30. Adrian
Adrian
The huge black SUV pulls up quietly, any sound from its engine mostly drowned out by the pattering of rain.
It's coming down harder by the second, enough to damn sure get wet.
Calder sits in the driver's seat, hand snaking through his damp hair as Sage and I pop the trunk.
Keeping Opaline's array of flowers safe was a feat.
Luckily, it seems like we did a good enough job; everything looks safe, if not a little well-watered.
"Umbrellas should be back there, somewhere," he calls from the front, turned back towards us.
Little digging through a couple of plastic totes and bags, we find two. "Got 'em."
"On second thought…" he slowly trails off, "not sure we need them." I glance up as if it'd stopped raining in the last five seconds, not sure what he's talking about.
But following both his and Sage's soft, disbelieving smiles and traveling gazes, I lock in on the two figures running out of the barn at the end of the gravel, laughing. My own cheesy smile matches everyone else's in our pack. It's infectious.
"What the hell are they doing…" I murmur, transfixed.
Rett's deep laughter echoes over the expanse of dark, wet gravel between us and them, hers following closely. Hand in hand, they twirl and dance out in the distance, between two of the wildflower fields.
"They're dancing in the fucking rain," Calder says softly, a chuckle behind his awe at the sight, hand rubbing his chest.
All my senses work to focus on them and the music in the background perfectly in time with their clunky and…
unique dancing. Something in my chest pinches so damn tight at seeing the two of them together, radiating joy.
But it's not jealousy; no, far from it. It's a soul-deep appreciation at seeing the two people I love most in the world so deservingly happy.
Rett's gorgeous curls weigh heavily the more wet they get, as do their clothes.
The white summer dress Opal has on starts to stick to her skin, Ever's fitted t-shirt now clinging like it's slathered on paint.
With a more honed look, I see that she has a literal crown made of flowers atop her head, a single hand failing to keep it in place, petals a damp mess against her forehead.
I know instantly, without a shadow of doubt, he was the one thoughtful enough to go the extra mile and make it for her.
It's perfect, sweet, and everything she deserves.
Pulling out my phone, I stay rooted under the awning of the back of our SUV and zoom in, taking shots of the two of them.
In real life, the moment is simple and beautiful.
But behind the tiny lens of my phone's camera?
They're devastatingly beautiful. The rain, wildflowers, and mountain range behind them are the perfect backdrop to their dance.
Clothing stuck to skin, hair wet messes, I manage to get the perfect photo: Ever dips her back with a steamy, lingering kiss, hand on her raised thigh.
"He's gonna love that pic, Adrian." Sage grips my shoulder, standing next to me, whispering praise. It's like each one of us, even from way back here, are under their spell and don't want the moment to be interrupted.
Like she belongs in his arms, the space between them shrinks to nothing. I can feel the heat of that kiss, even once they right themselves, simply holding each other like the world's burning and they're next to go.
They share one last lingering kiss, ending with goofy smiles before nodding and turning to us, hand in hand.
Sitting together as a pack in our sunken living room, Opaline's eyes droop sleepily.
That doesn't stop her mouth from greedily accepting the spoonfuls of Ethyl's ice cream that Calder's handfeeding her, though.
She's snuggled on his lap sideways, while Sage brushes her freshly washed hair and massages her scalp.
Based on the sounds she's making and the peaceful strum between us, I'd bet she's halfway to heaven.
A light-hearted comedy plays on the giant TV screen as those three snuggle up.
Ever's relaxed next to me, on the adjoining stretch of couch to our packmates.
He's watching our omega, but little does he know how intently I'm watching him, too.
Six times now, I've fisted my hands to stop myself from reaching to pull him closer.
At this point, it's an urge that's not going away and is sitting under my skin like ants, just pulling more agitation and anger to my core.
Glancing over at me, his eyes shutter, and I see his happiness practically melt under my gaze already on him as our eyes meet.
He looks away, pulling his leg that had drifted slowly closer throughout that last hour and a half with him.
Cursing inwardly, I realize I'm fucking scowling.
Not for the reasons he's thinking, though.
I can't take it, not after that display.
I don't want to see him hurt, especially at my hand.
Not anymore. Never again. Without putting further thought into it, without second guessing, I finally lean forward and pull his body onto mine, so we're cuddling.
He tenses, with a shocked expression snapping to our packmates and back to mine, clearly confused.
Leaning close to his ear, I whisper and feel his tremor.
"I've been convincing myself not to do this for the last hour.
If you're not comfortable with it, that's completely okay.
" I use one hand to slide my thumb against the side of his neck.
"Just please be honest with me if you're not.
" And with a quick kiss against his ear, I pull away, giving him every chance to put distance between us.
"Either way, I'm here with you." The very words I reassured him with after our hallway entanglement fall from my lips again.
I mean it with everything I am. Opening myself to Opaline, allowing myself to feel love in any capacity, has felt like a machete taken to the center of my heart, bringing life and oxygen to the despair and dying hope that had hardened its walls and darkened any spark long ago.
I still have a lot I need to figure out on my own, but I know one thing with certainty when it comes to Rett, despite not being able to speak the words aloud.
He's my packmate, my best friend, the one person I know I can always count on.
But, he's also not, is he? He's so much more.
If the space in my heart filled with beauty and lush greenery was brought to life by Opal's oxygen, it was Rett who brought the sun and rain.
Everything, every fucking god damn thing I feel towards him stays locked behind my lips, stuck in my throat, retreating to my chest the longer our gaze connects.
When he raises his chin the few inches between us with a soft, albeit nervous, smile, I waste no time closing that space between us, too. Praying he can somehow feel the depth of it all.
The weight of him feels entirely different from when Opaline is lying on top of me. I love it all the same.
Our soft, secret, and languid kisses build heat, the evidence clear as he subtly rubs his thickening cock against my hip.
I muffle a warning growl that's more vibration than sound, trying to stop this from going any further.
Opaline is comfortable with our…well, with us.
But insecurity starts to creep back in, knowing our other packmates are so close.
A wave of panic and anxiety shoots through me, like it always does, causing me to pull away when really, I don't want to.
Doing my best to hide the sensation, I work to tamp down my end of the bond with Opal.
I know they'd support us in whatever made us happy.
This is just another small step toward our future that I need to work through on my own.
Because there is a future, just on the other side of my issues and bullshit.
Inhaling his scent, I focus on the softness of his silken curls as my fingers explore and tend to the upper part of his neck and the tension there. My Everette. Safety. Comfort. Peace.
We've crossed entirely new physical boundaries during Opal's Heat.
Which, fuck, if the flashbacks aren't going straight to my dick in these godforsaken sleep pants.
But this, right here, feels like an entirely new level of intimacy.
It's easy when there's booze or heightened emotions or pheromones from a collective Heat haze.
But right now, it's just us. I want to be his peace, his safe place, his comfort. I want to be…his everything.
With more kisses to his forehead in a veiled disclosure of my feelings, I cradle his head over my chest, over my heart, chin tucked perfectly against his soft curls.
I nearly drift off myself with the soothing strokes of his hands tracing in comforting, predictable patterns. It's not until Sage's voice rings out as he jumps up from the couch in excitement that my eyes pop back open. "Dessert round two?"
He rubs his hands together in excitement at the very thought of more sugar, eyes jumping to Ever and I entangled on the couch.
But, with his scent infiltrating my lungs, the comforting weight of him on my chest, the sincerity and care constantly emanating from his heart, there is no panic, no fear clogging my throat, freezing me in place or chanting for me to run away.
If I needed any sort of reassurance in the moment, baring ourselves to Sage, it's washed away with the smile and wink he shoots directly at us before taking off, up the short set of steps into the kitchen.
"You have more dessert?" Opaline, sleepy omega that she is, sits up straight at the mention of sweets.
"Duh, babycakes!"
"You have baby cakes? Like, tiny cakes? Wait, like…
cupcakes?" she asks, adorably befuddled, following behind.
I can't help the laugh that bursts free as Calder follows up the short series of steps.
She returns a fierce omega growl, hands on her hips as she stops, glaring at us playfully.
It quickly transforms into a soft, approving smile as her eyes bounce between Rett and me.
Unable to resist, we each get up and follow the heart of our pack into the kitchen, drawn to her.