Chapter 16
Juniper
It’s late by the time Lowie and I settle for the night, hours passing before the swell of his knot goes down enough to slip free of my body. Oddly enough, I miss it the moment he’s parted, but I keep that little nugget to myself, because I’ll be damned if I make myself out to be a stage-five clinger so soon into our new… relationship? I mean, that’s what this has to be, right? Because they all said they wanted me, and I’ve made it very clear they’re mine and I’m theirs. So, this is definitely a relationship… right?
“What are you thinking so hard about over there?” Lowie wonders from where he stands near the small, attached bathroom I was blessed with after cleaning me and himself. A necessary evil, because I’ve come to discover that omegas produce a fuck load of slick, and alphas aren’t short in the sperm department. We made a mess for hours on end, and so Lowie took it upon himself to clean it all up.
Leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom, the light silhouetting his delicious frame, he cocks his head at me in question as he dries his hands on a towel and discards it in the bathroom. It’s a small room, with only a shower, toilet and sink, but since many university dorms don’t even have that, I’m beyond grateful. I’m especially grateful for it tonight, knowing that I don’t have to wander the halls looking for a communal bathroom to clean up in. I half wonder if that was designed on purpose, attached bathrooms added for omegas who need it.
Instead of answering him with the truth of what my brain is currently caught up on, I think back to earlier and carefully ask instead, “What did you mean earlier? When you said it felt better than anything you could have imagined?”
I’ll be damned if Lowie doesn’t blush softly, a pink hue pooling in his cheeks, before he climbs back into the bed and bundles me against him. My nose finds his neck instantly, and I inhale his scent deeply while he pulls my thigh over his hips and grips my ass with one hand while the other tickles my shoulder. My hand falls to his chest gently, soaking in his warmth and relaxing under the steady lull of his heartbeat.
I’m almost certain Lowie isn’t going to answer me, but eventually he groans and chuckles, before admitting, “I didn’t mean to say that out loud, but apparently, I get a case of loose lips when you’re around.”
When he doesn’t add any more, I pinch his nipple and prod, “Don’t leave me hanging, Low. What did you mean?”
“Ow, you nasty little shit,” he laughs, batting my hand away before grabbing it and placing it over his chest again. When he sighs and peers down at me, I raise an eyebrow in question, and he finally confesses. “That was my first time, too.”
Well, shit. I’m pretty sure, despite my very best efforts, that the satisfied grin I’m trying to hide still breaks free, and Lowie’s grin grows to match. “You haven’t been with anyone else at all?”
He shakes his head, watching my reaction, and I blow out a breath and bite my lip to try and dampen the giddy little smile that begs to be set free.
Rolling his eyes with a great deal of amusement, Lowie snickers, “You don’t have to look so pleased about it.”
I scoff. “Please. Like you weren’t on the verge of creaming your panties when I told you you were my first. ”
Silence answers me, right before the guy starts laughing so loud that I can’t help but grin into his chest, shaking my head while I bask in the sound of his chuckles.
“You’re right, so I’ll let you off the hook this time,” he teases, kissing my forehead with so much affection that I almost want to weep like a little sissy. “But, if your curiosity is getting the better of you, I simply didn’t want anyone that wasn’t you. The others had the same sentiment, too.”
At that, I’m pushing up and peering down at Lowie with eyes as wide as saucers, doing my best to compute exactly what that means. Because it almost sounded like he was insinuating that Creek, Geo, Evron, and Leylan are all—
“Is your brain stuttering right now?” the man beneath me goads, enjoying my confusion and shock a little too much for my liking.
I slap a hand over his mouth, which makes him laugh again, and ask, “Are you saying all four of you never…?”
“Never,” he confirms.
“You guys didn’t date or anything?” I push, needing to know everything about their dating history, almost like I’m trying to find loopholes or whatever, trying to debunk the fact that not only was Lowie a virgin, but so are the others. “Like, not even a dinner. A lunch, even? A goodnight kiss?”
Lowie is already shaking his head, looking like he’s holding in more of his laughter, but his eyes are shining enough to tell me how funny he thinks I’m being. I’m not being funny. I’m being deadly serious.
“There’s absolutely no way the five of you, who look and smell like you do, didn’t have a string of random hookups, leaving a trail of broken hearts after yourselves,” I blurt, disbelieving but desperately wanting to. I don’t know why, but there’s a funny little flare in my chest that brightens knowing I’m their first. I’ll be their only, too, if all goes well .
“You’re fucking adorable, you know that?” Lowie taunts playfully, brushing my unruly purple hair from my face, lips twitching as his gaze roams all over my face. “No, Angel. We all made an agreement years ago that if we couldn’t have you, then we didn’t want anyone. There hasn’t been a single date, late night booty call, or relationship in the years that you were gone. And you know we didn’t date before you left. It was you or nothing for us.”
He shrugs like it’s no big deal, but it very much is. Knowing that, in the years I’ve been gone, they all felt the same way I did. If I couldn’t have them, then I wasn’t interested in pursuing anything with anyone else. There’s far too much satisfaction in the knowledge that all five of them didn’t seek out comfort from any other girl, alpha, beta or omega. I’m the only one, and that is doing some crazy things to my mind and body.
“I really love that dopey look you’ve got going on right now,” Lowie quips, tracing my smile with his thumb.
“I really love that you guys still thought of me, even while I was gone,” I whisper in return, nipping at his thumb, and smiling when that intense gaze of his darkens.
Lowie wraps his arms around me, dragging me over his body until my face is hovering over his and he’s gazing softly up at me like he’s never seen anything quite so beautiful. I know I’m blushing, heat pooling in my cheeks, but I don’t shy away from the intensity, even as he confesses, “Every single day, Angel. You’ve always been the center of our universe. There wasn’t a day that went by that we didn’t think of you, mention you in passing, or buy something we thought you’d like before feeling stupid about it. And every single day, we all hoped and prayed and begged to whatever higher deity there is in existence that you’d come back to us. Don’t, for one second, doubt that we very much want our present and future wrapped and entwined with yours. You belong to us, Angel. You always have been.”
My insides turn to mush, my heart liquidating right there in my chest, and my eyes prick with the threat of tears. Clearing my throat does nothing to remove the emotion from my voice, but I push on as I say, “Then it’s a damned good thing I’m completely on board with that plan. Pretty sure I’m steering the ship, because there wasn’t a day where I wasn’t desperate to find you all again.”
“We’re a family, Angel. And we’ll always be with one another from here on out, okay? You’re our girl, and we’ll be yours until the stars fall from the sky,” Lowie breathes, tracing small patterns along my spine.
Sure enough, a single tear falls from my eye, and he smiles at the little drop before reaching up and kissing it away, rubbing a thumb beneath my eye when he pulls back. When my breath escapes with a shudder, I drop my chin to my hands pressed to his chest and shake my head. “When did you become such a romantic?”
Lowie shrugs, pushing my hair from my face as he strokes my cheeks, and says, “When it comes to you, Juniper Baines, I’m a romantic every fucking day.”
I huff a laugh, my eyes shuttering closed at his touch, and it doesn’t take long for that exhaustion to return. The steady ministrations of Lowie’s hands slowly send me into a drowsy state, and before I know it, my head is resting on his chest while he runs a hand through my knotted hair.
“Get some rest, Angel,” he whispers sweetly. “I’ll be right here when you wake up.”
And so, trusting him to be there when my eyes open again, I fall asleep on top of him, content and happy and safer than I’ve felt in so fucking long.
***
“Angel, you have to wake up or else you’ll be late for your first day,” Lowie whispers, interrupting a pretty good dream where I was sleeping in a cloud and five beautiful guys kept bringing me food and comfy things .
“Five more minutes,” I grumble into a nice, warm pillow. It’s not as soft as I thought it was, but it’s comfy enough that I feel the pull of sleep luring me into a dreamland once more.
Those fluffy clouds are swatted away by the infuriating cushion beneath me. Laughing, Lowie squeezes my ass and hisses my bare shoulder before he says, “Up you get, baby. I want to feed you before you start your classes.”
I pop one eye open. “What are you feeding me?”
“Pancakes,” he answers instantly.
“Chocolate chip?” I inquire, wondering if they’re worth waking up early for. When my belly growls dangerously, I decide that I could very much be lured from this warm body that’s acting like my own personal heated mattress.
“Obviously. I don’t want to die,” he snickers, and I groan before rolling from on top of him, missing his heat and touch already. A hand whispers over my body while I stretch, Lowie’s fingertips cascading down the valley of my breasts and to my stomach, and I tense instantly.
Light pools through the room, curtains still open enough to wash the room in a pretty, yellow glow, and it does a spectacular job of highlighting the cigarette and other scars that litter my body. So, I just know that there won’t be any kind of escaping or avoiding the conversation I can feel coming, Lowie’s fingers tracing every puckered piece of skin that tell a not so pleasant story of how I lived.
“Juniper, what are these?” Lowie asks lowly not seconds later, without judgment, only a need to know. His voice is hard, unrelenting, and I know he won’t let it go until I explain.
I brace myself for any kind of reaction as I quietly tell him. “Know how I told you the father of the family that adopted me liked to use cigarettes? Well, he had no trouble making me his personal ashtray. I mentioned the mother would push me into stuff and find ways to inadvertently hurt me? That didn’t come without a few marks. I’m sure you already guessed a lot of them are from the Henley Pack. ”
Silence follows my admission, and I swallow hard while I peer out the window instead of watching the emotion that no doubt flitters over Lowie’s face. I don’t want to risk seeing even a hint of disgust in those pretty, blue eyes that looked at me like I was something to be worshiped only a few short hours ago.
“You’re fucking stunning, Juno. Don’t ever doubt that,” Lowie says sternly, and my gaze snaps to his, eyebrows pinched in confusion. Lowie smiles, knowing I was expecting some kind of reaction that was the polar opposite of what he just gave me, but his eyes remain stern as he continues. “You’re the most precious thing in my world. But that’s why I mean it very fucking seriously when I say no other soul in this world is going to put another mark on your body. Your pack not included, because I’ll be damned if we don’t mark you good and proper. But outside of a bonding mark? You won’t receive another scar so long as I’m breathing. Okay?”
I’m nodding before my brain even computes that I’m moving at all, and I can only haggardly answer, my voice small and stunned as I say, “Okay.”
“Good,” he cements, leaning in to kiss me soundly before pulling back. “Now get that beautiful body of yours dressed. We have to feed you.”
My stomach chooses that moment to rumble loudly again, it’s displeasure very obvious by now, and I’m almost grateful to it for dispelling the intense atmosphere. I groan and Lowie laughs, the previous conversation swept away with the beautiful sound, and I smile at him from beneath my hands.
“Come on. Get your ass up,” he demands, climbing off the bed with only a swift smack to my thigh.
Slowly, I climb out of bed, dressing quickly in a pair of black-and-white-striped jeans, a worn-down band shirt, and a pair of heeled ankle boots that offer me an extra four inches on top of my usual five foot two inches of height.
Slinging my bag over my shoulder filled with only the essentials, my new textbooks, my portfolio, and my camera bag that contains only a pre-used professional camera I bought for a steal at a thrift shop a year or two ago, I pause when I find Lowie sitting on the bed, already dressed, and watching me with a soft look that damn near melts my insides. “What’s that look for?”
He shrugs. “Just like watching you. I guess I’m enjoying having these little moments with you after missing so many.”
I smile, nodding in agreement. “I like them, too.”
He flashes a grin and stands, holding his hand out for me to take. “Good. Now let’s feed you before your stomach eats itself.”
Sure enough, an hour later, I’m fed and full and desperate for another nap. Sadly, Lowie becomes a tyrant, forcing me to the front of the looming building where I’ll be getting an education most could only dream of. Nerves are rolling through me at the speed of an oncoming freight train, and I’m sure my lip is reddened from the number of times I’ve bitten it. The only reassurance I have comes from Lowie, his amusement evident, even as he tries to boost my confidence.
“You’re going to do great, Angel,” he assures, hand tucked in mine while he walks me right into the building, leading me through a large reception room where a pretty woman sits behind a large oak desk.
“Mrs. Ogmore,” Lowie greets, dragging me to the receptionist’s desk before wrapping an arm around my back.
The pretty woman, who looks to be in her early forties and is looking fabulous with her cat eyeglasses, peach lipstick, and a powder pink power suit that would put all businesswomen to shame, smiles widely and says, “Leylan, how are you?”
“Lowie,” he corrects gently, and the woman shakes her head.
“One of these days I’ll get your names right,” she mutters, before her eyes fall to me. “Oh! New student?”
I nod, words trapped in my throat, and she smiles warmly. “Welcome to North U! What’s the name, flower?”
Clearing my throat, I mutter, “Juniper Baines. ”
Mrs. Ogmore nods and goes about tapping away on her keyboard, eyes focused on her computer screen. Her peach-colored nails clack against the plastic keys, echoing in the large ornate room fit better for a dining room than a reception, all the while she mutters to herself. “Baines. Baines, Baines, Bain— Oh, there you are. I have your schedule, your map, and your classrooms all here for you. Let me just print it all out and you can be on your way.”
I try to smile at the sweet woman, but I’m sure it looks more like a grimace. I’m not used to being nice to anyone but the boys of my childhood, so it’s a foreign concept, and by the way the woman’s face softens, she can tell as much. Thankfully, she doesn’t mention anything. She simply goes about gathering all of the information I need, sliding it to me in a bright-pink folder that makes me wince.
“Have a great first day, flower,” she says, patting the folder before turning her focus back to her computer.
Lowie takes hold of my hand and drags me out of the building, right before he bursts out laughing. “Still not a fan of pink?”
“It’s gross,” I whine, smacking his arm with the folder, a chuckle slipping out when the dick keeps laughing at me.
“I’ll buy you all black ones when classes end,” he snickers, pressing a kiss to my temple. “So, you’re into photography?”
My chest warms as my heart flutters rapidly with the sweet display of affection, and I find myself leaning closer, enjoying his touch. “Yeah. It’s something I always wanted to do. I still have the really bad photos Creek printed for me from that terrible disposable camera. The ones of us all when the sun was setting?”
“I remember,” he says softly.
“Well, it stuck. I couldn’t get a camera until a year or so ago, though, so it took some time building my portfolio in time to apply here,” I explain.
He squeezes my hand before adorably offering, “I’d love to see your work if you ever want to share.”
“Sure,” I agree readily, smiling up at him in delight, a floating feeling in my chest appearing knowing he’s interested in knowing more about me. Not that there’s much more to find out than they all already know. I can’t say I’ve changed all that much over the years. More closed off, maybe. More hesitant to trust. But otherwise, I’m still a people-hating introvert who prefers to remain indoors with books, movies or music, and good food. And now that I have my guys back, their company wouldn’t go amiss, either.
When he slings his arm over my shoulder, I’m pulled from my thoughts and decide to ask, “Are you guys all taking classes here?”
“Mhm,” he answers, playing with my hair as he guides me to the building where my first class is. “Want to hazard a guess on who’s doing what?”
I make a show of pretending to pick up the gauntlet he’s thrown down, and smile when he snorts. Then I start listing them all on my hand. “I think Creek is doing something gym related, because he was always a glutton for punishment. Remember when he willingly went to the gym all summer and then quit when he couldn’t get the rest of us to go with him?”
“His parents made him his own at home,” Lowie adds, shaking his head fondly at the memory. “But you’d be right. He’s studying to be a personal trainer.”
“He’s going to own his own gym like he wanted?”
“That’s the plan, Angel. Who else?” he prods, squeezing my shoulder.
I think about it for a moment, before settling on, “Evron is surely doing something with his culinary skills, right?”
Lowie nods. “Our resident shirtless cook wants to be a baker. I’ll let him explain why. Two down, three to go.”
“Is Geo still into sports?” I wonder.
Lowie nods again.
“Football, right? Fullback?” I question, sure I’m right but the words coming out at questions regardless.
“Fullback for our very own Wolverines. Season starts in a couple of weeks, so you’ll get to watch him play. Maybe wear his number on your back just to drive him a little crazy,” Lowie winks, and I grin at the thought.
“That leaves you and your brother,” I mumble, humming to myself. “Last we spoke about it all, you wanted to be a game developer. And Leylan said something about owning a library. Not sure what degrees you’d need for that, though.”
“Close enough for me. I’m in tech development. I can branch off into gaming through that. As for my twin, you’re way off.”
“He doesn’t want to own a library?” I blurt, confused. That was something Leylan and I dreamed about regularly. He promised to stock all of the books I could ever dream of, and I swore to always keep him company there.
“Oh, no, he still wants that. But that has nothing to do with what he’s doing here at North Five,” Lowie explains, stopping outside a large, red-brick building covered in dark ivy. “As it was, my brother has found a passion for science.”
“Yeah?” I ask, both impressed and thrown off by the revelation. Lowie grins at me like he has a secret, and I narrow my eyes at him. “What’s that look for?”
“I don’t have time to explain Leylan and his choices. If I did, you’d be late, so I’ll just say it was unexpected, but it makes sense. Ask him later,” he rushes to say, turning me to face him and tugging me into an embrace that smells like sandalwood and coconuts.
My frown deepens even as my arms wrap around Lowie’s shoulders. “Later?”
Lowie presses his forehead to mine and smiles before he sweetly asks, “Come over tonight? Spend time with us all? I know the others will be hella fucking jealous that I had you all to myself last night, so we should really be fair, right?”
Snorting, I run my hand through his hair and nod. “You’re so right. It would only be fair.”
“Knew you’d see it my way,” he teases, before he kisses me and steals all words and thoughts and… what was I saying? By the time he pulls back, I’ve completely forgotten the conversation at hand, an d I’m forced to blink rapidly at the guy smirking at me like a smug little shit. “I like that dazed look you have going on, Angel.”
I shake my head and roll my eyes, pulling him into one more kiss before shoving him away with a smirk. “Get lost. I’m going to be late.”
Lowie chuckles, blows me an air kiss, and says, “Have a great first day, Angel. I want to hear all about it over pizza tonight.”
And, with a blinding grin he only ever shows me and another panty melting wink, he disappears, and I’m left standing in front of the looming building before me. Nerves suddenly rattle my bones, and I have to take a steadying deep breath before steeling my spine and heading inside.
Guess my future starts here.