Chapter 50 Flora
Flora
“My mother has been calling.” I grimaced. The last time I checked, there were thirty-six missed calls.
“Your name was on the news. She may be concerned,” Chase suggested as he washed my hair.
I hadn’t showered alone since Lyle had kidnapped me, and I wasn’t mad at that. One of them was always with me, caring for me.
“I suppose. She’s just a lot to deal with, and the last thing I want is her coming here and talking badly about my pack. Can’t I enjoy our bubble for a bit?” I asked, craning my neck to kiss his cheek.
“Of course. We are going to do whatever is best for you, always.”
I sighed, sinking into his embrace. The shower smelled of rose and rich ginger, a heady mix. Being pampered by Chase had turned me into a pile of goo, and all I wanted to do was nap.
Bonding and being happy were oddly exhausting.
That probably had something to do with all the orgasms, but you wouldn’t see me complaining.
“How about, after we dry your hair, we order some desserts?” Chase offered. “I'll even hide them from Spencer.”
A groan escaped my lips. “Has anyone told you that you’re perfect?”
“You have, but I would happily hear it again.” He laughed and grabbed the showerhead to start rinsing my hair.
Twenty minutes later, I was dressed, hair dry, and looking for my shoes. We were going out for ice cream, and I was excited. As much as I loved the apartment, I was going a little stir-crazy.
“We have a visitor,” Spencer declared, walking into the living room. He had been upstairs watching the Garnetts, so his appearance made my brow furrow with confusion.
An older gentleman, who I instantly recognized, walked into the room behind him.
“Dad?” I asked, standing and heading toward him. “What are you doing here?”
He wrapped me up in a hug, the familiar popcorn scent comforting.
Luke Hewitt, a high-school basketball coach, looked out of place in the ultra-modern apartment.
“I wanted to check up on you, kiddo. Your mother has been… well…”
“I’ve been ignoring her,” I admitted, crossing my arms. There was no way in hell I was going to back down and accept the way my mother had treated my pack mates. “If you've come here for her sake, then—”
“Not at all,” he rushed to say. “She’s made her mistakes, and that's on her to fix. I just wanted to see for myself that you're doing okay. You have a pack now?”
I nodded. “I do. This is Spencer, Bear, and Chase.” I gestured to each of them as I introduced them, and they leaned forward, shaking my dad’s hand. Spencer kept a stoic face through the greeting. The other two were slightly friendlier.
“And you're happy?” he asked, turning back to me. “We heard rumors…”
“I think we should all sit down,” Chase suggested, motioning to the couches.
My dad did as directed, perching on the edge of the sectional, while we all took various seats around the room, except for Spencer, who stood close to my side.
“Your mother is concerned that you’ve rushed into things or were pushed into them. You moved in with these guys so fast.”
“I did,” I agreed. “But I had to, considering someone was planting cameras in my apartment and trying to watch me in the shower,” I added, doing my best to keep my tone matter-of-fact.
“W-what?” my father asked, no doubt startled at my directness.
“You failed as a parent,” Spencer declared simply.
“I'm not going to mince my words because I love your daughter. In your desperation to keep her near you, you cut off her options, so she was forced to live in one of the most dilapidated buildings near campus. You left her weak, open, and vulnerable to a stalker.”
My dad's face paled and turned a sickly gray color. “Wait, so the kidnapping rumors?”
“Real.” I confirmed. “If it wasn't for my pack, I probably wouldn't be alive.”
He swallowed, digesting that piece of information for a moment. “Your mother… She was so convinced that if we didn't financially support you, you would come home eventually. I should have realized you were stubborn—I think you get that from your pa.”
I smiled at the mention of my other dad.
“We really failed you, didn't we?” my dad whispered in a small voice.
“There’s nothing we can do about it now. I am happy and safe; with a pack I love.”
“So, what’s the plan from here? Are you going to continue your studies? Do you plan to stay here?”
“For now,” Spencer interrupted. “Last week, we purchased this apartment. It’s in Flora's name. We won’t be going anywhere until she’s finished her degree, at the earliest.”
“Wait, you bought the apartment?” I asked in surprise.
Spencer shrugged. “We didn’t buy this place before now because we move around for work, but now we’re bonded. We're not going to take any overseas jobs. You like this place, so I bought it.”
I gaped at my stubborn, infuriating alpha. “We could have bought somewhere less expensive!”
“Why?” Chase inquired with a smile. “We have plenty of money. In fact, I’m pretty sure we could retire tomorrow and live comfortably. We've done very well for ourselves.” He directed the last sentence at my father, who merely nodded in surprise.
“Your daughter is going to be very well cared for,” Bear said.
“I can see that,” my dad said. “Your mother…”
“Can apologize to me and my pack when she’s ready. I am not going to chase her,” I said firmly. “I love her, but no. She treated members of my pack disrespectfully. You and I both know that is not okay.”
“She was surprised, but I agree with you. She was out of line.” He sighed. “What do you want, Flora? That is what’s important here.”
I thought about it for a moment. “I just want to live my life, to go to college, and be with my pack.”
“And we’ll do whatever we can to make you happy,” Bear said softly.
“I know. I love you.” I smiled at him.
My dad watched our interaction, his expression softening. He was clearly out of his depth. If he had believed my mother that I was with a bad pack and was coming to rescue me, then he’d been in for a surprise. Sure, he coached basketball, but he wasn't exactly athletic himself.
“You're happy?” he asked.
“Very,” I replied.
The rest of the conversation was awkward and stiff, but eventually we agreed to video call moving forward and get dinner the next night before he left.
He even promised to attempt to rein in my mother.
I wasn’t holding my breath for an apology from her, but it brought me happiness to know that my father, at least, understood why I was doing what I was doing. For the first time in a long time, it felt like he was on my team.
As soon as the door closed behind my father, I turned to Spencer. “You bought the apartment?” I screeched, smacking his chest.
He laughed. “If you would rather live in a house, there are a few on campus, but they’re tiny. We can always get a place an hour or two out of the city during your breaks. Maybe somewhere near the beach? Do you even like beaches?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never really been to one,” I admitted.
Chase gaped. “Honeybee, you live in California!”
“I’ve been busy! And you can’t just buy an apartment because I like it!”
“I can, I did,” Spencer shrugged.
“Are you upset that I want to stay here… I know you used to travel a lot, and you’ve said you don’t mind staying put, but—”
“But we love you,” Bear reiterated. “You’re our omega. We want to enjoy ourselves while being settled down with you. Trust me, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. I wouldn’t change a fucking thing, little omega,” he added, wrapping his arms around me from behind.
“I love you, too,” I muttered. “I know I have no right to judge how you spend your money…”
“You have every right. You're going to be added to all the pack’s bank accounts. You are an equal partner with us,” Spencer declared, crossing his arms.
“Wait, I knew you would support me as a pack, but giving me access to everything?” I asked.
“Face it, you’re rich now.” Chase chuckled.
My head was spinning as I looked between the three alphas who had changed my life so completely.
The home that we had made together, the life or future we were going to build.
“You can afford anything you want. The world is your oyster. Studying, adventuring, or just making a comfortable home and enjoying that? Anything you want, Flora Hewitt, it’s yours. ”
I laughed lightly, my mind still processing all the changes. “I guess, in that case, we should get tacos for dinner.”
“So… how many times did you watch the footage from my old place?” I asked as I leaned over the kitchen island, plucking a bit of broccoli off the veggie tray that Spencer was working on.
I had wanted to scavenge for some post-sexy-time treats, but Spencer, ever the control freak, had insisted on something with nutritional value.
We had settled into a new normal, me attending classes and spending time with my pack. They guarded the Garnetts and spoiled me rotten. I had thought it would take a few weeks to get comfortable, but I had settled into a routine quickly.
“Me personally?” Chase said, coming up behind me and wrapping his arm around my waist, kissing the top of my head. “Far too many.”
“Can I see?” I asked, turning back to him with a grin.
“You want to watch us?” he probed, his excitement unmistakable.
I nodded.
He pressed a warm, wet kiss to the side of my cheek before scampering off, no doubt to find his laptop.
“Did you watch?” I asked Spencer, who was chopping vegetables at the kitchen island.
“Princess, we all watched,” he said, his eyes locked on mine, a hungry look on his face. “In fact, I’m certain we all watched it several times.”
“Creeps.” I laughed, sticking my tongue out at him.
“Or just obsessed with you.”
“I can handle that,” I declared, striding forward to plant a kiss on Spencer’s cheek. He paused what he was doing to kiss me back, deepening our embrace. My hand was just starting to wander when my phone started to ring on the counter.
“I should probably get that,” I sighed pulling back. “Hold that thought.”