Chapter 21
Twenty-One
Riley
I can’t help getting lost as I gaze at Nina. Her entire body seems to relax completely against Cooper. The alpha is a menace to society and people move out of his way when he walks down the street, but he’s a downright teddy bear for his omega.
Go figure.
“Okay,” I sigh, standing. “I’m going to go see what the kitchen has for ingredients. I’ll just make the pasta sheets from scratch if necessary.”
“You can do that?” Ethan asks, surprised.
“Yes,” I laugh, “I can. I can prepare five course meals from scratch, I just don’t have the time to anymore. My mother loves to cook, and taught me how so I could spoil my omega. It’s like she knew something I didn’t. I have never put much stock into scent matches until it happened to me.”
“Neither did I,” Cooper says, also appearing sleepy. Nina is definitely everything he needs. His insomnia has just been making everything worse.
“Huh,” Ethan grunts. “Learning new things every day. Is the hospital going to understand that you’re taking vacation days?”
“I said it was a pack emergency,” I say. “These things happen, and we’ve already put our paperwork in to state that we want to record our pack information. The hospital didn’t make a big deal about it.”
“Good,” he murmurs. “Your rotations have been brutal.”
“Wait till residency,” I tease him, walking away to check out our food situation.
Silas promised a full stocked kitchen, and that’s exactly what I find. Preparing dough, I fall into the repetition of making fresh lasagna sheets and laying them out to dry before beginning the filling.
While I’ve missed cooking, sleeping, and all the normal parts of life, I also love learning at the psychiatric hospital. Every day is something new. I’m never bored, and I know my work is meaningful.
Unlike what they do at Weeping Willow.
I stir a little more viciously as I snarl at the pan I’m holding.
“The food is not going to be able to defend itself,” Ethan says, leaning against the counter. I didn’t even notice that he’d walked in.
“It could,” I grunt. “I got caught up in my thoughts.”
“I could tell,” he says. “What were you thinking about?”
“The differences between the hospital I work at currently and Weeping Willow,” I reply. “Too many people believe that psychiatric care should be manipulative.”
“It shouldn’t be,” he says. “Look at my dad. Didn’t you say you care for feral alphas?”
“We do,” I say. “I don’t think he needs or wants treatment, though. She’s the only person who can help calm his instincts. The problem we run into at the hospital is when there’s no way the alpha can be reunited with their omega. They either died or they couldn't be together. ”
“Fuck,” he says. “That’s a hard place to be in. Can I help you with anything?”
“Can you make bread?” I ask.
“Umm. If you point me in the right direction I could,” he says, biting his lip.
Fucking adorable.
Nodding, I let the sauce simmer, and move over to him. Grabbing him around the back of his neck, I pull him tightly to me and kiss him hard.
“No more waiting,” I growl, enjoying the way his green eyes go slightly unfocused. I love the way his hair always looks slightly mussed, and his scruff on his face refuses to be tamed.
“No more,” he promises.
Together, we make and shape several loaves of bread. This kitchen has a double oven, which will help ensure this is done by the time dinner is served. Covering the bowls of bread, I preheat the ovens and stick them in so it’ll rise faster.
“That’s a nifty trick,” Ethan teases me.
“I know a thing or two,” I laugh.
Just having Nina with us helps to lighten things up. There’s been a cloud over us, especially after we agreed to become a pack. It’s been a reminder that we’re omega less in a lot of ways.
That’s no longer true, we just need to focus on bonding and spending time with Nina. Our timeline is tight, especially without her ability to scent us, but the three of us thrive on challenges.
We’ve come this far, after all.
Nina
I can’t breathe. Water is flowing over a hood on my face as I’m tilted upside down on a table. My arms and legs are strapped down and no matter which way I move, I can’t escape the water .
What’s worse is I also can’t close my mouth, the gag holding my lips open wide while I scream and scream. I’m drowning.
“Nina, you can make this stop,” Dr. Kind yells over the rushing water. “All you have to do is reject your alphas. Admit you were wrong and that your mother has your best interests at heart.”
Reject? No. There’s no way I could possibly do that.
My head moves from side to side, and the water stops suddenly, allowing me to breathe.
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you. What was that?” he asks.
“No!” I scream, jolting awake.
“Nina,” Cooper gasps, wide eyed as his arms squeeze me so tightly I can’t breathe before abruptly falling away. “Shit, I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
Pushing myself up, I gaze down to see the wild state he’s in.
“It was a really bad dream,” I croak out, swallowing hard.
“I could have hurt you,” he says.
“No. No,” I growl, flicking his nose with my fingers. “I’m not going to break, Cooper. You were reacting to my dream. Did you fall asleep too?”
“I did. I don’t usually sleep so deeply,” he says, his hands up and away from me. “Fuck, I heard you scream and my arms crushed you. I shouldn’t?—”
“Cooper, stop,” I say. “You reacted to my fear. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“I know, but I’m not safe for you to be around, Nina,” he groans.
“Fuck that,” I state, laying back on top of his chest and tugging his arms back down to hold me. “I’m the safest right here.”
We lay in silence as I listen to his heart thunder. He didn’t hurt me. I know he’s worried he did because he squeezed the breath out of me when he woke up, but he immediately let go.
“Nina,” he breathes, as if he’s releasing every ounce of oxygen in his lungs. “Okay. I believe you. ”
“You bet your ass you do,” I sass, squealing as he squeezes mine instead.
“What did you dream about?” he asks. His voice is so damn deep.
“Being tortured,” I mutter. “I dream about it sometimes.”
Turning to his side so he can be eye to eye with me, he sets his dark gaze on me.
“I’m sure you do,” he murmurs. “Tell me who it was so I can gift him the same treatment.”
I know he means it, and the shackles around my heart release a little.
“Dr. Kind is one of the cruelest people I’ve ever had the misfortune to meet,” I say, my voice breaking. Fuck. I hope I don’t cry.
I hate crying.
“Hey,” he says, his thumb running over my cheek. I lean into his touch, loving the connection. “You tell me what you can. Don’t try to control your voice, and if you cry, I’ll hold you through it. I can take anything you have to say to me. Want to know why?”
“Why?” I ask.
“Because you’re mine, and in my arms. I no longer care about societal niceties, or what people think. If I want to burn the world down, there’s nothing to stop me from doing it.”
Holy shit.
It’s easy to get lost in his eyes. Taking a deep breath, I tell him everything. The dream, the nights where I used to tread water for hours instead of sleeping, and how electricity was used against me. Tears spill over as I cry, my voice a mess.
My voice teacher would be cringing right now.
“Cowardly twats,” he growls. “Dr. Kind is going to meet his end. It may not be anytime soon, but someday.”
“Anyone hungry?” Riley asks, his steps getting closer. I brush away my tears while Cooper’s lips purse because I’m hiding again. My nose is seriously stopped up and congested and I know I look a mess.
However, my stomach rumbles audibly and his expression becomes amused instead.
“I think I am actually,” I say, pushing myself up and turning to face Riley.
His smile drops as he falls to his knees in front of me.
“I should have made dessert too for whatever is wrong,” he mutters.
“I don’t know if chocolate will fix it, but it can’t hurt,” I tease him.
His hands ghost over my thighs, as if to remind himself that I’m here with him.
“Okay,” he murmurs. “How do you feel about molten chocolate cake?”
“Um, marry me?” I ask, smirking.
“Are you proposing to my boyfriend already, Little Queen?” Ethan calls from the kitchen as I laugh.
“He said the magic words!” I yell back.
Riley smirks as he smoothly stands, holding out his hand.
“You’re going to be the best kind of trouble, aren’t you?” he asks.
Cooper stands up behind me as I giggle, kissing my neck and tickling me with the scruff on his face.
“I think she’s going to keep us on our toes,” he says as we walk toward the kitchen.
Sitting at the island because Cooper pretty much lifts me up to put me there, I watch as the three alphas that are mine work together. Plates, cutlery, platters of food and bread, everything is placed together in quick order as I watch in awe.
Cooper presses tissue into my hand as I sniffle from the after effects of crying, and I nod in thanks. Slipping away to blow my nose outside of the kitchen, I wince as I find that it’s more than the tissue can handle.
“The bathroom is down to your right,” Cooper calls out .
Handful of tissue pressed to my nose, I walk quickly to it so I can properly blow my nose. It takes several rounds of nose blowing before I feel better. Washing my hands and face helps me feel almost human, and I use the towel to dry off.
As I step out of the bathroom, I groan at the scent of lasagna. God, that smells amazing. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to smell my food. I really thought that I wouldn’t be able to.
Following my nose back to the kitchen, I think about how I was able to smell Silas in the car earlier today. As an omega, I’ve experienced how well my body is able to heal, and wonder if that’s what’s happening right now.
Breathing deeply again, I grin as I walk into the kitchen and gain the full attention of my alphas. It’s obvious it’s true, calling them anything different is wrong.
The three of them turn to face me as if they were waiting.
“The food smells amazing,” I say, waiting to see their reaction.
“Does it, Nina?” Riley purrs, his pupils slowly blowing out. Fuck, I’m playing with fire, and I really want to get burned.
Please, nose don’t fail me now.
“It does, Chef,” I smirk.
Riley tosses the towel he’s using to the side, stalking toward me slowly.
“Sneaky little omega,” he growls, picking me up to hug me. Burying my nose in his neck, I whimper as I smell his apple pie scent.
“Oh my God,” I cry, holding him tightly. “I don’t know how, but you smell amazing.”
“Thank fuck,” Cooper rumbles.
“What?” Ethan asks. “Someone catch me up.”
“My nose. I don’t know what happened, but my crying has managed to clear my sinuses,” I sob.
Everything is changing inside of me, and it’s hard to believe that I ever wondered if Riley was mine. My very body chemistry is singing inside of me, happy to be near our scent match .
Wow, this is what this is like. My sobs get ever harder, as I revel in the awe of it all.
“Shh, you’ll clog it up,” Riley teases me. It’s strange, one second I’m crying and laughing with this gorgeous alpha gazing at me, and the next he’s kissing me.
My memory may be fucked, but nothing he’s told me leads me to believe that he’s done this before. It’s our first, though I expect I’ll be having a lot of redos with Cooper and Ethan.
Letting myself go, I bask in the feel of his firm lips, the way he takes his time, and makes my thoughts clear. It’s quiet in my mind, which is something I don’t typically get to enjoy.
Riley’s kiss has a hint of tongue, is completely unhurried, and has me melting in his arms. My moan has his arms tightening around me, and his groan manages to travel as far down as my clit.
“Fuck that was hot,” Ethan murmurs.
“It doesn’t bother me at all to have one of you two touch her, but I wanted to tear Silas’ head from his shoulders,” Cooper grunts.
“Silas is a friend,” I say quickly, twisting around to make eye contact with Cooper. “No killing, please.”
“I suppose,” he pouts adorably. I don’t think he’d appreciate me calling him that though.
Another part of my heart settles inside of me, and I sigh happily. Inhaling, I groan as I find that crying fucked with my sinuses again.
“What’s wrong?” Riley asks.
“You were right about crying,” I wail. “I really thought I’d miraculously healed or something.”
“Ethan’s sinuses get swollen from the cold and allergies,” Cooper says, tugging me away from Riley to hug me and lead me back to the food.
“When that happens, he can’t smell anything either.
Since it sorted itself out once, it means you’re healing, Nina.
Rome wasn’t born in a day, and your sinuses were damaged. ”
“But this won’t be forever,” Ethan says, sitting next to me with a smirk. “We can be patient.”
Cooper rolls his eyes because he stole his seat, and settles into a chair across from me. Riley begins to plate lasagna, salad, and bread.
“When we’re done, I’ll throw together some lava cakes if you’re still hungry,” he says. “And if not, they make a really great late night snack.”
“I’d love to say that I’m patient, but I’m not,” Cooper says. “I can be for this, though. Your body is healing.”
Smiling happily, I wait until everyone is served, loving that they look expectantly for me to start. Taking a bite, I moan happily as the flavors explode across my palate.
“I’ll take that straight to my spank bank,” Riley murmurs, taking me by surprise.
Putting my hand over my mouth, I glare as I cough slightly.
“I can’t help myself,” he says, shrugging.
“I want to play a game,” Ethan says carefully as we eat.
“A game?” I ask.
“Mmhmm. The ‘what if’ game. I want to get to know what you want, and it’s best played if you pretend to be in a world where your mother and Weeping Willow don't exist,” he says. “It’s just you and us. And you’re the master of your own destiny.”
“I feel as if there’s some kind of trick to this,” I say suspiciously.
“Of course there is, Little Queen. If you hesitate, you have to remove an article of clothing,” he says.
“Really, Ethan?” his father groans.
“Oh, I’m in,” Riley grins. “She has to finish eating first.”
“It’s too good to stop,” I confess.
“There should be leftovers,” he says with a wink.
Who would have thought a wink over food would be so sexy?