Chapter 22
Helena
I wake up alone in a room full of ghosts.
It’s only me in the bed, sheets kicked off and pillow sweat-damp under my cheek.
But bright sun shines in through an open window that heralds the first beautiful, sunny day in almost a week.
The air is so clean and not-humid, my first thought is: I must have dreamed it all.
Both the summer storm and the three alphas, and the way my own body turned traitor and dragged me through a fever-dream of pleasure and clawing desperation.
I lift my head, expecting the world to blur, for reality to reassert itself, but no. I’m still here. I’m still me.
The only difference is that something fundamental is missing from the air. It’s that frantic gnaw of heat. It has drained out of me overnight, leaving only a dull ache under my skin and the absolute certainty that I can’t go back to who I was before I came here.
I sit up and run my hands over my shoulders. The angry, raised bites are days gone. Now, they’re only faint, silvery lines. My whole body vibrates with the memory.
I stand and catch myself in the mirror. My hair’s a wild tangle, my eyes too brightly blue. God, even my lips are still mildly swollen.
This is what it means to be an omega.
The aftermath.
Waking up with three alpha’s scents braided into your hair and knowing you’ll never get them out—not that you’d want to. Knowing your fate is now inextricably tied to theirs.
I am bonded. Not just to Zane, but to Lucas and Cole as well.
Holy shit.
I pull on a loose and floaty dress and will myself to breathe.
Down the hall, there’s movement: the low, guttural rumble of a man’s voice and a chair scraping on tile.
It’s probably Zane doing security checks.
I brush my hair out and try to overall become presentable-looking despite spending the last however long in heat.
Zane is standing at the counter pouring coffee when I pad into the kitchen. He’s so focused on his phone, he doesn’t notice me at first. The blue light reflects off his cheekbones, painting him in shades of cool steel.
I hover in the doorway, watching him. Waiting to see if he’ll look up and catch me. Waiting to see if this, the first morning after my heat, changes anything.
But all I feel is gratitude for them all taking care of me so closely.
He senses me before he sees me. His eyes flick up and go soft. That’s new. But he blinks it away and nods in my direction. “You’re up early. Your heat’s passed?”
“So are you. And yes, it has.” I pour myself a mug of coffee. The room is weirdly silent, like it’s holding its breath. “Where are the others?”
“Cole had to open the bakery. They’ve held it down without him for the last few days, but I know he was excited to get back to it.
” Zane offers me some milk for my coffee.
“Lucas is probably running on the beach. He’s had an easier time taking off work.
But this is good. I wanted to talk before things got busy.
” He pushes a plate of toast across the counter to me, and I stare at it, suspicious.
“Am I in trouble?” I say it like a joke, but it lands flat.
Zane glances out the window at the bright new day, then back at me. “You’re not in trouble, Helena. But things are…complicated.”
There’s a word for it, Zane.
Bonded. Mated. Fucked.
Instead, I ask, “Complicated how?”
He sighs and his jaw coils tight. I know the answer before he says it. “Your father wants you home early. There’s a car coming tonight. He wants to see you and is no longer happy to wait for you to get on a train, as that conversation happened over a week ago now.”
The toast turns to sawdust in my mouth. I had forgotten all about my father’s ultimatum during my heat, but time hasn’t changed my answer. “No. He can’t just—I just got here. And I’m an adult with my own life.”
Zane’s jaw flexes. “He can and he will. That’s how it works when you’re a high society omega and—no offense—on a trust fund.”
“That’s how it used to work,” I say, voice rising. “And I don’t need my father’s money. I thought the whole point of coming here was—”
“To give you some freedom before the Omega Selection Day?” Zane’s smile is thin and bitter. “It was a nice idea. And as much as I want that idea to continue, I do have orders.”
I set down my mug, hands curled tight. “So break them, Zane.”
His mouth forms a thin line. “If I do that, I can’t control who your father sends to get you in the meantime.”
My fists ball at my sides. “He’s not sending anyone, Zane. I’m not leaving. I’m nearly thirty years old. Ranier will keep the family line alive and well on his own. No one needs me for marriages or line-carrying.”
“I agree.”
I stare at Zane. “You do?”
He nods. “I do. Which is why I’ve been trying to come up with another solution.”
His answer takes me aback. I don’t question that Zane cares for me because he has since we first met.
And I don’t doubt some of that same care extends to our packmates.
But this pack is new, and his contract with my father is very legal.
There could be repercussions for Zane, which is why I’m trying my best to make it clear this is my choice.
I blink at him. “What have you thought up?”
Zane inhales sharply. “Nothing that doesn’t involve going back to the city first. At that point, I suppose he could try to hold you there until Omega Selection Day, but it’s obviously bordering on kidnapping at that point.”
“You could kidnap me.” I mean it as a joke, but there’s a dark look in Zane’s eyes that says he’s clearly considered it. “Then let’s go back and deal with this head-on. We can be back before tomorrow morning.”
The dark look doesn’t leave Zane’s eyes even as his gaze roams over the healed-up bite marks across my shoulders. “Your father will know we’re bonded. That you’ve been gone a month and come back part of a pack. Are you prepared to handle that reaction?”
I left the city because I didn’t want a pack. Because I needed time.
It turns out I just needed the right pack.
And yes, this is new as hell. Bonding as we have after only a month is quite insane. But when you know… you just know.
I nod. “I’ll pack an overnight bag in case we get stuck in traffic. We’re more than bonded, Zane. I love you. All three of you.”
It’s maybe too early for that. Too quick. But I can’t hold it inside anymore. Even before my heat, this care for all three of my alphas was churning into something heavier and farther reaching.
I love them. It started around the time Lucas nearly drowned, but it was sealed after that. And maybe years from now we’ll regret all of this—although I certainly hope not. But summer love sometimes survives the holiday.
Ours will, too.
Zane studies my face. When he asks the question, it’s clear he’s sure he’s misheard me. “You do?”
I close the distance between us and hold his face. “Yes, dummy. I do. And I’ve loved you for a lot longer.”
Zane wraps an arm around my middle and kisses me fiercely. When we part, he nods for the bedroom door. “Go pack. I’ll do the same. Then I’ll let Cole and Lucas know we’ll be missing for an evening.”
Anxiety coils tight in my chest. “Should we invite them along?”
“And give your father more ammo?” Zane shakes his head. “No, let’s just get this done.”
And we do. But rather than packing only an overnight bag, I pack everything. So does Zane. Because we both know the moment my father hears of this, he’ll pull our rental lease from the flat. I’ll honestly probably be cut off entirely from finances and connections.
These are no longer things I’m worried about.
All I need is my pack and a little seaside village to call home.