Chapter 15
Chapter
Fifteen
Dhara
Four days. It had been four days since my mother had left home and hadn’t returned. For several of those days, the guys were travelling. Even though I missed them, I’d also had some semblance of peace.
It wasn’t something Gavin and I were used to. This reprieve felt like a breath of fresh air.
Now they were on their way home to me and for the first time I finally realized how much I liked having them in our lives. Even Gavin was wired this morning before I sent him off to school.
They’d been here such a short time and having our date with Lachlan, and August and I starting our lessons, it almost felt like we’d created this secret life with them. One that was separate and a hint of what our future could hold.
But I knew it was fleeting.
Soon, Mom would come bursting back into town with all of her chaos and anger, and it would all come crashing down.
I was starting to wonder if their flight had gotten delayed as the morning dragged on. They promised to come see me at the diner the moment they arrived.
Before I could walk out the door after my shift, the door flung open.
There they were. Every single one of them looked just as anxious to see me as I was them.
The texting in between had really helped me connect with them. The texts were unguarded and I got to see the more vulnerable side of them.
August was his usual cocky, flirty self but started to tell me about the years after leaving.
Lachlan was sweet with a healthy dose of sarcasm.
He’d admitted how it felt to leave and all the chaos with his former team.
And Conrad was the gentle giant. He admitted to always being a protector.
His parents were decent, just cold and too busy, and he’d stepped into the role for his sister.
It was sweet and I could relate to being the pseudo-parent.
“There she is,” August said, not even bothering to care what anyone thought before he wrapped his arms around me.
I started to freeze, wondering if anybody would tell my mother they’d seen us. Then I relaxed, unable to resist the way his shirt was drenched in his scent. Lime, cedar, and basil filled my senses and soothed my omega.
Right now it was sharper than ever, like his delta was reassuring me they were here now. I knew it drove them crazy to leave me behind.
At least we got lucky this time. Mom was gone and it was just Gavin and I living our lives without fear.
I knew they couldn’t put their lives on pause for me, though. Even if she was home I’d have pretended all was well.
“Hey there, Firecracker,” August murmured against my ear, the rumble of his voice almost as comforting as his hug.
“Quit hogging our omega.” Lachlan’s voice was light and teasing, and soon I was pulled into his embrace next.
Pine, blackberry, and rain. His scent was sweet, tart, fresh, and absolutely perfect. It was just as strong as August’s had been and I breathed him in with a happy sigh.
“Could I get one of those?” That was Conrad this time. He was a little more reserved about it, but he looked no less eager for affection.
I turned to hug him, too, fully aware that a few of our regulars were casually watching now.
I’d wanted to hide it, but I knew I couldn’t do that anymore.
Her finding out was inevitable and they didn’t deserve to feel like a secret.
She couldn’t control everything and the sooner she realized that, the better for all of us.
There was such a slim chance any of these regulars cared enough to go tell my mom anyway.
It wasn’t like she ever came into the diner.
She was under the delusion that she was too good for it.
Not to mention she wasn’t the town’s favorite omega.
Most knew her true nature. A monster can only hide in plain sight for so long.
“You have no idea how bad I needed that,” Conrad admitted.
“Me, too,” I mumbled into his shirt, meaning every word.
Being away from them had felt wrong, and I didn’t want to think about doing it all over again the next time they had away games.
“Did you guys come straight from the airport?” I teased as Conrad finally released me.
“Of course, we did,” August said, completely shameless.
“We wanted to see if you would come see something with us,” Lachlan said.
There was no hesitation in my answer. “I’m free until Gavin gets out of school.” I’d take any moment I could with them.
“Perfect,” Conrad grinned. He slid his hand into mine before leading me out of the diner.
I called a quick goodbye to Lydia and happily followed them outside. He led me to a sleek, red SUV that I didn’t recognize.
He paused before climbing in, his eyes searching as he studied me. “Do you have a driver’s license?”
It might seem like a ridiculous question to someone my age, but for me it wasn’t. My mother controlled too much of my life. If not for my boss, I would have had a different answer.
“Yes. Lydia and her guys actually helped me get it. I’ve been working here a long time,” I admitted. “Since I was finally old enough to get a job. They’ve been like a family.”
“Perfect,” he said, dangling the keys in front of me. “You drive. We’ll guide you.”
“Why am I driving?” I asked, looking at him like he’d grown a second head.
“I have a feeling you don’t get to do it very often. Unless you don’t want to drive, then I surely can.” It was just that easy with Conrad.
It had been a really long time since I’d driven, so my first instinct was to say no, afraid I’d hurt his car or do something stupid, but the confidence in his eyes had me wrapping my fingers around the dangling keys.
Grinning, I opened the door and practically fell into the driver’s seat when I climbed in. The alpha was so much bigger than me that I had no hope of reaching the pedals. The seat was pushed back so far I was practically lying down.
All three of the guys started cracking up right along with me. Conrad took pity on me and adjusted the seat while I stayed in it.
Once I was upright enough, I made a few more adjustments, making sure I could reach the pedals and see through the mirrors before reaching for my seatbelt.
Conrad beat me to it. My alpha pulled it across me and clicked it into place before offering me a soft smile. This alpha was just too adorable. Warmth bloomed in my chest, and I had to bite back the giddy grin that wanted to take over.
I’d spent so long making sure Gavin was taken care of that I hadn’t bothered to do the same for myself. It felt so good to have someone taking care of me for once.
He closed my door and there was a slight scuffle between the guys that had me cracking up before Conrad opened the passenger door and climbed in beside me.
“You guys are ridiculous,” I accused.
“We just all like being there for our omega,” Conrad said easily as he buckled himself in this time.
“Where am I going?” I asked as I backed out of the parking spot.
“Right,” Conrad said, not giving me anything more than that.
I turned on my blinker and pulled out when it was safe. They directed me through town the same way, giving me a heads up, but also giving nothing away.
They were bursting at the seams to show me something. I could feel it in the air, crackling between them in their shared looks and smirks. That only had the anticipation growing. I had no clue what this could be.
“Alright, you’re going to turn right up here at the stop sign. There’s a winding road. It’s not quite gravel, but it’s close, so take it easy.”
I kept my eyes peeled for the turn, spotting it just before he pointed it out.
We were so close to the lake now that I could see it peeking through the trees.
I turned onto the road, surprised to find it was actually a long driveway. At the end sat a gorgeous lake house.
It was big, but not overly so. The siding was a mix of light brown brick, sage green siding and shutters, and a gray gabled roof.
The large windows were decorated with neat little flower beds and the landscaping out front swooped around the large wrap-around porch.
From the extra materials stacked on the side of the house they must have done all this recently.
I could also see hints of a garden sweeping out back between the house and the lake. My feet carried me that way to peek around the house. The lake was gorgeous in the afternoon sun, lights and blue sky reflecting on the surface.
The yard sloped toward the lake and there was a long dock that reached into the water.
It was gorgeous here. The kind of place just outside of town that felt secluded and peaceful, a step removed from society.
Out of my mother’s reach.
“What is this place?”
“We’re going to answer that,” August promised, “but we need you to hear us out first, okay?”
“Okay...” I hedged, unsure why they were being so weird about it. My delta held out his hand and led me to the porch, gesturing for me to sit on the wooden swing there. The fact they were sitting me down didn’t help calm the curiosity or uncertainty.
“We know this might feel like we’re moving a bit fast, but we’re not asking for a commitment yet. Unless…” He trailed off making it clear that I knew he’d be thrilled if I did.
I swear this delta was a menace.
“Look, we’re trying to look out for you and Gavin here,” Lachlan said, getting to the point when the others didn’t. “Changes needed to be made in order to prove that you’d be a good candidate for custody.”
“Custody?” I was trying to keep myself together, but this entire conversation was about to send me into a spiral. “The courts would never give him to me. I’m just his sister, and she’s never had anything other than dismissed accusations.”
“No,” August agreed, “but those were still open cases. They’re on record and by multiple people. If anyone outside of her contact took a real look, she’d lose everything.”
“We found a lawyer,” Conrad added quickly. He was confident this time, not shy. He believed in what they were doing. “He’s the best we could find and is already on board. He thinks we can win but gave us a few things to improve while he builds the case.”