30. Seraphina
30
SERAPHINA
A s soon as we neared my parents’ table, Mom was on me.
“Oh, honey!” she cried, throwing her arms around me. “I can’t believe it. I have no idea what’s going on, but I’ve never been so happy in my life.”
I hugged her back. My parents were not out of the doghouse, but as I had also never been so happy in my life, I was able to shove those feelings to the side for the time being.
Very mature of me.
Pop joined us and enveloped Mom and me both into a bear hug. “We’re all beyond thrilled, sweetheart. But, um….” He released us and stepped back, his dark gaze bouncing between me and the guys where they stood just behind me. “What in the world is going on? Clearly this is not the first time you’ve met Gabriel, Alexander, and Jasper? With the lengths you’ve gone through to avoid meeting them at the courting events we set up, I’m just…. I’m very confused.”
Jere slipped into our little huddle, collected Mom, and bundled her into his side. She didn’t even blink, used to Jere’s possessive manhandling, and she raised her blonde brows at me, waiting for an answer.
Jere gave me the barest nod.
I laughed wryly at him. “Your funeral.”
Loki stepped to my side and clasped my hand in his. “I apologize to everyone for not being particularly forthcoming about our existing relationship with Seraphina. We actually met her on a job before we were even aware of the contract our parents had executed on our behalf. It was an extremely lucky coincidence.”
“It was fate ,” Hawk countered with a fond smile at me.
I grinned back at him. “Stop it. I’m already so squishy inside.”
Mom sniffed. “Am I dreaming? Is this real, Jericho?”
“It is very real, my love,” he rumbled.
Dad cleared his throat, looking as though he didn’t know whether he wanted to laugh or cry. He was still sitting at the table, now holding hands with Jonathan, and his shrewd gaze landed on me. “What do you mean, you met on a job?”
I lifted my chin. Time to face the music. “One of Jere’s special projects over the summer was the subject of Lok—I mean, Gabriel, Alex, and Jasper’s undercover investigation. We’d all tracked him to the same location, and I eliminated him before the guys could, uh, continue investigating.”
Everyone stared at me.
Slowly, one by one, they shifted their focus to Jere.
He shrugged. “She’s almost as good of a shot as Heather St. James now. You should all be proud.”
Everyone began shouting at once.
“Jericho Bryce!” Mom screeched. “What have you done?”
“What do you mean you eliminated him?” Rodrigo growled.
“Unbelievable,” Andrew spat. “Truly unbelievable.”
“Too far, Jericho,” Jonathan said, shaking his head. “Too far.”
Isa could only bark out a laugh then drop her forehead to bang it on the table a few times.
“You asked!” I said, raising my voice. Loki gave my hand a comforting squeeze. “And you should be thankful Jere taught me the family business because it brought me to my Alphas!”
That shut them up.
Of course it did. As long as I achieved an omega’s main purpose in life, we could all look past how I got there.
“I will admit,” Loki added, “that we would’ve been much more resistant to this arrangement had we not already encountered Seraphina and seen her in action. We were impressed and intrigued. She’s unlike any omega we’ve ever met.”
“He means that in a good way,” I said archly.
“Of course,” Rodrigo replied. His big smile crept back onto his face. “And somehow you’ve been… seeing each other without our knowledge?”
Blaze looped his arms around my neck from behind me. His chin landed on my head, and he hugged me tight before addressing my parents. “You’re aware our job brought us to Ciudad del Sol in addition to us being here to court Seraphina. Our person of interest was a professor at the OFS, and we approached Jericho with an offer to hire Sera as a consultant. After the, uh, first courting event, we decided it might be better to keep our real identities to ourselves.”
“She knows us by our Sentinel code names,” Hawk added.
Rodrigo laughed. “That makes so much sense. I mean, it might’ve been nice for you all to have clued us in so that we could’ve been saved all these weeks of stress and heartburn—” He cut Jere a look, and he only stared blankly back at him. “—but I’m just so happy it all worked out. Seraphina is clearly very fond of you.”
“I love them,” I announced.
Mom laugh-sobbed. The others just looked at me like I’d sprouted tentacles.
“We’ve been through a lot together in the last month,” Loki said. “Our case has become so much bigger than we’d anticipated. Seraphina has been with us every step of the way since we arrived here. We fell hard and fast for her. We love her, very much—exactly as she is.”
Hawk grabbed my free hand. “We’re the luckiest Alphas in the world that she’s decided she wants to be ours.”
Mom was going to have to go lie down at this rate. She clutched Jere as she wept tears of joy. Rodrigo caved to the Alpha urge to comfort his omega, moving to press himself into Mom’s other side.
Dad finally got up from the table. He came to stand in front of me, and then he dropped to a knee, putting him a little lower than my eye-level. The boys released me and stepped back, giving us some space.
“Sweetheart, I…,” he began, his eyes sad. “I’m sorry. I’ve been so sick about how things have been between us. I just… I had such a good feeling about Gabriel, Alexander, and Jasper, and then when I met them, it only made me more hopeful. I mean, there were a few more, um, tattoos and piercings than in the original prep school photos Thomas provided”—Hawk laughed behind me—“but of course I figured you’d like that anyway. I thought if I could just get you to meet them?—”
I hugged him. “I know, Dad. It doesn’t fix the fact that you were trying to strong-arm me into a bonding with a pack you picked without my input. You were trying to take away my autonomy and my choices. But I also know the real culprit is the way the law treats omegas. You were doing what you thought was best to keep me safe.”
He sniffed as he squeezed me back. “Can we at least admit my instincts were spot-on? They’re perfect for you. I knew they would be.”
“Fine,” I replied with a watery laugh. “If it makes you feel better.”
“It does.”
It was only a small stitch to mend what’d been broken, but I felt lighter anyhow.
I received a hug from Jonathan and another from my sister, who only released me after hissing a whole lecture into my ear about keeping important secrets from her. My mother accosted all three of the guys with a teary, enthusiastic hug, and then they went on their rounds of giving hearty handshakes to my dads, who, of course, they already knew because they were lying liars who lied.
Damn it. I was so angry and also so deliriously happy. I needed to screw my Alphas’ brains out but also kick their asses so hard that their balls would shrivel up anytime they even thought about lying to me again.
“Baby,” Blaze whispered against the shell of my ear. “We just have to introduce you to our parents, and then we can get the fuck out of here. I can scent your lust and your aggression, and I need you to take every ounce of that out on me.”
I groaned. “Stop it, you menace.”
Hawk punched Blaze in the shoulder. “Seriously. We are barely holding it the fuck together as it is.”
“Our parents are lucky we didn’t burn their hotel down this week,” Loki added as he tucked me under his arm. “Keeping a pack from their omega after a heat event. Not that they knew that. We didn’t think you’d want anyone to know what happened.”
Definitely not.
I sagged against him. “You thought of me as your omega even then?”
“You were ours the moment Jasper’s dad put your face on the screen, Lamb.”
He led me to where Thomas Montgomery stood, sipping champagne. A little omega woman, who looked like Queen Elsa from Frozen would if she were nearing fifty and dripping in diamonds, clutched his arm. Several other distinguished older Alphas surrounded them, making up what I assumed was the elder Pack Montgomery.
“Ah, young lady,” Thomas said warmly as we approached. “Welcome to our family. It seems I should’ve had a bit more faith in my son and his pack as far as closing the deal—” He slanted a chastising look at Loki. “—but it’s all water under the bridge now. We’re so thrilled with this match.”
“I appreciate that, sir,” I replied. “As it turns out, I was already in love with your son when we had our little discussion a few days ago. But I won’t apologize for what I said to you then. We came together in spite of your meddling, not because of it.”
Loki barked out a laugh. “What’d you say to my dad, Lamb? He told us he met with you but refused to say how it went.”
“We’d assumed that meant not well,” Hawk added, chuckling.
“She accused me of purchasing her for my son like a heifer at the county fair,” Thomas said dryly. “And she swore she’d send him running for the hills like every other courting Alpha before him.”
Loki laughed so hard he had to wipe a tear from his eye. “So few people in Dad’s life have the balls to speak to him like that. I can’t believe I missed my fiery little omega giving him the business.”
I shrugged. “There’s still time.”
Thomas just smiled knowingly.
Loki introduced me to his mother, Irene and the rest of his fathers. He explained they were the biggest investors in Sentinel, though they had little to do with the day-to-day operations of the business. They all wore the same looks of disbelieving relief as my parents had, which told me that I was not the only problem child in this group with a historically bad attitude concerning bonding in a manner befitting my station.
Blaze’s parents were next.
“Querida, this is my dad, Marius Cruz,” Blaze said, presenting me to the man who was clearly the head of the Cruz pack.
He was a little shorter than the average Alpha, but he was built like a linebacker. He had Blaze’s thick and wavy dark hair, though his was peppered with gray at the temples. Dominance rolled off him in spades. Here was a man who looked like he could just as easily run a billion-dollar business as break your skull in half.
“He’s the CEO of Sentinel,” Blaze went on, “and, as it happens, our handler for our current case.”
Marius peered down at me, amusement flitting across his hard features. “Clearly my team has been keeping things from me,” he said. He reached for me, and I placed my little hand in his giant paw. “Thank you, Seraphina, for your assistance with our investigation. I spoke to Jericho a few minutes ago, and he bragged about your prowess as a contract killer. It’s going to take me a little bit to wrap my head around that, but for now, I’ll just be over the moon that Alexander has found his omega.”
“Thank you, sir,” I said, flushing. The fact that Jere was now running around bragging about me to my future fathers-in-law gave me the warmest fuzzies imaginable. “I’d like to continue to assist with this case, if that’s okay?”
“Of course it’s okay,” Blaze answered for him.
Marius cut his son an exasperated look before smiling at me. “We wouldn’t dream of excluding you, Seraphina. We have lots to discuss.”
“Ooh, did you guys get anything good from Hart’s briefcase?” I asked excitedly. “Is the client pleased with our progress?”
Marius’s grin grew. “Yes and yes. The client has extended our contract and given us ample funds to see this through to the end. We’ll talk more at our next briefing, which you are invited to.”
“We’re going to tear that bullshit institute to the ground, Princesa,” Blaze added with a vicious smile.
Marius clapped his meaty hand on Blaze’s shoulder. “We really are so happy for you, son.”
“Thanks, Pa.”
“Now, go introduce your princesa to your mother.”
I was passed through another whirlwind of handshakes and hugs. Blaze’s gorgeous omega mother kissed both of my cheeks and welcomed me to the family in heavily accented English. I met his two other fathers, one of whom worked for Sentinel, and the other was a descendant of European nobility who now spent his time teaching at a prestigious private university and spoiling Blaze’s mother.
Finally, Hawk slipped in beside me and clasped my hand in his. “Last stop, Little Flame. We’ll just say hello to my parents really quick, and then….” He leaned down, his breath feathering my ear as he whispered, “I need my omega.”
My core tightened as Hawk’s spicy pheromones caressed my nostrils. “I should make you beg,” I whispered back. “ Jasper .”
He groaned. “Fuck. I deserve it.”
We only had to wander a few feet away to where Hawk’s parents waited.
A tall, lean Alpha with close-cropped brown hair and gray eyes framed by stylish glasses stepped forward, a sly grin on his angular face. “Well, well, well,” he said. “Our sons have been busy behind our backs.”
“Yes, get it all out, Dad,” Hawk replied with an adorable eye-roll. “But I will state for the record that we found Seraphina before you did. She’s the one who eliminated Stone.”
Hawk’s dad shook his head in wonder. “Marius informed me of that fact about ten minutes ago.” He held out a hand to me. “I’m Ivan Dallas, Seraphina. I’m so pleased to meet you.”
I shook his hand. “Likewise, sir.”
“Dad was once a hacker on the wrong side of the law,” Hawk informed me, “before he cleaned up his act, joined the Dallas pack as its leader, and became the CIO of Sentinel. It was his drone you… borrowed.”
My eyes went wide. “I’m so sorry I didn’t return it in one piece, Mr. Dallas. You’ll need to bill Jericho for the damage, though. He’s the one that destroyed it.”
“So I heard,” Ivan replied, laughing. “I wasn’t at that event, or else we could’ve handled that a little better.” He arched a brow at his son. “Not that you couldn’t have dealt with it, Jasper.”
“And miss getting to watch my omega render an entire building helpless, climb out of the sunroof of a Porsche, and sprint away like a spry little deer? I don’t think so.”
I winced. “You guys saw that, huh?”
Loki and Blaze chuckled where they lingered at my back. “We were proud, Lamb,” Loki said. “And we’d hoped you’d figured something out. We weren’t ready to meet you yet.”
“You came after me in your ridiculous biker outfits,” I replied, narrowing my eyes at Loki over my shoulder.
He shrugged. “Last minute decision. It was the only change of clothes we had in the car, since we’d just come back from the MC. We couldn’t very well show up to the OFS party in our suits.”
Ivan yanked Hawk into one last hug. “You’re forgiven for lying to us. Congrats on getting the girl.”
Hawk smiled that boyish smile that always melted my panties right off before wrapping an arm around me. I met his mother, a slender blonde omega named Molly, and his three other fathers. All of them were tech-savvy and, apparently, filthy rich. One of the Alphas, a gentle giant named Joshua who had Hawk’s floppy curls, had even attended college with Cam’s software-mogul parents.
Finally— finally —the boys managed their goodbyes. A bullshit “OFS Courtship Agreement” was thrust in front of us, and we scribbled our signatures on it, before my Alphas herded me toward the door.
“We are going to do such depraved things to you very soon, Lamb,” Loki said through clenched teeth while he smiled and waved at his mother once more.
Everyone in this room was pretending these boys weren’t rushing me out of here so they could fuck me until I couldn’t walk straight. Even when officially courting, OFS girls were expected to keep it locked up until after graduation when a formal bonding ceremony would take place, but I knew for a fact that Isa had started banging her Alphas sophomore year. How they kept their teeth out of her neck for two years, I’d never know.
“We’ll see,” I replied, trying to be aloof and coy but instead just biting off a moan.
Blaze lost his patience. He scooped me into his arms as soon as we reached the foyer and began to run. Over his shoulder, I locked eyes with Dylan. She smirked, raising her glass to me with one hand as she ran a finger lightly across the silvery crescent scar on her neck with the other.
She was right.
These men were mine .
Blaze hurried down the front steps of the manor and shoved me into an unfamiliar Mercedes SUV. He jumped in behind me, only to growl and grumble at Hawk as he crawled right over the top of Blaze to get to me. They strapped me into the middle seat and promptly converged on me, their lips searching along every inch of exposed skin they could find.
Loki slid behind the wheel and slammed the door. “There will be hell to pay if either of you makes her come before I get to. I’m pulling rank. Keep it under fucking control.”
A shiver wracked my body. Slick pooled between my thighs.
Hawk’s nostrils flared. He dipped a tattooed hand into my dress and pulled out a breast. He teased my nipple with his tongue.
Blaze’s sneaky fingers skimmed up my thigh while he took my lips in a demanding kiss.
Loki cursed as we sped away from Bryce Manor. “Alex,” he growled.
Blaze groaned against my lips. “Fine. Calm the fuck down, Gabriel .”
He resumed our kiss and slipped a finger inside me, pumping leisurely, teasing me with the promise of pleasure. I writhed on his hand while Hawk freed my other breast.
I met Loki’s heated stare in the rearview mirror. He watched me like he wanted to devour me whole.
Then he smiled savagely. He was thrilled that the others were going to edge me brutally all the way to… wherever we were going.
I would enjoy every second of it, but it was going to be a long ride.
A long ride… and then I’m going to claim my Alphas .