40. Nelly
Nelly
That's my cue.
I scramble to my feet as the teams line up across the thick rope stretched through the sand near the lakeshore. My heart thunders in my ears as I take a few steps away from the tent, not wanting to crowd everyone who's gathered, but hoping to get a good viewing spot once the competition begins.
"Police Department to the left! Fire Department to the right!" the announcer says into the microphone.
I move to the left a little and watch as Nash gathers his guys. The Alphas look brutal, all lined up and shirtless. It doesn't shock me one bit when I feel Tansy at my side.
"Oh, this is gonna get ugly," she says with a smile.
I can't help but laugh. "We gotta find you a pack of your own."
"Yes. Please," she says as she fans herself.
I swat at her playfully before the whistle blows.
Both teams yank, and nothing happens. Neither side moves an inch, and the crowd around us grows to a deafening roar.
"Come on, Sheriff!" someone hollers.
"Dig those heels in, Chief!" someone shouts.
I thought I'd be screaming my head off, but the truth of the matter is, I can't breathe.
I watch with bated breath as Nash leans backward with every ounce of strength he has.
The veins in his forearms flex all the way up to his elbows.
The rope inches toward the fire department before it stops, and Nash calls out a command that sends it moving back the other way.
It's a stand-off of epic proportions.
"Heave!" Chief Harlan calls out to his fire department.
They all lean back, dragging the police department with them.
"No, no, no, no," I whisper as Nash regains control at the back of the line.
"On my count!" Nash calls. "One! Two!"
"Three!" the police department yells as they drag the fire department right back to where they were.
"Come on, you guys!" I scream as I clap my hands. "You can do it!"
They fight for so long that I can see sweat glistening on Nash's skin even from where I'm standing. I look around for the nearest cold drink. He's going to need one after this.
"Ruby always brings lemonade to the guys after they're done," Tansy says as she pats my back, like she can hear the worried thoughts racing through my head.
"Right, right," I murmur as I turn my attention back to the competition.
The firefighters stumble, and Nash grins. The police department leans back onto their heels, and it's the most movement that's happened during the entire thing. Practically everyone watching is on their feet, starting chants for both the fire department and the police department.
"Come on, Alpha! You can do it!" I shriek above the crowd.
Nash's eyes dart toward me for only a moment before something overcomes him.
"On my coooount!" he bellows out. "One! Two!"
"Three!" the police department chants.
They heave with all their might until I'm pretty sure they're all going to give themselves hernias. But when one of the firefighters goes down into the water, the police department finally moves back.
"Yes. Yes. Yes!" I shriek as I clap. "That's it! Keep going! Another step, baby!"
Nash takes another step back, his entire body straining as his police department moves with him. Deputies and detectives alike, moving in sync while the fire department struggles to get their footing back beneath them.
"Drag 'em, boys!" Nash calls out.
One step becomes two, and two become three, and before I know it the cheering around me drowns out my own. The police department drags the fire department over the center line, and the whistle blasts.
"Police department wins!" the announcer exclaims.
Cheers explode all around the lake. The whooping and hollering practically shakes the ground we're standing on. Tansy jumps up and down, clapping her hands above her head.
I take off without a second thought.
"Nash!" I yell.
His head whips around as I trudge into the water.
"Nash! You did it! Naaaaash!"
When his gaze meets mine, he tears through the crowd, weaving around people and ignoring the congratulatory pats on the back he's getting. His gaze is settled on me, and I know he won't stop until he's in my arms.
Until I'm in his.
My heart comes alive as I throw myself at him, feeling him catch me around my waist.
"You did it! You won! Nash, you guys did it!" I say as I throw my arms around his neck.
"There's my beautiful Omega," he rumbles as he buries his face into the crook of my neck.
He picks me up and my legs wrap around his waist. He draws in my scent through his nose as he spins me around. I pepper the parts of him that I can find with kisses. His chin. His jawline. His cheek. His shoulder. He's sweaty and warm, his muscles glistening beneath the summer sun.
All of a sudden, I'm ready to go home.
Wherever home might be.
"My god, I love you," Nash says as he picks up his head.
I cup his face and kiss him before another word can leave either of us.
"Get a room!" Knox exclaims from somewhere in the crowd.
"After lunch!" Nash calls back as he disconnects our kiss.
I bury my face into the crook of his neck and inhale his scent and his natural musk. He smells of cedarwood and leather and sweat, and something deep in my pelvis tightens.
"When we get home, you're mine," he murmurs against my ear.
I shiver at his words. "Promise?"
He nuzzles my cheek. "You have my word, Omega."
I shimmy out of his arms. "Come on, we need to get you something to drink. You need to cool off."
"Good idea," he says as he links our fingers together. "I also signed up for the wrestling tournament, which is coming up right after—"
"The three-legged race, where we can watch our men dominate."
"But first, lemonade," Nash says, tugging me toward Ruby and her tray of drinks.
"Should we take some for Beau and Levi for after?" I ask.
Nash hands me a drink. "We'll get them fresh ones after they're done. But we need to be hydrated if we're going to be cheering on family in this hot sun."
Family.
The word brings tears to my eyes.
"Hey, hey, hey," Nash says as he crouches down. "I didn't mean—"
I sniffle and shake my head. "They're happy tears."
His smile is so kind. "Yeah?"
My lower lip wobbles. "Yeah."
He stands and kisses the tip of my nose. "Good. Now, you drink some lemonade as well before we go find a spot to watch our pack."
Our pack.
Our pack.
God, I love the sound of that.
"Three-legged relay racers, to the starting line!" the announcer calls out.
I chug back the lemonade Nash hands me. "Come on, let's go get a good spot before they're all taken."
The crowd gathers quickly as my eyes search for my pack. Beau and Levi stand shoulder to shoulder down toward the end of the lineup while volunteers help everyone tie their inside ankles together. Levi leans over and says something that makes Beau laugh, and it lights up the bond within my chest.
Nash and I both raise our hands and massage our chests.
"What do you think he said?" Lo asks.
I smile at her. "No clue. But I'm sure Beau needed that laugh."
"You guys see them?" Lia asks as she steps up beside Nash.
He points. "Down on the end, second to last."
"They're gonna do great," Tansy says, settling her chin on my shoulder.
"All right, everyone!" the announcer says over the microphone. "Does anyone else need help getting set up?"
Everyone in the row shakes their heads while a volunteer gives a thumbs-up.
"Well, then. Without further ado," the announcer says. "On your marks!"
Levi links his arm with Beau.
"Get set!"
Beau and Levi crouch down a bit.
"Go!" the announcer yells.
The whistle blows and every team lurches forward awkwardly. Levi and Beau are quickly swallowed up by the crowd, and I give out a soft whimper. I want to watch them. Is everything okay? Did they already go down? They aren't getting trampled, are they?
"Look," Nash says as he points.
It's hard to make out what he's trying to get me to see, especially since one pair falls almost immediately. I scan the crowd, trying to figure out if Levi and Beau got taken down. A pair nearer to us starts arguing, stopping in the middle of the race, and my heart sinks to my feet.
Until I see a pair move ahead of the crowd.
"Oh my god!" Tansy exclaims. "Go, you guys! Go! Go! Go!"
"Woooooo hoo!" Nash calls out. "Goooo, Beau! Goooo, Levi!"
I'm so stunned that I can't even cheer. While everyone else falls over themselves to try to find their rhythm, Levi and Beau pull ahead of the crowd. They step with their combined foot before hopping with their free ones, and Levi keeps his arm tightly linked with Beau's.
Step, limp.
Step, limp.
Step, limp.
Like they've been moving together like this all their lives.
I finally find my voice. "GO! GO! GO! GO!"
"You can do it!" Nash bellows as he cups his hands over his mouth. "Come ooooon! Let's gooooo! Outer, then inner! Outer, then inner! Just like that, you guys!"
I hold my breath as they pick up the pace. The sand trips them up for a moment, but Levi's arm linked with Beau's keeps them upright. I bob my body with their movements, timing it to the rhythm of their steps.
Until they cross the finish line.
"OH MY GOD!" I shriek.
The announcer blows the whistle. "And the winner is number eleven and number twelve!"
"Oh my god!" I exclaim as I take off running for them.
Nash is hot on my heels as we shove our way through the crowd. Levi and Beau are embracing one another, their fists in the air as a poor volunteer tries to get them to stand still long enough to be untied.
I waste no time leaping into Beau's arms.
"You did it!" I squeal with glee.
He wraps me up and spins me around. "We did it! Did you see us?"
I bury my face into his neck and inhale his clean, fresh scent. "I saw all of it. Every single second."
"Hell yeah, you two," Nash says as I pull away from Beau and wrap up Levi in an equally massive hug. "Haven't yelled like that in a while."
I nuzzle into Levi's chest. "I'm so proud of you guys."
Levi drops a kiss to the top of my head. "Heard you above everyone else, sweet girl."
Beau comes and wraps his arms around the two of us before Nash envelops us in those long, strong arms of his. The four of us fold together into a tangle of hugs, my eyes stinging with tears.
"I'm so proud of my pack," I whisper.
Kisses pepper my head and face, and I can't help the tear that slides down my cheek.
"I'm so sorry for running away from you guys," I choke out.
"Sh sh sh," Beau hushes as he kisses away a tear trail on my cheek. "None of that."
I can't help the emotions once they start. "I shouldn't have done it. I should have trusted my instincts. I should have—"
Levi's voice is heavy in my ear. "You didn't have the luxury of trusting your instincts growing up. You didn't get to develop a trust for yourself and how you feel because of how you were raised. You're learning that on the fly as an adult, and we don't hold it against you one damn bit, Omega."
"He's right," Nash says. "All that matters is you're here now."
"And whatever comes our way," Beau says, "we tackle together."
"Forever," Levi says.
I stand there, wrapped up in my pack, while everyone rejoices around us. For a moment, the world fades away, and all that's left are me and them.
Until Nash's voice pierces my thoughts. "Does this mean I can formally ask if you'll please take up residence on my couch again? Not having you close is killing me, Nelly."
"Well, what about my couch?" Beau asks. "She might like mine, too."
"I want her in bed next to me, is what I want," Levi murmurs.
My heart melts. "Maybe I could apartment-hop until we figure out what to do? How's that sound?"
Beau kisses my temple. "Sounds perfect to me."
Levi kisses my forehead. "Dibs on being first, though."
Nash kisses my cheek. "I'll have the couch made up for you and everything."
"AHEM."
The sound makes me turn and Lo is standing there with her hands on her hips. Behind her, Lia and Tansy are trying—and failing epically—not to laugh.
"What?" I ask.
"Sorry to interrupt," Lo says with exaggerated politeness, "but we're still having a girls' day."
Tansy points dramatically toward the tent. "Packs at the back. Today is for the ladies."
Lia comes and retrieves me from the middle of the guys. "So, you're coming with us. No arguing."
I laugh helplessly as they tug me away.
Behind us, our Alphas simply shake their heads.
Hayes has Taran propped on his hip while the little boy wiggles with delight.
Eli stands there with a young girl who looks so much like him, his gaze locked on Lia's profile as if he can't stand to look away from her.
Nash flops down at one corner of the tent while Levi takes up residence at the other, and Beau settles toward the front.
I've never loved my life more than in this moment.
"Anyone got any orders for the food trucks?" Knox asks as he jogs up, breathless.
"Here," Nash grunts as he stands. "I'll help."
And as we girls place our orders, for the first time in what feels like forever, life feels uncomplicated. We've got excellent food, wonderful friends, boisterous laughs, and our packs waiting on us hand and foot if they're not competing.
I didn't know life could be this good.