Chapter 37
chapter
thirty-seven
A month ago, I wouldn’t have believed this.
Serena burrows closer to the body next to her, sleepily rubbing her face against Spencer’s thigh. When she moves her head, the dark purple love bite he left on her neck catches the low lamplight. His hand on her head doesn’t even flinch, continuing its rhythmic strokes as he squints at the newspaper in front of him.
When she slowly blinks her eyes open and rolls them up to his face, I have to hold my iPad in front of my mouth to hide my grin.
Absolute shock colors her pretty eyes as her lashes flutter in disbelief. For his part, my best friend simply glances down at her with something almost like… warmth ? Then, he fixes his features into a dry look and nods over her shoulder.
“Your dog snores.”
Serena cranes her neck, finding Avery snuggled into her back, snorting in his sleep. A bright grin fills her face.
And Spencer actually smiles .
He covers it by snapping his paper up. But I still see that shit.
With a sweet little curve still gracing her dusky lips, Serena finally turns her emerald eyes to mine. “Big man,” she mumbles, groggy. “Am I having a crazy dream, or are we all in Spencer’s bed?”
Avery mutters something about killing us all and huddles closer to her bare back, tucking his face against her nape. She reaches back and pats his head, lulling him back to his snores within seconds.
Our omega is officially a snake-charmer. Winning over Avery is one thing—but Avery and Spencer? In one bed?
She’s my miracle.
I set the iPad loaded with all the plays I’ve been reviewing aside and reach over Avery to cup her warm cheek in my palm. “How did you sleep, hummingbird?”
She softens for me in a way she doesn’t for the others. Vulnerability swells in her gaze. “Better than I ever would have expected, after everything.”
My thumb brushes over her lips. “I’m glad. Spencer thought having all of us in here would be good for you. If you like it, we’ll do it again tonight in your bed.”
She glances up at Spence, looking nervous until he meets her gaze and gives a steady nod, sending a noticeable burst of alpha dominance to her as he says, “You’ll behave for me, Miss Swanson. No touching unless I say so.”
He’s done incredibly well, actually. Avery and I slept on the other side of Serena, but Spencer managed the whole night beside her without an issue. He slept in a long-sleeved shirt and pajama pants, but he snuggled her close and held her all the same.
The fact that he’s giving her orders, now, only seems to make Serena more comfortable. I swear our girl gets little hearts in her eyes as she gazes up at his stern expression. “Yes, Professor.”
He pets her head in approval, snapping out a crisp “very good” before returning to his paper.
Between us, Avery’s arm flexes around Serena’s waist, hauling her closer as he kisses her nape. “Mm. Smells so fuckably good when she’s happy.”
Serena grins again, rolling her eyes this time. I stretch over the pillow Ave’s abandoned and replace Spencer’s hand, stroking my fingers into her hair. After tossing me a shy smile of my own, our omega looks over at the newspaper, scanning the front page’s headlines.
Oh . Fuck .
She jerks upright with a gasp, whipping around to lean closer to the words splashed right under the middle fold of the front page.
Senator Tristan Thorne Announces His Pack’s New Omega .
“He did what ?!” she gasps. “Oh my God!”
I read the article on my tablet earlier. With a wince, I recall a few key phrases that probably won’t reassure her.
Senator Thorne has long claimed his pack would not consider bonding with an omega, as such an arrangement may present a conflict of interest.
Critics have already begun calling for Thorne to recuse himself from the upcoming vote on his Omega Workplace Protection Act.
When asked if he is worried that his pack’s personal life could discredit his work, Senator Thorne had no comment .
“Why would he do this?” she cries. “Now everyone will know you’re all courting a—a?—”
“Goddess,” Avery mumbles, nipping her hip with his teeth.
She gapes at Spencer, expecting him to disagree or launch into a panic, but he only blinks at her. “An omega? Yes, I believe that was his intention.”
“B-but—” she sputters, turning to me. “He can’t just— why would he tell them?”
He had two reasons, actually, and they were damn good ones. So good that none of us could argue with him.
After Serena passed out last night, our pack leader sprang into action. He called the county’s lead investigator for omega abuse and had Walter Swanson brought in immediately. While the police raided his club, Tris pivoted and went on the offensive, announcing a big press conference to divert the media’s attention, trying to ensure that no one would link Serena to that dumpster fire she used to work in.
And it worked .
When Spencer finishes explaining how Avery and I spent the night helping Tris get all of this taken care of, Serena leaps out of bed and snatches the first shirt she finds— mine —off the floor.
Avery groans his disapproval while Spencer frowns after her, and I call, “Where are you going, manamea ?”
She waves her hands in an angry gesture and stomps out the door. “To see the senator !”