Chapter 51
Revea
On the seventh day, we finally leave the nest. I try not to make a big deal of it, but an ache blooms in my chest when I step out.
I’m carried straight to the kitchen where Luc’s preparing food, swaying his hips to Spanish music. Sylvan’s checking things on his laptop, and Val’s soon scooping food into my mouth while I’m sitting on Kaiden’s lap.
It’s pretty perfect.
But then the air hums, and all heads turn to… Sylvan.
He’s frowning, deeply, gaze frantically scanning his screen.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, sipping my coffee. They’re all silent, even Sylvan. Which means it must be bad. I swallow. “Come on, tell me.”
“But we’ve been so careful, I don’t understand…” Sylvan murmurs, locked on whatever task has him consumed. “How could they know?”
“Show me, Sylvan,” I say, fingers tensing around the mug.
His hands still, hovering over the keyboard, then he looks at me. “I can’t.”
I frown. “Why?”
“Because…” His eyes dart to each member of his pack. “Because I don’t want you to leave.” He shuts his laptop. “I’ll fix this. I can fix it. Just give me time—”
“Sylvan, you’re scaring me.” I glance around at all my alphas, but not one of them is moving or speaking. “You all are…” I place my mug down, the soft clink echoing. “Sylvan, just tell me. Please.”
I feel Kaiden nod behind me.
“They know.”
“Who?”
“Everyone.”
“And what do they know, Sylvan?”
“About you. That you’re courting a pack,” he starts, then can’t stop. “We can claim it as slander, our lawyers can have the articles taken down, we can—”
I let out a breath. “Sylvan, it’s fine.”
“…we’ll put out a statement, we’ll…” His words slowly trickle out. “Did you… Did you just say it’s fine?”
I nod, smiling softly.
His brows pinch tightly as his gaze swings to his pack.
“Revea, we’ll do what we can to fix this,” Kaiden finally says, his hands gripping my thighs.
“We’ll start by finding the leak,” Luciano grits out. “Who the fuck even knew?”
“I don’t know,” Val shakes his head, “but when we find them…”
“Yeah, what will you do to them, Valentin?” My mouth starts to twitch, and his stern expression falters into confusion. “Maybe… tie them up? Gag them?”
I can’t hold back my smile at their expressions. Of course they’re confused.
They’ve gone into alpha mode, threatening to destroy whoever’s leaked this damaging information, desperate to protect me from the anticipated backlash. And here I am, joking about it—
“It’s you,” Sylvan says, placing his phone screen up on the counter. “You’re the leak.”
I sigh. “Sylvan, you couldn’t have waited a few more minutes?”
His eyes are wide, staring at me as the alphas fight over his phone, trying to turn it to read.
I slip off Kaiden’s lap, and they all shift to watch as I stand before them and pull out my phone.
Swiping onto the post, I clear my throat and read.
“Hi, everyone, if you come to the salon, you may have noticed I haven’t been around for a while. If you’ve reached out to me, you’ll have been told I’ve been on a break. But the truth is, it’s been my heat.
“I’ve always presented myself as an independent businesswoman, someone who wants to support omegas and women in all areas, but I never claimed to be a role model.
Because I’m not. These past few weeks have been the most challenging of my life, and the only reason I’ve gotten through them is because of my friends, my family… and my pack.”
The room stills. There isn’t a single sound. I swallow, but keep going.
“Yes, that’s right. The independent, anti-pack omega spent her heat with a pack, and somewhere along the way…
I fell in love with them. They taught me that being independent doesn’t mean being alone.
That being strong doesn’t mean you can’t be vulnerable.
That it’s okay to ask for help. That it’s okay to be scared.
“Thank you for all the support you’ve shown me, my staff, and my business. And if this news disappoints you, I hope you one day find a love like I have. Revea Monroe.”
I try to keep my smile in place as I finally look up, but when I see them, all four stare at me. Blank. Every single one of them.
My lips fall.
Sylvan’s gaze drops first, back to his phone. “You said you love us,” he says quietly. “Why?”
I let out a soft laugh. “Because I do?”
It’s silent again. They watch me, but no one moves.
My laugh fades out. “Not exactly the response I expected…”
“You posted that publicly.” Val’s voice is controlled, but there’s a tightness there. “On your business account.”
I smile awkwardly. “Yes?”
“Baby, why?” Luc sounds genuinely distressed, and my smile drops completely.
“Ve, it’s not that I’m not happy about this, I am.
I’m fucking ecstatic. But you went through hell and back with those journalists, fought every allegation, turned up every day, walked through that crowd every night.
You’ve worked so damn hard. I don’t want people taking that away from you. ”
“Rescind the statement,” Kaiden orders, voice low. “We’ll say you were hacked. We’ll stay a secret.” He glances at his pack, who all nod, even Sylvan. “We don’t care about being known, Revea. As long as we can have you, we don’t care who knows.”
“No,” I say back, just as stern. “Since we’ve met, everything you’ve ever done has been to help me.
Even when I didn’t deserve it. I don’t care what other people think, what the press will say.
I don’t even care how this affects my business, because I’m starting to realise what really matters.
I made that post because I want to show you how much you mean to me. I’m done being afraid.”
I look each of them in the eyes as I say, “I love you. Luciano, Valentin, Sylvan, Kaiden. I love you, and I don’t want to keep that a secret.”
“You love us,” Sylvan says slowly, like he’s still wrapping the words around his tongue. “Even me?”
“Yes, Sylvan.” I step closer, trying to hide the ache in my heart at his words. I keep moving until my hand lies on his chest, our eyes locked. “I love you—”
His mouth crashes into mine as he lifts me to his height, kissing me hard, deeply, a claim with his lips and tongue.
“No ‘I think’?” he asks against my mouth, but it isn’t a joke; his brows are slightly pinched as he studies my face.
I hold his cheek in my hand, catching my breath with a small smile. “No, Sylvan, I’m sure.”
A hand slides into my hair, and my face is turned, the deep rumble against my mouth telling me it’s Val. His kiss is slower, deeper, claiming in a completely different way. More worship.
Strong hands shift at my waist as Luc catches me against his chest, kissing me harder, breathless, like he’s been waiting for just this moment.
I’m turned again, and Kaiden is there. He doesn’t rush. His hand cups my face, thumb brushing my cheek as he leans in softly, kissing me like he’s memorising it.
“If you thought we were possessive before,” he murmurs against my lips, “you’ve no idea what you’ve unleashed in us now.”
My pulse races as his fingers slip to my throat, gripping me firmly as his kiss deepens.
Still kissing, Kaiden takes me from Luc and lowers us onto the centre of the sofa.
The cushions dip as they close in immediately, Luc dropping onto one side, Val on the other, as I straddle Kaiden’s lap.
Hands skim my arms, my throat, my jaw. A kiss brushes my temple.
Another at my shoulder. Warmth and delicious scents everywhere, all at once.
All except…
I slow Kaiden’s kiss; he feels it, following reluctantly as I glance over my shoulder.
Sylvan is beside the fireplace, leaning against the mantel, on his phone.
“Syl, what are you doing now, mate?” Luc groans, slumping back into the sofa.
I turn in Kaiden’s lap to face Sylvan, but he loops an arm around my waist to stop me moving off.
“Reading the comments,” Sylvan answers, eyes fixed on his screen as he comes to us, sitting on the floor with his back against the sofa.
“Don’t do that,” Val rumbles.
“But someone said it’s Pack Arden.” He sounds so disgusted it’s almost funny. His fingers keep moving. “I need to correct them.”
I shoot upright in Kaiden’s lap. “Syl, wait!” He looks up. “I didn’t use your pack name so you could stay anonymous.” Sylvan’s gaze drops, fingers moving again. My voice speeds up. “I don’t want the press hounding you, and think about your business—”
“He’s already seven replies deep,” Val says calmly, peering over Sylvan’s shoulder. “Eight… nine…”
I try to scramble to him, but Kaiden holds my waist in a concrete grip.
“Give it up, Ve,” Luc murmurs, kissing my cheek. “He’s not going to stop.”
I turn to him, eyes wide. “But you know what’ll happen next. You saw it happen to me—”
“It doesn’t matter,” Kaiden says, hand gripping my jaw to tilt my head back, forcing me to meet his gaze above me. “I don’t care if we lose every client we have. You’ve just told the world you love us, Revea. You can’t expect us to sit back and not claim you as ours.”
Ours.
I like the sound of that.