Chapter 44 #2
“Of course, the Beta speaks for all of us. For each of us, this is new, but I think we’ve each had to be very independent and driven, which isn’t going to change.
Some days you’ll be lost in your designation, bebe, and I suspect that is where you’re worried most. You’re not losing yourself, and I assure you, we’re going to worship that side of you as much as we celebrate the woman you are. Does that make sense?”
I twist around to look at him. His amber eyes are dark and full of complex emotions. “I didn’t mean to drop this on you as soon as you got back. I got lost in your scent and responded to your presence.”
He smiles at me, his eyes like windows to his soul, and they’re open and he's showing me that everything I feel, he does too. “But what an important moment. This is how we learn about each other.”
His reference to learning makes sense. I’ve read countless articles and medical books about the phenomenon of what a healing and supportive pack can do, but to feel it for myself and to experience it firsthand puts the text to shame.
I suspect I’ll keep having these moments of vulnerability and rawness, and I’ll be freaking out whenever and wherever. But hell, if I’ve been able to best Victor for all this time, I’m sure I’ll survive exploring more of my Omega’s tenderness too.
I hope so. No, I will.
My brain is still mostly offline, my emotions swirling around, but after their encouragement, I’m pushing myself to shut down Victor and listen more to the new, smaller voice inside me.
It feels right, but feeling right comes and goes, made better and worse because of the way they so easily see me.
I’ve never had someone to take care of me, and it’s as scary as it is precious.
I grab their hands, doing a weird shuffle until I can hold them all. Being like this, with them, is completely disarming. I don’t want to be a slave to my designation, but if they’re my masters, I see more and more it might not be as arduous as my trauma sometimes lets on.
I stick to what I know—I want to be a pack with them.
Also, I do trust them. I just haven't had much experience with trusting people. Especially with my story. I close my eyes, and this time, instead of getting freaked out by their scent and presence, I lean into it.
“I grew up in a different world. Everything is polished perfectly on the surface level, and underneath it’s a viper pit.
I did things I’m not proud of doing to survive, but there are other things I did I am immensely proud of.
I became a different version of myself, and as part of that, I changed my name and started using my grandmother’s name because no one remembers her.
I have a sister, but all the records of my birth have been changed so we’re sisters in blood only now.
Only a few people know who I actually am. ”
“Who are you, bebe?”
“I’m Dr. Quinn Garcia, and Ambassador Victor Hernandez is my father. And I’m going to kill him.”
I stay tucked in my safe space, a little scared to see the fallout. A heartbeat later, it starts, and I pick up on it instantly. Their presence starts to ebb away; their scent follows until only my own perfume remains. Even their touches feel lighter.
I open my eyes but keep my gaze down low, staring at our hands all touching, wondering if I went too far and told too many secrets. I hear myself whine in the silence.
And it triggers a landslide.
They were holding back, but now they’re back bigger, bolder, more obvious than ever.
Their scent is so intense, even the dogs get up and prowl around, searching out the threat.
Their presence invades me, leaving no room for me to question where their focus lies or how protective they’ll be.
But they’re still deadly quiet, and it spurs my own scent to leak from me, wanting them to be okay.
I get a growl in my ear. “Bebe, you spoke of not coping with parts of who you are, and now we’re hearing what our beautiful, strong mate has been subjected to, by herself. It’s hard to accept. I need a minute to wrestle back control of my more dominant side.”
“Jesus, Quinny, I don’t even know who he is, but apparently Santiago and Aleksei do.”
“You should know. Or not you, but Interpol, the police, the government. I tried to tell people how terrible he was and what I caught him doing. No one believed me.”
The air gets even more saturated by the scent of distress, drawing the two dogs into our huddle. Roshka pushes his way right in, situating himself between me and whatever is causing Aleksei’s mood to sour.
“I’m okay,” I say, wrapping my arms around his back and burying my face in his fur.
Aleksei finally starts talking. It’s in Russian, and it’s directed at Roshka. It sounds like an angry bark, full of threat and warning, but he’s talking directly to me, via our bond, and that is blistering with promises. Of safety. Of retribution.
Kade moves slowly, tipping my face up, urging me not to hide. “Hey, you. You’re still my favorite whore, okay? Who he is doesn’t change a thing about us.”
“It kind of does. If he finds you with me, Kade, he’ll ruin your career with Interpol.”
“Do you really think I’m worried about my job? Hell, Quinny, you are my job.”
“Someone didn’t want to mention this hui is fucking Interpol?”
“Whatever the fuck hui is, I’d never sell Quinn out. We kind of had other, more important, things going on, like your dipshit brother!” Kade snaps back ferociously.
Aleksei laughs. “True. But you just remember what I did to my brother. No warnings, Kade. If I think you’re doing anything shady, I’ll find your badge and shove it down your fucking throat for you to choke on. My wife comes before everything.”
“Okay, okay,” I placate, squeezing his hand while rubbing Kade’s, being reassuring to both.
“No threatening each other. Honestly, Victor is going to do that and more. I think Santiago’s and Aleksei’s experiences in the underworld gives them the one-up on this one, Kade.
But Victor is similar to the Cartel and the Russian mafia, he’s just wearing a suit and hiding behind a title.
He will stop at nothing if he thinks someone is on to him. He’ll target your family first.”
“My family will be standing with pitchforks, ready to eviscerate the bastard.” And then Kade stops talking, and something about what I said shifts his thoughts. He groans. It’s full of pain and understanding. “Jesus. If what you said is true…”
He’s stopped mid-sentence by a ferocious sound of warning from both Santiago and Aleksei. Aleksei is the one to speak, and without looking, it sounds like he’s talking with his jaw clenched. “Did you miss where she said no one believed her? No more warnings, Kade. None!”
Kade inhales sharply. “Oh my god. I’m so fucking sorry, Quinn, it’s a questioning technique left over from my time working. Of course I believe you.”
The atmosphere is volatile, the dogs are restless, and their influence is back to being huge and consuming. I throw my hands up, making a sign of timeout. It’s all I can think of doing.
“We’ve got so much to talk about and figure out.
I need to put a pin in this now. What I told you, I have never told anyone, but it’s all I can deal with at the moment.
I need normal. Honestly, I want to sit in front of the fire and eat this food, and later, I want to watch the fire and fall asleep on someone’s lap.
Can we do that? Can we just be us for a night? ”
And much like before, the three of them flip on me. The aggression disappears, the buildup of tension goes with it, and the same, occasionally confusing, sense of warmth and homecoming returns.
Aleksei chuckles up against my ear. “Easy done, maya. Tonight is about us. Tomorrow is probably more about us, and then after, we will talk about our future plans.”
“Why are you laughing?” I ask, more confused than wary.
He hums, and he’s so close to me, his stubble rubs against my face. “Before, you say you’re powerless or a little weak around us, but look at what you wield. We’re ready to spill blood as quickly as we are to fight for who gets to hold you first. That is true power. And you, my wife, hold it all.”
I turn so fast, my lips brush over his. His eyes are open, and he’s smiling. “You knew I’d turn around.”
“I hoped.” He closes the very small fraction of space between us, his kiss gentle and soft. “Santiago needs to dote on you, fall asleep on Kade’s lap, and I’ll be the one to wake you up. Sounds fair?”
“Aleksei, the whole wife thing…”
He reaches over and shhs me with a finger to my lips.
“It’s true. Even not knowing who you were, the terms of our arrangement with Victor meant if anything happened to my brother, I would take his place.
My father made Sergey set up his will so, in death, he leaves everything to me—his position with the Bratva, all his possessions, and his wife.
So, you are not Dr. Quinn Garcia. You are Dr. Quinn Petrov, married to Aleksei Petrov.
It makes my dick so hard, even saying it. ”
I laugh, and he does too. Behind me, Santiago makes a strangled sound that only makes Aleksei laugh louder. Kade is quiet, but I turn and see him smiling. He’s still distracted, but with each blink, he’s relaxing, well, as much as Kade relaxes.
Santiago tugs on my hand, and Aleksei sits back, letting it happen. “Come, bebe. I said outside, I need to see you eating. That needs to happen now more than ever. Please let me care for you like an Alpha needs to dote on his sweet Omega.”
The three of them work together to make what I asked for happen.
Within moments, the fire is roaring, and the dogs are sprawled out near it.
We each have a plate full of food, with drinks poured too.
They take what I said about Victor in stride, but they also help shoulder the burden.
I feel unbelievably lighter now I’ve said the words I never thought I would say to anyone else.
Kade is watching me closely while Santiago decides he needs to add more food to my plate
“Thank you for sharing, Quinny. You are a hundred percent right. This is who we are, and doing this is more important than who’s who in the zoo.”
“You realize you’re part of the zoo, right?
” Aleksei points his fork at Kade, the hint of a teasing smile on his face.
“I think you the hippo. So slow. Santiago even said stay fast on your feet at the restaurant because we’re using real bullets, and what happened?
Or maybe that was your plan to get my maya all to yourself?
Hmmm… a bullet to the leg is a small price to pay if you get her alone.
Maybe you the smartest of all of us, despite your big mouth? ”