2. Lyra
A fter I’d calmed down and pulled myself together enough to convince my pack I would be fine on my own to get dressed for the day, I hopped into the shower. Last night I’d been too tired, but right now, I craved the feeling of scalding hot water flowing over my body to wash away the nightmare that had been the past few days. I couldn’t help but smile at seeing all my favorite body care and shower necessities lined up neatly on the ledge, ready for me to use. When my skin was bright red, and I began to feel a little lightheaded from the heat, I knew I had to leave the safety of my steamy chamber.
Wrapped in a fluffy robe and hair twisted up in a towel, I walked to my new walk-in closet. All my clothes were neatly hung and grouped from fancy to casual, making it easier to pick based on my mood. I knew this had to be Fawn’s doing, none of the others would have considered such an idea for organization. On the back wall of the closet was a built-in wardrobe for everything that needed to be folded and put on shelves. This space had been organized by color, and the folding was so meticulous I’d bet money this was Pascal’s contribution.
Fairly certain we weren’t leaving the house today, I pulled on a pair of buttery soft leggings and a loose-fitting T-shirt. Finishing the look off with my favorite pair of open-toed slippers, I shuffled back into my bedroom, pulling the towel from my head. The scent of smokey vanilla and rich, spicy apple pie caught my attention, letting me know one of my Alphas had come to check on me. I understood their concern and it was sweet, but I didn’t want them to view me as a burden needing someone to look after them all the time. So, I kept drying my hair with the towel, acting like I didn’t know Tanner was sitting on my bed.
“Breakfast is ready if you’re hungry,” Tanner said, breaking the silence.
My stomach decided to answer for me as it grumbled loudly at the suggestion of food. I slapped my hand over my stomach as if that could keep it quiet, which only made Tanner chuckle softly as he stood.
His arms wrapped around me in a gentle hug as he pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “I’m going to take that as a yes, but first, we need to dry your hair.”
“I was planning on letting it air dry,” I shared as I melted into his hold.
Every fiber of my being was exhausted, and I wasn’t sure I could manage the extra effort to blow dry my hair. My plan was to simply throw it up in a ponytail once it was a little drier. These men had just seen me at one of the lowest points in my life and dropped everything to take care of me. Now I was home, and the best thing for me was to get back to normal. Well, my new normal as part of this pack, which was a lot to adjust to on its own, without having to deal with a mental breakdown on top of it.
“You could do that…” Tanner started to say, pulling me back slightly so he could see my face, “… or, starlight, you could let me dry it for you.”
“Really, it’s not a big deal. My hair is pretty straight so it doesn’t need to be dried,” I assured him as I rested a hand on his chest.
Tanner covered my hand with his and smiled. “Starlight, please let me do this for you. There isn’t much I can do to fix what you’re struggling with, but I can offer my support in other ways. Truthfully, it’s a selfish request when you think about it. As one of your Alphas, the need to protect and care for you is all I can focus on. Letting me do this small task will help take the edge off.”
I let out a sigh and gave in to his request. “Okay, but I’m not sure where exactly my blow dryer is at the moment.”
“That’s all right, I do,” Tanner said with a wink.
He threaded our fingers together and led the way back into the bathroom. Tanner urged me to sit on the plush cream stool set before the built-in vanity. I watched in the mirror as he gathered a few things before returning to plug the dryer in. Before Tanner touched my hair with a brush, he misted it with a leave-in conditioner and then started at the ends.
“Something tells me this isn’t the first time you’ve done this,” I commented, meeting his gaze in the mirror.
“I guess you could say I’ve had some training,” Tanner shared. “Every so often, the salon asks Zac to teach a class, and I get the honor of being his practice student. He says if he can teach someone who has no clue what they’re doing, then he can teach anyone.”
A mental image of Zachary trying to teach Tanner on a manikin head appeared, and I couldn’t help but laugh. “How many times did you get a brush stuck in their hair?” I asked.
Tanner waggled the paddle at me in the mirror. “None, little missy. I’ll have you know back in the day, I had rather luscious locks down to my shoulders. Thanks to that, I have firsthand knowledge of what not to do.”
“Please tell me you still have pictures of you with your luscious locks,” I questioned, leaning back against his chest to look up at his expression.
“Because it’s you asking, I’ll let you see them,” Tanner whispered, caressing my cheek and then leaning down to place a gentle kiss on my lips. “First, though, I’m going to dazzle you with my blowout skills.”
Grinning, I pulled him down for another kiss, one which had my Alpha groaning and pressing himself against my back. Satisfied, I released my hold and sat straight, smirking at the hungry look in Tanner’s sultry brown eyes. It took him a minute to get control of himself, but soon the whir of the blow dryer filled the bathroom, and Tanner got to work. He hadn’t been kidding about his skills—my hair looked like shiny, silken honey when he was done.
Twisting on the stool to face him, I reached out a hand, which he took instantly and pulled me to my feet. “Thank you for pushing me to let you do this. I didn’t realize how much something so small would help.”
Tanner combed his fingers through my hair, letting it slide out of his grasp. “I know what it’s like to fight a battle no one else can help you win.”
The rawness I could hear in his words had me reaching out and taking his hand. It was clear Tanner had been through something, but I wasn’t going to pry. Instead, I offered him a sweet smile and squeezed his hand. “Come on, let’s go down for breakfast.”
I started to head for the door, but Tanner tugged me back against his chest and hugged me tightly. He buried his head in the crook of my neck and breathed in my scent before speaking, “Starlight, I need you to know that all of us are here for you in whatever way you need us. Let us lighten the load you’re carrying in whatever small way we can.”
Memories of my Papa Jack and how he used to sneak up behind my mother and snatch her up in a hug just like this filled my mind. Mom would let out a squeal of laughter as Papa showered her face with kisses, then winked at me as I giggled at their antics. It had been a long time since I could remember the happy time before those men came to our door and blew up our lives.
“Hey,” Tanner murmured as he shifted me in his arms so we were face to face. He used his thumb to wipe away tears I didn’t know were rolling down my cheeks. “If you want to share what’s going on in that beautiful mind of yours, I’m here to listen. Or I can just hold you until it passes.”
I shook my head, brushed away my tears, and sniffled. “It’s nothing. Being hugged like this made me remember how my Papa Jack used to do that to my mother all the time. She could be in the worst mood but the moment she was scooped up and showered with kisses, she’d laugh and magically wasn’t mad anymore.”
“Sounds to me like they really loved each other,” Tanner said and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I hope one day someone will say the same thing about us.”
My heart nearly skipped a beat at his words, and hope flooded my chest. Could it be possible for me to have a love like my parents? Was there enough left of my patchwork heart to hold the amount of love these men deserved? Before I could fall deeper into that spiral, my stomach let out the loudest growl I’d ever heard it make.
“I think your stomach is telling me I’m being a bad Alpha for forgetting how hungry you are,” Tanner grumbled, then proceeded to scoop me up in his arms and march down the hall to the elevator.
When we finally reached the house’s main level, I was hit by a wave of freshly baked cinnamon rolls. My mouth watered at the sight of the sugary goodness sitting on the kitchen counter. Pascal was the only one in sight, but his back was to us, pulling something out of the oven. He turned with another tray of piping hot rolls and placed them on the counter. Tanner set me down, and I headed straight for the pastries.
“These smell amazing,” I said once I’d caught Pascal’s attention.
I never knew how endearing it would be to see a man blush until I met Pascal. His cheeks flushed as he dropped his gaze from mine and adjusted his glasses. “It’s my grandmother’s recipe. She and I used to make them for special occasions. However, I haven’t made them in a long time, so I can’t guarantee they’ll taste as good as they should.”
“Passie, don’t you know anything will taste amazing with enough icing on it?” Fawn interjected as he hopped up onto the counter, swiped a finger in the bowl holding the icing, and popped it into his mouth. “Mmm, so good.” He moaned with his eyes closed.
“Pup,” Zachary said in a warning tone as he came out of the dining room and right up to Fawn.
I watched as Zachary took hold of Fawn’s calves and dragged him off the counter and into his arms. Fawn wrapped his arms and legs around our Alpha, perfectly content to stay right where he was.
“Now, my pup wouldn’t be breaking a rule right in front of me, would he? Because he’d know that means I’ll have to punish him,” Zachary scolded.
Fawn grinned mischievously and rubbed his nose playfully against Zachary’s. “No, papa bear, I would never be anything but your good little pup.”
Zachary grunted and stole a quick kiss before depositing Fawn on one of the stools near the counter.
“Lyra,” Eli called, pulling my attention to see him with his phone to his ear. “Yes, she’s right here, give me one moment.”
Eli smiled reassuringly as he gestured for me to come toward him, then slid his arm around my waist, guiding me down a short hall to an office I’d all but forgotten about—a plush leather loveseat near a window which made it a perfect spot for reading. Eli tugged me down beside him and offered up his phone.
“Dr. Mann called to check in on you,” Eli explained. “I haven’t told her much, just that you were out of the hospital and back home. Are you up to chatting with her? I can always tell her to call back tomorrow.”
I shook my head and took the phone from him. “It’s fine. I’m sure the doctors at the hospital reached out to her and probably Dr. Barnett.”
“If you’re sure,” Eli pressed, his stunning blue eyes searching my face for any sign I was uncomfortable.
“Positive,” I assured, taking the phone from his hand. My finger shook slightly as I went to unmute the call. This had me pausing to meet Eli’s gaze again. “Will you stay here with me while I talk to her?”
Everything about my overprotective Alpha relaxed as he placed his hand on my neck and used his thumb to stroke my cheek. “Petal, whatever you need is yours. All you have to do is ask.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, allowing myself to lean against him and rest my head on his shoulder. “Okay, I’m ready.”
It would appear that Eli wasn’t satisfied with the situation as he pulled me onto his lap and wrapped his arms around my waist. I shivered as I felt his lips brush against my neck in a whisper of a kiss. The warm, earthy scent of teakwood and spiced bourbon enveloped me, taking over all my senses. It made me want to give up control and allow myself to be taken care of, which is exactly what Eli craved.
“Dr. Mann, I apologize for putting you on hold. I needed to ensure Lyra was up to speaking with you today,” Eli said, snapping me out of my scent-induced haze.
“Not a problem, I respect your efforts to do what’s best for your Omega,” Dr. Mann replied. “I won’t take too much of your time. I had two reasons for calling. First, Lyra, I wanted you to know that I am more than willing to do a session or two with you at home if you feel that will be helpful. I don’t want you to pull away from help if getting into a vehicle so soon is too much.”
Surprised at her offer, I didn't know how to respond. “Oh…” I managed, then took a moment to close my eyes and take a few deep breaths.
Feeling more grounded, I sat up a little taller and answered her properly, “Thank you very much for offering that option. I’m not sure how I’d do being in a car so soon. When we left the hospital, I requested a strong sedative just to be safe, and that worked out well enough.”
“Lyra, my job is to help you in any way I can to help you find peace and confidence in your own mind,” Dr. Mann said, her tone conveying how serious she was taking the situation. “If possible, I would like to see you in the next few days. Did the doctor at the hospital change your medication?”
“Yes, he upped the dose of my antidepressant and gave me something new to help with the nightmares I’ve been having,” I answered.
“How are you feeling so far with the changes?” Dr. Mann pressed.
I shrugged, then remembered I was on the phone and not in person. “Too soon to tell. Right now, I mainly feel tired and drained, and I have a mild headache. For me to really tell, I need to be on the dose for at least a week before I see any changes.”
“That’s pretty typical,” Dr. Mann agreed. “Let’s schedule a time for us to meet in two days. This way, you’ll get time to rest, and hopefully, the side effects will have dissipated by then.”
“We are on bonding leave, so we’ll be home and available whenever you have time in your schedule,” Eli shared.
“Great, I’ll have my secretary reach out and we’ll get it on the books,” Dr. Mann assured before saying her goodbyes and hanging up.