Chapter 21
Creek
I can smell her fear, the bone-deep panic, her scent still sugary but with sour notes to it that make my nose twitch. I don’t like it, don’t like that she’s scared, that someone was watching her. In fact, it sets my blood on fire, and I’m forced to unclench my hands from around the steering wheel so as not to worry Juniper more.
“He knew your name?” I ask the moment she’s done explaining, and I glance over at her before facing the road once more.
Reaching for the hand attached to the thumb she’s chewing the nail off of, I link our hands together while I drive, and I feel the way she relaxes instantly. Not completely, but enough that the sour notes of her scent softens enough that I feel a little less homicidal.
Juniper hugs my arm to her chest, a show of vulnerability I both hate and love, and answers quietly, “My old name. He called me Miss Henley before he disappeared down the sidewalk.”
Frowning at the road, I mutter, “So, whoever this is doesn’t know you’ve changed your name. You had all your bills before under Baines, right?”
She nods.
“Then it stands to reason that whoever this bastard is hasn’t kept up with you over the years. This is recent,” I theorize, looking over to Juniper before rolling down the drive that will lead to our house .
Our house. Because that’s what it is now. What it was always meant to be. The plan was to always ask Juno to move in with us, though I didn’t want to rush her like I have. But knowing that she was in a dorm, away from us and the safety I know we can give her… hell, it wasn’t even an option. The moment I heard the fear in my girl’s voice, I knew I had to bring her home.
“I had the same thought, but that’s not all. There was something familiar about him, Creek. Like, I recognized him somehow. I have no idea from where, and I can’t pinpoint how I do, but his face and vibe was familiar enough that it set my teeth on edge.”
I park, and the moment the car turns off, I unbuckle Juniper and drag her into my lap, her ass sitting bridal style while I hug her to me. With a heavy dose of conviction, I promise her, “We’ll figure this out. All of us, okay? We’ll call the police, file a report, anything and everything we need to do, we’ll do. We’re going to make sure you’re safe, beautiful.”
Juniper cuddles deeper into me, and I hug her tighter, noticing how her scent gradually fades from sour to sweet. As soon as she’s close to smelling as normal as usual, only small doses of fear leaking from her, I cup her face and gently pull her away from my chest. The moment her eyes meet mine, I whisper, “We’ll protect you, no matter what, okay? Even if it turns out to be nothing, you have us in your corner. Whatever you face, we face together.”
Slowly, Juno nods, her piercing, blue eyes roaming over every inch of my face. I brush my thumbs over her cheeks, and she makes an adorable sound at the back of her throat, right before she cups the back of my neck and pulls me into a bruising kiss that will forever be seared to my memory.
There isn’t an ounce of hesitation within my body the moment her lips press into mine, my fingers sinking into her hair as I kiss her back with equal amounts of passion and desperation. It’s like she simply needs the comfort being this close brings, inhaling my scent like it’s a drug that will soothe her .
Eventually, the passion simmers to sweet, sipping kisses, where I nip at her lower lip, she sighs, and reciprocates, both of us trading small licks and bites. By the time we pull apart, Juno is practically boneless, her body slumping toward me as her eyes flutter with exhaustion. The adrenaline must have bled out of her, and now all that remains is the aftermath.
“Come on, beautiful. Let’s get you inside. Lowie fixed the dinner situation, and you need a bath filled with bubbles and a glass of wine or something,” I instruct, determined to give her those things. “And if you ask real nice, I’m convinced one of us would be happy to give you a back rub.”
An adorably sexy smile flitters over her mouth, and she sighs. “That actually sounds like heaven. I haven’t had a back rub in… I don’t actually know how long.”
“Then let's get your stuff inside and get you settled. Let us take care of you tonight, yeah?” I push, a genetic need to care for her, a bone-deep, soul-deep need to look after her, riding me hard enough that I don’t think I’d actually accept anything but yes as an answer.
Thankfully, she nods with a slight smile that warms my heart, and so I maneuver us both out of the car carefully before gathering her things. The only thing Juno managed to grab is her bedding from her dorm room, a plum-colored comforter that matches her hair, and four pillows piled in her arms that it’s a miracle she can see where she’s walking.
The front door opens before either of us knock, Geo barrelling out of the house to take everything from Juniper’s arms, right before Evron storms out after him, snatching Juniper off her feet and forcing her to band those killer legs around his waist.
Huffing a breathless laugh while she drops her head to the crook of Ev’s neck, making no move to remove herself from his hold, she says, “Guys, I’m not made of glass. This is really sweet, but I won’t break. I’ve taken care of myself for eight years—”
“And you’re not going another second without us taking care of you, too. Don’t argue, Angel,” Lowie interrupts, both twins appearing in the doorway, each one eyeing Juniper closely. They share a look before moving into the house, allowing the rest of us to enter and close the door.
As soon as Juniper is inside, tucked away safely in the comfort of her new home, it’s like I can finally breathe easier. I know it could be an overreaction. Hell, it might not be anything at all. But the sheer idea that there’s a threat to Juniper out there, in some shape or form, sends bolts of fear and anger through me like nothing I’ve felt before.
Well, no. That’s a lie. The last time I felt like this was when Low and Ley’s parents explained what happened to Juniper all those years again. Even without all of the details, my young self still felt a visceral fury for what that pack did to her over the years.
Shaking my head, I follow after Evron as he carries her up the stairs and to the bathroom fitted with an oversized tub—a tub that could be considered a small pool more than a bathtub—I asked the twins to start filling the moment Juniper called. Steam wafts from the surface of the bubble-covered water, a sweet scent very similar to Juno’s natural scent permeating the air.
“That one of yours?” I ask Leylan, though my eyes are on Juno, her face tucked into Ev’s neck as her back raises with deep inhales.
I see Ley nod in my peripheral, and he says, “Yeah. I have the scent as a close match but it’s not quite hers, still I think that’s something I’m going to have to live with. Realized the secret ingredient to it was her.”
Snorting, I tap his shoulder with a fist, amused that after all the time Ley has spent in his lab at school trying to recreate Juniper's scent like an obsessed scientist, it’s only now dawned on him that Juniper’s scent is uniquely hers. I do appreciate how close he managed to get the bubble bath, though.
Heading over to where Ev places Juno on the surface of the counter beside the sink, I cup her face and smile softly, the riot inside me dampening more and more the longer Juno’s scent mingles with mine and the others, filling the house with her presence already. She eyes me with a softness I’ve only ever seen directed at us, and I feel my heart melt, just like it always does when she’s near. “You want company in the bath, beautiful? Or do you want us to let you relax in peace?”
Her lips twitch, but I see the lingering fear in those pale eyes, and I decide to stay before she’s even opened her mouth to reply. Thankfully, she simply states, “Stay with me.”
I smile and nod, before turning to the others just as Geo steps into the bathroom and shuts the door, all six of us taking up space in the bathroom. “Nest is put together with her comforter and stuff. I put her bag near the door.”
“Thank you, Gee,” she sighs, shoulders dropping as she rolls her head on her shoulders, likely trying to work out the kinks she’s gathered from sitting so tense since I found her.
The motion spurs me into action, and I’m calling orders over my shoulder like a drill sergeant before I even realize I’m talking. “Strip and get in the bath. She wants company, so we’re going to give her company.”
I look back and find Juno watching me with an adorable raised eyebrow, hearing the rustle of clothing being stripped, and I fight my amusement when that gaze ventures over my shoulder. Pupils dilating and breath catching, Juno watches as the guys all remove their clothing before the sound of water reaches us.
Grinning, I reach for Juno’s clothes, unbuttoning her jeans and lowering her zipper while she’s distracted. Then I go about removing every article of clothing, loving every inch of exposed skin I hungrily take in and commit to memory. Even her scars, I trace like I’m touching delicate glass, because they’re a part of her. Her story. What she’s been through and survived. And there isn’t a damned soul on this earth that will add anymore to her beautiful body.
By the time I’m done undressing her, Juno’s gaze has fallen onto me once more, the others chatting quietly in the tub while they wait to get their hands on our girl. Her pale eyes glitter with emotion, a tangle of appreciation and affection, and her voice is sweet enough to gain a cavity when she almost whispers, “Thank you for this, C. I think I needed it more than I realized.”
I shrug a shoulder, turning my head to press a kiss to her warm palm. “We’ll give you everything you need, J. Always. You never have to worry about that.”
I receive a Juno Smile, a rare sight that I covet like treasure, before stepping back and ridding myself of my clothes. I’m all too aware of her eyes on me, and there’s simply nothing I can do about the semi I’m sporting, so I choose to ignore it. I mean, Juno is sitting right in front of me, naked as the day she came into the world and even more stunning than I remember. Of course, my dick is going to stand to attention when she’s present.
With the last barriers between us gone, I haul Juno off the counter and carry her to the bath, sinking into the warm water with her bridal style in my arms. As soon as I’m seated, both of us submerged among the bubbles, I rearrange Juno until she’s sitting between my legs before I start lathering her skin with the fragrant water that smells almost like her.
The others take my lead, and before Juno can even utter a word, the guys have their hands all over her. Evron has a hand that he massages diligently while Geo takes her other arm, digging his thumbs into her flesh in such a way that Juno moans and sinks deeper into my chest. The twins take a foot each, Lowie running his hands over her shin and calf while Leylan rubs her foot with care and precision.
As Juno slowly melts into the water, I press a kiss to her purple hair before I go about washing the dark strands. I rinse, condition, and run my fingers through it, removing tangles and snares, all while she makes sounds no man in a tub with his omega should be subjected to, especially not when she’s had a tough time and still smells a little stressed .
So, ignoring the flares of arousal that tries to pierce our first pack moment of tranquil, I reach for Juno’s shoulders and begin on that back rub I promised one of us would give.
“I didn’t even ask nicely,” she groans just as my fingers press into her shoulders.
Evron snorts. “Don’t say that, Blue. He won’t touch you until you ask nicely next time if you challenge him like that.”
Juno chuckles lightly, sinking deeper into the water until it reaches her chin and I’m providing a massage under water. “I’d be okay with that. Won’t even hesitate to beg, either, if that’s what he wanted.”
Silence follows before a collective groan echoes through the room, each of us likely imagining that particular fantasy in a way that is not comforting, soothing, or relaxing. All of which this bath is supposed to be.
Juno laughs, a sound that’s like a cooling balm to whatever the hell will ever ail me again, and I smile down at her while I continue to rub her shoulders free of the knots that have accumulated over the time she’s clearly been stressed.
The remainder of the bath goes by with only muttered chitchat, Juno’s eyes closed as her body sags against mine. Her limbs are finally loose, her head lolling on my shoulder, and the softest smile teases her lips while she lies content and happy listening to the guys talk in hushed tones around her. I have to admit, it’s nice, this familiarity between us all. The lack of awkwardness, the ease we each have around one another. It’s as though no time at all has passed between us and Juno, like she’s slotted perfectly back into the place that has gone empty far too long.
“You’re thinking hard. I can practically hear the gears spinning in that head of yours,” Juno whispers to me the next moment, and my gaze falls to her face that is now tilted to better look up at me.
My gaze travels over her entire face, noting the differences I see and comparing them to a younger Juno. She was pretty back then, the prettiest damned girl I ever laid my eyes on. But now? Fuck, she takes my breath away. From the soft brush of freckles that stain her nose and cheeks, to the scars over her body, Juniper Baines is the most stunning thing I’ve ever laid my eyes on.
The look she gives me sends my heart into overdrive, my chest tightening around my ribcage as I fall heart-first into the pool of emotion swimming in those pretty, pale eyes. That look chokes whatever words I’d offer and, so, I simply do the only thing I can do. I cup her face gently, drops of warm water falling from my skin to hers, and draw her into a kiss that sears itself into my soul like a hot brand.
Juno hums against my mouth, her own hand reaching up to cup the back of my neck, if only to keep me in place. It’s like she doesn’t want to risk me moving away, and I can’t fight the smile that breaks out over my face, turning our soft, sweet kiss into something silly and free.
“I missed you, J,” I whisper, still smiling, even as the happiness dims in Juno’s eyes only slightly. I know how she feels, know it all too well, but I’m not going to wallow in the guilt and sadness that those eight years brought. Not when we have her back, tucked beautifully between us all, and now officially living with us. Every fucking dream I’ve had in those eight years is coming true, and I can’t feel anything but rightness knowing Juno is home. She’s home with us.
“I missed you, too, C,” she whispers, tugging me into another kiss that I’m all too willing to give her.
The others are all relaxed around us, leaning against the edge of the tub, watching and talking, like this is our new normal. I’ll be damned if it isn’t, too, because too much time has passed without Juno for anything but this, this closeness, to be anything but normal.
So, I bundle Juno up against me and cuddle her for a long while, long enough that her body relaxes completely, the scent of her stress washing away with the knots in her muscles. I’m pretty sure she’s drifting in and out of consciousness, the scent of Leylan’s perfumed products growing fainter and fainter as the minutes tick by gradually.
Eventually, when her skin starts pruning and the water turns lukewarm, I kiss her forehead and ask, “You ready to get out?”
I receive a sleepy little grumble in return, and the guys all snicker and grin at the tired omega using me as her own personal cushion. Not that I mind, especially if it means I get to hold a naked and slippery Juno in my arms.
Together, the guys and I help Juno out of the tub, Geo taking her from me and holding her bridal style while Lowie and Leylan dry her body and Evron uses a towel to absorb the water from her hair. I watch with rapt attention as they all fuss over her, pampering her like she deserves, and I keep my mouth firmly shut when I spy a single teardrop falling from the corner of her closed eyes.
I climb out of the tub, wrapping a towel around my waist, and lean in to kiss where the teardrop ran. Juno’s lips twitch, so I kiss her again, before I say, “Come on, beautiful. Let’s get you to bed, hm?”
“But Lowie made dinner,” she complains softly, only a slight omega-like whine in her voice that makes my entire body shiver and my alpha brain growing alert and fucking wired.
“You hungry, Angel?” the normally surly twin asks gently, a hint of amusement in his words.
Sure enough, despite the exhaustion that keeps her eyes closed, she nods just as a rumble in her belly declares for all the room to hear that she is, in fact, starving.
“Can’t let our omega wither away, guys,” Ev snickers, drying the last strands of her purple hair before pressing a kiss to the crown of her head and sneakily stealing her from Geo before waltzing right out of the room like he didn’t just stealthily omega-nap our girl.
Snickering, I follow after them, the others trailing behind me. We’re all dressed in towels and nothing more, more than comfortable with ourselves and our nudity around one another that there’s no awkwardness when Evron’s fucking towel slips and he flashes a whole lot of ass before he scrambles to cover himself once more.
“Lost your towel, didn’t you?” Juno asks, still sleepy but far more amused now.
“No,” Ev lies, sending us a panicked look that we all ignore in lieu of dishing plates and pouring drinks for one another. “Just stumbled, that’s all. Got distracted by your pretty face.”
At that, Juno outright laughs, and I’m grinning at the large bowl of bolognese Lowie cooked as she says, “I can see you in the reflection of the window, you goose. Every bare inch of you.”
Sure enough, we all see a flash of too much Evron, and I’m laughing with the others as he snaps the towel in front of his dick like he hasn’t flashed us all before. “This isn’t how you were meant to see my junk for the first time.”
“It’s not the first time,” she sleepily replies, nuzzling her face into his neck with a soft sigh that makes me smile.
Evron frowns in confusion, sending us all a questioning look. I know exactly what she’s talking about, remembering the moment with such clarity that it almost feels like yesterday that it happened. Seeing Evron accidentally skinny dipping in a pond to retrieve a pretty rock a little Juno found earlier that day and lost when she stumbled over a protruding root sticking up out of the ground. She’d been running from Creek, Evron, and the twins, laughing hysterically as he chased her through the tall grass, using me as her guide since I was taller and had a better view. I so distinctly remember the devastation on Juno’s face when she lost the pebble. I can see it clear as day the more I think about it. The others caught the sad look, too, which resulted in Evron jumping into the pond to retrieve the stone, only his boxers came off in the process. Naturally, he didn’t notice until he got out of the pond, by which time I’d slapped a hand over Juno’s innocent eyes and directed her back to my house.
“When the hell have you seen my junk before?” Ev wonders, genuinely curious.
“When you found my pebble,” Juno snickers .
Ev shakes his head. “Nu-uh. Creek took you back to the hou—”
“Not before I caught an eyeful,” she interrupts, grinning widely even as her eyes shudder closed and her body melts in Evron’s hold.
“Oh, my god,” he mutters, his cheeks growing slightly pink, in a deeply amusing way. It takes a whole lot to embarrass Evron, so knowing Juno accomplished such a thing has me battling my laughter.
“Don’t worry, babe. You’ve grown,” she mutters, right before biting her lip, likely to stop herself from laughing.
“Oh, my god,” Ev stresses, glaring playfully down at our omega. “Anyone ever tell you it’s rude to mention sizes when it comes to a man’s dick?”
She shrugs loosely. “It’s a compliment. The water was cold at the time, right? You’re very impressive now. It’s fine.”
“Please,” Ev chokes, cheeks deepening in color as he carries Juniper to the couch and drops his body into the corner carefully, keeping Juno planted in his towel-covered lap. “Stop talking, for the love of my dignity.”
Peals of laughter break free from the little spitfire with purple hair, and Ev cracks a matching smile to the rest of us while we finish dishing food and carry it out to the living room where Juno continues laughing. It’s the first time in too long since I’ve heard that laughter, the fun, light-hearted unrestrained sound that is simply music to my ears.
Placing a bowl gently in Juno’s lap, and another balanced on her knee for Ev, I take a seat beside them while Creek and the twins find their places around the living room. It doesn’t escape my notice that we’re all sitting as close as we can possibly get.
And that’s how we stay for the rest of the night, bundled together as a family while we eat, laugh, and watch crappy television shows until Juno is full, happy, and content enough to fall asleep, half hanging off Evron and half lying on me. And, since I found her earlier today, she finally smells like pina coladas, sugar, and all things that make Juno a happy omega.