The cabin looked quaint and unassuming, but Amirah had assured me it had an advanced security system that would alert us if anyone got close.
I signaled for Ben to let me down. He hesitated for a moment, pressing his face to my hair before reluctantly lowering me to the mossy forest floor. His hands stayed on my hips to ensure I was steady, and I bit my lip to stop myself from moaning. I wanted to press myself back against him, for him to tighten his grip on me and take me right here. But my omega was insistent—I had to make sure my alphas were safe above anything else. She was pushing to the forefront, trying to take control, and I knew she wouldn’t settle until we were all bonded.
Ben moved my hair so he could kiss the back of my neck, his lips soft against my skin. I almost allowed myself to sink into his touch, but forced myself away from him and up the steps to the front porch. Ben let out a grunt of displeasure and followed after me, but Theo got to me first. He tugged on my arm before I could touch the door handle.
“Wait here, love,” Theo said, caressing my face. I looked up into his warm eyes, automatically leaning in to get a hit of his scent. “Let me check the inside first.”
My omega wanted me to be the one to check the cabin so I could make sure it was a good, safe space for my alphas. I met Theo’s gaze in a silent standoff. His eyes were dark and his expression serious, his alpha pushing through to meet my omega. He raised an eyebrow, a rumbling growl starting in his chest. I let out a small huff before breaking eye contact, reluctantly pulled up my jacket sleeve to reveal the six-digit alarm code Amirah’s alpha had written on my skin this morning.
Theo wrapped his hand around my wrist, his skin hot against mine, and repeated the code to himself.
“Good girl,” he murmured, tipping my head up and gently kissing me before disappearing through the door.
The moment he was out of sight, panic seized my chest. I whimpered, taking a step to follow him, but Cam’s arms encircled my waist.
“He’s coming back, baby girl,” he said, pressing his face against my hair and breathing deeply.
I struggled against his hold for a moment. All I wanted was to hold them all close, but I was balancing on the knife’s edge of a complete meltdown. I had to stay strong a while longer to ensure my alphas were taken care of.
“Fuck. I missed you,” Cam murmured, squeezing me tighter.
Ben pressed himself to my front, wrapping his arms around both of us. I focused on their breaths, each one reassuring me they were here.
Inhale.
Alive.
Exhale.
Alive.
“It’s all clear,” Theo said, joining us on the porch. He clasped Cam and Ben on the shoulder as we all breathed a sigh of relief.
“Come on, angel,” he said, taking my hand.
The floorboards creaked as we walked inside the cabin. It was one large room with dark wood paneling on the walls. A small kitchen sat at one end and a large bed at the other.
“There’s wood here so we can build a fire,” Theo said, gesturing at the stove sitting in the middle of the cabin. Ben walked over and started fiddling with it.
There were two doors off the main room. I peeked into the first one and saw the bathroom with a comically small bathtub.
“This is locked,” Theo said, gesturing to the second door off of the kitchen.
“Oh, that must be the supply room,” I said, pulling up my other jacket sleeve. “That’s the code.”
“Shit,” Theo said once he got the door open. “There’s clothes and other supplies, but also a fucking armory.”
I peered around him to take in a small room with shelves filled with guns and other weapons. It was good that they were there, especially since we would need them tomorrow, but I turned away. I didn’t want to see it, didn’t want a reminder of the danger that still faced us.
Ben got the fire going and was now rifling through the kitchen cupboards. He pulled out several cans of soup and packages of crackers.
“Wait,” I said, tugging him away from the food and towards the table. “You three need to sit down.”
Cam scowled. “You need to sit down, sweetheart. We need to look at your leg.”
He reached for me, but I slipped out of his grasp. I couldn’t explain what I was feeling, but my omega wouldn’t let me rest until I was fully convinced my alphas were alright.
“No, you need to sit down,” I said, my voice shaking. “Please.”
My alphas must have seen something in my expression because they all reluctantly sat at the kitchen table.
I turned towards the soup cans and started opening them with a dusty can opener I found in one of the drawers. Ben’s chair scraped as he stood up.
“Let me do that, precious,” he said.
I shook my head and pointed at his chair.
He looked at Cam and Theo with concern but ended up sitting back down. I breathed a sigh of relief. Good. They were where they needed to be.
I finished pouring the soup into a saucepan, leaving it to heat while I went in search of a first aid kit. I found one under the sink and set it on the table. I started with Cam. His hands caressed my hips as I stood between his legs and looked over his injuries. I tugged at his shirt until he caught on, pulling it off.
My omega hated how their clothes smelled—like mildew and blood. I whined and gestured for them all to strip off.
“Okay, baby girl,” Cam murmured as he removed his clothes. Ben and Theo followed suit, piling all the clothes by the door. Now the three of them were sitting naked at the table. It was a testament to how focused my omega was on their care that she wasn’t more distracted by their dicks.
I looked over Cam’s body carefully. He had a few bruises on his ribs, but they were already faded. I knew alphas had accelerated healing, but it was amazing to see it in action. I, on the other hand, was still limping from my days-old injury.
Theo also had a series of faded bruises around his ribs and back and a small cut on his upper arm. I put a band-aid on it, even though it probably didn’t need one just so I could feel like I had done something.
When I came to Ben, he pulled me in for a long hug.
“You do what you need to do, precious. But when you’re done, I’m going to cuddle you and not let go, okay?”
I nodded, my throat tight. Ben had a scrape on his knee that I put some antibiotic cream on before bandaging it.
I returned to the soup, which was boiling on the stove, and dished it out. I wished I had something more substantial to feed them. They must be starving.
I placed the bowls in front of each of my alphas, giving them three packets of crackers each. I put my bowl in front of the fourth chair but didn’t sit.
“You need to eat, sweetheart,” Cam said sternly.
I shook my head. I couldn’t eat, couldn’t do anything before they did. My omega was insistent.
The guys looked at each other as if trying to figure out what to do with me. I wasn’t sure what to do with me. It was weird to just stand here and stare at them when they ate, right? And yet, that’s the only thing that felt right.
Realization dawned on Theo’s face.
“Your omega is in control right now, isn’t she, love?”
Tears sprang to my eyes. Of course, Theo would understand what was happening.
He turned to Cam and Ben. “I read about this in a book. Sometimes the omega will take over and insist on caring for their alphas, especially after a trauma or separation. We need to do what she says until she calms down.”
“Doesn’t feel right to eat without her,” Ben grumbled. He turned to me. “Is this what you need, precious? You need to feed your alphas?”
“Yes,” I whispered. It was all I could manage with how tight my throat felt. Ben’s eyes softened and he took a bite of soup.
“This is perfect,” he said, crumbling his crackers and mixing them with the soup.
I knew he was humoring me—it was canned soup. But his words still made me want to preen. I perfumed for the first time since we were separated. Cam shifted in his seat before attacking his soup, taking large, quick bites. His spoon clattered to the bottom of the bowl, and I almost smiled at his enthusiasm.
“Come here, little omega,” Cam said, pushing his empty bowl away from him. I hesitated. Had I done enough to take care of them?
Cam held his hand out to me and I couldn’t resist taking it. He tugged me onto his lap and caressed my face.
“You’ve done such a good job caring for us, omega. You did perfectly.”
My lip trembled. This was what I needed to hear.
“I can’t believe how lucky we are to have the perfect omega,” Theo added, scooting his chair closer and placing a firm hand on my thigh.
Ben moved my hair to the side so he could kiss my neck and scent mark me. He reached out to grab my hand. “I love you so much,” he whispered. Each of my alphas had their hands on me, softening the sharp edges of my omega’s compulsion.
Safe. They were safe and here and whole.
That did it. I could no longer keep my tears from falling. I curled into Cam’s chest and sobbed.
“I thought you were dead,” I choked out between sobs. “I heard gunshots and Glen said you were dead.”
Cam tightened his hold on me until it was almost painful, but I didn’t want him to let go.
“They shot into the air and then pushed us into the pool,” Cam murmured, rocking me back and forth. “By the time we surfaced, we couldn’t see where they’d taken you.”
Relief washed through me that they hadn’t been shot, but that night would still haunt me forever. I did my best to push the memories aside and focused on breathing in my alphas’ scents.
They’re here.
They’re safe.
I wasn’t sure how long we sat there, but eventually, Theo broke the silence.
“You need to eat, and we need to shower.”
My breathing accelerated at the thought of them being out of sight.
“I’ll shower first,” Theo said, cupping my face and placing a gentle kiss on my lips. “We’re not leaving you,” he whispered, his lips caressing my ear.
I forced myself to relax in Cam’s hold instead of whining at Theo to come back. But when Ben got up, I reached out to grab his arm.
“I’m going to reheat this soup.” He bent down so his face was level with mine. “Let us take care of you now. We need it, too.”
I reluctantly let go of his arm and he quickly swept my soup bowl off the table.
“That’s a good girl,” Cam murmured. “Good, perfect omega. You’re going to let your alphas take care of you, and then you’re going to tell us everything that’s happened since we were separated.”
When Ben put the soup back down in front of me, Cam went to grab the spoon as if he was going to feed me. I raised my eyebrow and he handed me the spoon with an aggrieved sigh. I bit my lip to hide my smile and settled back on his lap, trying and failing to ignore his hardening cock pressing against my back. Cam buried his face in my neck, kissing and scent-marking me as I ate.
Theo returned from the shower, his hair damp. I shifted onto his lap as Cam went to shower. My omega wasn’t thrilled that Theo smelled like generic soap, but it was better than before. I ran my hands over his skin, trying to cover him with my scent. He inhaled sharply as I trailed my hands down his chest.
Once Ben was back from showering, he opened his arms to me. I straddled him, wrapping my arms and legs around him.
“What happened since we were arrested?” Cam asked, gripping the back of my neck in a firm, comforting hold.
“How long ago was that, even?” Theo asked.
“Twelve days,” I said, feeling the urge to cry again at the reminder of how long we’d been apart. I wasn’t sure how I had any tears left after this past week.
“Never again,” Cam said, tightening his hold on me.
“Can… can we get in the bed?” I asked. “I need…” I didn’t know how to put words to what I needed. I just needed them.
But, of course, my alphas didn’t argue. Ben kept a firm hold on my backside as he stood and carried me to the bed. Theo pulled back the covers, and all of us piled in.
Ben tugged on my top and I lifted my arms, allowing him to strip me. The moment my leggings were off, Theo’s hands were on me, examining my leg.
“Can I take this off?” he asked, tracing his fingers over the bandage tied around my thigh. At my hesitation, he added, “I’ll put another one on, but I have to see it, love.”
I nodded, understanding how driven my alphas were by their instincts right now, just as my omega had driven mine.
Theo peeled off the bandage, revealing the neat line of stitches Angie had given me. She had said they needed to be in for up to two weeks, and they were angry and red after all my exertion today.
Cam growled, tightening his hold on me, and Ben squeezed my hand. I could scent their distress and anger—it swirled around me like a tangible thing—but I couldn’t help but feel calm. Being surrounded by my alphas, feeling their skin on mine, was like coming home.
“How did this happen?” Theo asked, his voice tight as he re-wrapped the wound.
I took a deep breath. “After they arrested you, Glen took me to his house.”
The three of them snarled, and Theo stood up and looked around as if expecting some sort of enemy to barge in.
“If you want to hear what happened, I’m going to need you all to not freak out,” I said in a small voice, an involuntary tremble working its way through my body at the strength of their reaction. Although my omega was smugly pleased with how protective they were being.
When none of them responded, I added, “Just remember that I’m okay now. I’m safe, and we’re together.” My voice cracked.
Theo muttered something under his breath and ran his hand through his hair. “Okay, okay. We can stay calm.” He said it as if he were trying to convince himself.
“I need cuddles if I’m going to get through this,” Ben said, sounding on the verge of tears.
I gestured for Cam to lie down and he reached out and pulled me on top of him. Ben laid down next to us, throwing his leg over mine. Theo hesitated before lying down on Cam’s other side and winding his fingers through my hair.
We lay there in silence, reveling in each other’s touch. I trailed my fingers down Ben’s chest. I could see now that all of my alphas had lost weight, and I had to fight the urge to get up and make them more food.
“We’re listening, baby girl,” Cam said, gently prompting me to continue.
“I was at Glen’s for… five days, I think. He took me there so Pack Madden could bond me.”
None of my alphas said a word, but a steady growl started in Cam’s chest.
I told them the basics of what had happened, skipping as much of my time there as I thought I could get away with. I completely omitted the Pack Madden dinner party from hell, focusing instead on Pack Turro’s theory of Glen’s deterioration. I told them about what my mom had done, how Genevieve had been there and we escaped together, and how a bullet had grazed my leg in the process. Tears streamed down Ben’s face, and once I started talking about watching their trial on TV, I was crying as well.
“There’s an omega facility about twenty minutes away from here, and the four of us will be part of the team that will free those omegas tomorrow night. There are three other teams in place to break into the other facilities at the same time. A large group of senators has already agreed to bring charges against Glen and my fathers and the rest of them once we get the omegas out, and the media will be standing by to expose them all.” Silence fell as I finished.
I held my breath, waiting for them to argue that I shouldn’t be part of the team tomorrow, that it would be too dangerous.
Cam was the first one to speak.
“Fuck,” he said. I braced myself. “Can’t believe our omega is responsible for taking down the whole fucking government.”
My mouth opened in shock and I popped my head off Cam’s chest to take in his expression.
“Proud of you, baby girl. So fucking proud,” he said.
A slow smile spread across my face. “Really? You’re not mad?”
Cam’s brows raised. “Mad? At you? Never. But I don’t want you risking yourself like that again. Nothing is worth more than your safety. I fucking can’t believe you broke into Glen’s office. What were you thinking? And taking the van? So many things could have…”
I quickly silenced him with my lips on his, hoping it stopped his train of thought.
When I pulled away, his expression had softened.
“Let’s get back to the part where you’re proud of me,” I said, pressing another soft kiss to his lips.
“Of course we’re proud,” Theo said, running his hand down my back.
Ben squeezed my thigh. I looked over at him, surprised at how quiet he was.
“Love you,” he mouthed, moving his hand up to cup my ass under the blanket.
“Tell us more about this mission tomorrow,” Theo said. His brow was furrowed, and I knew he was already analyzing everything I had told him.
“I will, but first, I want you all to bond me.”
