26. Twenty-Five
Twenty-Five
Cozette
Nerves threaten to send me fleeing back into my nest, where I spent the last four days with Micah and Jeremiah, everything inside of me screaming for the safety and security of the space that smells like me. Like them. Like all of us.
Instead, I flatten my hands against the bottom of the frilly sundress I put on and take a deep breath before I turn to look at both of the men that took such amazing care of me during a time that I was more vulnerable than I’ve ever been. They’re sitting on the end of my bed side by side, Micah smiling encouragingly at me while Jeremiah stares at me with an intensity that makes my knees weak.
They’re not friends yet, but they’ve tolerated each other a lot better than I thought they would. Mostly on Jeremiah’s part. Micah is so easygoing and takes everything in stride. Jeremiah is his total opposite, and yet, I love them equally.
The love I feel for Micah is still new, in the beginning stages of flourishing, but comforting and beautiful. My love for Jeremiah is like being in the eye of a hurricane, where there is a sense of calm amidst the raging wind and rain. But both complete a part of my heart I never realized was missing, and together, they’ve worked to erase the stains left on my soul. I can only hope that Ridge, Emmanuel, and Zeke will still be willing to stick around after they meet Micah and Jeremiah, because something deep inside of me recognizes that I need them all. Even if it’s selfish.
“Well? How do I look? Is this okay?” I ask them, but before they can even respond, I word vomit every worry and insecurity currently swirling in my brain. “Gods, I’m so nervous. What if they hate me? What if they decide it’s better to cut their losses now because I’ve got two other alphas? What if—” I’m cut off by Micah and Jeremiah, both getting up and moving to where I’m standing.
Jeremiah wraps himself around my back while Micah stands in front of me and cups my cheeks, keeping me looking directly into his soft honey eyes.
“Breathe,” he commands gently, and I do, breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth several times until my heart rate calms.
“Good girl,” Jeremiah murmurs in my ear as he runs his nose along the side of my neck until I sigh and I’m jelly between the two alphas.
“You look beautiful. They’ll have a hard time keeping their eyes off you.”
Micah gives me a soft peck on the lips and a smile that has those dimples of his that I love so much popping out. “As for all of your wh at if’s, well… That’s exactly what they are. We don’t know what’s going to happen when they meet us, but it’s not like they’re coming here to be ambushed with the news of us, either. Valley has already spoken with them, told them what today is for, and they’ve agreed to come, so that’s something.”
I nod because I know he’s right. I can’t control today’s outcome or how the others react when they meet Jeremiah and Micah. I can only hope that Ripley finally talked to River and her other mates about Jeremiah, because that’s a whole other can of worms I’m not sure I can handle on top of everything else.
“Just remember to breathe if you feel overwhelmed or nervous. We’ll be with you the whole time, so let’s have a nice day. I’m excited to get to know the people that have become your family after everything you’ve told me about them in our sessions.”
I smile up at him as he steps back with a wink, relaxing back against Jeremiah’s chest as he wraps his arms around me.
“They’re still going to want you, Dove. How could they not? But even if they don’t, no matter what, you’ll have me and you’ll have Micah. We’re not going anywhere. Besides, if they know what’s good for them, they won’t hurt your feelings today because I can’t promise I won’t break something of theirs if you cry,” Jeremiah says, muttering his last sentence out and making me laugh lightly as I sniffle and turn in his hold, tilting my head back so I can look up at him.
“There will be no breaking of bones today, Alpha. As much as it hurts to think they might change their minds, it’s their decision. I can’t force them to be with me. It’s not like they signed on for all of this. Ya know, an omega with a boatload of baggage and trauma, who also comes with two other alphas they know nothing about. If they decide this isn’t what they want or… or if they want me to choose, at least I know I’ll have you and Micah, no matter what.”
I pat him on the chest and lean up on my tiptoes, angling my face up to his for a kiss. He obliges with a grumble, kissing me gently before muttering against my lips, “They better not ask you to choose.”
I take a deep breath to steel my nerves before giving him a peck on the jaw and reluctantly stepping out of his arms. With one last look at myself in the mirror hanging over the back of my closet door, I tuck my unruly curls behind my ear and turn back to look at the two men who’ve dug their way into my heart and been so unbelievably perfect in every way with me for the last several days.
“Okay. I’m ready.”
Together, we finally leave my room after days of being in our own blissful bubble with just the three of us. When we make it to the back door, my heart picks up and my hands shake slightly when I see everyone out there through the glass. So many people. Way more than I’ve been around in years, and that’s a little nerve-wracking itself. But then I see them. The newest alphas in my life that I’m growing incredibly fond of.
They’re all here.
As Zeke throws his head back and laughs, the corners of my lips curl up in response to the heartwarming sight. Glancing around the back patio, I bite my lip and can’t help but notice Manny and Ridge talking with Mama Valley. Their eyes sparkle mischievously as they playfully tease her, causing her to huff and roll her eyes in response.
Jeremiah and Micah each take one of my hands, and I glance at them both with a grateful smile before taking a deep breath.
“Ready?” Micah asks softly and I nod.
Jeremiah takes the lead, stepping out first, with Micah right behind me as I exit the door. Walking out, the atmosphere instantly changes as everyone stops talking. My heart leaps as the sound of breaking glass shatters the silence, causing my eyes to dart around in search of the source. Suddenly, a feral growl erupts from my left, causing me to instinctively hunch forward and tightly clutch my alpha’s hands for protection. River stands there, his body visibly trembling, his soft brown eyes now ablaze with unbridled fury as he locks his gaze on the man to my left, causing a lump to form in my throat.
Oh no. She didn’t tell him.
“Fuck,” I hear Ripley mutter before she rushes to River’s side, trying to soothe and calm him.
“Why is he here?” River bites out, and the feel of everyone’s eyes on us makes my skin crawl.
“That’s Jeremiah and Micah, Cozy’s other alphas. I told you all what today was for,” Mama Valley says calmly, glancing over at me with a small encouraging smile.
“ Him? That one is one of her alphas? You’ve got to be shitting me! Do you know who the fuck he is? What he… what he almost did? ”
River’s voice lowers to a hushed tone as he points at Jeremiah, and a tremor runs through my hands as panic grips me. Everyone is looking back and forth between River and us, except for Mama and the dads. Amidst the chaos, they stand unaffected, offering only a small sense of solace to my battered heart.
“Hey, hey. Look at me. Calm down, baby. It’s okay. We’re safe, I promise. Oh Gods. I’m sorry! I’m so, so sorry! I was supposed to tell you all so you could have time to-to be okay with seeing him.” Ripley turns to look at me with tears in her eyes that are full of regret. “Shit, I’m so sorry Cozy. I just forgot and I couldn’t find a way to work it into conversation before we got here. I thought… I thought, fuck! I don’t know what I thought!”
She continues to ramble until River intervenes, pulling her close and shooting a menacing glare at Jeremiah, who immediately tenses up. Acting on instinct, I seek refuge by his side, attempting to provide him comfort, even though I’m uneasy under the scrutiny of so many people.
“Will someone tell us what the hell is going on?” Ridge growls out as he looks to his sister and her omega, then over at me before his eyes land on Jeremiah, narrowing slightly.
Clutching Jeremiah’s shirt in my fist, I can feel my muscles tightening as a wave of tension washes over me. Adjusting his posture, he guides me into Micah’s embrace, his gaze holding a mysterious message as they look at one another over my head. Bending down, he nuzzles his nose against mine, the tender touch making my heart skip a beat as he lovingly plants a kiss on the top of my head.
“Time to pay the piper, Dove,” he murmurs softly, his words barely audible to anyone except Micah and me, before he strides over to Ripley and her pack.
Keeping a safe distance, he approaches them slowly, particularly when River lets out another growl. However, once he reaches them, he purposefully locks eyes with each person before focusing his gaze on River. With a clearing of his throat, he lets out a deep sigh and absentmindedly rubs the back of his head.
“I owe you an apology. All of you, but you especially. I’ve already apologized to your omega, but I’ll do it again if that’s what you want. I won’t sit here and make excuses, and I’m not expecting you to forgive or even like me. To be honest, I don’t really care if anyone likes me except for that woman right back there, and for some godsdamned reason, she doesn’t just like me. She loves me, which is more than I could ever ask of her. The only explanation I can give you for my actions is that nothing has mattered to me but Cozette from the moment I laid eyes on her, and I knew then I’d do whatever it took, no matter the consequences or repercussions, to free her and keep her safe. Something I know all of you feel for Ripley and her for you.”
River’s expression slowly relaxes and softens the more Jeremiah speaks, and I hold my breath as Micah stands steadily at my back with his arms wrapped around me, his thumb rubbing my arm back and forth in a soothing motion.
“You’re the one that almost took Ripley, the one they ran into at the carnival,” Syn murmurs, frowning.
“I am.”
“You changed your mind. Why?” River asks, his tone demanding.
“Because I saw you and her together, how happy you were. And then I thought about Cozette and how I felt knowing she was in the hands of a monster. I couldn’t go through with putting another omega through that, especially when I knew exactly what Victor was capable of. I just decided I’d need to find another way,” Jeremiah tells him calmly, and my eyes fly back and forth around the group, watching and waiting to see how this will all play out.
I hold my breath, the tiniest sliver of hope inching its way into my heart. But that’s shattered in the next second.
“You son of a bitch!”
Before I can even register what’s happening, Ridge lunges at Jeremiah from the side with unexpected force. On the ground, he pins Jeremiah, his eyes filled with fury as he glares down at my alpha before delivering a punch to his face that echoes through the air. As a sob rises in my throat, my hand instinctively moves to cover my mouth. Jeremiah’s gaze shifts to me and, noticing the tears welling up in my eyes, he growls and delivers a forceful blow to Ridge’s side that has the other alpha rolling off of him with a grunt.
“That’s the only one you’ll get, and that’s only because I understand it,” he tells him with a glare, pointing his finger at him as he wipes his lip.
When Ridge attempts to attack Jeremiah once more, Jeremiah effortlessly dodges his advance, intensifying the other alpha’s anger, and he doubles his efforts until Jeremiah finally puts him in a headlock after getting him good in the face in retaliation. Nobody steps in between the two men, everyone around us too stunned to even move a muscle as they go at it, grunting and growling like absolute animals. Overwhelmed with emotion, I turn in Micah’s embrace and break down, my sobs muffled by his strong chest. With a gentle touch, he massages my back, his comforting voice urging me to relax and take slow, deep breaths, my heart pounding and my breaths coming in quick gasps.
The moment my distress reaches the other’s ears, the sounds of their fighting halt abruptly, creating a jarring silence that fills the air, yet I can’t bring myself to turn back around. Instead, I break free from Micah’s embrace and sprint back inside, up the stairs, and straight into the sanctuary of my room. With a forceful slam, I shut the door behind me, my heart pounding in my ears. I retreat into my closet, seeking refuge in my nest. Curling into a tight ball with one of the blankets that still smells like me, Micah, and Jeremiah, I surrender to the overwhelming flood of tears and sobs that consume me.
This is all my fault.