19. Talya
CHAPTER NINETEEN
TALYA
W hen we were shipped away for our safety, I kind of thought we’d be trapped inside some windowless building, never again to see the light of day. I was too tired from what I’d been through the weeks prior that I hadn’t had time to truly form an opinion regarding it. It wasn’t that I’d been a huge outdoorsy person before, but our apartment had had a lot of windows. There was daylight everywhere. I would’ve been really frustrated to be stuck in a dark building without having the ability to go outside again. That would have been little different than how the torturers kept me, trapped inside like an animal.
But unlike what I’d imagined, I was allowed outside, and for the first time in my life, I was taking advantage of that. After the recess scene as a kid, and watching games from time to time while in high school, that had been the extent of my outdoor exploration. Otherwise, I was inside doing something quieter. More solitary.
Part of me wondered if I spent so much time inside after high school because I was trying to help Colby support us. One alpha to provide for two people, one being an omega to boot, wasn’t easy. That wasn’t the reason we wanted a pack, but we were both looking forward to the burden he carried alone being lessened.
Because life was the way it was, I wasn’t exactly able to dive into the workforce and help out. Yes, I was a bonded omega, which should have meant the world was safe, but I was also an omega looking for a pack. There were expectations that I needed to meet as an omega. They were kind of stupid and barbaric, but there you were. That was the world we lived in. The unfairness of the situation was the reason we’d had a roommate to shoulder some of that burden.
But because of the hell we’d found ourselves in, it felt like all those expectations had been lifted. The only thing that was expected of us was that we remained hidden. We lived as if we were different people. Who we once were no longer existed.
I was still an omega. That wasn’t something that I could change. But money was no longer tight. The stress of looking for a pack had been eliminated. Given everything I’d gone through, besides the occasional nightmare and the frequent need to see and feel Colby to know he was okay, I felt light. So much lighter than I ever remembered feeling.
And to watch Colby form friendships with others, both alphas and betas, was so heartwarming. So settling.
Not for the first time, I found myself in a patch of the garden closest to the house. I never went alone, and I found that if I asked someone to go with me, I had no shortage of volunteers. When Emerald or Kasen volunteered, an alpha tagged along, too.
Today, it was just me and Ronan. I knelt on a small patch of ground and weeded, though I wasn’t confident I was only pulling up weeds. I’d never had a garden. Never planted flowers or vegetables. Never tended or harvested fruits. So really, I might be doing more harm than good.
But I was appreciating the sun on my back and my hands in the dirt although I didn’t like the dirt under my nails. There was a fine line between getting my hands dirty and getting dirt where it wasn’t easily washed away. Scrubbing nails could be frustrating.
I glanced up at Ronan. Just looking at his huge, looming form had my stomach flipping. He was so gorgeous. All dark and broad. His face filled with hard lines and those watchful eyes. Short hair that made my fingers twitch with the need to know whether it was soft or coarse.
He looked down at me, and I swore I felt something pass between us. A charge. Some sharp, electric zing that spanned the air, connecting us.
Ronan smiled, just a small lift of his lips, as he uncrossed his arms and knelt next to me. He brushed the hair that fell from my elastic out of my face, hooking it behind my ear. “You okay? Need a drink? Hungry? Cold?”
Grinning, I shook my head. “I’m good. Enjoying the dirt.”
“Mm,” he answered, his big fingers remaining in my hair for a minute. The warmth of him bled into my skull.
We stared at each other, sharing the quiet moment that was nothing at all yet still special. It wasn’t really that intimate, but it was nice, something that was shared just between us.
His hand fell to my shoulder before dropping further to my back. “You sure you don’t need anything?”
I smiled again, turning back to the garden. “Nothing. Although we might need to replant everything I’m pulling up. I have no idea if this is a weed or what’s supposed to be growing.” I held up a green stem that looked like it didn’t belong there.
Ronan chuckled. “That’s a weed. You’re doing fine, though you don’t have to do this at all.”
“It’s nice being outside,” I said, tossing the weed onto the grass and sitting back on my heels. “I’ve never spent much time outside. I didn’t realize I appreciated the sun on my face.” I tipped my head back to feel it better, letting the rays of sun stroke my skin, heating it more.
His fingers brushed my hair again, and I glanced at him. He watched me, his look intense but maybe also a little shy? Quiet?
“Ronan?”
He glanced back over his shoulder before standing, his hand leaving my hair. I heard footsteps brush through the grass, getting closer to us, but I went back to weeding, guessing what didn’t belong. Why did weeds grow so quickly? Why were weeds even a thing?
“Why did you put her to work?” Ainsley asked.
Ronan snorted as I peeked up at Ainsley over my shoulder. He grinned widely, and the sight of it made my heart stutter in my chest. Biting my lip, I glanced at the tray he’d brought out. There were glasses of ice and a pitcher of what I thought must be peach or strawberry lemonade. Something had made it pink, but I could see the slices of lemon floating in it, too.
I got to my feet, brushing my hands on my pants. When I was standing, I could see a whole charcuterie board of treats on the tray with the drinks.
“Want a snack?” Ainsley asked.
Holding up my hands, I smiled. “Sure, but I’m dirty.”
“Then we’ll feed you,” he said, his smile widening. “Ronan, spread the blanket.”
Ronan narrowed his eyes at Ainsley, but he pulled out the blanket I hadn’t noticed was hanging from Ainsley’s arm and spread it onto the grass just beyond the small patch of garden I’d been tending. Ainsley stepped out of his shoes and onto the blanket, kneeling to set the tray down. Then he turned, gesturing for me to come closer.
His hands on my leg encouraged me to step up. Resting a hand on his shoulder, I lifted my foot so he could slide my shoe off. I stepped onto the blanket, and he repeated it with my other foot.
I hadn’t been hungry. That wasn’t a lie. But seeing all the treats on the tray made my stomach change its mind. Ronan joined us once I was settled, and Ainsley poured the drinks before handing me a glass. I sipped the sweet and slightly bitter lemonade, trying to decide what the other flavor was and coming up short.
Not that it really mattered. It was good and thirst quenching all the same. When I set it down, resting it against my leg, Ainsley moved closer and picked up a piece of cheese. With sexy eyes and a sensual smile on his kissable lips, he brought the little cube of cheese to my mouth.
Licking my lips, I opened for him, letting him place it on my tongue. His finger brushed my bottom lip as he pulled away, and I closed my mouth to chew.
“Is there anything you don’t like?” he asked, his voice low. The tone did things to my core. “Allergies?”
I shook my head, chewing and swallowing. His gaze dropped to my throat when I did, and I felt my cheeks heat. Reacting to anyone outside of Colby felt… new. Overwhelming. Exciting. I was nervous but ready .
And then Ronan was on my other side, sitting even closer. His leg pressed against my back where it bent. His other ran along my thigh. He picked up a cracker with some spread on it and brought it to my mouth, the hand behind me resting on my hair as if he meant to keep my head still.
My eyes locked with his as he brought it to my mouth. I took a bite, my lips grazing his fingers, and he pulled the rest of the cracker away. I couldn’t look away as he brought it to his own mouth, popped it in, and licked his fingers.
I hadn’t known eating could be such a sensual affair, but the way my heart raced was reminiscent of how I felt when Colby and I began foreplay.
“So…” Ainsley said, picking up an olive and eating it before he looked at me. “You feeling okay here, Talya? Comfortable? Do you need anything?”
I wasn’t sure if he meant right now or in general. In this house? My life? What was he referring to? I shrugged. “I’m good,” I said. “All things considered, I really like it here.”
Picking up another olive, Ainsley brought it to my mouth this time. I let him feed it to me as I continued to look at him. “There’s nothing you need? For your nest?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I really like it here.”
“Colby?”
“I always need Colby, but if you’re asking if he needs anything, I don’t think he does.”
Ronan was ready with my next bite, a thin slice of salami and a bit of thin, hard cracker. Once again, he finished the bite that was too big for me. My eyes followed the movement of his jaw as he chewed, and my tongue unconsciously peeked out to lick my lips when he swallowed.
“How do you feel about our pack?” Ainsley asked, drawing my attention back to him.
“I love your pack,” I said. “You’re all amazing, and you made us feel so welcome, like we were always here.”
He smiled. “Good. That’s exactly what we want.”
And then he fed me a strawberry, but not before sliding it along my lip. He leaned in, his fingers joining Ronan’s on my hair. His lips rested by my ear as I took a bite, and I could feel his hot breath. It made need surge within me, and my perfume spiked, sweet and filled with want.
Ronan growled as Ainsley groaned. I flushed, wiggling between them uncomfortably.
“Sorry,” Ainsley said breathlessly. I could hear his arousal now, and on my next breath, I could smell it. His vanilla turned into cookies with a woodsmoke core. Ronan’s citrus turned into a sweet dessert tart. I swallowed. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
I shook my head. “No. I’m… not.” Breathless? I was certainly that. And definitely turned on. Simply from being fed by alphas.
“Good,” he murmured. “How do you feel about being courted, Talya?”
A whimper escaped me, and I startled. Both alphas purred, the gentle sound relaxing me. “Courted?” I whispered, looking at him with awe-filled eyes. “ Me ?”
His smile was sweet as he leaned in and pressed his lips against my cheek so softly it almost felt as though it were happening in a dream. “Yes. You. Not that I intend to speak for anyone else, but I think you’d have a few interested in courting you, Talya, if you’re open to it.”
I’d been looking for a pack for years. Years! I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried to blink away my watery eyes. “A few?”
“Ronan?” Ainsley asked.
Shifting, I looked at him, but he didn’t need to say the words out loud. It was written all over his face. “I thought I was being obvious,” he said sheepishly. “Yes, definitely.” He touched my cheek so lightly it was like a feather brushing my skin. “If you’re interested.”
I nodded, blinked away another surge of tears, and turned back to Ainsley before nodding again. “But I should ask Colby first. Are you going to court him, too?” Then I laughed. “Wait, do alphas court other alphas?”
Ainsley smiled. “Ask Colby. And yes, alphas court whoever they want to court—including other alphas. However, while I’m happy to share a home with Colby and would love for him to join our pack, I’m not strictly interested in him the same way I am you.”
“Because I’m an omega?” I asked, brows knitted together.
He was still so close that I could feel his breath, close enough that his nose brushed against my cheek. Not quite a scent marking, though it was a prelude to the act. The need in me burned, and I whined again.
“There is more than one way to be a pack,” Ainsley said, his voice low now. I could hear the growl in it, a response to my whine. “The six of us in this house, we’re a pack, but we’re not all bonded together. Not in the same way. I love Ronan as much as Emerald, but we share a very different relationship.”
“Very,” Ronan agreed, a note of humor in his tone.
“Okay, I understand that. I just… We’ve looked for a pack that would welcome us both for so long.”
“Now you’ve found one if you’re interested in being courted. If you’re not, that’s okay, too. We’ll still be very happy to have you here, and we won’t treat you any differently.”
Biting my lip, I nodded. “Yes. But I have to talk to Colby first.”
“Then do,” he said, smiling. “But eat first. We have a lot to feed you, omega.”
And they did. It was a sensual affair that left me dripping wet.