Chapter 15
Zira
The following week goes by pretty quickly after Laz and I enter the new phase of our relationship. It’s been total bliss, too. I’ve spent a total of one night at my apartment, the guys all wanting me to spend time there more than at my apartment, which I’m all for. Their home is stunning, and the more time I spend there, the more depressed I grow at the sight of my bare walls, necessities, and lackluster nest.
The twins came home Sunday night, and we finally got the family dinner I was yearning for, all of us talking and laughing and enjoying each other’s company. When Mac and Ford caught on to what occurred between Barnes, Laz, and me, it was meant with excitement and enthusiasm, their own heated gazes watching me the rest of the night as though they couldn’t believe I was there, with them all, and that I wanted them. Which is wild, because they’re all drop-dead gorgeous and have the best personalities I’ve ever encountered. Their money means nothing to me, but they do, and there isn’t a chance that I could see myself belonging to any other pack now that I have them.
Come Friday, I’m basically walking on clouds, a happiness that nothing can break through hovering over my head the entire day. I’m even managing to get through a conversation with Hunter without having to act like I could tolerate him, finding myself unbothered by him for the first time since he came to North Five. Not even his scent is fazing me as he leans in close enough to choke me with it.
It’s only when he stops babbling about his weekend plans that consisted of playing golf, tending to his horses, and writing poetry does that bubble of happiness pop when he asks ten minutes before the school day ends, “This pack of yours. What are they like?”
Pulled out of my daydreams about the men quickly carving their places in my heart, I give Hunter my focus as my eyebrows pinch and I ask, “What do you mean?”
He shrugs, acting nonchalant, but I notice the calculating sharpness in his piercing gaze. “I mean, do they treat you well? Are you happy with them?”
Laughing awkwardly, now uncomfortable, I ask, “I don’t really think that’s professional, Mr. Johnson.”
I keep my voice even and gentle, but there’s no denying that I don’t appreciate the question. He senses it as well as hears it in my tone, and he chuckles and holds his hands out in surrender. “I didn’t mean to pry. I just wanted to know you were safe with them.”
I frown again, logging out of my computer and standing, crossing my arms over the chiffon shirt I wore today. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Hunter looks uncomfortable for a moment, though I’m sure it’s an act. He cringes before confessing, “Look, don’t be upset, but I asked around about them. After seeing that beast of a man that day you went to lunch and meeting the intense one that hauled you away while you were talking to a coworker, I grew worried. I decided to do some research to ensure your safety.”
Mind reeling, a bubble of anger expanding in my chest, I reach for my purse and sling it over my shoulder as I try to control my reactions and responses to the man. “You researched them?”
“I know how it sounds, but it was to ensure you were with the right pack for you,” he tries to explain, and I shake my head, holding my hand out.
“In what world is that your place, Mr. Johnson?” I blurt, the leash on my control slipping enough that my words contain a bite to them that doesn’t go missed.
Hunter stands straight as those sharp eyes gleam, almost like he’s enjoying getting a rise out of me, and a sick burn fills my stomach at the sight. He tries to pacify me with what he thinks is a soft, caring smile, but I see right through it, his words fueling my anger when he says, “I know I probably overstepped a mark, but friends take care of friends, right? At any cost, I just wanted to warn you before you did something permanent.”
I shake my head, disbelief coursing through my veins. The audacity of this man. All pretense of friendliness evaporates, and I narrow my eyes on him slightly. That gleam in his dark eyes expands and I’m sure he almost smiles before he keeps the worried facade in place. “Just be careful with who you’re entrusting your heart to, Zira.”
“Miss Favero,” I correct sharply, my voice coming out like a whip.
“Yes. I apologize. Miss Favero,” he coos, like he’s talking to a fussy baby, the asshole. “Look, men like that only have one use for pretty girls like you. High society and wealthy alphas like them aren’t looking to settle down with an omega. They haven’t had a single woman between them all in over a decade, from what I’ve read. They’re not into commitment, and you’ll be discarded soon enough when they’re done getting what they can out of you. You’ll be the flavor of the month until a new, shiny omega comes along to give them what they want. Just look out for yourself, Miss Favero. I’d hate to see something happen to you.”
I’m so stunned by the sheer nerve of the man, his words rattling me more than I care to admit, that I don’t stop him when he flashes a sympathetic smile at me that I don’t buy and disappears from the library before I can find the words to throw back at him.
It’s how Barnes finds me five minutes later, staring into the distance in a fog of anger, mind reeling and heart beating heavily in my chest.
One look at my face and Barnes is rushing toward me, cupping my face gently between his large hands as he asks me sternly, “Freckles? What’s wrong? What is it?”
I shake my head between his hands, trying to pull myself out of the angry snit that asshole has shoved me into, using Barnes’s touch to help center myself before I tell him, “Did you ever look into the new biology professor?”
Barnes looks a little thrown by the question, but nods anyway. “There was nothing to find, honestly. He’s a privileged son of an alpha aristocrat and his beta wife, hasn’t known a day of hard work in his life, and owns two horses that his parents paid for. He’s a spoiled country club kid, but he doesn’t have any records or anything to look into. He’s clean, got the new job through his parents, and owns his farmhouse outright. Why? Did he do something?”
Eyeing the alpha before me, seeing the deep concern in his eyes and the unwavering support he’s willing to offer, I blurt it all out to him. I don’t leave anything out, repeating all Hunter said to me before leaving me to stew in his words. The more I talk, the more serious Barnes starts to look, and I almost worry I’ve made a mistake when his jaw clenches tightly.
That is, until he gently pulls me into his embrace, hugging me securely as he presses his hand to the back of my head. My nose goes to the collar of his shirt as a reflex, seeking comfort and safety from my alpha, and I inhale his scent in deep pulls as I try to navigate my way through the anger still bleeding through my veins.
It takes some time, but eventually, his touch and smell has the desired effect and I feel myself gradually calming down enough that my chest no longer feels tight and I can actually think straight again. It’s only then I hear Barnes whispering, “You’re okay, Freckles. I have you. He doesn’t know what the fuck he’s talking about, so don’t you dare let his poison infect you.”
The last of my anger ebbs away as I listen to him, his smooth voice sure and steady, and I sag into him the moment my mind clears entirely.
“There’s my girl,” he sighs, pressing a kiss to the side of my head as he continues to comfort me with the affection I’m always greedy for. When I nuzzle into him, he starts purring for me, and my arms band around his waist as I finally hug him back. My sanity comes back to me and I wash away any insecurity that might have niggled its way through my armor. I know this pack. I know my alphas. What Hunter said about them is pure nonsense, and I refuse to buy into the delusion he’s trying to force upon me. I don’t know why he bullshit me the way he did, but he can keep his worries to himself.
“What a bastard,” I whisper, soaking in Barnes’s touch and scent, sighing when Barnes agrees.
“I’ll talk with the Dean about it. What he did was unprofessional and way out of bounds. I’ll deal with it first thing on Monday, Freckles,” he promises, kissing my temple once more before pulling back to look at me. “For now, what say you to movie night at mine? If you don’t want company, then how about you lock yourself away in my bedroom until you’re ready for movie night?”
His playful words lure a smile out of me and I nod, wanting to change into comfy clothes, pig out on good food, watch movies with my alphas, and call it a day.
Barnes smiles sweetly. “Is that a yes to movie night? Or a yes to hiding away?”
I snicker. “Movie night sounds beautiful.”
“Then let’s get you out of here,” he says, leaning in for a kiss that I prolong when he tries to pull back. He kisses me soundly, then, cupping my jaw between his hands and brushing my cheeks with his thumbs as he languidly strokes his tongue against mine, filling my senses with his flavor until he’s all I can smell, taste, and feel.
By the time he pulls back, my head is a little airy and I only just remember the events that took place prior to my senses being deliciously assaulted by my alpha.
“Come on, beautiful girl. Let’s get you home,” he says, taking my hand and linking our fingers together, leading us out of the library, waiting for me to lock up before continuing toward the staff parking lot.
Holding the passenger door open to his car, my own still parked outside my apartment, rotting with disuse since the guys often like to drive me around with them, Barnes releases my hand and waist for me to climb into the car before shutting the door gently after me. He’s seated in the driver’s side a moment later, his hand resting on my thigh with my hand atop his as he drives us from the university to his house.
“What do you want for dinner tonight, Freckles? You name it and I’ll make it for you,” he offers sweetly, flashing me a beautiful smile that I return.
“Anything?” I prod, biting my lip as I try to ignore all that Hunter said. It’s harder than I thought it would be, even though I know it’s nonsense. Barnes’s actions prove as much. I mean, what alpha would put this much energy and effort into ensuring I was okay if it didn’t mean something? Barnes has gone above and beyond for me, they all have, and I’d be stupid to let Hunter’s words plant the seed of doubt in my mind when I know how wrong it is.
With more seriousness than I would have expected, Barnes glances at me and squeezes my thigh gently as he says, “If you don’t know it by now, Zira, I’d do absolutely anything for you. You want sushi for dinner? I’ll make it for you and try to gag as little as I can. You want to go straight to bed when you get home? I’ll run my hand through your hair to help you sleep or soothe you. You want to be alone? I’ll keep my phone on me for when you’re ready for company, even if it’s just to text. You want to yell and shout and kick someone’s ass for a while to burn off the anger I know is still clinging to you? I’ll volunteer Alek as your punching bag and cheer you on with you pummel him into the mats. Do you have any idea how important you are to me? To us, Freckles?”
I stare at him with my mouth slightly agape, stunned silent and blushing profusely, sure my cheeks are hot to the touch. I mean, I know what we have means something. I know it’s growing every single day, at rapid speeds that doesn’t scare me as much as I thought it might, but hearing the seriousness of his words as he speaks them so genuinely surprises me more than it should.
“Based on the shock on your face, I’m going to say there’s some doubt in that beautiful mind of yours, Zira. I’m more than happy to prove to you what that jackoff told you is so far removed from the truth that you’ll laugh about it tomorrow,” Barnes promises, turning his hand on my thigh for my hand.
I drop it into his immediately, and he wastes no time linking our fingers together before lifting our hands and kissing the back of mine before placing them in his lap as he continues to drive us home.
“Tell me what you want to eat, gorgeous girl, and then I’ll prove to you that you’re the most important thing in our world,” he demands softly, rubbing his thumb along the back of my hand as he focuses on the road just as he mutters, “I’m more than happy to beat the snot out of the biology professor, too, if you bat your eyelashes at me and promise to sleep in my bed tonight.”
And, just like that, the intensity between us is broken, the charged tension disappearing as though it hadn’t been there to begin with. My laughter almost chokes me as my head falls back against the headrest, my hand clenching in his as I release the negativity Hunter pushed onto me. It has no place here, and if Barnes tells me I’m important to him, to them, then I believe it, because he and the other four alphas have quickly become the center of my entire universe.
So, with a cleansing sigh that makes Barnes’s lips twitch, I sweetly ask, “Could chorizo & mozzarella gnocchi bake be something you’re willing to make without gagging?”
Barnes breaks out into a beaming grin, one that sends butterflies soaring in my belly, and he nods. “That’s something I can definitely do, Freckles. Want garlic bread, too?”
I moan, smiling at the man, “When is garlic bread never wanted?”
“Touché,” he snickers. “Garlic bread it is.”
“You spoil me,” I sigh, grinning when he laughs loudly.
Just as we turn down the grit road of his driveway, he says, “Freckles, this is the least we want to do for you. I just know anything more will make you uneasy. We’ve only managed to get away with feeding you as we have because you love food too much to turn it down and it never costs a fortune. Trust me when I tell you we have several bank accounts stocked with money we would die to spend on you if you’d let us.”
I get all warm and fuzzy at that despite already shaking my head. “I’ll take food over any lavish gifts any day of the week. I don’t need fancy stuff. I just need food.”
Barnes snorts. “Just food, huh? Nothing else at all?”
I pretend to think about it for a moment, tilting my head back and forth, before I admit, “Maybe one or two of you alphas wouldn’t go amiss.”
“You’re such a brat,” he laughs, parking before diving at me, cupping my face and kissing every inch of bare skin he can get at, all while drawing out wheezing laughter that feels as freeing as his kisses do.
When he pulls back, his eyes are sparkling with satisfaction and he says, “That’s the most beautiful sound in the world. Well, one of a few. You moaning while you eat is top of the list, too.”
He flashes a cheeky grin before releasing me and climbing out of the car, rounding it to open my door, and takes my hand to guide me into the house while I’m grinning, my rotten mood a long-distance memory now.
The twins are already lounging on the couch when we walk into the living room, Ford looking as though he’s seconds away from falling asleep beneath his brother’s arm, and Barnes kisses the side of my head and whispers, “Go sit. I’ll get dinner going.”
“Yes, sir,” I mutter back with a teasing smile, not expecting his eyes to darken with a flash of lust, and I swallow hard as I watch him reach out for the waistband of my slacks, tug me closer, and quietly inform, “Unless you want to be eating at midnight, don’t be calling me ‘sir,’ Freckles. I’ll have you bent over the coffee table and latching onto my knot before you can blink.”
I shiver and perfume, blushing madly, and he flashes me a filthy grin before pecking my lips, tapping my ass, and gesturing me to head over to Ford and Mac. I’m almost in a daze as I wander into the living room, and Mac spots me first. “There she is. Welcome home, starlight.”
I smile softly, eyeing the two as they remain at ease, lounging comfortably on the oversized couch. “Hey. Got room for one more?”
“Always,” Ford sleepily assures, his answer quick and to the point before he shuffles slightly to the right, creating room for me between the two.
Slipping my heels off and leaving them near the coffee table, I climb onto the couch and settle between the two. I’m wrapped in heat, oud, patchouli, and musk the moment my ass sinks into the cushions, and Ford wastes no time in lifting my arm and cuddling into my side, his head tucked beneath my small breasts while my arm gently falls to his back. Mac leans in closer to my other side, his arm slung over my shoulder as I lean into his side, sending me a cute, bashful smile as his cheeks grow a little pink, but he presses a kiss to my head and settles with me against him easily.
Together, we relax and watch television while Barnes cooks, my hand trailing patterns over Ford’s back gently until he’s fast asleep, his arms cuddling my thigh while he sleeps with his head pressed into my stomach.
Some time later, Alek walks into the living room with his pale-blond hair tied in a messy knot, sweat covering his skin and his bare chest on display for my hungry gaze. The man is ripped, beautifully so. Standing tall, six foot six or seven if I were to hazard a guess, Alek is built like a tank, with muscle in all the right places. He takes care of his body, and I admire that probably more than the average person, since I have to do the same if I want to keep eating good food and still manage to bend and fold the way I’m able to at the moment.
“There’s my little lady,” he greets, his voice quieting when he sees Ford sleeping soundly against me. “How’re you doing, baby?”
He comes over to press a kiss to the top of my head from behind the couch, and I tilt my head back to peer up at him with a smile. “I was doing good, until I wasn’t, but I’m good again. How was your workout?”
Alek frowns, dismissing my question in lieu of asking, “You weren’t good? When weren’t you good?”
I hear Barnes grumble from the kitchen before he steps into the living room wearing an apron over his slacks and shirt, explaining on my behalf. “Remember that creep you saved Zira from?”
Alek nods.
“Well, he had a few words of shitty wisdom to share with our omega,” Barnes notes, right as Lazarus walks through the front door, ditching his gray suit jacket the moment he’s inside.
“What was that, love?” he asks Barnes, gaze scanning the room before they soften the moment they land on me. “Hi, sweetheart.”
“Hi,” I breathe, smiling shyly at him, which is crazy because I’ve had that man’s knot deep inside me for hours. You’d think I wouldn’t have it in me to be shy.
He winks at me before walking into the kitchen, clapping Barnes on the shoulder before going about making his usual cup of tea. As he does, he repeats, “What were you saying about wisdom? And why is there a hint of stress clinging to Zira’s scent?”
I shouldn’t be shocked he can smell it from where he is, but I am, and I bite my lip when I fall a little harder for these men. Sinking my hand into Ford’s hair as he snoozes, I nod to Barnes, offering him permission to share the little interaction I had with Hunter Gary Johnson the fucking idiot. It doesn’t take long to explain it all, Barnes going through the cliff notes but ensuring he repeats what I was told word for word.
The temperature drops the more Barnes explains, and my chest pinches with discomfort when Barnes ends it with, “He must have hit a nerve, because he managed to niggle a bit of doubt into our omega. I’ve already promised that she means a great deal to us, but maybe you four can try your hand at it, just to really drill the point home.”
With a wink in my direction and a smug little grin that I want to hate but simply can’t, I’m forced to meet the eyes of the others and wince. “I didn’t doubt you all, as such. But it brought up a few thoughts that I dismissed and had to keep dismissing. You don’t have to prove anything to me.”
“I beg to differ, darling,” Laz counters, bringing his hot tea to his armchair before sitting down while Alek wipes his face with a towel he plucks from the back pocket of his sweat pants and takes a seat on the edge of the coffee table, facing me with a serious expression that looks out of place on the usually fun, goofy Viking.
Staring directly at me, he says seriously, “Just to clear a few things up, this isn’t a fling, little lady. We’re not looking for a fling, and we definitely wouldn’t consider one with you when you’re worth far more than that. We’re all looking for something real, and we all want that with you. So, whatever bullshit that dipshit spewed, wipe it from that pretty head of yours, because none of it was true or matters.”
I nod slowly, believing every word, and Alek smiles happily like he sees the words sinking into my mind and sticking.
Laz continues where he left off, watching me with a close intensity as he declares, “You’re our omega, sweetheart. And we’re your alphas. You belong with us, not for what you give us, but because of who you are. In the time we’ve known you and spent time with you, we’ve all learned pretty quickly that you’re what we want, what we need. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
I think I do, so I nod while I bite my lip to bottle any kind of emotion that tries to leak from my eyes.
Mac presses a kiss to the side of my head before he whispers, “You’re our woman, and there’s no chance we’re ever letting you go.”
Sleepily and startling my hand into pausing on his head, Ford murmurs, “Your pack, pretty girl. Now keep scratching my head like that again. That was heaven.”
The guys all laugh at the sleepy twin, the intensity easing just as quickly as it came, and I sigh before I confess, “I hope you all realize that you mean just as much to me.”
Laz winks. “Of course, we do, sweetheart.”
“Now that that’s settled,” Alek blurts, clapping his hands together and eyeing me with a flicker of mania in his eyes. “We should name our pack.”
Everyone groans playfully, but he has my attention, and I shrug. “Sure. What did you have in mind?”
“Well, we’re all yours, right?” he asks, and I bite my lip shyly and nod, even as I blush every form of red on the color spectrum. He winks, pleased with my answer, and says, “Then it only seems fair that we name our pack after the woman we’re all obsessed over. Pack Favero does have a beautiful ring to it.”
My smile breaks free just then, and I’m grinning at the Viking before muttering, “Pack Favero. I could get used to that.”
“Damn straight,” he agrees, and we spend the rest of the night as a real pack, my heart and mind settled with only a few honest and bone-deep meaningful words from the men I realize I’m falling madly and irrevocably in love with.