32
Phoenix
The morning light filtered softly through the room, casting a warm, golden glow over everything.
I stirred awake, tangled in a mess of limbs with my Alphas.
Their bodies were pressed against mine, and for a brief moment, there was a cocoon of warmth and familiarity that surrounded me.
I felt the steady rhythm of their breathing and the comforting rise and fall of their chests.
It was as if I was enveloped in a protective bubble, a cocoon of security and connection that I hadn’t experienced in a long time. If ever.
For a fleeting moment, I allowed myself to bask in the sense of belonging, of being part of something bigger than myself.
Then the worry started to creep in.
I had pushed Zephyr into accepting me.
The intensity of the heat and the urgency of the situation had made me act in ways that might have crossed boundaries.
Had I forced him into something he wasn’t ready for? The thought gnawed at me, casting a shadow over the warmth and security I felt.
My dread intensified when I realized that Zephyr was no longer in the nest.
The spot where his warmth had been was now cold and empty.
What if he regretted everything? What if he was angry with me again? The absence of his presence was a stark reminder of the unresolved issues that lay between us.
Kage shifted beside me, his arm tightening around my waist as if sensing the storm of emotions swirling in my mind.
His warmth was a steady comfort, but my thoughts were too loud, too consuming to ignore.
“Shhh, Omega,”
he murmured, his deep voice rumbling through the quiet of the nest. “I can hear your thoughts from here.”
I blinked up at him, startled by his perceptiveness. My cheeks warmed in embarrassment, and I opened my mouth to apologize, but Kage pulled me into his side before I could get a word out. His broad chest was solid beneath my cheek, and the soothing sound of his purring filled the room. The low, rhythmic vibrations instantly worked to calm my racing heart.
I felt myself relax against him, my body melting into his warmth. Kage’s purring was like a lullaby, a soft hum that drowned out the anxious thoughts still racing through my mind. Crisp apple and tobacco wrapped around me, familiar and grounding.
“You worry too much,”
he whispered as his fingers traced lazy patterns on my arm. “It’s all going to be okay. We’ve got you.”
The sincerity in his voice soothed the ache in my chest. Snuggling closer to him, I buried my face in his neck, breathing in his scent. His purring didn’t stop, and I let myself be lulled by the comforting sound, my eyes growing heavy again. I hadn’t realized how exhausted I was until now, the aftermath of my heat setting in.
Kage’s arms tightened around me protectively, and I sighed, feeling safe in his embrace. My body instinctively curled into his. As I drifted off, the last thing I felt was his lips brushing gently against the top of my head, a silent promise that I wasn’t in this alone. That no matter what happened next, I had them. I had him.
◆◆◆
I woke to the gentle sensation of strong arms lifting me from the nest. Parker’s familiar scent filled my senses, and his soothing voice broke through the fog of sleep.
“Come on, Sweetheart,”
he whispered, his lips brushing against my temple. I groggily blinked up at him, still half-lost in the warmth of the nest, but his gentle smile was enough to coax me fully awake.
He guided me to the bathroom, the steam from the shower already filling the air. I could barely stand on my own, my body still recovering from the intense waves of heat that had taken over the past week.
Parker helped me into the shower, his hands gentle as he washed the remnants of sweat and exhaustion from my skin. I stood under the spray, letting the warmth wash over me, feeling it ease the tension from my muscles. Parker was thorough but careful, his touch soothing as he ran his fingers through my hair, massaging shampoo into my scalp before rinsing it clean.
Once I was washed and rinsed, he reached for a brush, untangling the knots in my hair with the same care, his fingers moving rhythmically through each strand. It was comforting—being taken care of like this. I leaned into his touch.
Afterward, he wrapped me in a fluffy towel, swaddling me like I was precious, and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I’ve put out some breakfast for you in the kitchen. Why don’t you go downstairs and get started? I’ll clean up the nest real quick, and then we can have some more cuddles.”
His words warmed me, and I managed a small smile, nodding as he handed me my robe. I made my way downstairs. I felt drained—physically, emotionally, everything. As I stepped into the kitchen, I noticed that someone had thoughtfully placed my phone on the charger for me.
Grabbing it, I was about to check for messages when I heard an angry voice coming from the living room. My heart stilled. Zephyr.
I paused, holding my breath as I strained to catch the one-sided conversation. His tone was cold and detached as he spoke to someone on the other end of the line.
“I don’t care what the circumstances are, we don’t need a PR rep on tour. We will clean this mess up before it affects everything else.”
My heart plummeted into my stomach, a cold wave of shock freezing me in place. He was talking about me. Firing me. After everything that had happened, after he had held me, kissed me, and helped me during my heat… he still didn’t want me.
My entire world crashed down around me.
The connection I thought we’d shared—the intimacy—it all felt like a cruel, twisted lie. How could I have been so stupid? How could I have believed, even for a second, that Zephyr might have changed his mind about me?
Tears burned the back of my eyes, but I blinked them away, refusing to let them fall. He couldn’t see me like this. I couldn’t let him know how much his words cut me, how devastated I was. I swallowed the lump in my throat and quickly turned away, not trusting myself to stay any longer.
The warmth I’d felt in the nest now felt like a distant memory, a fantasy I’d allowed myself to indulge in for far too long. The truth was clear now, staring me in the face, and it was uglier than anything I’d prepared for.
He didn’t want me. Not really.
As I turned to leave the room, my heart heavy with betrayal, I collided with something solid—a wall of muscle and warmth. Kage. His scent wrapped around me, grounding me for a split second before I heard the deep rumble of his voice vibrating through his chest.
“What’s wrong?”
His tone was soft, but there was a protective edge to it.
I couldn’t find the words to answer him. My breath hitched in my throat, and before I could stop myself, a whimper escaped my lips. Kage stiffened immediately, his attention sharpening, and I saw the exact moment he tuned in to what Zephyr was saying in the next room.
I didn’t even have to explain. The growl that tore from Kage’s throat said it all. Without a word, he stepped away from me, his posture tense and rigid as he stalked toward the living room where Zephyr was still on the phone.
“What the hell, man?”
Kage’s voice boomed.
Zephyr turned, his face impassive as he met Kage’s gaze. “We all agreed,”
he said flatly, like this was just another business decision to him, cold and indifferent.
Kage’s nostrils flared, his hands balling into fists at his sides. “Yes, after we spoke with her,”
he snapped, his voice thick with frustration. He wasn’t backing down, not this time.
I stood frozen, my mind spinning, trying to make sense of what was happening. The betrayal I felt was consuming, but hearing Kage stand up for me stirred a small, fragile hope inside me. But before I could grasp onto it, I needed to know the truth.
“Is it true?”
My voice came out quieter than I intended, shaking with uncertainty. Kage’s head snapped toward me, his expression immediately softening.
He looked sheepish, guilt flashing in his eyes. “Yes, but it’s not what you think.”
My heart shattered in that moment. I had expected some sort of denial, a reassurance that this was all a misunderstanding, but Kage’s answer hit me like a punch to the gut. It was true. They had talked about me. Decided my fate without even including me in the conversation.
And so soon after my heat, my Omega was still so close to the surface. All she could understand was that her Alphas had rejected her. The pain was visceral, raw, and overwhelming. It tore through me, making it hard to breathe.
The next few moments passed in a blur. Zephyr and Kage’s voices rose, their argument growing louder and more heated, but the words became a jumbled mess in my ears. I couldn’t focus, couldn’t hear what they were saying anymore. All I could feel was the walls closing in around me.
I couldn’t stay here. Not like this.
My heart was breaking, shattering into a million tiny pieces, and the pain was too much to bear. Without thinking, I spun on my heel and bolted for the door. I needed to get out of this house, away from them, from the lies, from everything.
Tears blurred my vision as I ran, my chest tightening with every step. The connection I thought we had, the bond that had formed between us—it was all crumbling before my eyes.
I fled into the cold air outside, not knowing where I was going. Only knowing that I needed to escape. The hurt and confusion twisted inside me, threatening to consume me whole.
How could they do this to me? How could they throw me away so easily?