Epilogue
One Year Later
Blaine
"That's the one, yeah. It's perfect," I tell the man behind the counter. "She's going to love it."
"This is for your Omega?" he asks me skeptically as he boxes up the gift. "It doesn't seem like a typical Omega gift."
"Yeah, well, she's not the typical Omega," I chuckle. He hands me the package, and I slide it into the deep pocket on the side of my pants before high-tailing it out of there.
I hate the mall.
Like with a burning passion.
It shows how much I love Nora that I'm here at all, squished between all of these people just to get her a surprise.
I've been so proud of her lately. I mean, I'm always proud of her, but these past few months, she's really outdone herself. Dr. Greene's trial was swift but brutal, and unfortunately, she had to testify and bring all of her trauma back up to the surface. But she handled it so well, even the cross-examination. When the verdict was read, and he was found guilty, I could almost see the weight lifted off her shoulders.
Her mother is nowhere to be found. She disappeared right after our trial was finished. I imagine she thought that changing her name and hiding out was going to be enough to wait it all out until her part in this blows over. I don't think it will be, though. You see, unfortunately for Ms. Veronica Summers, her daughter packed up with a guy who happens to be pretty great with technology and computers. It didn't take me long to put out a script to run her face through software that cross-checked all of the street cameras in the world.
Veronica didn't even go far. Cops should be busting down her door any minute now to serve her arrest warrant. I can't wait to see my girl's reaction. This is the last nail in the coffin of the Perfect Omega.
It only took a few weeks for all of the billboards to be ripped down and the ad spots to stop running. The Design Clinic has done some major damage control, including paying out restitution to Nora on Dr. Greene's behalf. Anything to keep us from speaking out about the horrors that happened to her.
Too bad we can't be bought.
I pull into the driveway and pause when I get out of my SUV. Before Nora came around, I thought this house felt like a home. It wasn't until she walked through that door that I realized the life that was missing within. It's been over a year now since she first walked in, and gone is the impersonal, abstract art. In its place are shitty paintings we did at wine and paint date nights, pictures of our pack during all of our vacations, and portraits of Nora as she speaks in front of crowds.
"Get the fuck back here!" Ah, there's my Omega now. She swears a lot more than she used to, and I know most of it is the fault of the little grey creature she's chasing.
"Get back in your cage, Figaro!" She flaps a dish towel towards the bird, making him chirp in amusement as she continues flying around her head.
It's hard to hold back my laughter. Joey's idea to get Nora a bird was ill-advised. The bird is constantly getting out of its cage, and Nora cannot seem to get him to listen to her. But we still love the annoying little shit.
"Quit laughing at me, Alpha!" she snarls, pinning me with an angry glare. "I could use some help here!"
I whistle and hold out two fingers. The little bird lands on my fingers, and I gently walk him to the cage in the living room. Nora latches the door and grumbles under her breath about making the rest of us clean his cage since he never listens to her.
I snag her around the waist and collapse with her on my lap onto our comfortable sofa. Her long blond hair is up in a high ponytail, and she's wearing a sports bra and athletic leggings, so she must've just gotten back from her classes at Alphamatic. The sweat on her skin intensifies her honeysuckle scent, and I bury my face in her neck. "I missed you," I whisper into her flesh.
"You just saw me a few hours ago."
"And it was too long." Her laugh is so clear and free that I fall in with her, marveling at the lightness that now surrounds my Omega. Once we calm down, I pull out the package from my pocket. "Got you something…"
She snatches it quickly. Nora used to pretend she didn't want presents, but that faded as she grew more and more in touch with her inner Omega. She slowly pulls off the black paper before squealing with excitement. The paper and box go flying as she clutches the controller in her hands. The black base is splattered with neon pink and yellow splotches, a reminder of our first date. She clicks the buttons quickly, twirling the joystick. "It's mine? Really? Only mine?"
"Only yours, honey," I chuckle, pinching her side. "It's specially sized for your hands. Joey's baseball glove hands won't be able to grip it."
"I love it so much," she coos, turning it over in her hands. "Now I can kick your ass in style!"
"Dream on, Omega." I tickle her sides, catching her lips with my own when she throws her head back to laugh.
Joey
"I'm sorry, Roberto," I tell the older Alpha. "I just don't think we have the time anymore."
He nods solemnly, dragging the cloth across the bar top. "I know. I follow the news, boy. I know what your pack and your Omega are up to. I hoped I'd be able to keep you around a little longer, but I'm not surprised." Nora peeks up at Roberto from the other side of the bar, where she's shaking some sort of cocktail for the haggard-looking Beta sitting in front of her.
Nora and I have worked at least one shift a week since the trial behind the bar of Roberto's. We haven't been able to give up the warmth this place brings us. When we met here, no one would've been able to tell me I'd end up behind the bar with that pretty little Omega who walked through the door. And yet, every week, I bring her back here, fielding jokes and heckles about how she's too good for me.
As if I don't already know that.
"I did want to ask you something," Roberto continues.
"Anything."
"Well, I'm getting up there in years," he begins, leaning his back against the bar. "I spend a lot of time wondering if this is how I want to spend it." He pins me with a look. "And I realized something."
"What's that?" I ask, crossing my arms as I stare him down. I can tell he's building up to something, but I can't figure out what.
"I know two people who love this place as much as me. Who'd take care of it, maybe make it into something better than a hole in the wall."
I drop my arms, and my jaw slacks as I stare at the man who has been a part of my life for damn near a decade. "What are you saying?"
"Do you and Nora want to buy Roberto's?"
"Yes!" she says, squeezing past him and standing beside me. "Yes, absolutely."
"Little bird…" I whisper. "We need to talk through this as a pack."
"No, we don't. I have my restitution money. Chase has a restaurant group, so we have all the contacts we need. Pick up the phone, call him. I bet he'll agree with me." She puts her fists on her hips, wrinkling her leather jacket with the impact. She taps the toe of her combat boot and raises her eyebrows at me.
I roll my eyes at the bratty behavior but still pick up the phone and tell Chase what's going on.
"Oh, fuck yeah. Roberto's is awesome and in a great location. We can make it like a Bea's express concept or something. If he's offering and Nora wants it, let's do it. You two don't have to be the ones working there every night. Have his people send me the paperwork, and we'll work through it."
Nora was able to hear Chase without me even putting the phone on speaker, and the resulting smug smile makes me want to turn her ass red when we get home.
Roberto watches the exchange with a passive face, but I can see the interest sparkling in his eyes. "Alright, Roberto. Get us the paperwork, and we'll look over it."
Nora squeals and launches herself into my arms. She wraps her legs tightly around my waist and grabs my face, her fingers digging into my beard. Her mouth crashes against mine, and an involuntary groan leaves my throat.
"Best husband ever," she whispers against my lips.
"Best wife ever."
Nolan
Nora curls up at my side, a book in her hands, as I type an email out on my laptop. I've taken a step back from training at Alphamatic, just handling the business side of things, so I can also have time to keep track of the events Nora wants to participate in.
She's become quite the public speaker, traveling around the country to speak at academies, clinics, hospitals, and even orphanages. Her story and the overarching theme of resiliency and learning how to be true to yourself speaks to everyone in some way. She was nervous the first time she got on stage, but it quickly became routine for her.
Nora also refuses to accept money for her participation. They'll cover her travel expenses, but she has no speaking fee. The guys and I worried that she was going to push herself too far, but she bit back, reminding us that we have told her over and over to trust herself, and that is what she's doing. Her heart is so big, and the message she is spreading is so important that it's hard to argue with her.
None of us wanted her back in the public eye, but that wasn't our decision to make. After Dr. Greene's trial, it was impossible for her to avoid interviews, so she spun it into something positive. She'll forever be a household name – that is never going to change. At least now we're controlling the narrative.
I stroke my hand down her wavy blonde hair, still slightly wet from her bath. She's only wearing one of my shirts, giving me an unhindered view of her shapely legs. She's put on weight since she's been with us, and it's only enhanced just how irresistible she is. My Omega is physically and mentally healthy, and nothing is sexier than that.
"Alpha?" she asks, closing her book. "Do you need to talk? Your thoughts are loud."
I chuckle and bury my nose in her hair. "Just thinking about all the talks you give. You're still happy doing it?"
She sucks on her teeth for a moment in thought. "I am. I won't do it forever, you know, but for now, while it's all still fresh, I think I need to. Especially with my mother getting arrested. I don't want what happened to me to fall to rumor and conjecture. People need to hear the truth."
"I get that, but I worry about you. Isn't it traumatic to talk about all the time?"
"Not really, Alpha." She rubs her hand across my shaved head before nuzzling her nose against my own. "It's a way for me to make something useful out of the trauma. Do you know how many Omegas have written to me about how they never felt like a real Omega because they didn't follow the rules? Listening to me makes them feel not so alone."
Pressing my lips against her forehead, I haul my girl into my lap. "I know, sweetheart. I just worry about you. And selfishly, I don't like to share you."
"You share me with four other men."
"That's different!"
Her carefree giggle is contagious, and I never want it to stop.
There has always been a lot of use of the word "perfect" in our relationship. And I'm a firm believer that nothing is perfect. It simply can't be.
But here, with my Omega in my arms and her happy noises in my ear, I can't help but acknowledge that there is nothing more perfect than this.
Levi
My dad shoves back his plate, groaning. "Nora, you outdid yourself. That was so good."
She beams as she daintily places another bite of chocolate cake in her mouth. "Thank you, Charles. I was worried it wasn't sweet enough."
Mom laughs and clears his plate from in front of him. "A valid concern with how extreme his sweet tooth is. But you did perfectly."
Once a week, we go to my parent's house for dinner. Sometimes as a pack, and sometimes just the two of us, like tonight. Mom and dad have taken Nora under their wings, giving her the love and affection she was denied growing up. It's been so wonderful to watch their relationship grow.
Every so often, my sisters join us, and that's when it gets a little overwhelming for both Nora and Dad. During those dinners, they'll often slip off to his office. None of us are quite sure what they get up to in there, but they always come back with conspiratorial grins.
"Nora, a word?" Dad asks. She jumps to her feet with no hesitation and follows him into the office. The door shuts and locks before I can even look at my mother.
"What are they getting up to?" I ask her, clearing the rest of the dinner dishes and moving them to the kitchen. We fall into an old routine: she washes, and I dry. Mom still looks like she did when I was a kid, just with a few more laugh lines beside her eyes, and standing here beside her takes me back to my happy childhood. She rolls up the black sleeves of her dress before plunging her hands into the warm soapy water.
"I'm not sure, baby, but whatever it is, they'll tell us when they're ready, I assume."
"I worry dad is going to corrupt Nora," I grumble, my eyes locked on the closed door. "He's always playing pranks."
"Nora doesn't seem the type to get into that sort of mischief, though," Mom reminds me.
Before I can wonder any further, the door slams open, and the two Omegas come bounding out. Nora's hands are behind her back, and she's grinning widely. My Alpha senses start to tingle as Dad saunters into the kitchen and wraps his arms around Mom's waist, kissing her on the temple.
"Alpha," Nora says in a sing-song voice. "I have a present for you."
I dry my hands on a dish rag and hold my hands out to receive the package Nora pulls from behind her back. "What did you and my father get into?"
"Oh, nothing much." Her grin is massive, her giggle barely contained.
I pull the red bow off the box and remove the lid. Inside is a pile of the fuzziest gray fabric I've ever seen. I bury my fingertips into it, luxuriating in the sheer softness. "Where did you find this? It's the softest thing I've ever felt."
"Your dad helped me," she beams. "Pull it out."
When I lift it up, it unfolds into a massive, dual-layered blanket with beautiful embroidery on one side. The pink and black threads twist and turn into flowers and birds, a pretty and subtle pattern that doesn't impede the softness of the blanket.
"I love it," I tell her, leaning forward to kiss her cheek.
"Turn it around!" my father shouts from behind me. I glare at him but turn the blanket.
I drop it immediately.
Laughing, Nora scoops it up and holds it open so I can get a good look at the front.
There, printed on the soft, luxurious fabric is a giant picture of me and Nora, my arms around her waist and my head resting in the crook of her neck. She's wearing that smiley face lounge print I picked out for her the first day we met, and her hair is wild around her face from sleep. I remember this photo being taken the morning after one of her heats broke. Joey snapped it, saying he'd never seen us look so beautiful.
"It's beautiful and sweet and ridiculous," I say with a laugh. "How did you hide this from me?"
"That would be me!" Dad says. "I ordered all the materials to come here, and she's been embroidering it little by little each week."
I pull my Omega into my arms, wrapping the blanket around us both as I kiss her on the nose. "It's going to be really fun to surprise the guys with our faces under their comforters."
"Oh my goodness, I didn't think about that!" she giggles. "Oh, Chase is going to have a heart attack."
Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever find an Omega who was so accepting of me. I've never been a typical Alpha, which is something I was teased for mercilessly growing up, but that never mattered to Nora. She has always embraced me for who I am and never made me feel less than because of it.
"Let's go home and get cozy, doll."
Chase
"Behind!" I shout, slipping past Jordan, my saucier. He tucks himself against the stove he's working in front of as I carry two plates to the front of the kitchen.
"Chef, what are you even doing back here?" he bites out. "You're off today."
"Never a day off!" I call back over my shoulder, using my hip to push open the door to the dining room.
Bea's Kitchen is packed for a Thursday, but I don't pay the patrons any mind. Maybe it makes me a bad executive chef or a bad owner. I don't care.
All I care about is the pretty Omega sitting at the engagement table, her nose scrunched as she reads something on her phone. Her hair is half up, the rest falling down her bare back in ringlets. The dress I picked out for her is definitely out of her comfort zone, but she fucking rocks it. The low-backed red dress stops just above her ass, with gold chains that connect each side, hanging down her back like jewelry. It cinches around her throat in a pretty collar and falls to the middle of her thighs. She drew the line at the knee-high boots I picked out, instead opting for a pair of black kitten heels.
When I set the plates down on the table in front of her, she puts her phone face down on the table and beams at me. "What'd you bring me, Alpha?"
I tell her about tonight's special, a spiced lamb dish with roasted Brussels sprouts and pureed parsnip with a pomegranate sauce. She groans as she takes her first bite.
"What were you reading?" I say, gesturing at her phone.
She waves me away. "Just Rebecca's latest interview."
"What was it about?"
"She found a pack. She was introducing them to her viewers."
Rebecca Kahn, the reporter from LunarNews1 who was our biggest media advocate, has become a good friend to Nora in the past year. Because of her isolated upbringing, Nora has never really had a best friend. Their relationship grew naturally, an easy camaraderie that no one could deny.
But I can't shake the feeling that Nora is keeping something from me.
She sips on her rosemary martini, something she came up with that I think is absolutely disgusting but does pretty well on our bar menu as we eat. Things are easy between Nora and me. We can sit in silence and just enjoy that time together, or we can fill the space with questions, banter, and arguments.
This Omega challenges me in ways no one else has. She has also opened my heart up, allowing me to feel more love and adoration than I ever thought possible.
After we finish eating, we take a walk through downtown Lunarcrest City, hands clasped together tightly. "I wish I could've met your mom," she says quietly.
"Me too. She would have loved you, princess." It's not a lie. My mother, a classic Southern woman with the manners and mouth to match, would have doted on an Omega like Nora. "You two would've had a blast in the kitchen."
"I've been thinking about my mother a lot lately since the arrest. Levi's mom has been amazing, but I still feel like I got cheated, you know? Nolan doesn't talk to his parents, Blaine's mom is dead, Joey's parents are… well, I'm not sure where they are. He doesn't talk about the club very much."
"Maybe one day, princess. But don't push him, okay?" Joey's relationship with his family is unique, and it's not my place to reveal the intricacies of it. One day, I hope soon, he'll feel comfortable letting us all into that side of his life.
She stops walking to glare at me. "Of course not! All I am saying is I wish I had more moms around. I wish I knew a bit more what a good mom is like."
I wrap my arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to my side. "Nora, I hope you know just how loved you truly are. Even without your mother, there are so many who will love, support, and cherish you, okay?"
"I know, Alpha. And you know I love you so much, right?"
"Of course, princess."
It's a gorgeous, clear night as we walk through the city lazily, Nora pointing at places she wants to try for dates, candy shops she wants to pilfer, and shops that she says have the best nesting materials. I'm enjoying the alone time with her, something that is hard to get with four others competing for her attention.
Nora pulls to a stop. I spin and look down at her, eyebrow raised in question. She reaches up on her toes and kisses me softly. "Hey, Alpha?" she mutters against my lips.
"What?"
"Catch me." She takes off running, and I'm so thrown off guard that it takes me a few minutes to get my bearings. By the time that I do, she's already off, halfway down the block.
As she arrives at the corner, a motorcycle screeches to a stop, and a pink helmet goes flying at her. She climbs on the back and wiggles her fingers at me in a bratty little wave.
I'm in my car in a few minutes and racing home. Of course, Joey and Nora beat me, but still I slowly stalk through the home, hunting my Omega. The silly little thing decided it would be wise to run from me. You'd think she'd know better by now. I'll have to teach her a lesson about that. I find her in the nest, growling at Joey. He's got her tied over a spanking bench with beautifully intricate knots, her legs kicked wide open for me.
"Gotcha a present, brother," Joey chuckles. He's got his arms crossed over his massive chest, a foot kicked back against the wall. His casual stance is so at odds with our struggling Omega that I can't help but laugh. "Happy birthday."
I run my hand up the curve of Nora's ass, tickling my fingers across her dripping wet slit. "Happy birthday, indeed. You even wrapped it for me."
"This is not how this was supposed to go," Nora grumbles.
I bring my hand down on her ass, the sound it makes making me shiver in pleasure. My handprint reddens her flesh immediately, and I groan, unable to help myself from slapping the other cheek to create a matching set.
My omega peers over her shoulder at me, eyes lit up with arousal and a cheeky grin on her face. "Happy birthday, Alpha."
"Oh, Omega. It's about to get a lot happier."
Nora
I speak in front of people at least once a week. Large crowds and small crowds, quiet crowds and loud crowds. I am always nervous for about five minutes beforehand, but the moment my feet hit the stage, I am good to go.
So I'm not sure why I feel so nervous standing here in front of what is arguably the smallest crowd I'll speak in front of.
I run my hands down the skirt of my powder blue dress, a nervous habit that I am trying to break. All it does is further wrinkle the skirt! My toes are tapping as I stare out at the group.
My pack.
They watch me curiously from their seats in the living room as I bounce on my toes, pace, and chew my nails. None of them rush me, but they're all curious about what is going on. I'm the one who called this pack meeting, after all. But they're patient and kind, waiting for me to get all of my nerves and wiggles out.
Levi passes me a mug of warm tea, and I gladly take it. The bitter flavor focuses me and helps my brain clear. I place it down on the coffee table and inhale deeply.
"Alright, so, pack meeting," Blaine says, clapping his hands together. "What's up, honey?"
I sit down on the hearth, clasping my hands tightly on my lap. "Well, I'm sure you're all aware, but my heat is due to start in a few weeks."
Levi looks over his shoulder at the large calendar we have on the wall. On the 14th, there is a little heart and the words, 'Nora's heat'. "Wow, it is," he remarks. "It snuck up on us."
"It certainly did. I wanted to make you all aware that next week I have a doctor's appointment. It's routine, just regular bloodwork and a check-in. However, if you are all amenable to it, I would like to have my birth control removed." I squeeze my eyes shut on those last words.
I'm not sure how I'll feel if they don't like the idea.
When I realized I was feeling the call of motherhood, I was so worried. I have one good role model of what a mother should be, and she's not even my own. After over a year of therapy, I can now admit my mother was abusive. She did not try her best. There were no good intentions there.
Before I can spiral, I hear sniffling, and my eyes fly open, seeking out which of my men is upset. To my surprise, it's my husband. "Joey?" I say softly. "Are you okay?"
"You wanna have our baby?" his voice is quiet, choked with tears. The others have similar expressions on their faces as they watch me.
"I do. If you all are ready for that next step." The likelihood of not conceiving during a heat, especially with five partners, is low. If we do this, we will most likely bring home a baby in nine months.
"Are you fucking kidding, princess?" Chase practically shouts. He jumps off the couch and scoops me up in his arms. "We're going to be dads! Fuck yeah, we're ready!"
"My parents are going to lose their minds," Levi says softly, shaking his head. "Oh, this child is going to be so spoiled."
Joey pulls me out of Chase's arms and kisses me deeply. "I hope it's a girl."
Nolan yanks me from Joey, starting their favorite game of Pass the Omega. "A baby. A pack Sloane baby. If I could, I would rip that birth control out of you right now and fill you with my cum so you wake up pregnant."
My eyes widen at the passionate declaration from our lead Alpha. Chase chuckles. "Looks like Nolan has a breeding kink. Who knew?"
"Not me," he mumbles against my neck. "I just can't wait to see you round with our child. We will give them such a good life."
Blaine is quiet, his chin in his hands. He looks pensive, and I wonder if he's not as excited as the others. I slide off of Nolan's lap and climb into Blaine's. "What's on your mind, Alpha?"
"What if I inherited genes for my mom's sickness, and I pass it on to our kid?" The vulnerability in his voice breaks my heart, and I stroke my hand down the back of his head in hopes of soothing him. "Or what if I become my mom? She wasn't like that until I was born. I don't want to do that to a kid."
"Alpha Blaine," I say quietly, gently grabbing his face with my hands. "You have a whole pack to support you. Your mother tried her best, but she was largely on her own with you. You are going to be a fabulous father."
"You mean that?"
"Of course she does," Nolan says as he claps Blaine on the back. "Our kid is going to be so incredibly lucky. A mom like Nora and this whole pack of Alphas to dote on them. What more could they need?"
I snuggle into Blaine's lap, wrapping my hands around his neck. Our pack will have its struggles, but I know every day will be filled with so much joy. Our home will be a place of laughter and love, of safety and comfort. Together, my boys and I can handle anything that life throws at us.
Whatever happens through this heat and beyond, all I know is it's going to be perfect.