Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Audrey
The others were waiting in the kitchen when Ledger led me back downstairs. I paused in the doorway, letting Ledger walk in without me for a moment, just so I could take them all in again.
Ansel, of course, was the first to notice me. He was the most attuned so far. Maybe with bites bonding us together, that could change. There was still so much we had to learn about each other, and having that connection would only make it easier.
I had a feeling that Malik taking me away would be enough motivation for everyone to want to solidify the bond. We all knew we’d have to go back to ARC for a while, until they deemed us safe enough to leave.
Rydell was next, his eyes locking on mine. The alpha didn’t say anything as he strode across the room, eating up the distance in just a few steps thanks to his height.
“There you are,” he said, as if me taking a shower was too long to be away from him.
I couldn’t blame him, it felt wrong to be apart now.
“I’m here,” I promised, my hand resting on his cheek.
He leaned into the touch and closed his eyes. It was such a catlike gesture that a small chuckle escaped me.
“I can’t tell you how happy I am to be with you guys again. When he injected me with the second dose and said I sold for so much money… I was terrified,” I admitted in a broken whisper, closing my eyes as tears burned my eyes.
“You have no idea,” Rydell said with a sigh as he ran his cheek over mine, scent marking me and giving me a lungful of his dark, masculine scent.
“He tore that building apart,” Kane said with a wry smile.
“We all did. Furniture everywhere, some of it busted into pieces,” Ansel said. “I took a bit of satisfaction as the nurses’ suite was obliterated.”
“I—”
“I know you’re not about to say ‘sorry,’” Caspian burst out, a little exasperated, but the smile never left his face.
I bit back a grin, because I was about to do just that. “It feels like I was gone for a lifetime.”
“It felt the same for us,” he agreed, walking over and pulling me into a hug. He tucked me against his chest, his chin resting lightly on my head. I could hear the steady beating of his heart under my ear and I let my eyes close as I soaked in my alpha’s touch.
“I know you don’t want me to say sorry, but regardless, I feel terrible that I took away from time you could’ve been looking for Lilly.”
“That entire time, I knew Lily was safe, Audrey. But, I didn’t know you were,” he pointed out as he let me go. Rydell was still next to me, guiding me to the table to join the others.
“Is there anything we can do to make you feel safe or comfortable?” Kane asked as he scooted closer. We were almost shoulder to shoulder at the kitchen table now, letting the faint bond between us spark to life.
“You guys are truly the only reason I made it out of there alive,” I admitted as I stared down at the worn oak table. “I was terrified, but not once did I give up, because I knew how worried you had to be. The only thought I focused on was that I had to get back to you.”
“You did. I hear you put up quite a fight,” Kane said. His tone was light but my stomach sank regardless.
Of course, they were having none of that.
“Don’t even think about it,” Rydell said firmly, his tone a command. “You did what you had to do to get out of there alive, and I’m so fucking proud of you.”
“It feels wrong to say out loud, but it was nice to fight back for once. That place was worse than I remembered. I really want to talk to the chief about all of this when my heat is over.”
“Speaking of your heat,” Kane said, “why are you not desperate and losing your mind?”
“It’s my first heat. Right now it seems to be coming and going,” I admitted. “It was bad in the car for a minute while my body was running on instinct. Being back here with you guys seems to be soothing some of it now. It’s there, but manageable. I’m not in pain yet, just a bit warm.”
“I think your body was simply in survival mode,” Ares said as he flipped something on the stove. “Now that you’re clean, we need to get some food in you, and some rest will do you good.”
Rydell shifted closer, sandwiching me between him and Caspian. I couldn’t help but look at him, studying his handsome face.
His expression softened at the moment my chest started to ache. I was overwhelmed with how much I wanted and needed them all. How deeply I cared about them in such a short time.
It was like he understood and knew exactly what I was feeling but was too overwhelmed to say out loud. This moment felt so surreal, having them all here in such a domestic, unguarded moment.
We weren’t prisoners here. They’d made accommodations for us. Sure, we had no way to truly leave these grounds just yet, but I didn’t feel the need to. Not when I could be with my pack so openly.
In this moment, I was safe and loved… something I don’t think I’d ever truly felt before. Not growing up or after when I was reunited with my family.
When I finally looked away I studied the others, their gazes locking on mine one by one as we reconnected and let our instincts settle.
“Do you need to leave during my heat, baby? I don’t want you uncomfortable,” I said as my gaze landed on my omega.
“There’s nothing in this world that could keep me away from you,” he promised. “This is where I’m meant to be, and where I want to be. I’m safe with these alphas and they don’t set my omega off anymore. They’re pack now.”
I smiled softly. “Okay, but I want you to speak up if you need something different, do you hear me?” I said firmly. “This isn’t just about my heat. Plus, it could trigger a heat for you, too.”
“We’ve already handled that,” Ares said gently. “He’s on suppressors, and we’ve got a pretty heavy dose going right now so you don’t have to worry about it. They brought a doctor in for him while you were on your way back.”
Ansel nodded. “I don’t think I’m ready for a heat of my own.”
Having never had one of my own, I understood completely.
“Even if you’re never ready, we’ll figure it out,” I promised.
“Do you want me there for yours? Will me being around your alphas bother your omega side?”
“No. I want you with me. She knows you’re ours as much as they are. I don’t have jealousy when I think of you near them. I’m also here for moments with you and Kane as well. It doesn’t have to be everyone all at once, every time.”
Ares slid a plate in front of me, piled high with a cheesy omelet, bacon, pancakes, and potatoes. Honestly, it was more food than I think I could eat in a week, but I didn’t argue. My body probably needed it, especially if the heat was going to kick in soon.
With the amount of protein on this plate, I was positive that was my alpha’s goal. I knew Ares didn’t do anything without purpose.
The moment I took my first bite, it was like I couldn’t stop until everything was gone. I groaned, grabbing my stomach and pushing the plate away as I chewed my last bite.
“Do you want more?” Ares asked, amused.
I shook my head. “No, but it’s nice that you know how to cook. I never got a chance to learn. We’d be in real trouble if none of us could.”
“Me, either,” Ansel said. “I always wanted to learn how to bake.”
“Well, maybe we can add that to your therapy plan when we go back,” Ares said. “They mentioned wanting some domestic skills included. A way to integrate you guys back into society and life as adults.”
“I’d make a joke about you making it sound like we’re criminals, but I kind of was when I was brought in here,” I laughed. “I really need to send them an apology letter, still.”
“You’re not prisoners,” Ares said firmly. “I’m going to get you out of here. All of you.”
It seemed my alpha protector had made it his own personal goal to make sure that happened. I don’t know how I got so lucky, but I truly had.
“You wanted to discuss your heat,” Ares prompted as he sat down with his own plate. “Before it hits, you need to tell us exactly what you’d like this to look like. And again, we need to get you some nesting supplies.”
“Not to sound dramatic, but… would it be worth it?” I asked with a frown. “Will they even let me take something like that back to ARC with me?”
“They will because you’re not a danger to yourself anymore,” Ares said.
“The way that Malik and Cross kept you guys like prisoners… that’s something that will never not make me angry.
It was deplorable and something that’s changing as we speak.
Denying omegas the safety of a nest during healing is counterproductive. "
“What happens to the rest of the staff, now?” I asked quietly. “The ones who let us all suffer. Hell, even Cross. Technically, I went missing under his care.”
“It’s a long and complicated process that’s above my pay grade,” Ares said with a sigh. “But I’d rather discuss ARC later. We don’t know when you’ll have another flare, and from the way your scent is still strong, I have a feeling you’re not far off.”
My cheeks burned with embarrassment. There was just something about knowing they could all smell my scent like that which felt embarrassing. Yet, when I looked at all of their faces, all I could see was desire.
“Here,” Ares said, sliding over a tablet. “My men are ready to go get whatever we need. In fact, everyone is going to bend over backward to make sure that you get it all. There’s no budget. It will come out of the Alliance for now, but they’ll be billing the Omega Network, so don’t hold back.”
A sick, twisted part of me liked that they were going to have to pay for something they did. They may not have broken us, but they kept us docile, agreeable, everything we weren’t, just because it was easier for them to handle us and in Malik’s case, use us.