t think murder can be considered systematic,” Winter murmurs, pulling her arm across her body to release the tension in her muscles.
They both need deep tissue massages, but I can’t stand the thought of anyone touching them. There’s also the added stress that they may not be comfortable with that.
Baby steps. That’s what these stretch exercises are.
Her hair is pulled back into a ponytail, and her fresh face is calm as she stretches.
“It is when you do it right,” Ansel smirks, making me giggle.
“This is considered foreplay for them,” I mention, shrugging as Winter and Bellamy gape at me. “It’s cute, right?”
“It’s something,” Bellamy says. “I think I’m doing foreplay wrong, Winter.”
Her cheeks are on fire as she shakes her head. For someone who has gone through so much, I love that she can still blush at this.
“You do just fine, Bell,” she grumbles.
Ansel hides a smile as he lays back and pulls his knee toward his face.
“Don’t tease them,” I murmur. “Foreplay can be more than physical. It’s anything that gets you hot. Sometimes, it’s when Ansel cleans the dishes after a meal, or when Abbott makes sure to pick up my favorite dessert for me. They’re signs they care.”
“They used to be sure signs that we were going to get lucky,” Shiloh divulges, on his back as he stretches his hips out. “Fuck. Ow.”
“You’re such a baby,” Abbott sighs, getting up to push him further. Shiloh’s deep groan draws both Bellamy and Winter’s attention, and it’s easy to admit how good the guys look together. “That’s it. Such a good boy for me.”
Bellamy’s lips part, and I swear I can see drool.
This is a delicate dance. Everything inside of me screams there’s been sexual abuse in their past. I saw it happen with the drugs at the intimacy center.
If I’d been anyone else, things would have progressed further, and none of it would have been consensual with the drugs being pumped through the vents.
Abbott, Ansel, Shi, and I have had a lot of conversations revolving around this. If I’m honest, it’s one of the only things we talk about outside of our omegas’ welfare.
I also reminded them we aren’t in control of things.
Who are we to tell them what the natural progression of a relationship is after the trauma they’ve had?
If we push them away, we tell them they don’t know their own bodies and boundaries, and that’s just as bad as what my alphas did to me for months.
Maybe I’m still a little salty about it.
“You’re going to catch flies, Lovey,” I murmur to Bellamy.
Abbott is really getting into helping Shi stretch. Maybe I’ll pull out my strap on just for him. It always does things to me when he lets me be in charge.
“How do you get anything done with them?” Bellamy hisses.
Winter’s lips twitch before her tongue flicks out to lick her bottom lip. Tearing her eyes away from Abbott and Shi when they begin to stretch his other hip, she shrugs.
“He’s not wrong,” she admits.
“They’re going to end up fucking each other soon now that the sex ban is over,” I mutter.
“There was a ban?” she asks.
“Long story,” I sigh. “Sometimes, our alphas are idiots.”
I’m not included in that because I’m obviously amazing.
“Ours,” Bellamy says under his breath as if to taste how that feels on his tongue, glancing at them as Ansel lifts Abbott and launches him off Shiloh. “Oh.”
“Yep. Ours,” I reply. “They grow on you, and promise not to be shitheads.”
“You called, Precious?” Shiloh asks, smirking as he sits up. “Are we all limbered up yet?”
“I guess that’s enough for now,” I chuckle. “Come downstairs with us, and we’ll get you breakfast?”
“Um. We can get it ourselves," Bellamy says standing.
“Then I’ll show you what Riley suggests,” I say easily, getting up gracefully.
Everyone else follows, and we trudge down the stairs. At least this counts as cardio, right?
“I’ll make this round, and then you can do this tomorrow?” Abbott suggests, pulling out fruits and vegetables.
Winter’s eyes grow round as she watches him begin to blend things.
“Sometimes, it’s better not to know what’s in it,” Ansel says just loud enough to be heard over the blender.
“He’s not wrong,” Abbott replies.
Hiding a smile, I watch as Abbott sweetens the smoothie and pours it into glasses before sliding it in front of Bellamy and Winter.
“Bottoms up,” Bellamy sighs, clinking his cup against Winter’s. Their appetite is slowly returning to normal, but the glasses Abbott grabbed are on the smaller end.
It’s better to get something in rather than nothing.
“It’s still early. You can go back to bed, watch movies on the couch, whatever you want,” Ansel says. “If you decide to paint…I’m just going to give you the phone I bought for you.”
“We need a phone?” Bellamy asks, amused.
“It’s a big house,” Shiloh shrugs. “We keep talking about getting a PA system, but the phone works just fine. In case of an emergency, yelling might not do the trick.”
“That’s smart,” Winter admits, watching as Ansel sets up the phone.
“It’ll take a little bit to fully boot up, but here are our numbers to put in,” Ansel says, pushing a piece of paper over with the phone.
“How is the smoothie?” I ask, watching as Bellamy and Winter drink it down.
“It’s really good,” Winter admits. “I could barely tell there was any spinach in it.”
“I don’t think I can recreate that,” Bellamy says, placing the cup on the counter.
“It’s a good thing I don’t mind making it,” Abbott shrugs.
Ansel grabs the glasses and blender and quickly washes it. Bellamy glances at him as if he’s not sure what to do and I move over to bop him on the nose.
“We’re all used to just doing things,” I tell him. “We actually enjoy taking care of each other and you.”
“Truth,” Shiloh says. “Our runs usually are two hours long. We all have our phones on vibrate if you need us.”
I guess I’m not the only one suddenly nervous about leaving the house without them.
“Think you’ll be up for a picnic today?” I ask on the spur of the moment.
“I’ll handle the food,” Abbott says immediately, already keen to run with it.
Bellamy and Winter gaze at each other, and it feels as if they’re having an entire conversation together. For all I know, they are.
“Going outside would be really nice,” Winter says finally. “It’s been too long.”
Shiloh closes his eyes for a moment, feeling the pain our pack does at the longing in those words. Fuck, they were sold over a year ago. I can’t imagine not feeling the sun on my face, or the night air on my skin, knowing I’m free.
The only thing I can say is that people who steal people’s lives are fucking evil. I keep thinking it, a mantra in my mind, but when Shiloh opens his eyes with murder in his gaze before wiping it away, I know I’m right.
The streets will run with blood for this.
Tilting Bellamy’s face up, I kiss his lips with a brush of mine, a promise of sorts before doing the same to Winter.
I have to get out of the house so I can break down there. I can’t let them see me lose my shit in our bright, happy kitchen. I will not taint our home in this way.
Bellamy and Winter accept my kisses without a thought, another sign that they feel the pull strongest with me. I’ll gladly be their tether and protector, but God, is it shredding my soul to watch them find their footing again in the world.
“We’ll be back,” I say with a smile I know doesn’t reach my eyes. “What are you going to do while we’re gone?”
“Watch cartoons,” Bellamy decides. “I want to do something silly just for the sake of it.”
It’s such an innocent thing, and it’s easy to forget they were sold just as they were entering adulthood.
“Good plan,” Abbott says, sweeping in to get them to the living room.
As they disappear, my knees buckle, and Ansel catches me, already finished with the dishes. His hands are still slightly damp as they clamp around my waist, but I barely notice it. My mesh tank top will dry.
“Do we really need to go?” I rasp, my voice fucked with unshed tears.
“Yes, baby,” Ansel says, holding me tightly as heat rises behind my eyes. “It’s so goddamned hard to hear their truths. I don’t know how they’re able to just…”
“Live,” Shiloh finishes. “Death isn’t an option, and I don’t think they want it either.
The detox was a trial by fire. Once they were through that, I think they decided to live.
They’re eating, planning their nest, they’re ready to pick up the pieces, guys.
We just have to support them as they do it. ”
“Go outside,” Ansel murmurs in my ear as I gasp in a breath. Goddamnit, it’s like I can’t pull enough oxygen into my lungs. “I’ll grab your water bottle. Go.”
Nodding, I step out of his arms, hurrying through the house to step out the front door. I already have shoes on my feet, and there’s nothing keeping me inside, which is helpful with how I’m feeling.
The street is quiet as I stumble down the stairs, collapsing on a step as I sob.
My mind races as I think about everything that could have happened to them, because I just don’t know.
Bellamy and Winter will tell us things in offhanded comments, but there’s not been another opportunity to ask them questions.
None of us want to push, not when they’re gaining their strength. Ansel is already planning a trip to kill Winter’s aunt, and I’m happy to let him have her. I want Madam Clara, we just have to find her.
Shiloh promised to make a request on the dark web for a local auction yesterday. From there, he can filter through the names of auction owners until we can find her.
“There will be more hard days, baby,” Abbott says, sitting next to me.
“I…know,” I hiccup. “They didn’t deserve any of this. Bellamy wasn’t wearing socks today, he’s finally walking without limping. We can’t keep them cooped in the house, not when they’ve missed out on so much, Abbott.”
“We won’t,” he promises, hugging me tightly.
“We need to find out what their dreams are. Do they want to go to college, what do they enjoy doing? Shi isn’t wrong in the need to make a kill list. Maybe it’ll be easier if they don’t have to tell us why they’re putting them on it? I don’t want to stir up bad memories.”
“I don’t either,” I agree. “I have a feeling Clara is responsible for the branding. Whenever Winter and Bellamy have talked about her, they tend to rub the place where the brand is.”
“You’re right,” he says, hugging me. “It feels like my heart is being torn out of my chest whenever they say something offhand. We can’t be the people who bundle them in bubble wrap. That’s not living either.”
The sound of a door locking behind us makes me blow out a breath, swiping at my eyes. Ugh, now I’m going to look all puffy and shit.
“You’re beautiful. No one but us will know,” Abbott reassures me. He knows me so fucking well.
“Sooner we get going, the sooner we get back,” Ansel says, coming down the stairs.
Standing, I force my feet to take me away from my scent matches.
I have to go, so you can have space. I don’t fucking have to like it though.