28. Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Halley
Day One
I wake from a deep, blank sleep, consciousness returning in slow layers.
Warmth is the first thing I register. A steady wall of it. Bodies around me that are close and solid, proof that when I slipped into O-space, my Pack stayed right here and kept me safe.
There is a dim, flickering light nearby and a ceiling I recognize. Then the nest comes into focus, a mess of blankets and bare skin, calm breaths rising and falling, almost synced to the same quiet rhythm.
Blaze’s arm is heavy across my waist. Shade’s hand cups the back of my neck like he fell asleep mid-soothe. Viper is pressed to my side, broad and still, a quiet line of heat. Knox lies close enough that I can feel his warmth radiating from his skin.
The bond sits braided and calm, not silent exactly, but settled. It's protective and present. Four steady threads of love humming within my chest as a constant reassurance.
There are no lingering signs of the panic that dragged me under. My body has already erased it, stitching me back together as if it never happened.
My mind does not get the same mercy.
I'm fertile, possibly pregnant, and I won't know for certain for two whole damn weeks.
Frack.
How is this my reality, and when will my life stop twisting upside down?
This was the one thing that was constant. The very core of my identity.
I'm the Omega who is infertile. It's the only reason I even ended up on a damn military base, let alone shunted into active duty service. Without those facts, there would be no way I would have met my Pack. It was fate. It had to be.
And now…
My hand slides over my stomach.
It still doesn't feel any different.
I scrunch my nose as I realize that is not exactly true.
Now that I think about it, the constant nagging pain in my abdomen that I've had all my life has slowly seeped away over the last few months.
There has been so much going on that, honestly, I didn't think about it.
In hindsight, it stopped hurting back in the training camp when the bond began to form and my healing speed increased.
I shake my head, forcing myself to stop thinking about the life-changing news Everlyn gave our Pack. We could already be parents to a little tadpole in my womb. My hand on my stomach clenches. I have to stop myself before I spiral.
Obsessively ruminating over possibilities is what old Halley would do. She'd spend the next two weeks dwelling, worrying, and making up scenario after scenario in her head.
That's not me anymore.
We have two weeks to wait, and then afterwards, once we have our answer, we will know whether to freak out, so I just have to stay busy in the meantime.
Knox shifts beside me, the nest giving under his movement, and I realize he hasn’t been asleep like the others. His eyes are open, fixed on the surveillance screens, and he’s been keeping watch over the room while we rest.
Prime Alpha protects our Pack, my inner Omega purrs with desire.
He notices me looking.
"Hey," he says, voice rough, quiet enough that it doesn’t wake the others.
His gravelly voice makes my stomach flip pleasantly, and a smile tugs at my mouth before I can stop it.
I love this. Sleepy moments before wakefulness fully takes over and life starts tumbling back in. I love the way he's looking at me, like I'm the most precious thing in the world. I love that the Pack stayed with me through my panic and took care of me when my mind retreated into O-space.
Knox’s jaw tightens, his head whipping back to the screens. I see the flicker of movement, a shape coming down the icy path to our stone cabin.
The footsteps wake the others because they're soldiers to the core, and they never truly switch off.
The scent of the intruder hits my nostrils, and I relax at its familiar notes.
"Hi Jason," I call loud enough to be heard outside.
There is a grunt, and then a response, "Hey Sparks."
"Who are you looking for?" I ask, but I already know the answer.
"Prime Alpha Knox."
Yeah, that makes sense. The outside world doesn't stop trying to combust just because I have a meltdown. They need him out there.
Jason, Shade, and Knox have been working together on a plan to gain control of this army.
It's insane and I'm proud of my Alpha for stepping up, even if that means I have to share him with others.
Knox starts to climb out of the nest, careful not to jostle me. His face rearranges into his firm, no-nonsense expression, as if he’s donning armor and preparing to go into battle alone.
My fingers catch his wrist. He freezes, eyes dropping to my hand, eyes flicking back to mine. I don't like the thought of Knox facing the backlash from the fortress without Pack support at his side.
"I’m coming with you," I say, jutting my chin in determination.
"Halley, it won't be safe."
"I'm always safe with you," I say, picking Blaze's heavy arm off my middle and dropping it on his face to wake the drowsy Alpha up properly. He curses loudly and creatively, and it makes me giggle.
"I can handle this. You should get some more sleep, princess," Knox replies, shaking his head.
Jason knocks on the door again, more insistent this time.
I swing my legs out of the nest and start getting dressed, matching Knox piece for piece. Underwear, socks, pants, shirt, jacket. He watches with furrowed brows, but it shows his development as a partner when he doesn't immediately order me to stop.
When he reaches for his boots and I grab mine, he finally sighs.
"Please, Halley. You've just had a shock, and this won't be easy."
I’m not looking for easy, and right now, I’ll take all-consuming problem-solving over being stuck with my own thoughts.
"You’re not doing this alone, Knox. Besides, Pack doesn't abandon Pack."
His gaze locks on mine, protectiveness and frustration twisting together as he studies me.
My inner Omega squeaks under the intensity of his scrutiny, but I hold it and try to make myself look confident and capable.
"I can help," I say, and mean it like an oath. Whatever chaos awaits us outside our den, I want to face it down as a Pack.