Chapter 69
chapter
sixty-nine
Orlando Orthopedic Specialists
This is a message for Colt Davis. Please contact us for the results of your recent exam immediately.
I wake with a whine still vibrating in my throat. The vocal chords involved feel distinctly worn, which likely means I’ve been whining a lot .
Embarrassing.
But not nearly as mortifying as calling one of my alphas Daddy for the last four days?
Yet, somehow, I can’t shake the urge to grin as I tell my Omega, We are so not friends anymore.
She snuffs a mildly indignant sound, waving me off in a yeah, yeah gesture. Were we ever friends?
Her question hits me harder than it should. My Omega feels my stomach coil, but stays silent, waiting.
I think I want to be , I finally reply. If that’s okay?
I don’t deserve the instant burst of excitement she bubbles back at me. Her joy is wordless, but the sentiment is clear—the two of us working together? Being friends ? That’s all she’s ever wanted.
My Omega’s happiness quickly fades into a pleasantly exhausted stupor. She starts to fade into unconsciousness, curling back into her usual place at my middle. Forgiving me effortlessly.
Guilty tears clog my throat, welling behind my closed eyelids. The urge to stuff them down is strong and familiar. I seriously consider it, especially since I really don’t want the guys’ first impression of me as their bonded mate to be incoherent sobs.
But I forgot— they’re here .
Part of me.
The haze fully recedes, snapping back like a rubber band. Four deep purrs invade my senses, followed by the feel of my alphas’ muscled bodies cuddling closer. I don’t even have to open my eyes to know who is who.
Adrian’s thigh is under my head, his fingers massaging my scalp. Jesse spoons at my back, unbothered by using our pack alpha’s leg as a pillow.
The over-long hair tickling my belly is Colt, of course, which means his arm must be the one banded around my hips… and Dante has my feet in his brawny hands. He’s completely still while they all listen. Actively holding their reactions in, I suspect, so they don’t overwhelm me.
Jesse speaks first, his whisper broken enough to confirm they’ve heard everything. Bumblebee , he rasps. Babe…
Images flood our bond—a picture from high school; me, ducking behind my locker door when a group of his asshole friends passed by.
One of him sitting in the Kings’ weight room, staring at his phone; wanting to call me and ignoring his instincts.
The night he watched Colt walk out of their apartment, knowing his packmate was too tired to drive, but actively held in his objections.
It’s impossible to explain how, but he also shows me the emotions each picture invokes—and how those feelings have transformed since he started trying to move forward. Learning from your mistakes takes time , he adds, but it’s worth it. You taught me that .
Colt’s arm squeezes me softly. And there isn’t any rush , he adds, gruff. We’ll all be here while you figure this out .
He reminds me of our day in the shower, the afternoon under the clouds. How I tricked him into catching me, just to prove he could .
You were always there for me , he murmurs, quieter. Shades of longing and fear shadow the words. I hope you always will be .
That finally snaps my eyes open.
Adrian’s face is the first one I see, gazing down at me with a blend of tenderness and concern. I lurch upright as much as I can while wrapped up in four alphas, casting Colt a scolding glare.
“Of course I will be!” I burst. “How can you even think otherwise?!”
My fierce protectiveness lights Dante’s chest up. He groans, reaching out to tug me away from the others and into his lap. “Fuck, querida , I missed you. Let’s fight about something.”
He truly wants to, which is both hilarious and adorable—but I need to kick Colt’s ass first. How can he possibly think, after all of this, that I wouldn’t ? —
Oh.
All four of them share their versions of the same memory. I tune into Colt’s, instinct guiding my focus.
A phone call—from the only number Adrian programmed to allow calls from during my heat.
Their team doctor.
The message came just after our last round, once I’d passed out. Colt recalls the man’s careful words, how he skillfully delivered the killing blow to my alpha’s career with a few sympathetic sentences.
I barely hear the words, too caught up in the tidal wave of devastation swamping Colt’s stomach. The way his hope had soared, caught fire, and crashed into a burning heap. His dreams, his passion— gone .
“ No .”
Their purrs stutter as Colt snaps, plucking me from Dante and framing my face with both of his shaking hands. Gray beams bore into my gaze. “ No ,” he repeats, softer but no less intense. “My dreams are not gone. My passion isn’t either.”
He rests his forehead on mine, letting his eyes fall shut. Because you’re here .
It’s insane to think there was ever a time when I would have doubted him. Now that I can feel the true depth of his love, how much he means this—his thoughts, swirling with words like saved me, found me, gave me a purpose, made us a family .
And it’s not just him.
My other alphas reflect his sentiments, flooding my soul with their own adoration. I soak it all in, pouring right back out. Into Colt.
His chest shudders when I wrap my arms around his neck and hold him close. I’m so proud to be your mate .
The deep vulnerability he used to reserve just for me is on full display. But he doesn’t recoil, speaking his fear for everyone to hear. “Even now?”
I sidle closer. “ Especially now.”
My words sink into his wounds, filling them with light. He nuzzles his face into my throat, huffing a thick, rueful laugh. “Ah, fuck,” he sniffs. “This means Dante was right .”
We all laugh, except for my dark-eyed alpha. He crows, “ I told you . Our girl is perfect .”
Jesse’s hand finds the back of my head, stroking my hair. His golden gaze shines. “She really is.”
Adrian’s warm hum draws my attention to his handsome grin. “Best decision I’ve ever made.”
Colt lies back in our mountain of perfectly scented pillows, bundling me into his side. He presses a kiss to my crown. Hi, Bubbles .
The thought is accompanied by the strangest, fizzy sensation. I nearly giggle when I realize—they’re bubbles . Inside him.
Me , inside him.
Flowing like champagne. Sweet, golden effervescence that tickles his veins and swells behind his heart.
Dante and Jesse drift closer, drawn by the happiness rising off me when I feel just how much they all still want to be near me. Even after six days in here.
I really was touch-starved, huh?
Adrian fits himself against my back, petting my hair.
Projecting the calm certainty that there’s no reason for any of us to leave this nest until we’re all good and ready.
Pouring a layer of pride and adoration over his soothing purr.
“What does it feel like for you, sweetheart? All of us together?”
I close my eyes, exploring the new alcove carved into my center for the first time. It’s beautiful and unique. Like a sunset. Changing from moment to moment, but always exquisite. Bright and serene—colorful and comforting.
It’s them .
Adrian is the sun, of course. The anchor of my universe; the one I’ve turned to without hesitation from the day we met.
He’s also steady. Predictable in the best way; no matter how dark it gets, the sun will rise. And Adrian will be there for me. For all of us.
The bright, gorgeous colors? Those are Dante, blooming in the most unexpected ways. Gentle, then brilliant . But always warm . Spreading joy and humor and heart.
Jesse would be the sky itself. Clear, brilliant blue. Endlessly holding everyone up, holding space for each of us to shine. Taking on our pains and triumphs. Reflecting our moods and various shades. Giving everyone room to roam.
That makes me the clouds, huh? Colt asks, his dry tone a direct contrast to the wonder lighting up his heart. The others watch as he replays our afternoon in the backyard, revealing just how touched he was by everything I said.
Everyone huddles closer, settling in together.
And it occurs to me that this moment? Is a lot like that sunset.
The end of something beautiful—bittersweet and luminous. But promising a thousand new beginnings.