33. Thirty-Two
Thirty-Two
Emmanuel
I find Cozy sitting outside, swishing her feet back and forth in the pool as she stares out over the backyard. The sun shines down on her—making her pretty copper curls shine—and her pale skin glistens with a fine sheen of sweat that I want to lick off of her. Slipping my boots and socks off, I walk up behind her and sit, curling myself around her back and wrapping my arms around her as I rest my chin on her shoulder. The way she leans into me, no longer flinching or jumping at a touch that she’s not prepared for, has a purr rumbling deep in my chest with satisfaction and love.
“Hey, you. I thought you were at work until later,” she says, leaning her head back and looking over at me.
“Mm. We finished up early. Jeremiah’s inside taking a shower, but I’m sure he’ll be finding you soon. I wanted some time with you by myself. Wanna go for a swim with me?” I murmur, kissing her neck and liking the way she shivers against me.
“I don’t think I have a bathing suit,” she says, squirming in my hold as my fingers dance lightly across her belly and hips.
“I’m sure we can make do without,” I mumble, nipping her shoulder lightly and liking the little gasp that escapes her and the way she arches into me so beautifully.
“Okay,” she breathes out, and I grin as I grip the hem of her dress where it rests on her thighs and slide it up.
She lifts her hips so I can slide it up over them, raising her arms for me so I can pull it all the way off. I toss the dress to the side, running my hands all along her now exposed skin, appreciating the cute pink bra and panty set with little ducks all over the fabric that she’s in.
Definitely Zeke’s doing.
Her body squirms in response to my touch, a teasing gleam in her eyes, and without warning, she forcefully pushes me away and disappears into the inviting pool. As I playfully narrow my eyes at her, she grins mischievously and spits a mouthful of water in my direction. I quickly stand, pulling my shirt and jeans off, then raise a brow at her.
“That wasn’t very nice, mí amor . Better hope I don’t catch you,” I growl jokingly, backing up to take a running leap as she squeals and giggles, swimming away just before I jump in.
As I wipe the water from my eyes, I see her near the side in the middle of the pool, her chest rising and falling heavily as she clings to the ledge with her gaze fixed on me as I swim closer. Gripping her hips, she lets go of the ledge and grabs hold of my shoulders, wrapping her legs around me.
“Well, you’ve caught me. Now, what will you do for payback?” she asks sweetly, laughter in her tone as her lips twitch.
“ Hay muchas cosas que quiero hacerte, mi amor. Ninguno es apropiado para la piscina, ” I murmur, finding myself falling into my Spanish more and more when I’m with her now that I know she understands me.
There are many things I want to do to you, my love. None are pool appropriate.
“ Y qué pasa si quiero las opciones inapropiadas de todos modos?”
And what if I want the inappropriate options, anyway?
I nearly lose my godsdamn mind when she responds in near perfect Spanish, my cock hardening almost immediately. My answering grin is a touch feral and full of naughty promises that I fully intend to carry out as I reach between us and slip my fingers into her panties, loving the way she gasps and squirms at the slightest touch.
“ Luego, llenaré esta piscina con tu mancha y te haré gritar mi nombre lo suficientemente fuerte como para que todos los que están dentro lo escuchen.”
Then, I’ll fill this pool with your slick and have you screaming my name so loud that everyone inside can hear.
It’s a promise, one I fully intend to deliver.
And I do.
My fingers run down her body until I reach the band of her panties. I keep my eyes locked with hers as I slip them inside. When I reach her soft, slick lips, I watch as her breath hitches, and I groan as I press her against the wall of the pool. Pressing my middle finger against her entrance, I slowly push it in until the heel of my palm is resting against her clit. My hand grinds against her clit as I curl my finger slightly, letting it rub against her walls and against the soft pad of flesh inside of her. I fuck her with my fingers slowly, adding another finger when she writhes against me, my hard cock throbbing between us.
The little pants and moans that escape her as she rolls her hips, begging for more, have me aching to bury myself inside her, but not yet. Not in the pool. As much as I can’t wait to feel her velvety warmth wrapped around me, squeezing me inside her, I don’t want the first time to be in the pool.
When she comes apart in my arms, her screams of pleasure echoing around us, I catch the others at the sliding door, looking out as I press tender kisses along Cozy’s shoulder with my fingers still buried deep inside her pussy.
We swim for a bit longer once she’s caught her breath, enjoying the lingering sunshine and savoring the rest of our day. When it’s clear she’s getting tired, I help her out, drying her off with a towel someone must have brought out when we weren’t paying attention. As I wrap it around her, I pull her into my arms, rubbing my cheek against hers.
“ Mí familia wants to meet you,” I tell her, clearing my throat, and she looks up at me with a smile.
“I’d love to meet them,” she says, reaching up to cup my cheek.
I close my eyes and lean into her touch with a smile and a content purr rumbling in my chest before leaning down and kissing her. After a few more minutes outside, we go in and she’s immediately swept into Jeremiah’s arms with a playful growl. She giggles as he kisses her all over her face and I lean against the island, watching them.
Seeing them together, seeing how he looks at her like she’s his beginning and end, I know if Zeke and I hadn’t stopped Ridge, we’d have lost her. No matter how much it might have hurt her, she wouldn’t have let go of Jeremiah. And he definitely wouldn’t have let her go without a fight.
Their bond goes so much deeper than I think any of us truly realize.
I like him, though. And despite the rocky beginning between the two of them, he and Ridge get along better than I think either of them expected to. We’re starting to feel like a real family now.
Not that we weren’t before, but something about the inclusion of Micah and Jeremiah has made everything feel… complete. We thought the absence of an omega was our issue, but the reality is we weren’t just missing our omega. We were still missing brothers, and now that they’re all here, everything feels right.
When we all sit down for dinner, I wait until everyone’s made their plates before dropping the news that we’ll be going to my parents’ this weekend. The guys love my family, but I know Zeke always feels a little uncomfortable because all the women like to fawn all over him, and my two youngest sisters that recently presented as omegas are the worst about following him around.
“Ye’re sisters wonae be there will they?” he asks with a grimace.
“You know they will be. Mamá has already called everyone that’s close enough. They’re all excited to meet Cozy,” I say with a shrug, looking over at her with a wink and a smile, which she returns. “The twins will leave you alone now that you have Cozy, so things shouldn’t be so bad. You’ll just have to deal with the tías and my abuelas,” I snort, taking a bite of the steak Ridge and Jeremiah cooked for us tonight.
Zeke sighs, and Cozy looks at him quizzically.
“Ah, dinnae get me wrong, love. I adore Manny’s family. His aunts an’ grandmas just like tae dote on me a bit much. An’ his twin sisters, Marisol an’ Ileana have been followin’ me around since the first time I met them. When they presented as omegas, their attentions only got worse. Ye’ll keep the stalker-y omegas away from me, wonae ye, Ducky? ”
Zeke pouts impishly and tries to look helpless as he turns in his seat to look at Cozy, but instead he just looks ridiculous. And yet, our omega still blushes and grins at him, patting his burly chest with her small hand.
“I’ll do my best,” she teases, her eyes sparkling like gems.
Appeased that he won’t be accosted by my sisters, Zeke goes back to eating, and I tell Micah, Cozy, and Jeremiah as much about my family as I can.
“?Ay, hijo mío! Estás en casa. ?Te he extra?ado mucho!” my mother exclaims when we walk through the door, rushing to me and gripping my cheeks before kissing me all over the face.
Oh, my son! You’re home. I’ve missed you so much!
I laugh and pull away, and she immediately heads for Zeke and Ridge, giving them the same attention and love as me. When she notices the three newcomers behind us, she gasps and pushes past us to get to them, stopping in front of Cozy first, gripping her hands in hers and kissing her rosy cheeks.
“Dios mío. Eres un ángel precioso y hermoso, hija mía.”
My god. You are a beautiful, precious angel, my child.
“Gracias. Es un placer conocerte,” Cozy responds, telling her it’s nice to meet her, and my mother looks back at me with a beaming smile and raised brows.
“Ah, ?y ella también habla espa?ol?”
Oh, and she speaks Spanish?
“Even more perfect than I imagined,” my mother murmurs, before looking over at Jeremiah and moving to stand in front of him.
It’s almost comical, the way my mother, who’s only slightly taller than Cozy, stands in front of Jeremiah with a stern look on her face. Jeremiah looks uncomfortable and fidgety, a look I’m not used to seeing from him, and I can’t help but grin.
“ Tú, joven, me comerás de una casa y de un hogar. Tell me, do you like arroz con pollo? Tamales? Menudo?”
You, young man, will eat me out of a house and a home.
“Ah, yes?” Jeremiah responds, his answer coming out more of a question as he looks over at me in alarm, and my mother hugs him, surprising him even more.
“ Bienvenido a casa, hijo.”
Welcome home, son.
I watch as his eyes glisten slightly, though he blinks quickly to hide his reaction, and he hugs her back, despite how uncomfortable I can tell he is. Knowing some of his history now, I realize I should have warned him that my family is… well, they’re a family. They love my pack, and now that Jeremiah, Micah, and Cozy are included in my pack, it means they love them, despite not knowing them yet. My mother is about to show him exactly what it means when your mom is a Latina. She’s going to feed him, dote on him, and call him on his shit if need be. But she’s also going to love him, just like Mama Valley. They’re very similar, which is why they get along so well when they get around each other. He won’t know what to do when that happens.
Micah is grinning when she makes it to him and before she can say a word, he speaks, surprising her even more.
“ Resulta que me encanta el arroz con pollo y tamales. Mi mamá me prepara tamales frescos cada vez que voy a cenar.”
I happen to love arroz con pollo and tamales. My mom makes me fresh tamales every time I go to dinner.
“?Oh! ?Otro! ?Me traes dos nuevos miembros de tu manada que hablen espa?ol, hijo? Estoy impresionado,” she mutters to me before looking back at Micah with a motherly smile . “?Tu madre es de México?”
Oh! Another one! You bring me two new members of your pack who speak Spanish, son? I’m impressed.
“Puerto Rico. I think you two will be trouble when you meet,” he chuckles, hugging my mother without a thought and making my heart feel full with how easily he takes to her.
Once my mom has met them, she drags us through the house and out to the backyard, where everyone is. The minute we step out, the women converge on Zeke. That is, until they notice Cozy, and then he’s all but forgotten. When Marisol and Ileana notice him, they giggle and make their way over. Until he moves closer to Cozy, despite the older women surrounding her. The minute they see him wrap his arm around her, they pout at each other and set their eyes elsewhere, Zeke all but forgotten to them now that they know he’s spoken for. I can see him visibly deflate before he gives Cozy a kiss on the top of her head and makes his way to me and the others.
“I dinnae ken if I should feel bad for leavin’ her tae the wolves or no,” Zeke mutters when he stops in front of us, taking the beer I offer him.
I smile as I watch our girl with my family, grinning and blushing at all of their affection and attention. I shake my head.
“She’ll be fine. They already love her, and she seems to like their attention,” I say softly, unable to look away from the woman that’s stolen all of our hearts.
“Family is important to her. She doesn’t have anyone left from her old life before Victor took her, so this means more to her than anything. It’s why she attached herself so quickly to Valley. She sees her as another mother figure,” Jeremiah chimes in lowly, tracking Cozy’s movement across the yard as my tías and abuelas drag her to a table and start making her a plate.
We all stop and look at him, and my heart is in my throat at his revelation. I didn’t realize she didn’t have anyone. But how could I? We don’t know much of what she’s been through, only the little that we’ve been told. It never mattered, and it still doesn’t, but still…
“No one?” Ridge asks, his voice sounding tight.
Jeremiah’s brows furrow as he takes his eyes off Cozy to look at us.
“Victor killed her parents in punishment a month or so after he got her, and they were pretty much all she had. She’s an only child, and she doesn’t have any other family that she knows about. You didn’t know?”
Micah shifts on his feet, but shrugs.
“I did, but that’s only because of our sessions before… everything,” he mutters, rubbing the back of his neck.
Ridge, Zeke, and I all shake our heads, searching out our omega immediately.
“We didn’t know,” Ridge whispers with a pained look in his eyes that I know reflects back in mine.
Jeremiah sighs, running his fingers through his hair.
“Don’t tell her I told you. I… I thought she already did. But I guess I understand why she didn’t. This, what we all are … it’s a new beginning for her. To her, the less you three know, the better. She doesn’t want you to look at her any differently than you do now. She knows I won’t because I already know everything, and I don’t know how much Micah knows, but I figure he’s proven to her that what he knows doesn’t change anything. Don’t take it personally that you didn’t know. It’s not… knowing that she’s been through horrible shit and knowing the details is vastly different.” He pauses, looking over at Cozy with a pained smile and tortured eyes. “And bearing witness to her pain is even worse,” he whispers, taking a swig of his beer and clearing his throat before glancing back at us.
His words are enough to dull all of our moods until the rest of my family makes their way over to us to meet the new additions. I introduce Jeremiah and Micah to my dads, several uncles and aunts, grandparents, and the siblings that were able to make it since they still live nearby. They fit in perfectly, and after a few hours of conversation, it’s like they’ve always been around.
Everything is going great. We eat good food, dance and drink, and have good company. It’s not until Cozy excuses herself a few hours into our visit, running past me and the others without a glance, that I get concerned. I look over at the table she was sitting at with a frown, noticing the confused and concerned looks on everyone’s faces. When I walk over to ask what happened—the others right behind me—it’s my abuela Mickey that answers.
“I’m not sure, Cari?o . We were talking about how beautiful she is, and your Tía Camila said how she hoped when you have babies that they get her beautiful curls and red hair. Then she excused herself,” she says with a worried look in the direction Cozy disappeared.
Micah sucks in a breath and Jeremiah curses under his, both hastily turning and taking off after Cozy, and none of us question it when we follow.
“What’s wrong?” Zeke asks them as we make our way into the house and I take the lead, searching everywhere downstairs before we head up.
“It’s not my place,” Micah responds, raising our concerns.
We find her upstairs in the bathroom between my old room and my brother’s, the door locked and quiet sniffling coming from the other side that makes me want to break it down to get to her.
“Cozy, please let us in. It’s okay, Firefly. Everything is going to be okay, I promise,” Micah murmurs, his head resting against the door with his eyes pinched shut.
“You can’t promise because you don’t speak for them,” she says softly, tears in her voice, but we hear the lock on the door click, and suddenly we’re all cramming ourselves into the small room.
It’s a feat, especially with Zeke and Jeremiah’s bulk, but we make it work. Because when we catch sight of our omega curled on the floor, her arms wrapped tight around herself and tears streaking down her red cheeks, the lack of space becomes a non-issue.
She glances at Jeremiah, and he quickly moves to crouch in front of her, holding his arms out until she climbs into his lap. He sits, running his fingers through her hair and murmuring in her ear until her sobbing stops. My fingers twitch with the need to hold her, to reassure her that everything will be okay like Jeremiah is doing, but part of me also recognizes that it’s him she needs right here in this moment because she knows he won’t leave. And there’s still an uncertainty with the rest of us, even if she doesn’t realize it.
“Tell us what’s wrong, mí amor ,” I whisper once she’s calmed down, my throat tight and heart aching, and when she looks at me with her big, tearful eyes, I nearly fall to my knees.
She looks at all of us, sniffling and burrowing into Jeremiah’s arms even more, and I don’t miss the way his arms tighten around her.
“I can’t… I can’t give you babies!” she wails, burying her face into Jeremiah’s chest, and my eyes widen.
As he whispers something to her, she nods in response, which has him taking a deep breath. With his arms wrapped around her, he looks up at us before his eyes briefly meet Micah’s, and with a nod, he silently communicates with him, making Micah sigh.
“She can’t have kids. It’s just one more thing Victor stole from her. The internal damage caused from… some of the things he did left her infertile. I thought she told you all,” Micah eventually says, rubbing the back of his neck and staring at Jeremiah and Cozy with a familiar longing.
As her sobbing resumes, Jeremiah affectionately rubs his face against Cozy’s hair. I can’t help but notice how her hands tightly grip his shirt while her deep sobs resonate throughout the tiny room, making it feel even more constricted. With a quick glance at my brothers, I can see the reflection of my own emotions mirrored in their eyes. It’s a bittersweet realization that our family will never experience the joy and chaos of little versions of us running around and filling our home with noise, but we all agree that having Cozy by our side makes it worthwhile. Slowly and carefully, one by one, me, Ridge, and Zeke kneel down beside her in the confined area, reaching out to touch her with our hands.
“Ducky, we dinnae… Kids arenae the most important thing in the world to us. Sure, we figured we’d have them one day, but it’s no’ a deal breaker for us,” Zeke whispers, glancing at me and Ridge.
Her sobs quiet just a bit as she listens, and we both nod in agreement when she peeks out at us.
“Kids or no kids, we just want you, Smalls. We don’t want you just to give us babies. We want you because… because we fucking love you. Something that’s not hard to do,” Ridge tells her, holding her hand in a tight grip like he’s afraid she’s going to leave him, leave us.
“And if kids are something you want in the future, there are ways for that to still be possible, corazón . But no matter what, we want you. We’re not going anywhere unless it’s chasing after you if you decide to run. Which I really hope you won’t do because Jeremiah will follow, and probably Micah, too, and that just means we’d have to pack all three of you back home with us. Jeremiah’s pretty heavy, and I’m sure he’d put up a hell of a fight,” I whisper jokingly to her, hoping she’ll give me a smile.
Her watery giggle breaks the tension, and we all exhale in relief. As Micah passes her some tissue, she wipes her nose, her eyes wide and hopeful as she leans against Jeremiah.
“You love me?” she asks softly, her voice tight and high, and I reach out, carefully pulling her into my arms, and she comes without a fight.
“I love you more than anything in this world, Sirenita . Since the moment you stepped out of Mama Valley’s car and stood in front of me, I’ve known I’d never be able to let you go if you gave me the chance to be yours. I don’t want anyone but you, ever, because you’re it for me. No other omega will do, I’m afraid,” I whisper, kissing her tears away before she presses her lips to mine.
When she pulls back, she glances over at Zeke and crawls over to his lap.
“And you? Do you love me?” she asks him, and he cups her cheeks with his large hands.
“I’d walk intae the Underworld tae face Hades just like Hercules did for Megara, Ducky. I’d jump right intae that pit o souls without a second thought tae pull ye back. So yeah, lass. I love ye. Ye’re ma home. Ma very heart an’ soul.”
His Disney reference is met with collective groans from all of us, except for Cozy, who lights up with delight. She fucking beams at the Scottish bastard, and now I wish I’d used one as well because I know how much she loves those movies. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she nuzzles her nose against him, feeling his contented purr in response as he returns the affectionate gesture.
Then, she looks at Ridge, holding her arms out for him. He quickly grabs her, pulling her into his lap last.
“And you, Alpha?” she asks him quietly, almost shyly.
A strained sound escapes from the back of his throat as he nods, his grip on her hips so intense that I worry it might leave bruises.
“I do. I love you very much, Cozette. I don’t have pretty words like my brothers to express how much I love you, but I know if I lose you, I won’t survive it,” he tells her, his throat bobbing as he swallows.
Overwhelmed with emotion, tears stream down Cozy’s face as she throws herself at him, her hands gripping his cheeks as their lips lock in a desperate kiss.
“I love you, too. All of you. And I-I don’t want to lose any of you. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about… about not being able to have kids. Things were just going so good and—”
Ridge silences her with a firm grip on her cheeks, kissing her with an intensity that makes it seem like his entire existence hinges on it.
“It wouldn’t have mattered if you told us sooner or not, Smalls. We still wouldn’t have changed our minds,” he tells her when he pulls back, tucking one of her errant curls behind her ear like we’re always doing.
She sighs and lays her head on his chest, looking around at us all with red-rimmed eyes.
“I like your family,” she says to me, a small smile on her lips and I smile back.
“I’m glad. I’m sorry they upset you, though, amor ,” I respond with a frown and she shakes her head.
“S’not their fault. They didn’t know,” she says sleepily, blinking her eyes.
“I’ll tell them. My abuela Mickey was worried when you left.”
“What if they don’t like me anymore?” she asks, her voice small and sounding sad to my ears.
“This won’t change anything, baby. I promise. They already love you, and ni?os and ni?as or not, they’ll still love you. You’re hard not to love,” I tell her, reaching over to run my finger down her cheek.
“Okay.”
“Do you want to go back down or go home?” Ridge asks, rubbing his cheek against the top of her head as his arms squeeze her tighter.
“Can we stay up here just a little bit longer, then go back down? I’m not ready to go home yet, but I need a minute.”
We all agree, and I stand. When she looks at me with a frown and softly whines, holding her hand out for me, I grab it and give it a kiss.
“I’ll be right back. Just going to let everyone know you’re okay and that baby talk is off limits,” I tell her, and she nibbles on her lip.
“It doesn’t all have to be off limits. Just…”
“No talk of us having any,” I fill in and she nods.
I nod back, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze before reluctantly releasing it and slipping out of the bathroom. The moment I step outside, all eyes turn towards me, filled with anticipation and worry for my omega. Pride surges through me, a comforting reminder of the constant love and support I receive from my family. I let them know that she will be back down in a moment, and then I break the news. Of course, there are sad looks, but just like I told Cozy, everyone is more worried about her well-being than the fact that we won’t have kids. Their love for her already is evident, and I’m thankful that now Cozy gets to call them her family as well.