47. Hailey
Chapter 47
Hailey
T rue exhaustion feels like sinking. Like being pulled under by a current too strong to fight, where even keeping your eyes open becomes a battle you’re destined to lose.
Jax carries me to the nest despite my mumbled protests, his arms steady and sure around me. The tremors from before have mostly subsided, leaving behind a bone-deep weariness that makes my limbs feel impossibly heavy.
“Rest,” he murmurs as he lays me down among the soft blankets beside a still-sleeping Finn. His voice is rough, strained in a way that draws my tired gaze to him.
Even through my exhaustion, I can’t help but notice the evidence of his own need—the tight set of his jaw, the barely controlled tension in his shoulders, the unmistakable outline pressing against his pants where a large dark spot of wetness has formed. The sight makes my chest tighten with guilt.
“You don’t have to—” I start, but he shakes his head, cutting me off.
“Sleep,” he says firmly, though his touch remains gentle as he pulls a blanket over me. “You need the rest, sweetheart.”
I want to protest, to tell him he doesn’t have to leave, but my body betrays me. My eyelids grow heavier with each passing second, and the last thing I register is the soft brush of his fingers against my jaw before darkness claims me.
It must take a few hours for me to wake, that exhaustion pulling me under and holding me captive. Finally, voices pull me from the depths of sleep—low, urgent tones that drift up from somewhere below. At first, they blend with my dreams, indistinct and hazy. But as consciousness slowly returns, they sharpen into familiar cadences that make me lift my head from the pillow.
“…tracks were fresh.” Stone’s voice, tight with barely contained anger. “No more than a day old.”
“And you’re sure?” That’s Finn, his usual warmth replaced by something harder.
“The scent trail was clear,” Jax replies, his voice carrying a tension I’ve never heard before. “Right where she must have climbed over. They’ve been studying our property line.”
The world suddenly comes into focus, sleep and exhaustion forgotten. The Academy. They’re talking about the Academy. Ice spreads through my veins as I push myself up, straining to hear more.
“And what’s this about a car?” Finn asks. “The one Dr. Greene mentioned?”
There’s a pause, followed by the sound of footsteps pacing. “Black sedan,” Stone says. “Tinted windows. Claimed they had a flat tire, but when we went to check…”
“Nothing,” Jax finishes. “They were gone. Just like when they pulled up to the house before that.”
My heart pounds against my ribs so hard it hurts. The room suddenly feels too small, the shadows in the corners too deep. They’re here. They’ve found me. The thought I’ve been trying to outrun since I escaped crashes over me like a wave of ice water.
The Academy has come to get me. And I was sold…I…I belong to them .
“We need to increase security,” Stone continues. “Camera coverage on the entire perimeter. Motion sensors. The works.”
“And Ren?” Finn’s voice carries an edge I’ve never heard before. “He needs to know.”
“Already called him,” Jax says. “He’s gone radio silent.”
The pacing stops. “They’re watching us,” Stone says, his voice dropping lower. “Testing our defenses. Seeing how close they can get.”
“Looking for weaknesses,” Jax adds grimly. “Points of entry.”
“Oh God.” Pacing again. Finn’s voice trembles. “They’re coming for Hailey.”
The certainty in his voice makes my chest constrict painfully. Memories flood back—sterile halls, locked doors, the endless training they claimed was for my own good. The way they’d talk about me like I wasn’t even there, discussing my “lack of potential” and “low value”.
“Over my dead body.” The growl in Stone’s voice should be frightening, but instead, it sends a wave of warmth through my frozen limbs. “The sensors picked up movement near the east fence line last night,” he continues after a moment. “Brief, but…”
“A test,” Jax says. “Seeing if we’d notice.”
I hear Finn let out a heavy breath. “With her pre-heat hitting…It can’t be a coincidence, right? They must have stopped the suppressant so she’d go through this with the perv that bought her. They probably know exactly what’s happening.” More pacing. “Maybe we should leave. Head across the country. My parents still have that cabin out west. Doubt they still go there for mom’s heats. It should be available.”
My fingers twist in the blankets as understanding dawns. Of course. The Academy would know exactly when my suppressants would wear off. They’d designed them, after all. They would have calculated precisely when the withdrawal would hit, when I’d be at my most vulnerable.
“No, we can’t run. They’ll follow. I’m sure of it. At least here, I know what to defend. The direction they’ll come from.” Stone lets out a breath. “We’ve already fortified everything. There are no blind spots. No weak points. I’ll know the second anyone sets foot on our property.”
“Okay. Okay.” Finn says lower. It sounds like he’s still pacing. “And we don’t leave her alone. Not for a second.”
The protectiveness in their voices makes my throat tight. They barely know me. I’ve brought nothing but chaos into their lives. Yet here they are, planning to defend me against an enemy they don’t fully understand.
But I know the enemy. I’ve lived under their command for six whole years.
“They won’t stop,” I whisper into the darkness, though they can’t hear me. “They won’t ever stop.”
They’re coming for me. And this time, they won’t just lock me away. This time, they’ll make sure I can never escape again.
The thought sends bile rising in my throat. I press my face into a pillow that smells like Stone and Finn, trying to ground myself in their comforting scents, but even that can’t fully chase away the terror that’s taking root in my bones.
Because I know what the Academy is capable of. I’ve heard the lengths they’ll go to, the measures they’ll take to maintain control. Those screams used to follow me into my nightmares. And now I’ve not only escaped, but I’ve found something they never wanted me to have.
A real pack. A family.
They’ll destroy it all.
The voices downstairs grow more intense, plans being laid, strategies discussed. They sound so certain, so determined. But they don’t understand. They can’t know what they’re really up against.
I should run.
The thought steals my breath away.
I should leave before the Academy can hurt them. Before they get caught in the crossfire of something that was never their fight to begin with.
But even as the thought forms, something inside me rebels against it. The omega in me keens at the mere suggestion of leaving. The very idea of walking away from Finn, from the alphas who’ve shown me more care in days than I’ve known in years, makes my chest ache with a pain that feels like dying.
“We’ll need to tell her,” Finn says suddenly, his voice carrying clearly. “She needs to know what we’re up against.”
“Tomorrow,” Jax replies. “After she’s rested. She’s been through enough today.”
“And we’ll be ready,” Stone adds with quiet certainty.
As I lie there in the darkness, listening to them plan my defense, all I can think about is how much I have to lose now. For the first time since I escaped, I’m not just afraid for myself.
I’m afraid for them too.
And that fear, I’m learning, is so much worse than anything the Academy ever made me feel.
I can’t…I can’t let them get hurt.
Before I know I’m moving, I’m out of the nest and on top of the landing.
The stairs don’t creak under my steps, but my heart pounds so loud I’m sure they must hear it. Their voices continue below, wrapped in plans and strategies I wish they didn’t have to make.
The hardwood floor feels cool beneath my bare feet as I make my way down the hallway, drawn toward the warm glow spilling from the sitting room. Their voices grow clearer with each step, and I pause just outside the doorway, hidden in shadows that feel both protective and stifling.
“We’ll need to coordinate shifts. With Ren gone to sort out his shit, that leaves you and me, Stone,” Jax is saying. “Make sure someone’s always?—”
The tiniest intake of breath betrays me. Three heads snap toward the doorway where I stand, and I watch their expressions shift like curtains being drawn—Finn’s face softening into a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes, Stone’s jaw unclenching with visible effort, Jax’s shoulders dropping as he tries to appear relaxed.
“Hey, sunshine,” Finn says gently. “We didn’t want to wake you.”
The lie, however well-intentioned, sits heavy in the air between us. Stone clears his throat, taking a step toward the kitchen. “You must be hungry. I can whip something up quick.”
“I’ll help,” Jax adds, already moving to follow.
A sound that might be a laugh escapes Finn, though it carries an edge of strain. “Maybe I should handle the food. Unless we want the house burned down?”
They’re trying so hard to protect me, to maintain this facade of normalcy that feels like it’s splitting at the seams. The weight of their concern, their determination to shield me even now, makes something crack inside my chest.
“I heard you.” The words fall from my lips, quiet but clear, stopping them all in their tracks. “About the Academy. About…everything.”
The silence that follows is deafening. I watch as they exchange glances, having an entire conversation without words, before Finn takes a careful step toward me.
“Hailey…” he starts, but I shake my head.
“You can’t fight them.” My voice trembles despite my best efforts. “You don’t understand what they’re capable of. What they’ll do to—” The words catch in my throat as tears threaten to fall. “I won’t let you get hurt because of me.”
“Hailey.” Stone’s voice is firm, brooking no argument. “We’re not letting them anywhere near you.”
I wrap my arms around myself, trying to hold together the pieces that feel like they’re falling apart. “You don’t know them. The things they do, the ways they—” My breath hitches. “I’m not worth what they’ll do to you. ”
Three sets of eyes darken at my words, and suddenly Jax is moving, crossing the space between us with long strides that should be intimidating but somehow feel like salvation.
I take a shaky step forward, drawn by something I can’t name, and find myself in the center of their orbit. Finn moves to my right, Stone to my left, and Jax stands before me, creating a circle that feels like both protection and promise.
“We’re pack,” Finn says softly, his hand finding mine. “We protect our own.”
The trembling starts small, a fine tremor that works its way through my body until I can barely stand. Stone reaches for me immediately, strong arms lifting me as though I weigh nothing.
“Is it the pre-heat?” he asks, and the concern threading through his voice almost breaks me.
I press my face into his neck, breathing in the scent that’s become synonymous with safety, and shake my head. “No, I just—I need—” The words won’t come, tangled up in fear and longing and desperation.
“She needs us.” Jax’s voice is quiet, but certain. “All of us.”
Something inside me breaks at his words, at how easily he reads the need I can’t even articulate. A sob catches in my throat as Stone’s arms tighten around me.
“The nest,” Finn says softly, his hand moving to the small of my back. “She needs the nest.”
They move as one, Stone carrying me while Finn and Jax flank us, their presence steady and sure as we climb the stairs. The journey feels both endless and too short, my heart thundering against my ribs with each step.
The nest room is warm. As Stone lowers me onto the soft pallet of blankets and pillows, I cling to him, my fingers gripping him tightly. He doesn’t pull away, instead letting me guide him down next to me. Finn settles on my other side, his arm wrapping around my waist, anchoring me between them. Their combined warmth and scents envelop me, creating a ball of safety that makes my breath hitch with overwhelming emotion.
My eyes flutter closed, trying to hold back the tears that threaten to spill over. But when I open them again, I see Jax kneeling beside Finn, his large hand resting on Finn’s hip, thumb tracing circles in a rhythm that seems to soothe not just Finn, but all of us. The sight sends a wave of longing through me, a visceral need for closeness that goes beyond physical touch.
A lump forms in my throat as I watch them, the tenderness between Jax and Finn sparking a yearning deep within me. I want that—the ease, the intimacy, the unspoken bond. With a shaky breath, I reach out and my fingers brush against Jax’s hand. His gaze meets mine, dark and intense, filled with a hunger that mirrors my own.
“What do you need, sweetheart?” he whispers. “Tell me.”
But I think he already knows.
A lump forms in my throat that I fight to push past.
I can do this. I need this.
“Come closer,” I whisper, my voice barely audible yet loud in the quiet intimacy of the nest. It’s a plea, raw and vulnerable, but I need them all close. I need the comfort, the connection, the strength they offer. I know this with something even deeper than my heart.
But the words are alien as they leave my lips—this isn't how I’ve been taught to behave. The Academy drilled submission until it became reflex, but with the knowledge that they’re hunting me—that this fragile peace could shatter at any moment—something deeper than training takes over. A need to connect, to claim and be claimed while I still can.
My boldness still feels foreign, like wearing someone else’s skin, but Jax moves without hesitation, shifting to press against Finn’s back, his arm reaching over to curl around the both of us. The weight of his arm across Finn and me feels like a promise, a shield against the world outside. I can feel the steady beat of Finn’s heart against my back, Stone’s warm breath on my neck, and Jax’s solid presence completing the circle.
The closeness is overwhelming, but also exactly what I need. I want…it feels like I want to climb into their skin.
I wriggle between Stone and Finn, trying to scratch that itch, wanting to press into them so hard not even a breath separates us.
The air in the nest grows thick with an undeniable need, a charge that prickles my skin and sets my heart racing.
When Stone’s thumb traces the line of my jaw, turning my face towards him, I feel a flicker of that usual hesitation—the instinct that’s been drilled into me for years as my only means of survival. But something stronger overrides it—a need for connection that feels almost desperate in its intensity. I don’t resist. Can’t.
Stone’s gaze is soft, yet there’s a fire burning in his eyes that reflects the heat coiling within me. Part of me is terrified by how much I want this, by how quickly my fear is giving way to something deeper and more urgent.
When he leans in, pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead, his lips linger as if savoring the contact. I can feel the restraint in his touch, the tenderness holding back a storm. When Finn’s hand flexes against my waist, his fingers dipping beneath the hem of my shirt to brush against bare skin, I shiver between them.
The contact sends a jolt of electricity through me, and I gasp softly, arching into his touch. Behind him, Jax presses closer, his hand sliding from Finn’s hip to rest on my thigh, the heat of his palm radiating through the fabric of my pants.
It’s a dance. One I don’t want to stop. Wanting to get lost in the music. Stone’s hand drifts from my face, tracing a path down my neck, his fingers lingering on the pulse point that flutters wildly beneath his touch. I lean into him, my own hands reaching out to grasp at his shirt, pulling him closer.
When his lips find mine, my whimper is lost in his mouth. Sweet. His kiss is sweet. The taste of his tongue, his lips, I whimper again and I hear Finn whimper behind me, too, just a moment before his fingers work the buttons of my shirt, each one coming undone with a soft pop that echoes loudly in the quiet of the nest. His breath hitches as he slides the fabric off my shoulders, exposing my skin to the cool air and their heated gazes.
I feel a tug at my waist, and I lift my hips slightly, allowing Jax to pull my pants down, panties going along with it as his fingers leave trails of fire along my skin. His hands linger on my calves, massaging the tense muscles there before moving back up, his touch growing bolder, firmer, kneading my skin by the time his fingers clasp my hips once more.
I’m not sure what we’re doing. I only know that it feels right.
The thought flits through my mind that I should be more cautious, more restrained—the Hailey from the Academy would never be so forward, so willing. But that Hailey feels distant now, like a shadow retreating before dawn. The looming threat has stripped away everything else, leaving only the raw, frantic need to connect, to belong, to feel anchored because everything else is about to unravel.
Stone’s shirt is the next to go, his muscles rippling beneath my exploring hands as I help him shed the barrier of clothing. His chest is a landscape of hard planes, a testament to his strength and resilience. I yearn to press a kiss to the spot just above his heart. I press my palm there instead, feeling the steady beat against my fingertips, and Stone releases a delicious growl that makes my center clench in response.
Beside me, Finn and Jax are locked in a quiet dance of their own, their touches mirroring the hunger I feel. Finn’s shirt joins the growing pile of discarded clothing, and I reach out, my fingers tracing the lines of his scars, the stories etched into his skin. He captures my hand, pressing a kiss to my palm before guiding it to the button of his jeans.
The room fills with the soft rustle of fabric and the hitch of breaths as we slowly strip away the barriers between us. Each brush of skin against skin sends tingles racing through me, a symphony of sensation that builds with every touch. Stone’s fingers trace the curve of my spine now, his touch firm and sure as he unhooks my bra, freeing me from the last of my constraints.
I’m bare. Naked before all of them. And…and I never felt more safe. More…at peace.
Jax is the last to shed his clothing, and as he does, he looks up, his gaze meeting mine, then Stone’s, then Finn’s. There’s a raw hunger there that makes the air hum with awareness, even as his boxers are discarded and his massive arousal pierces the air before us.
At the mere sight of it, I can feel the moisture—slick—gathering between my thighs, my body readying itself for them, for this. Beside me, Finn shivers, his own scent growing stronger, sweeter, as his body responds as well.
When Stone’s hand slides down my back, cupping my ass and pulling me firmly against him, his hard length presses into my stomach, the heat of him searing my skin. He rocks his hips, a slow, sinuous movement that sends waves of pleasure coursing through me. I moan into his mouth when his lips find mine again, our kiss deepening, tongues tangling in a desperate dance.
Behind me, Finn’s breath hitches as Jax presses against him, their bodies moving in sync with ours. I can feel Finn’s hardness against my back, his slick mingling with mine as Jax grinds against him, spreading their arousal between them. The sound of their kiss is wet and hungry, their moans vibrating through me, stoking the fire into a fast-growing inferno.
Breaking away from Stone’s kiss, I turn my head to watch Finn and Jax. The sight of them is mesmerizing, their bodies writhing together, hands exploring, gripping, claiming. Finn’s eyes meet mine, his pupils blown wide with desire. He reaches out, cupping my jaw and pulling me into a kiss that tastes of him and Jax, a potent mixture that makes my heart pound.
Stone’s fingers trail down my spine again, dipping between my cheeks, his one hand so big that he can cup my entire sex with a single grasp. I whimper, a moan barreling through me as he gathers my slick. He brings his hand up, painting my scent onto his neck, his collarbone, marking himself. The primitive act sends a shudder through me, and I arch into his touch, another low moan escaping my lips.
Jax makes a rumbling growl, his gaze locking onto the sight of Stone marking himself with my fluids. The growl rumbles in his chest, and he reaches out, his fingers tracing the path down my spine, making me shudder against Stone as he adds his own scent to the mix. Jax leans in, his tongue licking a stripe up my neck, tasting me, tasting them. The sensation is electric, and I gasp, my hips bucking against Stone’s.
Through some hazy part of my brain, I can see Finn watching, his eyes glazed with lust. He reaches down, his fingers massaging his cock until his own slick coats his fingers. When he brings his hand up, rubbing it over my exposed breasts, my nipples harden and I shudder again. I can feel the fire in his touch, the heat in his gaze. As his hand comes higher, something pushes me to lean forward. His fingers press into my mouth and I can’t help but suck his taste onto my tongue. He groans, his hips jerking against Jax’s.
The nest is a tangle of limbs, a choir of moans and gasps. We move together, a writhing mass of need and desire. Stone’s fingers dip between my thighs again, spreading my slick up to my clit, circling the sensitive bundle of nerves until I’m panting, writhing against his touch. Behind me, I hear the wet sound of Jax’s hand working Finn’s length, the slap of skin against skin as they rut against each other.
My hand hovers uncertainly, inexperience warring with instinct. I’ve never been so forward, so demanding with anyone—not even Finn. Part of me is shocked at my boldness, at the urgent need to reach out despite my lingering fears. But the Academy feels closer than ever, its shadow stretching toward this sanctuary; the one place that’s been my salvation. And something in me refuses to let them steal this too .
Before I can second-guess myself, I reach out, my hand wrapping around Stone’s cock. He’s thicker, hotter, harder than I expect, his heated flesh like silk stretched over steel. He jerks at my touch, a warning growl rumbling in his chest, but when his tongue tangles with mine, stealing my breath, I know he doesn’t want me to stop. His response washes away doubt with each deep rumble that rises in his chest.
He throbs in my grip, precum leaking from his tip and smearing across my fingers. When he breaks the kiss, hot breath fanning over my face as he presses his forehead against mine, I meet his gaze.
The need in those amber eyes is so deep I could drown in it. As he brings his fingers up, licking my slick off them with a groan on his lips, I follow suit.
I bring my hand to my mouth, surprising even myself with the boldness of the gesture. This isn’t the cautious, fearful omega who he rescued in his cabin—this is someone new emerging from that shell, someone willing to reach for what she wants despite the risk. I copy his movements, watching his reaction through lowered lashes. Stone goes still, eyes wide as I taste him, painting his scent onto my lips. The raw hunger in his gaze makes me feel powerful in a way I’ve never experienced before—as though my surrender is itself a form of strength.
“Fuck, Hailey,” he groans, his hips jerking into my touch, his fingers slipping back between my legs, working me faster, harder.
The pleasure builds, a coiling tension that threatens to consume me. I can feel it in them too, in the desperate rock of their hips, the ragged edge of their breaths. We’re close, so close.
“Together,” I hear Jax gasp.
Stone’s fingers circle my clit faster, his other hand gripping my hip, anchoring me to him. Behind me, Finn’s hand joins Jax’s on his cock, their movements synchronized, their breaths coming in matching gasps.
The pleasure crests, and we tumble over the edge together. I cry out, my body convulsing with the force of my release. Stone growls, his cock pulsing in my grip as he comes, his hot seed spilling onto my belly. Behind me, Finn and Jax shout their release, their scents filling the air, their seed painting my back, marking me, claiming me.
We collapse in the nest, a panting, sweaty tangle of limbs. And the scents, oh the scents, they’re a potent mixture that makes my head spin and my heart swell. I’ve never felt more claimed, more cherished, more…more wanted .
As we lie there, catching our breath, our bodies still entwined, I know that this is where I belong. With them. My pack. My family. And I will do anything to protect them, to protect this.
I will face anything. Even the Academy.