The Next Day #2
Cass’s teasing smile softens as he stops in front of me.
"Hey, none of that," he says, his voice firm but kind.
"Don't you dare feel guilty. I wanted to tend to you.
In fact, I begged you to let me." His free hand coming up to cup my cheek, his thumb stroking my skin.
"You're worth a little pain, Tansy Vexler. "
Calling me by our pack name hits me like a physical touch.
Tansy Vexler.
My whole body lights up from the inside out, a warm, glowing feeling that starts in my chest and spreads to my fingertips. It sounds so fucking good, so right, coming from his lips.
Without thinking, I rise up on my toes, grab the back of Cass’s neck, and pull him down to me. I kiss him right on the lips. It’s hard and desperate and full of everything I'm feeling—gratitude, love, and a bone-deep sense of belonging.
As our mouths move together, the sound of steak hitting a hot, sizzling pan fills the room, followed by the delicious, savory aroma. Beck has started cooking. I smile against Cass's lips, my heart so full it feels like it might burst.
"Smells good in here," a deep voice says from the doorway.
I pull away from Cass just in time to see Warren stroll in. He's shirtless too, in only a pair of gym shorts, his hair still damp from a shower. He’s all smiles, looking like he's ready to start his day.
“How is everyone this beautiful morning?” He stops behind me, his hands coming to rest on my hips, his chin hooking over my shoulder.
He presses a soft kiss to my cheek, his scent—clean cedar and morning air—surrounding me.
"Good morning, gorgeous," he murmurs, his voice a warm caress. Then he turns to Beck. “That smells amazing.” Then he kisses Beck’s cheek, too.
The beta smiles as he flips a cut of steak with a flourish. "You're just in time for the main course. Eggs are next."
“I’ll grab some plates,” Warren opens the nearest cabinet. “Gray should be out of the shower any second.”
Warren moves, pulling plates and cutlery, setting the table while Beck starts cracking eggs, butter hissing. Cass and I sit at the little table, his hand resting at my lower back, enjoying the soft sounds around us.
Grason appears last with wet curls, tugging a shirt over his head as he steps into the kitchen. Beck slides a pile of scrambled eggs onto a plate, then grins as if he timed it on purpose.
Then we eat.
I sit in Grason’s lap, his arm around my middle as we all devour the food.
As always, breakfast is perfect…well, technically lunch.
Plates are practically licked clean in minutes. Forks scrape, then slow, then stop.
Beck clears what’s left while Warren pours coffee, the rich smell cutting through the last of the quiet. We settle into that easy, post-meal lull, everyone leaning back a little, steam curling from mugs as low conversation drifts around the table. It feels so normal.
I trace the rim of my mug with my thumb, listening to them talk, letting the calm sink in.
But, like always, it doesn’t last.
I can’t help but feel like shit for everything that happened last night.
“I…um…I should say something,” I murmur, and the table goes quiet.
My stomach tightens, not with panic. Just a dull, tired knot.
“About last night.” I swallow and keep my eyes on my coffee.
“I’m sorry about how my family acted. I knew it was going to be tense, but I didn’t expect it to go like that. I hate that you had to—”
Cass doesn’t let me finish.
His hand slips over mine on the table, warm and firm. “No,” he says gently but without room for argument. “Don’t apologize for them. None of that was your fault.”
Grason’s arm tightens around my middle at the same time, his hold going a little firmer, more protective, like he’s anchoring me in place. I lean back into him without thinking, letting myself be held.
Warren tilts his head, studying me over the rim of his mug. “Are they always like that?” he asks gently, like he doesn’t want to offend me.
I hesitate, then nod. “Yeah. Mostly.” I give a small, tired shrug. “My mom’s always been…difficult. Everything’s about her. How things look. How things reflect on her. If something goes wrong, it’s never really her fault.”
“Yeah,” Beck snorts softly into his coffee. “She seems like the kind of person that could trip over her own feet and still find a way to blame the floor.”
A quick laugh slips out of me. “Exactly.”
Then I take a breath, then another, surprised when no one jumps in to fill the silence. They’re all just…listening.
“She’s gotten worse over the years,” I say, feeling a little compelled to talk about it. “When I was younger, I thought my mom was hateful for the hell of it. Like she woke up every day looking for someone to be mad at.” I shake my head slightly. “I don’t think that’s all of it anymore.”
No one interrupts. Grason’s arm stays warm and steady around me.
Cass’s thumb makes a slow, absent stroke over the back of my hand, and then our bond opens wider, his presence pouring through with quiet reassurance. It feels so safe.
A steady certainty that I can say whatever I want here, or nothing at all, and they’ll all love me all the same.
Warren lowers his mug. “What do you mean, Tansy?”
I glance at Cass, then back to my coffee as I search for the right words. “I mean, I can feel Cass through our bond all the time. When I’m sad, he steadies me. When I feel small or scared, he makes me feel stronger without even trying. It feels like I’m not carrying everything by myself anymore.”
Cass’s grip tightens a fraction.
“So,” I continue quietly, “if that’s what a good bond does, then being tied to someone like Ken for decades has probably really fucked her up.
” I shrug, uncomfortable but honest. “Having that alpha living inside her head. Feeling his moods. His anger. His way of seeing the world.” I press my mouth into a tight line as I sort through it all in my head.
“I truly believe she was born a narcissist, but Ken made her a cruel one.”
Cass’s voice is soft when he speaks. “Why would Ken’s bond affect her that much?”
I swallow, my shoulders lifting in a small, instinctive shrug. “He’s just…mean,” I say, the word thin and insufficient. “He was scary and angry. He’d grab me too hard, shove me, scare me on purpose,” I say as my gaze drops to my mug, fingers tightening around it.
I’m not lying, but I’m too ashamed to tell them the whole truth. Ken did so much more, and so much worse.
“He’s a scary man,” I say, before forcing myself to look up at my mates.
The air around the table has changed. Everyone is tense.
Grason’s arm firms around my waist, his body going completely still.
Warren’s jaw tightens, a sharp line forming as his hand curls slowly around his mug like he’s testing his grip.
Cass doesn’t move at all, but our bond shifts, dark and hot with restrained fury, wrapped tight so it doesn’t spill over onto me.
No one says a word, and I’m so thankful for that.
“I’m so sorry, Tansy,” Beck whispers. His eyes are bright, glassy like he’s fighting hard to keep himself together. “You didn’t deserve any of that,” he says softly.
“You never have to be scared again,” Cass says, voice low and steady. His hand tightens around mine as our bond hums with so much love. “No one will ever hurt you again, omega. You’re safe now.” His thumb strokes once over my knuckles, slow and deliberate. “And we won’t ever let that change.”
Something in my chest gives way. I don’t cry. I just breathe in, shaky and uneven, and for the first time since I spoke, the fear eases enough to let the truth land.
I believe him.
Beck reaches across the table and nudges my mug closer to me, like a quiet reminder to drink something warm.
I take the hint and lift my mug, taking a slow sip. The coffee is hot and smooth. It settles in my chest, loosens something tight behind my ribs. I let out a breath, forcing some tension in my stomach to lift.
“I do wish…” I hesitate, and Beck leans in, silently encouraging me to continue.
“I wish I had given Daniel a proper goodbye.” I stare into the dark surface of my coffee.
“I mean, I don’t want to see my family again.
” I give a firm nod, my decision final. “Not ever. But saying goodbye to Daniel would have been nice.”
Warren shifts across from me, subtle but unmistakable. His posture eases, shoulders dropping as if he’s relieved by my decision. The alpha doesn’t say a word, but his approval is clear as day.
Beck, of course, doesn’t bother with subtlety. “Thank god.” He looks right at me with those big blue eyes. “It drives me crazy that some people think you’re required to keep people in your life just because you share a last name.”
I can’t help but smile. “True.”
Grason shifts behind me, his arm tightening a little around my middle. “Give yourself room to change your mind one day, Tansy,” he says quietly, not pushing or judging. “We’ll support whatever you want to do, even if that means you change your mind.”
I shake my head before he even finishes.
“I won’t.” My words come out steady, grounded in a way that surprises me.
“It’s weird. I’m sad about having to do this.
I really am.” I stare into my coffee. “But I can’t keep hurting myself just to make them happy.
Cutting them out of my life feels awful, but it also feels like I can finally breathe.
” I smile, and when I look up, Beck is smiling right back at me.
“It feels really fucking good.” I can’t help but laugh.
Beck lets out a soft chuckle as he leans toward me. “Finding joy in sorrow is the best feeling ever. It means you picked yourself.”
Cass smiles wide, then opens his mouth, but before he can get a word out, Warren’s phone rings loudly from inside his pocket, the sharp chime cutting straight through our little bubble.
Grason frowns, glancing over. “Who the hell is calling on a Saturday morning?”
Warren pulls his phone out, glancing at the screen, then rolls his eyes. “Jimmy.”
Cass lifts an eyebrow. “Have you not handled that yet?”
“I did,” Warren says firmly. “I let him go last week, but he’s been calling nonstop trying to get his job back.” He shrugs and lets the call buzz itself into voicemail. “The fucker won’t let it go. I’m going to have to block him.”
Cass finally looks up. “Turn it off, Warren,” he says with a little smile. “No work today.”
Warren blinks, then exhales, relief and excitement etched in his eyes. “Yeah?” he says, already powering his phone down. “That sounds perfect.”
“Alright.” Grason leans down and presses a soft kiss to my neck, right over Cass’s mating bite. “So,” he murmurs, smiling against my skin, “what movie are we watching today?”