9. Pascal
W hen Dr. Mann came back into the house alone, I was worried. She spotted me in the kitchen right away, then smiled and introduced herself.
“Hello, I’m Hadley, or Dr. Mann as my patients call me,” she said.
“Pascal,” I reciprocated as I shook her hand. “Is everything all right?”
“Yes, Lyra’s fine,” Dr. Mann assured me. “I was wondering if the rest of your pack is home. I’d like to discuss something with the whole pack if Lyra’s willing.”
I frowned slightly, feeling this was a rather bold move for a therapist to make. Granted, I’d never been to therapy, so I didn’t have the first clue what was normal or not. “Yes…” I answered hesitantly. “But shouldn’t you ask Lyra about this and get her okay first?”
“You might call my methods a little unorthodox, but I believe in doing what is best for the people in my care,” Dr. Mann said, clasping her hands in front of her. “When it comes to patients who have dealt with the amount of trauma that Lyra has at such a young age, sometimes they need someone to slightly overstep to show them the best way to move forward. You see, the things Lyra would have naturally learned about being an Omega, pack life, and dealing with Alphas’ instincts were taken from her when she lost her family.”
Crossing my arms, I considered her reasoning, but Lyra had made it clear she didn’t want us butting in and controlling this part of her life. “What you’re saying makes sense but…” I trailed off as Eli and Tanner descended the stairs and spotted us.
Instantly, Eli’s shoulders tensed, and his cold blue gaze locked on the woman standing in front of me. “What’s wrong? Where’s Lyra?” he snapped.
Dr. Mann calmly turned to face Eli as if she couldn’t feel the dominance rolling off him. “Lyra is fine. She’s out on the patio with your other Omega, Fawn.”
“All right, but that still doesn’t explain why you’re in here and not out there,” Eli challenged.
Our attention was drawn to the elevator as the doors opened, revealing Zachary typing something on his phone. “Hey, have you guys seen Fawn? We were working on his website when he ran out of the room saying he’d be back in a minute.”
It took Zachary a moment to look up when no one answered him. “Guys…” He paused. “Oh, you must be Dr. Mann.”
“That I am,” she responded with a tilt of her head. “Is this your whole pack minus your Omegas?”
My other three pack mates looked between me and Dr. Mann, clearly confused by the question.
“Why do you need to know?” Tanner countered, a frown creasing his brows.
At his sharp tone, Dr. Mann raised an eyebrow. “Goodness, it appears the toll of an incomplete bond has made all of you quite possessive and overprotective. Lucky for you lot, I plan to put an end to this torture.”
Turning on her heel, Dr. Mann headed back toward the door to the patio, only pausing when we didn’t follow. “If you could join me, that would be most helpful.”
The four of us looked at each other, unsure what to do, until Eli raked a hand through his hair and charged after the woman. When I stepped out onto the patio, I saw Lyra and Fawn clinging to each other, locked in a passionate kiss. Their perfume flooded the air around them, but it seemed slightly different than it had before. Instead of it being two separate scents, they’d combined to create something even more beautiful. I’d heard when Omegas bonded with their Alphas, a small bit of the Alpha’s scent would linger to ensure others knew they were taken, even if they couldn’t see any obvious marks. However, that wouldn’t change the Omegas original scent like what I was experiencing.
“I love you too, Lyra,” Fawn said as he covered our girl’s face in kisses.
I couldn’t hear what else he said to Lyra since Tanner and Zachery started shouting and clapping. It didn’t matter what my little bro said because the joy he was feeling bloomed in my chest just like I knew it was for his other bonded Alphas. Caught up in the moment, I brought my fingers to my lips and let out a whistle to express my happiness for them. Even the ever-stoic Eli was smiling and clapping, his eyes softening like always when he watched our Omegas.
The sound of Lyra’s laughter as she freed herself from Fawn’s enthusiastic display of affection was magical. It wasn’t often I got to hear it, but when I did, my heart seemed to skip a beat at the pureness of the sound. If it was possible for Lyra to one day laugh more freely with Dr. Mann’s help, I’d do whatever it took. My beautiful, resilient Omega had endured enough pain, loss, and sadness for two lifetimes. She’d finally found us, and I would do everything in my power to make her life as wonderful as possible.
Lost in my thoughts, I missed part of the conversation between Lyra and Dr. Mann, but it wasn’t hard to figure out what her therapist was asking.
“I’m fine with them being part of the session, but let’s go inside where there’s more room for us all to sit comfortably,” Lyra suggested.
Dr. Mann looked pleased with this response and turned to me expectantly.
“Uh, well, I think the living room will give us the best seating arrangement,” I offered, heading back into the house.
Lyra took one of the armchairs, as did Dr. Mann, while Fawn snuggled between Tanner and Zachary. This left Eli and me to share the loveseat, which I didn’t mind at all. Even though I didn’t know Eli well, I’d gathered the two of us were more similar than I was with the rest of my pack. He understood the need for order, boundaries, and doing things right the first time, even if it took a little longer. Honestly, it was nice to have someone else in the house who might side with me on things rather than getting overruled by the majority. Over the past year, we’d lived together and found our way to cohabitate with some effort. However, now, with the addition of Eli and Lyra, the friction that still lingered was gone.
“Lyra, I want to thank you for trusting me. I realize asking this of you in front of them put you in an awkward position where you might not have felt comfortable saying no,” Dr. Mann acknowledged.
My gaze turned to Lyra, and I watched as she dropped her gaze to her hands, picking at the fringe on the decorative pillow in her lap. “I’ve been in therapy long enough to know when my therapist pushes for something I should probably listen to their advice.”
The need to get up and wrap my arms protectively around Lyra surged in me. For the longest time, I’d felt I was a failure of an Alpha since I never responded like I was supposed to. When I met Fawn, I knew he was mine and that I loved him. Yet I didn’t feel the same possessive drive Tanner and Zachary had to get past due to his job. I was protective of Fawn, doing all I could to ensure no harm came to him, and strove to always ensure he was happy and healthy. However, now that Lyra was in my life, I fully understood how every other Alpha felt about their Omega and the internal battle they faced to keep themselves under control.
“How would you like to move this conversation forward, Lyra?” Dr. Mann asked.
“They know the truth about my mother, the accident, and what my life was like after. Really, the only part of my life we don’t talk about often or in detail is the years with my previous pack,” Lyra shared.
The mention of the men who cast her aside had all of us Alphas growling. Since my gaze was locked on Lyra’s face, I saw the slight twitch of her lips as if she were fighting a smile. Having caught it, though, settled something in me to see she was pleased with our reaction.
“Good, it will make it simpler for them to understand what we’ve uncovered today. As I told Lyra, I’ve been doing research focused on ways to help Omegas who have been through traumatic events. I believe there might be a simple yet significant way all of you will be able to help give Lyra the stability she needs,” Dr. Mann announced.
We all shifted our attention back to Lyra, expecting her to tell us, but it seemed she was as clueless as we were.
“They can?” Lyra questioned, her brows furrowing.
“Indeed,” Dr. Mann confirmed. “All that’s needed is for you to bond with your Alphas. You see, the things we lack are often found within the pack, it’s what makes it such a great system. Each and every one of these men was a perfect match to you and vice-versa.”
Lyra’s eyes went wide with shock and a hint of worry. The way Dr. Mann talked about bonding, I’d take a wild guess they hadn’t talked about her feelings on the matter. Since the day we met her in Eli’s office, the topic of bonding had been out of the question. Hell, we’d been thrilled when she agreed to move in with us, although I think the accidental bonding with Fawn was the real reason she said yes.
Still, after ending up in the hospital and finding out about her mother, things had changed for the better. I couldn’t put my finger on what it was exactly, and if I had to guess, I’d say it no longer felt like she had one foot out the door. Since she’d been back home things had been a little rocky, which was to be expected, yet I wasn’t worried she’d turn her back on us. In the beginning, we’d bent over backward to ensure Lyra felt zero pressure to move faster than she was ready for, and we were happy to do it. If there was one thing none of us questioned, it was the fact Lyra was worth doing whatever was needed for her to stay in our lives.
“B-bonding,” Lyra stuttered.
Dr. Mann nodded and carried on with her explanation. “Yes, as soon as I saw the way you responded to Fawn and how he could help you through your bond, I felt confident this was the best way forward. I’ll be honest, at first I was going to caution you from bonding just yet after everything. The last thing you need is to be bombarded with others’ emotions. However, I was proved wrong. Scent bonded matches have the deepest connection known to exist, there are no secrets, no lies, only truth. When your mind starts to fill your head with worries or negativity, they will know and ground you in the truth. People forget the true power of a pack, and it can do more for you than any medication I prescribe you.”
The room fell silent as we all took a moment to digest Dr. Mann’s suggestion and explanation. Lyra started to say something, then stopped, shifting her gaze to Eli as if silently pleading for him to step in.
With a grace I would never possess, Eli stood, offered his hand to Lyra, and helped her to her feet before turning to the doctor. “You have given us all a lot to think about as a family. I truly appreciate you taking the time to come to us. It’s clear how important your patients are to you, and that’s something I respect immensely.”
My brows raised in surprise at the eloquent way Eli ended the session without sounding rude. People skills were not my strength, which is why I stuck to working behind a screen in my home office. It’s harder to offend people when you never have to speak to them directly.
“If any of you have questions or, Lyra, you want to talk, don’t hesitate to call my office. I’m happy to do a video chat as well if something urgent comes up,” Dr. Mann said as she shook all our hands before Fawn escorted the doctor to the door.
The second we were alone again, Eli scooped Lyra up and settled on the couch between us. I grabbed her hand, kissing the back of it as I purred loudly, offering my support as Eli nuzzled his nose in her hair. Within seconds, Lyra let out a contented sigh, curled up, and rested her head on my lap. My love for this woman was almost overwhelming, which caused my hands to shake as I combed my fingers through her hair. Eli pulled the blanket off the back of the couch, knelt on the floor, and covered our girl with it.
“Petal, I need to meet with Jonathan, and the sooner I go, the faster I can be back,” Eli said in a quiet voice. “Promise me you’ll take a nap or at least rest until I get back. I know you haven’t been sleeping well.”
Lyra nodded, pulled Eli to her for a quick kiss, then snuggled into me as her eyes fluttered closed.
I met Eli’s gaze and, in a silent exchange, assured him I’d make sure Lyra didn’t let her fears keep her from the sleep we all knew she needed.