Chapter Fourteen
I stared at the ceiling, the phone still warm in my hand, her voice echoing in my head. “ You’re matched for a reason. Trust it.” I could still hear the smirk in Maddie’s voice when she’d added, “ And come on. Have you seen Blake's arms? That man could bench-press any crazed Alpha.”
A laugh had slipped out then. The kind that cracked something open inside me. We’d talked for another thirty minutes, about nothing and everything. Her mom’s nagging, her dad’s curfews, and how she was counting down the days until she could breathe her own air again.
I smiled to myself, softer this time. She’d be back soon. Close enough to call or meet for coffee. Close enough... just in case.
So, I agreed to try with my alphas. The last thing they needed was a cold-hearted bitch, as their omega. Maddie’s words, not mine. Although she was right. I had been distant these last few weeks, and yes, I say it was me protecting them, but it was also to protect myself. The fear of letting go terrified me.
After a restless night’s sleep, it was time to get to know my men better. We were going to the park for a picnic. The weather had turned; the sun shining its weary head, and all seemed right with the world once again.
I LOOKED OVER THE LUSH green landscape before me as the warm breeze caressed my skin. My mind was still processing their suggestion of a day at the park. It was a thoughtful gesture, a chance to escape the confines of the house and the weight of my swirling thoughts. I watched as Blake strode ahead, with the wicker basket swinging from his muscular arm.
Anders fell into step beside me, his presence a soothing balm to my nerves. "It's a beautiful day," he remarked, casting me a sidelong glance. "I hope this helps you feel a bit less... confined."
I managed a small smile, surprised by his perceptiveness. It was true, the walls of the house had felt like they were closing in on me, the pressure of my situation an ever-present weight. Out here, with the sun on my face and the grass beneath my feet, I could almost forget the ticking clock that hung over my head.
Zach brought up the rear, a cooler hefted over one broad shoulder. He caught my eye and grinned.
As we reached a shaded spot beneath a sprawling oak tree, Blake took charge, directing us. "Let's set up here," he declared, setting down the basket and unfolding the blanket with a snap of his wrists.
I watched, fascinated, as he arranged everything with military precision. The cooler in one corner, a neat stack of plates and utensils, containers of food laid out like troops in formation. There was something both comforting and mildly intimidating about his efficiency, the way he seemed to have a plan for every detail.
Anders, however, focused on comfort, producing a collection of plush cushions from his bag and arranging them invitingly on the blanket. "For lounging," he explained with a soft smile, patting one cushion. "No proper picnic is complete without them."
Zach had already cracked open a can of soda from the cooler and flopped down with casual disregard for the tidy arrangement. “The food is what makes it, Anders,” he replied with a cocky grin.
“I think you’ll find they’re for Summer,” Anders said.
Zach rolled his eyes. “Well, I’m sure she can always lie against me if she wants comfort.”
I rolled my eyes.
As they bantered, I began to relax. It felt natural, somehow, to joke and tease with them, to let my guard down just a fraction as we sprawled out and enjoyed the dappled sunlight filtering through the oak leaves.
I had just leaned back on my elbows, content to close my eyes and bask, when Anders' touch sent a jolt through me.
Heat flared beneath my skin. His fingers, gentle but confident, found the tense knots in my shoulders and began to knead. An involuntary hum rose in my throat as he worked at each knot.
“You’re so tense,” he murmured, his breath warm against the shell of my ear. “I thought this might help.”
I couldn’t find words. Just nodded, the world narrowing to the movement of his hands and the slow, delicious unraveling happening under my skin. It had been too long. Too long since anyone touched me like this, without demand, without expectation. Just care.
My body softened beneath him, tension melting away, my muscles yielding to each stroke.
Then his lips brushed the sensitive spot just below my ear. Barely a touch, but it struck like lightning, sharp and electric. My breath caught, nerves crackling awake.
Heat surged through me, unmistakable and wild, blooming beneath the surface. I didn’t need to see their faces to know they could scent my pheromones rising thick in the air.
I heard their indrawn breaths, sensed the sudden tension that rippled through the alphas like a shockwave. When I opened my eyes, they were all fixed on me, pupils blown wide and dark with unmistakable hunger.
Blake's hands clenched into fists, his knuckles going white as he fought for control. Zach's nostrils flared, a low growl rumbling up from his chest. And Anders... Anders went utterly still behind me, his fingers digging into my shoulders just shy of painful.
"I..." his voice was a hoarse rasp, barely recognizable. "I need to let go now," he said with gritted teeth.
He withdrew as if burned, leaving me yearning. Part of me mourned the loss of his touch, craved more of that searing pleasure. But another part, the rational part that had kept me sane and whole all these years, whispered that it was for the best.
Disappointment and relief warred within me as I drew a shaky breath, trying to compose myself. The alphas were still watching me, their expressions a mix of concern, confusion, and desire. I could sense their struggle, the effort it took to rein in their baser instincts, and felt a pang of guilt. I hadn't meant to affect them, to strain their control.
"It's fine," I managed, forcing a smile. "Just... unexpected. But still fine." The words felt inadequate, too simple to encompass the maelstrom of emotions swirling inside me, but they were all I had.
Zach, bless him, seized on the opening, breaking the tension with a grin that only looked slightly forced. "Fine, huh? Sounds like Anders has some magic fingers. Maybe I should get in line for a massage."
I laughed, easing the tightness in my chest. Picking up the frisbee I jumped up. “Anyone fancy it?”
“Oh princess, I thought you’d never ask!” Zach jumped up and grabbed the frisbee out of my hands, running away with it.
The frisbee sailed through the air in a perfect arc, flashing red and white against the bright blue sky. I ran in its direction, catching it before it hit the ground.
“Ready?” I yelled to him.
“Heck yeah,” he yelled back. So, I gave it everything I had and sent it veering in the wrong direction. Laughing, I watched as Zach ran for it, then leapt to catch it with a graceful twist of his body, landing lightly on the grass as he let out a whoop of triumph. "Did you see that?" he crowed, turning to grin at me. "I'm basically a pro."
Laughing, I shook my head at his antics. "I don't know," I teased. "I think you got lucky."
His eyes sparkled with mischief. "Oh, it's like that, is it? Guess I'll have to keep impressing you then."
And he did, with acrobatic catches and dramatic dives that had me laughing until it hurt. Even Blake laughed at Zach showing off, while Anders watched with amused affection. The frisbee sailed between us, easy and unhurried, laughter spilling into the warm afternoon like it belonged there.
I reached for a strawberry from the picnic blanket, the juice sweet on my tongue, and leaned back on my elbows, sun warming my skin.
Of course, it couldn’t last. Peace never did... not for long.
We were folding up the blanket, packing the last of the fruit into Tupperware, when I heard it: loud voices, laughter that didn’t feel light. It was sharp-edged and grating. I looked up and there they were, half a dozen alphas stumbling into view, their swagger sloppy, their words slurred and crude.
My stomach dropped.
I edged back without thinking, the fine hairs on my arms rising. My body knew before my mind could catch up—danger. The kind that smelled like liquor, testosterone and past trauma.
Drunk alphas. I’d been here before. Too many times.
One of them, broad-shouldered and reeking of arrogance, locked eyes with me. His beard was patchy, his gaze worse, crawling over me like he owned the air I was breathing.
“Well, well, what do we have here?” he drawled, leering, as he stumbled a step closer. “Ain’t you a tasty little treat?”
The way he looked at me, like I was something he could unwrap with his teeth, turned my stomach. My skin prickled, stomach twisting, bile rising in my throat.
I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. Just stood there, trembling, my pulse thudding in my ears like a warning drum. I wanted to disappear. Fade into the grass, the trees, the sky. Anywhere but here.
His hand jerked in a crude, groping gesture, and my stomach twisted so hard I thought I might actually throw up. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move . His stare alone felt like fingers scraping over my skin, peeling me back, exposing everything I didn’t want seen. My knees wobbled. Cold sweat beaded along my hairline.
Don’t panic. Don’t panic.
I didn’t even have to look. I felt my alphas shift. The heat of them tightened around me like a shield, their calm replaced by something sharp-edged. Anders moved first, always the calm before the storm.
“I think you should move along, friend,” he said, voice low, controlled. But I could hear it, the tension just beneath, ready to snap.
The bearded alpha sneered, puffing himself up like a threat. “I ain't your friend, buddy. And I’ll go where I damn well please.” Then his eyes flicked to me again. My stomach turned inside out. “Especially when there’s such a sweet piece of ass on offer.”
A low growl started up behind me, and I knew without looking that it came from Blake. I didn’t turn. I didn’t need to. I felt him, felt the fury radiating off his body like heat from a wildfire. Zach had gone unnervingly still beside me. Like a predator just before it strikes.
But Anders stood his ground, voice still even. “That’s no way to speak about a lady,” he said, like he was correcting a child instead of issuing a threat. “Now, I’ll ask you again, politely. Move along. We’re trying to enjoy our day in peace.”
The alpha barked a laugh. “Peace, huh? Nah, I've got a better idea.” His hand went to his crotch, and he thrust , crude and deliberate. “How about you hand over the bitch, and maybe we’ll let you walk away without a beating?”
The world tilted. Cold rushed over me in a wave so fierce it stole my breath. I was going to be sick.
And then—
Crack.
One second, he was grinning at me. Next, he was on the ground, Zach's fist slamming into his face with a sickening crunch.
The other alphas let out startled shouts, tripping over each other as they lunged forward in an attempt to come to their friend's aid. But they were too drunk, their coordination shot.
Zach was already moving.
He hit the first one hard. An elbow to the gut, a fist to the jaw. The guy dropped like dead weight. Another swung at him, wild and off-balance, but Zach ducked, spun, and brought him down with a bone-cracking thud.
It was like watching a storm uncoil. Precise. Merciless. Beautiful in a terrifying way. Muscle and fury, all coiled in that lean frame, moving with a speed that didn’t seem possible. His snarl ripped through the air, feral and unrelenting.
They never stood a chance.
Not against my alpha.
In the sudden silence that followed, all I could hear was the rasp of Zach's breath, and the pounding of my heart. He stood over the fallen alphas, his chest heaving. When he turned to look at me, his eyes were wild, feral in a way that sent a chill down my spine.
It was Blake who spoke first, moving to my side in a few quick strides. "Summer, talk to me, sweetheart, are you alright?" His large hands cupped my face, tilting my chin up to search my eyes.
I shook my head, not trusting my voice. In truth, I wasn't sure I was alright. "I'm... I'm okay," I heard myself say, the words sounding thin and unconvincing, even to my own ears. "Just shaken."
Anders appeared at my elbow, his presence a soothing warmth at my side. "Of course you are," he murmured, sympathy and understanding etched into every line of his face. "That was a dark thing to witness. But you're safe now, Summer. We won't let anyone harm you."
I wanted to believe him, to take comfort in the promise in his words. But I couldn't quite suppress the shiver that ran through me as my gaze drifted to Zach, still standing guard over the groaning alphas. Gone was his usual playful grin, replaced by a cold, watchful expression I had never seen before. His hands were still clenched into fists at his sides, knuckles raw and bloodied, and I couldn't tear my eyes away from the sight.
He had moved so fast, struck with such ruthless precision. I had always known on some level that my alphas were dangerous. It was part of what made them so formidable, so capable of protecting me in a world that sought to tear omegas like me apart. But to see that lethal power unleashed; to witness the sheer ferocity of Zach's response... it unsettled me.
As if sensing my gaze, Zach turned, his eyes finding mine across the short distance. For a moment, his expression was unreadable, a storm of emotions brewing behind those striking gray eyes. Then, slowly, his posture softened, the coiled tension ebbing from his frame as he took a step towards me.
Almost unconsciously, Blake and Anders shifted, their bodies angling to flank me in a protective formation that felt both natural and deliberate. I found myself at the center of a triangle.
Their presence wrapped around me, solid and sure. I could feel it in the way Blake’s arm hovered just close enough to catch me if I faltered, in the way Anders kept rubbing my arm, his touch a reminder I was safe.
Something swelled in my chest, too big, too much. It caught in my throat, and burned behind my eyes.
This wasn’t instinct. It was devotion . The quiet kind. The kind you didn’t ask for but were given.
No matter how hard I fought it, they were mine. And I was theirs. No words needed.