Chapter 12
ROWAN
Naomi passed out twenty minutes later, her body finally surrendering to exhaustion.
We stayed just outside her nest, watching her breathe, making sure she was stable.
The scent was overwhelming now. Not just heat.
Not just Omega. But her. The specific combination of honey and warmth and something indefinable that we'd been chasing.
Our mate. Stolen as a baby. Raised by god knows who.
And now here, in our home, suffering through a breakthrough heat she clearly hadn't been prepared for.
"This is wrong," I said quietly.
Kellan looked at me. "What is?"
"All of it. She didn't choose this. Didn't choose us. Her friend dragged her here because she was dying, and now," I gestured helplessly, "we're waiting for permission to help our own mate through a heat that could kill her."
"What's the alternative? Force ourselves on her?"
"No."
His voice was hard. "You heard her. She's terrified of needing Alphas. If we push now, we confirm every fear she has and we don’t even know them."
He was right. I knew he was right. But it didn't make this any easier. The front door opened downstairs then on the stairs. Kira appeared in the doorway, her arms full of bags.
"How is she?" she asked immediately.
"Passed out. Exhausted." I stood, facing her. "I need you to answer a question."
"Okay."
"Why did you bring her to us if she didn't want our help?"
Kira's expression shuttered. "I…"
"The truth," Kellan said, standing beside me. "We need to understand what's happening here."
She set down the bags slowly, her gaze darting to where Naomi lay unconscious in the nest. "Can I see her first?"
"Why?"
"Because I need to make sure she's okay. That you haven't…" She stopped.
"Haven't what? Hurt her? Claimed her without consent?" My voice came out harder than I intended. "We would never do such a thing."
"I know." Kira held up her hands. "I know. That's why I brought her here. But I still need to see her."
Kellan gestured toward the nest. "Go ahead."
Kira approached carefully, kneeling at the edge and looking in. Naomi was curled in the center, clutching one of our shirts, her face peaceful in sleep despite the fever still burning through her.
"Why haven't you helped her?" Kira asked quietly.
"Because she doesn't want our help," I said.
Kira's head snapped around. "What?"
"She told us," Kellan explained. "She needs our help, but she doesn't want it. She feels forced into this. Trapped. We're not going to touch her until she can honestly say she wants us here."
"No. She needs help." Kira stopped, something shifting in her expression. "That's why I brought her to you."
"Explain."
She stood, moving away from the nest. When she spoke, her voice was low, meant only for us.
"Naomi's mother was bonded to an Alpha. A cruel one.
He used her, abused her, controlled every aspect of her life.
When Naomi was eight, her mother tried to leave.
He killed her for it." Kira's hands fisted at her sides.
"Naomi watched it happen. Watched him beat her mother to death for daring to want freedom. "
The room went silent.
"She's spent her whole life terrified of ending up like that," Kira continued. "Trapped by biology. Controlled by an Alpha who claimed to love her but really just owned her. That's why she never dates. Never lets anyone close. Never lets herself need anyone."
"Then why bring her to us?" Kellan asked, his voice rough.
"Because you're different." Kira met his eyes.
"That night at the club, she came home glowing.
Terrified, but glowing. She said you made her feel safe.
That you asked permission. That you cared about her pleasure more than your own.
" She paused. "And when she went into heat, when she was dying, I knew.
I knew that if any Alphas could help her without destroying her, it would be you two. "
"But she doesn't trust us," I said.
"Not yet. But she could." Kira's voice was fierce. "If you give her time. If you prove to her that you're not him. That not all Alphas are bad."
"We can't prove that if we can't touch her," Kellan pointed out.
"I'm only telling you this because you haven't touched her," Kira said.
"You could have claimed her while she was desperate and out of her mind with heat.
You could have bonded with her and she wouldn't have been able to stop you.
" She swallowed. "But you didn't. You asked for consent.
You respected her boundaries even when she was too far gone to enforce them.
" Her voice cracked. "That's everything. "
I looked at Kellan. Saw my own turmoil reflected in his expression.
"I'm going to wake her," Kira said. "And I'm going to talk to her. Make her see reason."
"Kira, you don’t have to do that."
"She's dying." Her voice was flat. "Three days of breakthrough heat with no knot, no Alpha pheromones, no relief, she's dying.
And if she doesn't let you help her, she's going to leave me forever.
" She turned back toward the nest. "So I'm going to make her understand that not all Alphas are like her mother's Alpha.
That sometimes, needing help isn't weakness. It's survival. It’s care."
She crawled carefully into the nest, settling beside Naomi's unconscious form.
"Nai," she said softly, shaking her shoulder. "Wake up. We need to talk."
Naomi stirred, whimpering. "Kira?"
"Yeah, it's me. I'm here." Kira stroked her hair. "Listen to me. You need to let them help you."
"I can't."
"You're not going to be like your mom." Kira's voice was firm. "These Alphas are here to help. They've had you vulnerable and desperate for hours and they haven't touched you. Haven't claimed you. Haven't done anything except ask for your consent."
"But if I say yes…"
"If you say yes, you live. If you don't, you die. Those are your options." Kira cupped her face. "Please don't make me watch you die because you're too scared to accept help."
Naomi was crying now, silent tears streaming down her face. "I'm so scared."
"I know. But Nai? Every Alpha isn't bad. Some of them are good. Some of them care. And these two?" She glanced back at us. "These two have been treating you like you're precious. Like you matter. That's not ownership. That's care."
"What if I need them after and they aren’t the same?"
"Then you deal with it. But at least you'll be alive to do that. And we both know, I’ll be right here."
Naomi's gaze found us across the room. Her eyes were clearer now, the heat still present but temporarily pushed back by Kira's presence, by the conversation grounding her.
"Do you want our help?" I asked quietly. "The truth, Naomi. Not what you think you should say. Not what makes this easier. Do you want us to help you through this?"
She was silent for so long I thought she might refuse again.
She closed her eyes, then said, "Yes."
"Say it again," Kellan said. "Look at us and say it."
She met our eyes. "Yes. I want your help." Her breath hitched. "I want you. Both of you. Please."
Relief crashed through me so intense it was almost painful.
"Kira," I said. "You need to leave the room."
"I'm not—"
"You can stay in the house. Stay close. Check on her every hour if you want. But what's about to happen is between us and her." My voice was gentle but firm. "We'll take care of her. I promise you that. But we need privacy."
Kira looked at Naomi, who nodded weakly.
"Okay," she said finally. "But if I hear anything that sounds wrong—"
"You won't," Kellan assured her.
She climbed out of the nest and left the room, closing the door behind her. And then it was just us. Three people who were about to become something else entirely.
"Are you sure?" I asked one more time.
"I'm sure." Naomi's voice was stronger now. "I need you. I want you. Please don't make me beg."
"You never have to beg," Kellan said, already moving toward the nest. "Not with us."
I followed, both of us climbing into the space she'd created.
She reached for us immediately, her hands fisting in our hair, pulling us close.
"Help me," she whispered against my mouth. "Please. Make it stop."
"We will," I promised. "We've got you."
And this time, we didn't hold back.