Chapter 26
26
Hazel
The mood when we returned to the house wasn’t as desperate as when we’d left, but it also wasn’t the happy bubble from yesterday.
Yeah, my bubble was officially popped.
“Hungry, love?” Rhett asked as we filed into the kitchen through the door connecting it to the garage.
I shook my head as I dragged out one of the bar stools and climbed onto it. Resting my elbows on the island, I dropped my head into my hands.
“Something to drink?” Jude tried.
“I’m good.”
I was so not good.
A warm hand encircled the back of my neck.
Crew.
“Look at me,” he demanded, and I was already turning my head before he’d finished the order. “We’re going to make dinner, and you’re going to eat.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but he cut me off with a narrowing of his eyes.
“Food, little omega. It’s not negotiable. While we’re making dinner, you and Jude are going upstairs so you can get into something more comfortable before relaxing in your nest. We’ll eat in the bedroom so you’re close to your nest, which is exactly where we’ll be going after we eat. Then we’re all going to finish the conversation from the deck before we all get some much needed sleep.”
With each word, Crew took decisions out of my hands. And each decision he snatched away was a brick that had been weighing me down.
It occurred to me then that I didn’t want to make decisions. I was tired and needed someone else to take the reins for the rest of the night, and Crew was doing just that.
“Okay, alpha,” I murmured with a slow nod.
The corner of his mouth curved a second before he crushed his mouth to mine, kissing me soundly and deeply until I was gasping against him and a simmering heat ignited in my blood.
“Upstairs, omega. Get your nest ready for your pack.”
Those were the magic words.
Scrambling off the stool, I went to where Jude was waiting for me. He took my hand and led me up the stairs as the others started making dinner.
I went into my old bedroom first, stripping to my panties before I’d even considered what I wanted to wear.
Spinning, I found Jude’s heated gaze on me. A blush heated my cheeks as he licked his lips, taking his time devouring me with his eyes. “Jude?”
“Yeah?” He didn’t look up from where he was practically salivating over my breasts.
I walked toward him, adding an extra sway in my hips. “Can I have your shirt, please?”
He blinked. “You can have whatever you want.” He yanked his shirt over his head with one hand— why was that so sexy—and motioned for me to lift my arms.
I picked my hands up, grinning as he worked the soft fabric over my head. His hands brushed against my sides as he settled the top into place. Then he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against his hard body.
With a soft sigh, I snuggled against his bare chest. The steady thump of his heart mixed with his clean scent put me safely into happy omega headspace.
Jude rested his chin on the top of my head as he held me. “How are you feeling?”
Inhaling, I took a moment to consider my answer. “Okay. Tired and a little overwhelmed. Also kind of pissed off because someone decided to use me as a freaking lab rat.”
Hands on my hips, he leaned back to study me. “Want to go to your nest?”
I nodded, craving the security and serenity the space gave me.
He tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear and led me down the hall.
Entering the master bedroom, I went straight into my nest. I threw myself down in the middle of the soft mattress and started arranging my pillows, blankets, and the clothing I’d pilfered from my pack.
When the last piece was put where I needed it to go, I turned to Jude, who waited at the edge.
I wrinkled my nose. “Tell me the truth—do I look like a crazy person when I’m crawling around in here?”
His smile was sweet and indulgent as he came into my sacred space. “No. I love watching you get everything just perfect.”
“Omega instincts,” I murmured with a shake of my head. “And I got an extra dose of those. Lucky me.”
He lifted my chin with his index finger. “No, lucky us .”
I shot him a dubious look. “You realize I’m basically a fake omega, right? That I’m a genetic freak.”
“Yeah, and I also know that your freak genetics landed you with us ,” he insisted, his tone sharp. “None of us care how or why you’re an omega. All we care is that you’re our omega. You know what? Fuck that. You don’t even need to be an omega to complete our pack. You just need to be you.”
“Jude—”
“I’m serious, Haze. We don’t give a shit about any of that. We just care about you. We want you . Nothing changes that. If I woke up tomorrow as an alpha, would it change how you felt about me?” He arched a challenging brow.
“Of course not.”
“Or if Kellan suddenly became a beta? Or an omega?” His dark gaze was unrelenting.
I sighed because I understood what he was saying. Their designation wouldn’t change a thing for me. Maybe I’d been attracted to them on a primal level, but I’d fallen in love with each of them because of who they were. “You win.”
He smirked. “Damn right.” Then his expression sobered. “But that doesn’t mean you don’t have a right to be pissed that someone put something in your body without your consent. And you can bet your gorgeous ass we’re going to do everything we can to find out who did that to you.”
“My heroes,” I said around a smile as Jude pulled me down so he was laying with me sprawled across his chest.
One of Jude’s hands curled around my hip while the other stroked my hair. We didn’t need to speak as we lay together, content just being with each other.
I must’ve drifted off at some point because it felt like no time at all had passed when I heard my alphas coming into the room. Rhett stuck his head in the doorway of the nest, his silver eyes glowing as he looked at Jude and I curled around each other.
“Come eat something,” he beckoned before coming into the space and holding a hand out to pull us up. First me, then Jude, kissing each of us when we were standing.
My stomach gave a tiny rumble as I smelled the meal they’d prepared. Grilled chicken and a large garden salad with buttery garlic breadsticks and a pink box with what I already knew were my favorite cookies.
“I love this place,” I said, grinning as I lifted the box lid and eyed all the different cookies. They were the size of my fist and the store’s menu changed each week, making it a fun surprise to see what new goodies I got to enjoy.
Crew winked at me. “I remember you and Calla always had a thing for them.”
“You didn’t have to order them,” I replied.
He fixed me with his stunning baby blues. “Spoiling you is absolutely something I have to do, baby.”
I bit my bottom lip, ducking my head. “I mean, if you insist…” I wasn’t going to turn down a sugar high.
Kellan sipped a beer as Crew uncorked a bottle of wine, but I also spotted more beer and a few bottles of water amongst the spread. All that was missing was a checkered picnic blanket.
“This looks great,” I commented, pausing to kiss Crew before settling down beside Kellan. I swiped his beer and took a long pull before making a face. “Ugh. What is this?”
Kellan took the bottle back with a scowl, cradling it to his chest like it was a prized possession.
Rhett chuckled. “Don’t come between Kellan and his beer, dove. He’s quite territorial over the swill.”
I arched a brow as Kellan flipped Rhett off.
“This is liquid gold,” Kellan spluttered, taking another drink. “Natty Boh is the only beer worth consuming.”
Rhett scoffed as he sat down across from us, leaning against the plain bed no one had used. “It’s disgusting.”
“Says the man who only drinks single malt and champagne,” Kellan retorted.
“It’s called taste ,” Rhett drawled.
Crew rolled his eyes. “It’s not that bad.”
“Not that bad ?” Kellan looked personally affronted. “It’s nectar of the gods.”
Jude swiped one of the bottles. “I’m with Kell. Shit’s good.”
“I think I’ll stick with water,” I said with a laugh, grabbing a bottle and twisting the top.
Crew poured himself and Rhett a glass of wine before settling down to complete our circle.
I snagged a breadstick and bit off the end. “Would you guys care if we got rid of the bed in here? It seems kind of redundant with the nest right there.” I inclined my head to the closet.
“We can do whatever you want,” Crew replied, forking up a chunk of lettuce and shoving it into his mouth.
“I went ahead and ordered a pack bed,” Rhett told me. “The room is plenty big enough, and that way you have a space to sleep other than your nest.”
Looking around, I nodded as the space took shape in my mind.
“It’ll be delivered tomorrow with the other stuff,” Jude added as he sipped his beer.
My shoulders slumped a little in relief. I hadn’t realized how much having the house so unfinished had been weighing on me, like a gnat constantly buzzing in the background.
The urge to nest, to make the whole house as perfect as my actual nest, was undeniable. I mentally started arranging furniture, zoning out while the guys discussed who would take which bedroom upstairs.
Even though I had a feeling we would spend the majority of our time together, everyone needed their own space. I had my old bedroom, which was technically my closet, but I wanted to add some bookshelves and a desk along with an overstuffed chair. And maybe one of those massive bean bag chairs with the minky fur. The kind that fit two people or more.
Once we finished dinner, Kellan and Rhett gathered up the dishes. I offered to take them downstairs to finish cleaning up, but Crew shook his head. “Stay here for a few minutes. There’s something else we need to talk about.”
The vibe in the room shifted as we all turned our attention to Crew.
He leaned against the wall, stretching his long legs out and crossing them at the ankles. The fabric of his black t-shirt stretched across his wide chest as he took a deep breath. “In addition to Martin going missing, the hacker Bowen knows pulled some stuff off of Martin’s computer. It confirmed that Martin was definitely working with APA, at least for a little while.”
“So, he knew I was there?” The words came out hard and flat.
Crew dipped his head. “He definitely knew you were there. In fact, there were messages on a dark web app between him and someone only known as ‘Sovereign’. From what Oak told me, they knew you were there and were pressuring Martin to help get you out.”
A shiver trickled down my spine. “Why don’t I think they wanted to set me free out of the goodness of their hearts?” My pack exchanged uneasy glances.
Crew sighed. “We need to find Martin. He’s the one who can fill in the blanks.”
Rhett cocked his head. “Combined with what we learned about how Hazel became an omega, it might stand to reason that there’s a lot of blanks to fill in.”
I pulled my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around my legs before resting my chin on my knees.
Jude nudged my foot with his. “Where’s your head at, pretty girl?”
“I don’t like any of this. I’m sick of feeling like I’m in the dark about my own life.” I turned to Crew. “My uncle might also have some of the answers we need.”
Crew’s jaw tightened. “It’s not safe, Hazel.”
“What if it was safe?” I countered.
He arched a brow. “How so?”
“What if I never had to leave the house? What if we did it through a virtual call?” I suggested.
“He’s in federal custody on charges of domestic terrorism and kidnapping an omega,” Kellan murmured. “They probably won’t let anyone outside of his lawyer speak with him.”
“But it might be worth a shot,” Rhett mused, rubbing his jaw contemplatively. “If he agrees to speak to Hazel, they can record the conversation. It won’t be privileged, and if it can help their case…”
“Or if Henry will talk to Hazel to cut a deal,” Jude chimed in. “Henry might have answers. He was pretty high up on Ellis’s list of followers.”
Crew stared at me. “You’re sure you’re up for this?”
“No,” I admitted, “but I have to try. I’m sick of this hanging over our heads. And if what we learned tonight is any indication, I’m not the only person this affects.”
Kellan kissed my cheek. “Brave girl.”
A smile twitched on my lips as Crew tipped his head back and looked at the ceiling. “Okay. I’ll reach out and see if they’d be willing to set up the call.”