45. Chapter Forty-Five #2
Ronan bends his forehead to mine, fingers sliding to the back of my skull. "Are you… are you sure, Kitten? Don’t say yes because that’s what you think we want. We do. Gods we do! But this has to be your decision for yourself."
Jax grips my hand. "You have to be completely certain because you’re never getting rid of us. You’ll be stuck with us forever. Even the goofy one."
"Hey, watch who you call goofy!" Gabriel says with no weight in his words. All his heat is reserved for the look in his eyes as they burn for me.
"I didn’t say who was the goofy one, but if you put your hand up for the title…" Jax says.
"That’s enough, children. I’m waiting to hear if our Omega chooses not to get rid of us," Ronan rasps.
I can’t help laughing. "I don’t want to get rid of you. I want you. All of you. My Omega and I agree. We want to be yours. We want you to be ours."
Their faces shatter with blinding joy. Ronan’s kiss to my forehead is a vow.
Jax buries his face in my hair, and Gabriel’s laughter fills the space with brightness.
My Omega preens, smug and finally, perfectly satisfied.
And there is nothing left of the wall I used to hide behind because I don’t need it anymore.
I don’t even need the rubble under my feet .
"We’d be honored, Leah. When you’re recovered and strong, when you’re ready to claim us" Ronan turns liquid eyes to Jax and Gabriel, who nod, silent but so clearly in agreement. "We’ll be yours in every way. For now, sleep. Rest. Recover. Let us keep you safe. That’s all we want."
His words settle in me. Sleep tugs at my limbs, the effects of the anesthetic still flowing through me. My lids drop and I feel the warmth of their arms around me. For the first time, no fear snips at my back and the sleep I slip into is warm and calm.
I wake to the smell of breakfast and my mates. We share toast, fruit, cereal and it’s…easy. Beautiful. And I know in the hollow of my gut that I’ve made the right choice to bond with them. Any lingering doubt is washed out by certainty and care.
Yet there’s still a shadow over them. Finally, Ronan meets my gaze. "Our search for Hardwick was a bust. We… didn’t find her, Kitten. Asher’s organized for his officers to run another sweep through every possible location today, and we’re going to help them."
"Today?"
I don’t want them to go. Fear prickles up under my skin even with sunlight in the room and their hands still warm on me. For a moment I’m brittle and unsteady. Just the mention of Hardwick has shattered our easy peace.
Jax links our fingers. "I understand how you feel, Sunshine. We don’t want to leave you, not for a second.
" His thumb strokes over my knuckles. "But the only way to stop looking over our shoulders is to go after her before she has a chance to find a new hole to crawl into. We can’t live with her shadow waiting to fall on us. You deserve better. We all do."
His words settle in my chest, and it hurts, but it’s true. I want to be free with my Alphas, not caged by fear, even if that means letting them walk into danger now so we can have peace later.
I nod, swallowing hard. "I get it. I do. I just… I wish it was over already."
Ronan’s eyes are soft with promise. "We’ve arranged to have Mira’s garden above the penthouse all to ourselves tonight. Just us. No interruptions. How does ‘ dinner under the stars hearing how much we love and adore you while we look over the city’ sound?"
The image blooms inside me: the city’s lights, a canopy of green, all my Alphas surrounding me, belonging with them where no shadow can touch us.
Something like hope unfurls. "It sounds… perfect. I’ve never…
had a real date." Embarrassment flushes my cheeks, but the truth wants out. "You’ll be my first."
Gabriel’s grin is pure mischief. "Then we’ll make damn sure it’s one you never forget."
The door swings open and a Beta nurse slips inside, her expression apologetic.
"Sorry to interrupt. Dr. Maverick sent me," she begins, hesitating when all three Alphas turn to look at her. "He’s given strict instructions that after surgery, Leah needs the whole night to herself. No pack visits. No Alpha scents. Her body needs true rest if she’s going to make a full recovery and right now your, Alpha pheromones might be disruptive to her system and affect her recovery. "
Ronan bristles. "No visitors? Not even one of us?"
She offers a sympathetic smile. "Not tonight. He wants to make sure healing isn't interrupted by pack-bond hormones. Don’t worry. I’ll help Leah get settled, make sure she eats and showers. Then she’ll rest. You can all see her first-thing in the morning. I promise. I assure you, this is protocol."
Gabriel scowls, clearly not liking the idea. "Can’t we just—"
She holds up a hand, kind but firm. "You wouldn’t want to risk her healing, right?"
Jax sighs, running a hand through his hair. "I don’t like this."
My heart clenches, but I try to send them a reassuring smile. "You all should rest too. You look wrecked. Besides, the faster I recover, the sooner I can get back to you."
I really mean it. They look worn down. Ronan’s brow is carved with exhaustion, stubble along his jaw and eyes bruised.
Jax’s shoulders sag, and even Gabriel’s brightness is dulled, his smile a pale echo of what it could be.
They’ve been running themselves ragged fighting for me.
Worry prickles through my own fatigue, stronger even than loneliness.
They need to rest too, no matter how much I want them near.
Jax brushes hair away from my face, voice soft with certainty. "I guess there’s nothing we can do. Rest. Heal. That’s your only job."
Gabriel winks, pressing half a croissant into my palm. "And eat, or I’ll sneak back in and tell the nurses to give you a protein shake. And believe me, no one wants that."
Ronan kisses my knuckles. "We’ll be back before you know it, Kitten. Nothing could keep us from you."
I nod, even as longing stitches itself through every breath. "I’ll be fine. Just hurry up and get some sleep yourselves."
The nurse puts a calming hand on Ronan’s arm. "And don’t worry. There will be guards outside her door all night. Dr. Maverick’s orders. No one in or out. She’ll be safe until you’re back."
Ronan’s shoulders shift, some of the tension leaving his frame. He nods, eyes on me. "I’ll be back first thing in the morning, Kitten. Nothing will keep me away."
I watch the backs of my Alphas as they file out one by one, each pausing to look back with the same reluctant worry. Their absence stings as soon as the door closes behind them. Not long after, a nurse pokes her head in. "Would you like to take a shower, Leah?"
I nearly cry with relief. I want to wash the surgery out of my hair and off my body. "Gods, yes. Please."
The nurse is gentle as she helps me into the shower. I’m still shaky and exhausted, but I’m so grateful to be getting clean. The water is bliss and when I’m finished, she helps me dress. I’m happy to feel halfway human again.
"How about I grab a dryer so we can dry off your hair? Did I hear your Alphas are taking you out for dinner tomorrow? I’ll do something special. How does that sound?" The nurse, whose name is Claire, says.
"I’d love that." I’ll ask if Mira and Emma can come for a visit before my date, and they can tell me what it was like when they bonded with their Alphas.
I wait on the bed for Claire to return but minutes pass.
I start to wonder where she’s gone when the door opens and the male Beta from before steps inside.
His eyes find mine and every muscle in my body goes tight when he pulls in a wheelchair and quickly shuts the door. I try not to let my anxiety show.
"Dr. Maverick has requested a checkup. He wants me to take you to his rooms now," he says.
I shift, uneasy. It’s not exactly unreasonable. Still, when he wheels the chair closer, my heart starts to thud.
"Why can’t he come here?" I ask.
The Beta frowns at me. "Dr. Maverick is a busy doctor. He doesn’t have time for personalized visits, Omega."
"Oh. Okay." Embarrassment washes through me because I know he’s right. There are a lot of Omegas here who also need Dr. Maverick’s help, probably more than I do.
"I…I can walk." It can’t be that far to the doctor’s rooms. I’m shaky but a little exercise could do me good.
But the Beta wheels the chair to me. "We don’t have all day to wait for you to walk. He has a spare ten minutes, and he asked me to come and get you now."
I take a breath. This is normal. Protocol.
The sooner I can be in Dr. Maverick’s rooms the sooner the Beta will leave me alone.
I sit in the chair and he pushes me out of the room and into an elevator.
The doors close and then it’s just him and me and his oatmeal stench.
My skin prickles because I don’t like having him at my back.
"I thought Dr. Maverick’s rooms were on the same level. Why are we going down?"
The Beta says nothing and dread scours through me. His hands tighten on the handles.
"I’m not feeling so good. Can you please take me back to my room?" I slide to the edge of the seat. I don’t care how shaky I am, the sense of him behind me is overpowering, but before I can stand, the doors open to the dim lighting in the underground parking lot.
Every shred of me shrieks. "What are we doing down here? "
My heart is a trapped bird, frantic in my chest. This is wrong, wrong, wrong . My body reacts and I plant my hands on the side of the wheelchair to get to my feet, but the Beta’s hand clamps on my shoulder, pinning me down as Hugo steps into the doorway opening and yanks me out of the chair.
I fight against his hold, nails clawing, body twisting, terror exploding up through my throat but he’s too strong. He pins my arms and I scream as loudly as I can.
"Shut the fuck up, Omega. I’m sick of hearing your screams," Hugo barks at me.
My stupid body is all too eager to obey the Alpha bark. My mouth snaps shut as the command slams into my nervous system.
I might be muted but I can still move. I buck as hard as I can and manage to slam my knee into his nose. There’s a satisfying crack and wet warmth sprays on my leg.
"You fucking bitch!" Hugo throws me off his shoulder. I hit the ground hard as pain flares through my ribs.
I see stars but I can’t let them stop me from getting away. I rise onto shaky hands and knees in a desperate attempt to run from the predator, but hard hands grip my hips and throw me to my back. Hugo looms over me, blood coating his mouth and lips. "You’re going to regret that, Omega."
Then he backhands me hard enough to snap my head sideways, and darkness descends.