16. Fawn
A fter we left our Alphas to hang out, Bailey-Rose brought us over to a workstation, prepped and ready for use. Three blank canvases were marked where each of us should stand, so I skipped right up to the spot where I’d be between Bailey-Rose and Lyra.
“I thought it might be fun to do some paint pours,” Bailey-Rose said as she grabbed a cart filled with disposable plastic cups. “Have either of you done or heard of this?”
My hand shot up before I even realized, but I was so excited to be out of the house and doing something fun. “I’ve seen videos of people doing this but never tried it.”
“I don’t think I’m familiar with paint pouring, then again, I might not know that’s what it’s called,” Lyra answered with a shrug and a small smile. “As I said, I’m not normally the crafty sort, but I’m always happy to learn something new.”
Bailey-Rose bounced on her toes and clasped her hands as if trying to contain her excitement. “Oh, this is going to be so fun. Really this is going to be perfect since there is no real skill involved. All you have to do is go with your heart and trust the process.”
I reached out, took Lyra’s hand, and kissed the back of it, simply to see her cheeks heat. Sometimes I couldn’t help myself, and my bratty side came out to play. Of course, I would never tease the people I loved to make them uncomfortable, but Lyra had trouble letting go and enjoying the moment for what it was. Although my angel seemed brighter and lighter today as if the world didn’t weigh her down as much. My money was on it having everything to do with the fact Eli and Lyra bonded.
The second it happened, I felt it through my bond with Lyra. I’d been so happy I started to sob which freaked the guys out a little since it was out of nowhere. Once I explained, they calmed down since they understood the emotional rollercoaster bonding sent you on. We all knew we wouldn’t see Lyra or Eli for the rest of the night, so the four of us headed to the fifth floor to watch movies. Then, when Pascal turned in for the night, I sweet-talked Zachary and Tanner into filming some content for me to post on my Rut Room account.
“God, you two are too fucking adorable,” Bailey-Rose groaned, pulling my attention back to the situation at hand. “Is this how other people feel when they see me with my guys?”
“Absolutely,” I answered without hesitation. “There’s no way they couldn’t with how cherub-like you are and how sexy your Alphas are.”
Bailey-Rose’s eyes went wide as her mouth popped open. At first, I thought she might be mad at me for calling her Alphas sexy, but I should have known better.
“ Faaawn ,” she gushed. “That’s so sweet of you to say. I knew any Omega, sorry, Omegas matched to Eli would be the most amazing people. There aren’t enough words in the world to express how happy I am for my big brother. He’s more than earned the right to be blessed with two Omegas, that’s for damn sure.”
My heart swelled hearing her approval of me, knowing how close these two siblings were. God, I hope there aren’t any more surprise Alphas or Omegas out there because I’m not sure my heart could hold any more love.
“Okay, focus,” Bailey-Rose muttered as she clapped her hands, clearly talking to herself. “Right, pour painting is simple. All you need to do is pick whatever colors you want from this cart and put them in the large cup by your canvas. Once you have the perfect mixture, you’ll place the canvas on top of the cup, then flip everything over and remove the cup.”
“Won’t all the paint spill out?” Lyra asked, her brow crinkled in a frown.
“Yup, that’s exactly what will happen,” Bailey-Rose answered with a wide grin. “They call this method the flip cup dirty pour. There is no control over the outcome, you simply have to let chaos have its way. Now go crazy!”
It didn’t take me long to pick the colors I wanted. My goal was to create something similar to a sunset, so I picked orange, yellow, purple, and deep red colors. I also added a bit of white every so often as I layered the colors. Done with combining my colors I peeked to see what Lyra had chosen. I wasn’t at all surprised to see soft greens, cream, a dusty lilac, and a striking deep blue.
“Tell me, angel, what made you pick these colors?” I asked, resting my chin on her shoulder, watching her carefully add paint to the larger cup.
“I don’t know, they just kind of spoke to me,” Lyra shared, pausing to kiss my head. “Something about them just felt right, so I decided to take Bailey-Rose at her word and follow my heart.”
Carefully, I wrapped my arms around her waist and gave her a gentle hug, so I didn’t mess up her process. “Hearing you talk like that makes me want to kiss you all over,” I whispered in her ear. “Who knew I’d get so turned on by such simple words.”
“Fawn,” Lyra chided. “Not in front of Bailey-Rose.”
“Don’t worry about it. Trust me, if my guys were here doing this with us, I’d be swatting off two or three of them.” Bailey-Rose laughed. “I keep waiting for the day when I won’t crave them as much as I do, but I’m not sure that day will come.”
“I’ve been with three of my Alphas for a year, and I honestly think my need has only gotten worse. Well, when it comes to Tanner and Zachary. Pascal and I don’t have sex, but he is a damn good cuddler,” I said, heading back to my project. “Can I flip this over now, or is there a step before that?”
“Nope, you can flip when you’re ready,” Bailey-Rose answered as she put the canvas on top of her cup. “The trick to this is not to question yourself. Once you’ve committed to the flip, that’s it.”
Biting my lower lip, I made sure I had a firm grasp on things, gave a little butt wiggle, then flipped. “Ha, ha, yes ,” I cheered as I set the canvas down.
“Nicely done,” Bailey-Rose praised. “All right, Lyra, it’s your turn.”
Lyra moved with assured grace as she flipped her canvas over. The triumphant smile on her face as she set it down was everything to me. I could feel her nervousness with this step, but my angel had accomplished it flawlessly.
“Next is the best part. You’ll grab the cup and lift it off, freeing the paint. Then, it will flood the canvas. By tilting the canvas, you help direct where the paint goes and make sure the whole surface is covered. Then I’ll show you guys a cool trick with a blow torch,” Bailey-Rose said with a mischievous smile.
Lyra and I lifted our cups at the same time, watching the colors flow out in beautiful swirls and ripples. It shouldn’t have been this easy to create something that looked so intricate. Using the tips of my fingers, I grasped the outer edge of the canvas tilting it this way and that, watching as the paint transformed before my eyes. Sadly, it was over all too soon, but I was thrilled with how my artwork turned out.
“Bailey-Rose, yours looks like a cotton candy explosion,” Lyra said with a hint of laughter in her voice. “It’s really rather fitting to match your style.”
“Why, thank you. I wanted to make a piece to put up for auction at the children’s hospital fundraiser, so I figured I’d embrace my child-like flair,” Bailey-Rose explained as she grabbed a small bowl of glitter. “Once this is dry enough, I think I’m gonna paint a saying on it so whoever wins it is reminded of the good they did.”
“You’re remarkable,” Lyra said softly with a slight shake of her head. “Eli has told me a little about your condition and what it was like growing up unable to do everything you wanted to.”
Bailey-Rose shrugged. “Everyone has something they’re dealing with. Mine just happens to be more noticeable. My Papa Addy used to tell me that only the bravest people were given challenges because the universe knew they could handle them. Yeah, I’ve got a heart that’s more fragile and two different colored eyes that always draw attention, but I’ve chosen to love those pieces of myself. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not easy to remember to do that every day, but when I forget, my pack is always there to remind me.”
“I hope one day I’ll feel the same way about my challenges,” Lyra commented a little wistfully. “For so long, I’ve forced myself to believe a lie, and now it’s hard to unravel the truth from the knot I’ve created.”
“Girl, I totally know what you’re saying. I didn’t realize how much I’d let other people’s opinions of me change how I lived my life. I’d about given up hope of having a pack or even a person who would love and accept me for who I was, broken heart and all. Then when I least expected it, the people I needed most appeared in my life. Let me tell you, my first meeting with Ulysses was not at all how I pictured it. I was depressed, hadn’t showered in days, and looked like a trash panda. So not cute.” Bailey-Rose chuckled.
“When I met your brother for the first time, I was caught sleeping on the job, then freaked out and ran into the worst thunderstorm I’d ever seen,” Lyra confided, covering her mouth with a hand to keep from laughing.
“ No , you did not,” Bailey-Rose gasped. “What did he do?”
“Ran right after me, of course, and almost got hit by an ambulance trying to protect me after I’d fallen onto the road,” Lyra shared.
Bailey-Rose nearly fell off her stool as she clutched her stomach, laughing. “Oh God, I can picture the whole thing. The only way this could be better is if Eli wore armor and was brandishing a sword.”
“Rose, darling, are you trying to say your brother has a white knight complex?” I asked, clutching my chest in mock horror.
Her laughter started again, and this time, Waffles shoving her upright with his large head was the only thing that kept her from crashing to the floor. The large dog gave an irritated chuff as he sat directly behind her stool as if worried it might happen again.
“If he walks like a duck…” Bailey-Rose started to say but paused to pull her phone out of her back pocket. “One sec, it’s my other brother Crew. Hello?”
We sat there watching as Bailey-Rose listened to whatever her brother was saying, only for her eyes to widen in shock. “What channel? Wait, what do you mean all of them? Okay, okay, I’ll go look.”
She hung up the phone only to stare at it for a second. “Crew wants me to turn on the TV. He said there was something important going on we all needed to see. The only TV we have here is upstairs.”
The light, jovial feeling that had filled the space was now gone and replaced with tension. Quickly, we headed back to the second floor, where the guys were all hanging out.
“Baby girl, what’s wrong?” Gareth asked, getting to his feet the second he saw his Omega.
Bailey-Rose shook her head, marched right up to the television, and hit the power button.
“Breaking news, we’re coming to you live from outside the residence of Scent Matcher Mira Chamber’s home. Early this morning, an arrest warrant was filed. We don’t know what the accusations are at this moment, but it’s safe to say it’s nothing good,” a male newscaster said.
The door to the luxury city brownstone opened, and two officers escorted a proud-looking woman down the steps. Her hands were cuffed in front of her for all to see, and the officers made zero attempts to hide them. This woman was clearly being publicly disgraced.
“Folks, I’ve just gotten an update from our network about the charges listed on the arrest warrant. The most concerning are endangering Omegas, harassment, fraud, leaking privileged information, and taking bribes. If all of these allegations are true, Mira Chambers is looking at life in prison or worse. Stick with us here on NFA News as we continue to keep you updated on this disturbing situation. Back to you at the studio.”
The remote Bailey-Rose had been holding clattered to the floor, and in the next second, Yun-Sun was at her side scooping her up. “Shhh, ome, it’s all over now.”
I saw her shoulders shake and knew she must be crying. It was clear this situation meant something huge had happened, but I was at a loss. Hoping to gain some understanding, I looked at Eli, knowing he’d have the answers.
“Did you do this?” Lyra asked our Alpha. “Is this what you started to tell us last night?”
Lyra’s question had me remembering Eli told us this Chambers woman had been behind all the leaks to the media. Now, here they were, ready to turn on the woman they’d happily taken information from.
“Yes,” Eli answered. “I wasn’t planning on going after her this way, but she left me no choice once I knew she was the one who not only endangered my sister, but that bitch also dared to drag both you and Fawn through the coals. The only way she could have known what she did about Fawn was through the intake forms he filled out. Such information about an Omega is guarded as carefully as medical or legal documents. Furthermore, the police never should have given her your files about the accident. Yes, certain information is public knowledge, but the note from your mother wasn’t.”
Eli paused and clasped his hands together, taking a slow, deep breath. “I have no doubt as they dig through Mira’s life, they’ll discover more crimes she’s committed. For her to be skilled enough to pull this massive media attack against us leads me to believe it wasn’t her first time doing so. None of the information I had turned over to the police said anything about bribes. The powers that be must have suspected her already, but I gave them the final nail in the coffin.”
A flicker of panic curled in my gut. However, I knew I wasn’t the one feeling this way. My attention shifted to Lyra sitting in one of the armchairs, looking stricken. I started to go to her, but Nugget jumped into her lap with a bottle of water in his mouth. When she didn’t react to the water being placed in her hand, Nugget licked her face. As if she was breaking through the surface of water, Lyra inhaled sharply and wrapped her arms around Nugget. The pup calmly rested his head on her shoulder, his paws on either side of her neck like a hug, offering his support.
“H-how did he know to do that?” I asked, amazed.
“Nugget is a fully certified service dog for people with PTSD or anxiety,” Ulysses explained. “When we found Waffles, the only condition to buy him was Nugget had to come with. No one could explain why Nugget couldn’t perform his job without Waffles, it’s almost as if he needed Waffles to be his emotional support buddy.”
“Although, this is the first time I’ve ever seen him act on his training,” Warrick commented. “When our girl was struggling with nightmares, he would sleep with her and be there to soothe Bailey-Rose, but other than that, Nugget left the work to Waffles.”
The sound of someone sniffling softly drew my attention, and Bailey-Rose was now sitting with her back resting against Yun-Sun’s chest. “I told you guys all along it would take the right person for Nugget to click with. He’s a good, sweet boy who needed to pick his person, and it looks like he has.”
Lyra gasped, her head snapping up from where it had been resting on Nugget’s furry noggin. “Wait, what?”
Bailey-Rose smiled as Waffles sat beside her and dropped his large head on her lap. “Service dogs are a precious gift, and they develop a special bond with their owner. I love Nugget, as do the guys, but I think we all knew one day Nugget would find the person he was put on this earth to help. It’s obvious to me he’s picked you, Lyra.”
“I can’t take him from you,” Lyra argued.
Vili chuckled softly. “You can’t take what is given, Lyra. Yes, we gave Nugget a home, but you will give him purpose.”
“It’s perfect timing really,” Bailey-Rose added. “With Mira Chambers arrested and held accountable for what she’s done, I can finally move on from the worst chapter in my life. Nugget deserves his time to shine.”
Lyra looked down into Nugget’s adoring gaze, and instantly, the little guy’s tail wagged. “What do you have to say on this matter, hmm? Do you want to stay with your pal Waffles? Or would you rather come home with me?”
Nugget barked twice and lunged for Lyra’s face, covering it with kisses as his little body wiggled with excitement. We all laughed at the clear answer Nugget had given us, and when I reached out through our bond, I felt her joy at adding this new member to our family. I’m not sure she realized it, but little by little, the gloom and pain she carried with her every day was beginning to lessen.
“It’s settled then. Welcome to the family, Nugget,” Lyra said, cupping the dog’s face and kissing the top of his head. “This was not at all what I’d been expecting from today, but you are a happy surprise.”