Chapter 16 #2
But before I can find the words, my phone rings—a shrill, insistent sound that cuts through the moment. I look down and see My Alpha glowing across the screen, my stomach flipping hard enough to steal my breath for a second. I freeze, suddenly unable to move for a moment.
The phone rings again, My Alpha still flashing on the screen.
I should let it go to voicemail. Should take a minute to think, to process, to figure out what I want before I commit to anything.
I should do those things, but instead I swipe my finger across the screen, raising the phone to my ear with a calmness I don’t feel. “Hello?”
“Maya.” Adrian’s voice comes through the line, warm and easy. “Hey. How’s it going?”
The warmth in his voice sends an immediate wave of relief through my omega, the restless tension beneath my skin easing at the sound.
“I’m fine,” I say automatically. “Just... you know. Hanging out. It’s Saturday.”
He laughs, the sound warm and familiar. “Yeah, I know what day it is. I was actually calling to see if you wanted to do something. Bash and I are having a movie night—nothing fancy, just hanging out at our place. We thought maybe you’d want to join.
” The invitation settles heavily between us, simple in wording but carrying far more meaning.
"We've got that documentary you were watching the trailer for a few weeks ago," he continues. "The coral reef one." He laughs softly. "Bash's been asking me all morning if we've got enough blankets, just in case. I told him we own an embarrassing number already, but he doesn't seem convinced."
Something warm unfurls inside me at his words. “I don’t know,” I reply slowly. “I’m kind of in the middle of something. And I’m not really... up for going out.”
“Not asking you to go out,” Adrian says, his tone light. “Just come here. Hang out. Watch a movie. No crowds, no pressure, no having to be anything but exactly what you are right now.”
My omega responds to the invitation with immediate interest. “I’ve got Elias with me,” I say, the words coming out before I can stop them. “He’s... staying close. Making sure I’m okay.”
There’s a pause—just a beat—where I can almost hear him thinking. “That’s good,” he says finally, his voice warm with obvious relief. “Actually, that’s perfect. He can bring you over. We don’t want you driving, not with what’s happening. The blockers make your reactions slower, and—“
“I’m not an invalid,” I interrupt, heat crawling up my neck. “I can drive myself if I want to.”
“I know,” Adrian says quickly. “That’s not what I meant. Just... it would be easier. For all of us. And we’d feel better knowing you got here safely. That’s all.”
Something in my chest tightens painfully at the concern in his voice. Not from embarrassment or frustration, but from the unsettling realization that they keep seeing me through all of this. Not just the omega. Not the heat. Me.
“Fine,” I say finally. “Elias can drive. But this is just... hanging out. Watching a movie. Nothing else.”
“Nothing else,” Adrian agrees. “Unless you want there to be. Then we can talk about that too.”
Heat crawls up my neck. “Adrian—“
“I’m kidding,” he says quickly. “Mostly. Look, just... come over when you’re ready. No rush, no pressure. We’ll be here. I’ll text you our address.”
“Okay,” I say after a moment, the word soft and uncertain. “We’ll be there in a bit.”
“Perfect,” Adrian says, and I can hear the smile in his voice. “See you soon. “My phone buzzes in my hand a second later, and I don’t need to check to know Adrian already sent the address.
The line goes dead, leaving me holding the phone to my ear long after the call has ended. I lower it slowly, suddenly aware of what I just agreed to. My gaze drops to the address glowing on the screen, and a knot forms low in my stomach. This isn’t just accepting help anymore. It's saying yes.
Yes to seeing them outside the carefully controlled world of the studio. Yes to stepping into a space that belongs to Adrian and Bash. Yes to seeing what happens when I stop pretending distance alone is enough to maintain control.
I look up to find Elias already gathering his things. He doesn’t question my decision, ask if I’m sure, or suggest we talk about it first. Just acts like this was always the next step, the natural progression from where we are to where we’re going.
“You heard?” I ask, though we both know the answer.
He nods once, reaching for his jacket on the back of the chair. “Enough,” he says simply. “We should leave soon if you want to beat traffic. It gets bad around three.”
The matter-of-fact statement cuts through my thoughts.
This is happening. Not in some abstract, future sense but now—today, this afternoon, in the next thirty minutes or so.
I’m going to Adrian and Bash’s place. I’m going to be with all three of the alphas at once.
I’m going to let them see me like this—not the polished, composed version of myself I keep trying to cling to, but the omega struggling to keep up with what her own body is becoming.
The thought of walking into a room with all three of them sends anticipation curling low in my stomach.
“We don’t have to go,” Elias says, his voice careful. He’s watching me now, his attention focused entirely on my face. “If you’ve changed your mind. If this is too much, too soon. We can stay here. Order food. Watch movies. Whatever you need.”
Something in my chest aches at his sincerity.
It’s the omega. It has to be.
But even as I think it, I know it’s not that simple. Because part of me is tired of resisting. Tired of pretending I don’t want the comfort, the closeness, the sense of rightness I feel whenever I’m with them.
“No,” I say finally. “I want to go. I just...” I hesitate, not sure how to finish the sentence. Just what? Just need a minute? Just want to maintain some version of control?
Elias nods once, understanding without needing the words. “I’ll get the car ready. Come downstairs whenever you’re—“
“I’m ready now,” I interrupt, pushing to my feet before I can change my mind. “Just let me grab my phone charger. And maybe a jacket. It might get cold later.”
He doesn’t call me on the obvious stalling. Just nods again, moving toward the door. “I’ll meet you downstairs,” he says. “Take your time.”
But I don’t need time. Not really. I just need to move, to act, to make a decision before I can talk myself out of it.
So I force myself through the familiar routine instead ,Dragging a brush through my hair until it looks at least somewhat presentable.
Changing out of the clothes I wore to sleep into jeans and a sweater that feels soft enough against my oversensitive skin.
Then I grab my charger from the bedroom and my jacket from the hook by the door, focusing on the mechanics of it all—keys, phone, wallet, jacket—like if I pay close enough attention to each individual step then I won’t have to think about what’s waiting on the other side of their front door.
When I push through the door to the parking lot, Elias is already there, leaning against the car with his arms crossed, the engine running and warm air already fogging faintly from the vents. He holds the passenger door open for me, then circles to the driver’s side once I’m settled.
“We don‘t have to stay long,” he says as he puts on his seatbelt. “Just however long you need. However much you can handle. This is about what works for you, Maya. Not what they want or what I think is best. You.” The sincerity behind the words sends a confusing pulse of warmth through my chest.
“Thanks,” I say softly. “For... all of it. For being here. For not making this harder than it already is.”
He nods once, then eases the car out of the parking lot.
We travel in relative silence, the only sound the soft hum of the engine and the occasional comment about traffic or the route.
I'm left alone with my thoughts as they circle the fact that I'm going—not because anyone pressured me into it or because my omega left me no choice, but because I said yes.
Because some part of me wanted to. The realization is unsettling in ways I'm not ready to examine too closely.