Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
Caspian
In the past week, I think I’ve had more counseling at ARC than I had in the entire four years before.
Alice was fantastic, and so was the rest of the team of counselors and professionals they brought in.
It was as if the entire patient population here took a sigh of relief as they handed back our autonomy.
We still had the bars outside keeping us in and guards walking around. Our pack in particular was hyper-aware of where our omega was at all times, but we were still… settled.
Once Ledger bit Ansel and brought him into the pack, the bond snapped into place for us all. I could feel every single one of them through the connection I had with Audrey.
It was strange. The bond I’d had with Tatum was intense, but it was just the two of us. This one stretched between seven people, yet somehow still felt like the same level of connection. It was a strange relief to share my omega like this, to know there was so much more help keeping her safe.
I walked up to the front lobby, knocking on Director Cross’s door that he now shared with the Chief.
Something I’m sure he loved.
Unfortunately, it was still the only room in the building with a phone.
Cross opened the door and gave me a tentative smile then caught himself. I would never forgive him for what he’d done, but I couldn’t find it in me to hate anyone involved with this place now that Malik was gone.
He was here to gather intel, and even before Audrey was taken, Ares was sent in. Things swiftly changed when they realized they were mates, but they were taking action regardless. That had to count for something.
“Caspian,” he greeted me. “I actually have a surprise for you.”
“What?” I asked, glancing at the phone still on the dock. “Has she not called yet?”
“Come with me,” he said, stepping out of the office and gesturing for me to walk first. Once I did and he closed the door behind us, he led me to the conference room.
The door was closed, but the moment he pushed it open, my entire world crumbled. All I could see were the two people outside of my pack that I had left in this world.
“Lilly.” Her name left me on a choked sob, and I fell to my knees, unable to support myself.
That didn’t stop my little spitfire from screeching at the top of her lungs, “Daddy!” and running for me. I moved on instinct, catching my little girl easily and holding her tight. She didn’t care that I was crying so hard I was shaking, or that I was breathing her in.
I thought I lost her forever, would never get a chance to hear her little sweet voice and giggles again.
Yet, here she was. Solid and warm. Alive.
There was that subtle scent she’d inherited from me and her mama, gentle wildflowers with a twist of sugar and honey.
Tatum’s had been a stronger wildflower scent with a hint of whiskey and honey.
Lilly was also starting to gain a hint of citrus.
How had she changed so much?
When I was able to control myself, I held her at arm’s length, taking in the sweet face I remembered and noting even more changes.
She’d lost some of the baby fat in her cheeks, they were more defined. Her eyes were the exact same as mine, shining with relief and excitement and hope.
Her voice was a bit different. Less high-pitched, but just as sweet.
“My baby,” I said, my hands smoothing over her hair. I couldn’t stop touching her.
Movement behind her had me looking up at my sister. Sarah was here, too. She looked the same with her straight ashy-blonde hair and eyes that matched mine and Lilly’s, though hers had a hint of green from one of our dads.
“It’s so good to see you,” she said, joining us in our little huddle, tears streaming down her face just as intensely.
“This doesn’t feel real,” I choked out, one hand on Lilly’s cheek, the other on Sarah’s. “You’re actually here. She’s alive, Sarah.”
“Auntie Sarah told me about the bad man,” Lilly whispered, peeking over her shoulder as if the bad man might hear her talking. “She said they told you I was gone. Like Mama.”
“They did,” I said, my chest aching that she had to suffer because of them as well.
“I missed you, Daddy. Auntie Sarah said you were so sick that we couldn’t see you.”
“She was right, I was sick. But I’m better now, and soon I’m going to get out of here and right back to you.”
“Do we get to meet the omega?” Sarah whispered, quietly enough that Lilly didn’t hear. She’d nailed this whole parenting thing while I was gone. Especially for the woman who was adamant on being child free for years.
“Do you want to?” I asked.
“She’s going to be a part of your lives, right?” Sarah raised one eyebrow.
“Yes. Forever,” I said, raising my arm and showing her the bite. Her eyes widened, mouth falling open in shock.
“They allowed that? You bit her?” Her eyes scanned mine, likely seeing the depths of everything we’d been through together. “Wait, did I miss something? They were cagey on details.”
“I want to tell you it all,” I said, but my eyes shifted to Lilly, who promptly rolled hers with all the sass a nine-year-old could possess.
“I’m not a baby anymore, Daddy. You can talk in front of me.”
“Well… some bad people ran this place. The Alliance, the guards you saw outside, took it over and chased the bad guys out. Now they’re assessing if we’re ready to leave. Before they arrived, my omega was taken.”
“Your omega?” Lilly whispered, shocked. “But what about Mommy? Wasn’t she your omega?”
“She was,” I agreed, trusting she could handle the full truth. “I love your mommy, and I’ll never stop. But this omega is also my mate, and she’s so excited to meet you.”
“Did they get her back?” Sarah asked. She was horrified and barely holding herself back from asking for more details.
I nodded. “They did. She’s so strong, but she had to recover a little, which is why I couldn’t call and check in last week. I’m here now, though, and I’m not going anywhere ever again.”
Lilly’s eyes went glassy with tears. “Promise?”
I held out my hand with my pinky toward her. “I pinky promise.”
She hooked her little finger around mine, squeezing tight.
“It’s not just my omega,” I said to both of them. Lilly was right, she wasn’t a baby and deserved to hear everything. “I found a pack here. They can’t wait to meet you both.”
Lilly clapped her hands. “I always wanted a big family. Are they here?”
“How about I go get them?” I asked. Lilly looked reluctant. I had a feeling it was more about letting me go than anything, but she wrapped her hand around Sarah’s and finally nodded. I gave her time, not pushing.
“Okay,” she said in a small voice.
I leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll be right back.”
My pack was waiting outside, all six of them waiting. I should’ve known they’d be waiting for me, likely feeling the emotions through the bond. Audrey was at the front, stepping forward the moment she saw me.
She was excited, but nervous. “Cross told us they’re here.”
“They are,” I confirmed. “Do you guys want to meet my daughter?”
“Absolutely we do,” Audrey said. “And Cross said he’ll send lunch in for us all so we can take our time.”
I held my hand out for Audrey, and she slid her palm into mine, intertwining our fingers. The others followed right behind us as we walked back inside.
Lilly had her arms wrapped around Sarah, peeking around from behind her like she wasn’t sure how to take it.
“Lilly, Sarah,” I said with a smile spreading across my face. I wasn’t just proud of my family, I was proud of my pack as well. This moment was perfect. “I’d like you to meet my pack. This is my omega, Audrey. Then my pack mates: Ansel, Ares, Kane, Ledger, and Rydell.”
“You’re beautiful,” Lilly said as she stepped out, eyes locked on Audrey. “Your eyes are so cool.”
Audrey giggled. “And here I was thinking the same thing about you both.”
“Oh, I like her already,” Sarah said, rushing forward and crushing Audrey in a hug. My sister wasn’t shy.
My omega startled at first, not sure how to take it, but eventually wrapped her arms around Sarah and hugged her back.
When Sarah pulled away, she was wiping at tears. “Look at me, blubbering like a baby all day. I just wanted to thank you for bringing him back to me. He’s all I had, and it was so hard knowing he was stuck here and there was nothing I could do. You changed everything.”
“He changed a lot for me, too,” Audrey promised, giving me a smile that said it all.
“You’re big,” Lilly said as she moved onto Rydell, staring up at him in wonder with her head tipped back. We all started laughing but she ignored us as our biggest alpha crouched down to get as low as he could.
“I am,” he agreed.
“That’s so cool,” Lilly said. She did a little dance, something she always did when she was happy, and I was glad some things hadn’t changed. Rydell was stunned at her happiness but a crooked smile formed on his face.
“He’s our gentle giant,” Kane told her, whispering conspiratorially like it was a secret.
Lilly’s attention shifted to Kane, and she giggled, pointing to his hair. “I like your braids. Can I paint mine with rainbows, too?”
Kane’s eyebrows wrinkled as he looked at me, confused, but Audrey just chuckled and walked over, lifting the one in question and holding it in front of him to show the paint that had splattered there.
“That was not intentional. I’m a painter, and I guess I got a little carried away.”
“I love to paint,” Lilly said, lighting up yet again. “I just painted my nails, too. They match your hair.” She held up her hands, spreading her fingers wide so he could see every single color decorating the tips.
“Oh, that’s beautiful. You’ll have to paint mine next time.”
Her eyes widened. She clapped her hands. “Really?”
“Oh, absolutely,” he said. “I love a good pop of color.”
She moved on to Ledger who was next in line. The poor alpha was stunned into silence. For the man who always kept his cool, he seemed out of his depth right now. He’d mentioned he’d never been around kids, and I had a feeling my little girl was about to eat him right up.