Chapter 23
J esse made good on his promise, booking the pack in for a smash therapy session at a local rage room. I had to sign a hefty waiver, and they only let me in while pregnant because Jesse was a paramedic and going to supervise me.
I’d seen rage rooms on TV before, but I’d never gone to one myself. Maybe it wasn’t exactly a healthy coping mechanism, but Jesse had assured me it was an excellent way to vent, and also that sometimes breaking stuff that was meant to be broken was just fun.
Luke wasn’t joining us. As fun as it could be for the rest of us, he said the sound of breaking dishes reminded him too much of growing up with his mom. I couldn’t fault that. He would meet us for dinner later.
After getting outfitted in our coveralls, gloves, and goggles and going through the safety tutorial with the staff, we were let loose into one of the rooms with a hard rock playlist blasting over the speakers. They had electronics and kitchenware set out everywhere.
Where was I even supposed to start?
Bryce looked just as lost as I was.
Micah picked up a plate, yelling “Opa!” before hurling it to the ground at his feet. I picked up my own plate, smashing it against the concrete, a zing of adrenaline shooting through me.
“Take a swing at the cups,” Jesse suggested, passing me a hammer and pointing at the chipped, sad row of them lined up waiting to get shattered.
I dredged up all of the hurt and fury Andrew had put me through and took my first swing. The ceramic burst like a firework.
“Damn.” Micah laughed. “Our girl is fierce.”
I worked my way down the line, leaving a path of destruction in my wake.
Andrew was married.
Smash.
Andrew was already a father.
Smash.
Andrew had lied to me since day one.
Smash.
Andrew had put all of his children at risk of a broken family.
Smash.
He was a monster that I had given the first years of my adulthood to, and I couldn’t wait for the day when I would look back on thoughts of him and not feel all-consuming rage and heartbreak.
More and more rose up as I took my hammer to a row of plates lined up on a floating shelf.
Andrew didn’t give a shit about what I wanted.
Smash.
My own mother didn’t give a shit either.
Smash.
I swung until my shoulder ached and my tears fogged up my goggles. I braced my hands on one of the flimsy tables, letting the cleansing sobs come up and flow out.
My pack instantly surrounded me, whispering assurances. I listened to all of them, sucking in deep breaths, trying to replace my pain with the things that they promised.
I was safe.
I was loved.
I deserve a good life with alphas who cared about me.
My child would have fathers who loved them.
We were building a home, a life, together.
Jesse tugged off my goggles and cupped my cheeks. “Hey there, sweetness. Are you doing okay?”
I nodded, letting him brush the tears from my cheeks.
“Do you need to leave?”
“I’m okay,” I insisted. “Just got to be a lot. Once I started, it all came out.”
“Good. That’s the goal. Not a substitute for actual therapy, but definitely preferable to you mauling Andrew if you ever see him again.”
Bryce scoffed. “He would deserve it.”
“Damn straight,” Micah agreed.
“I’m not saying he wouldn’t,” clarified Jesse, “but there’s a lot less trauma for our omega if she hits a cup with a hammer versus his face.”
I wasn’t a violent person, but omega instinct went wild sometimes. If Andrew ever threatened my baby, I was pretty certain I would commit a crime. I wasn’t likely to ever get convicted of anything in that case, since the law was all too aware of how vicious omegas could get over their children. Jesse was right that I didn’t need that sort of trauma on my conscience.
“You guys smash for a while,” I said. “I’m gonna give my arm a break for a few minutes.”
Once they had assured themselves I was fine, they turned their focus onto an ancient TV. Bryce’s first swing was honestly pathetic.
“Hit it like you mean it,” said Micah.
“I’m not used to stuff like this,” replied Bryce.
“Do you need to pretend it’s Andrew too?” I asked.
“Wouldn’t hurt.” Jesse clapped his hand onto Bryce’s shoulder. “Give it a go.”
His next hit cracked the screen.
“There we go.” Jesse grinned.
The three of them took on that TV together. It was kind of fascinating to watch them work in that smooth rhythmic motion, each one flowing into the next person’s hit. I did feel lighter now that I’d had a fresh cry and worked out some of my aggression. It wasn’t as brutal as I’d expected. Maybe if I hadn’t believed the things my pack were saying, it would’ve been worse, but everything they told me rang with truth.
For whatever reason the universe had given me this beautiful second chance and the reality of that was slowly sinking into every cell in my body. I did feel safe with them. They had already gone to bat for me, and I knew they would again if it was necessary.
My alphas.
My pack.
Before we left for the day, I used a small stack of plates like frisbees. Everything in the room was ours to destroy, and while we didn’t make it through everything, we did create a swath of destruction.
My stomach growled. “Food?”
“I’ll text Luke to head over,” said Micah.
They helped me out of my overalls and we all zipped off to the restaurant. I couldn’t appreciate all the Korean options available since heartburn was a bitch, but I was excited anyway.
I bustled straight into Luke’s arms when we met up outside the doors.
“Careful, you might make me think you missed me,” he said with a laugh.
“I did miss you.” My stomach growled obnoxiously.
“Let’s get you fed.”
They each ordered a different plate and I fully intended to eat bits off of all of them.
“Did you have fun?” Luke asked. “Cathartic?”
“Very.” I nodded. “Destroyed lots of plates, cried like a baby. Productive afternoon, all in all. What did you do while we were gone?”
“Put together the new dresser that arrived.”
I perked up. “Did you take pictures?”
“Of course I did.” He scrolled through his phone and turned it toward me, revealing the giant white dresser with rounded edges and circular knobs in the shades that matched the wallpaper mural.
“The nursery is getting so cute.”
“It’s definitely coming together,” Luke agreed. “Pretty sure after the baby shower we won’t even have room to move in there.”
“I’m so ready.” I grinned. “Instincts are primed to have all the baby stuff ready to go.”
The server brought out the starters and rice for us while the main dishes were cooking, and I picked at the gorgeous assortment. Spinach with sesame, tiny bits of spicy cucumber salad, stir-fried zucchini, and radish kimchi. I hadn’t had Korean food since before I got pregnant so I took cautious bites just in case, but thankfully nothing made my stomach rebel.
The server brought an extra plate for me when the alpha’s orders came out and I helped myself to bits of Luke’s bibimbap, Micah’s braised ribs, Jesse’s grilled pork belly, and Bryce’s glass noodles.
“Someone’s happy,” Bryce noted when I wiggled at the first bite.
“I’m very easy to please.”
“Should we order extra to take home?” asked Luke.
“I’m never going to say no to that,” I replied.
“Have as much as you want.” Bryce nudged his plate closer to me.
I patted my bump. “I only have so much room in here.”
“It’s still so wild you’re growing a whole human,” said Luke.
“Right? Feels like I’m not old enough to be a mom.”
Realistically, I probably could’ve used a few more years under my belt before undertaking this life path, but I certainly wasn’t an anomaly to have a baby in my early twenties. I was going to have a whole tiny human completely dependent on me for everything. How weird was that?
“It’s a huge learning curve no matter how old you are,” said Jesse. “You can prepare all you want, but you’re never totally ready for the reality. Luckily there’s five of us so we should be able to wrangle actual sleep.”
“You guys don’t have to do anything.”
They all looked at me like I’d grown a second head—besides the one in my belly.
“Aves, there’s no way in hell you’re lifting a finger once that baby’s out. You have four willing alphas and we’re gonna be put to work.”
“I can do some things.”
“Your priority after the birth is to heal,” insisted Jesse.
“Oh, right,” said Micah, “I meant to ask if you would be interested in my sister being your new obstetrician. You don’t have one in the city, or a regular doctor, either, and she said you should be having check-ins at least twice a month.”
“Can I meet her first?”
“Absolutely. She’ll be at the baby shower. She has lots of connections so even if you don’t want to go with her, she can help you find someone else.”
“That’s sweet.” And a relief. I had mostly been planning on using walk-in clinics and then whoever was at the hospital at the time I went into labor. My pregnancy has been totally unremarkable thus far, but I really did need to find someone to continue my prenatal appointments with. “Please tell her thank you for me, and that I look forward to actually meeting her.”
“Will do.” Micah smiled and tapped his phone, presumably sending a message to said sister.
“I guess we should find you a whole host of professionals,” said Jesse. “Bryce too. There’s a whole ton of stuff that I’ll need to get updated. Better to do that sooner rather than later.”
“I’ll message Kai,” Micah said. “They had to get everything new for Callie. I’ll see if they have a list so we don’t forget anything.”
“That’s your bosses’ mate, right?”
“More accurate to say she’s our boss.” Luke laughed. “She runs the company and her alphas do anything she wants.”
“Do I get to meet her? I don’t have any omega friends here.”
Micah nodded. “We can definitely arrange that. She’s been wanting to meet you too but we were letting you get more settled in.”
Hope kindled in my chest. While having my alphas was wonderful, and that was going a long way to helping Las Vegas feel like home, having an omega friend would be amazing. As lovely as my men were, they couldn’t understand everything.
“Are they invited to the baby shower?”
“They’re on the list, yes,” Micah replied.
“Callie’s shower was a few weeks ago.”
“She’s pregnant too?”
“Yep,” Luke said. “About the same amount as you, I think.”
I was practically buzzing with excitement. Not only a new omega friend, but a pregnant one. Maybe she and I would hit it off and our babies would be best friends. That might be getting ahead of myself, but the thought was too cute to ignore. If she was new to Vegas as well, at the very least we could lean on each other through these shared experiences.
Hopefully the universe was going to be nice. The absolute last thing I needed was to wind up hating my alpha’s boss and my first real chance at a friend here.
Fingers crossed this would be what we both needed.