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Isaias ignored that as he all but pulled me into his lap. “What’s going on? Joel and Ren mentioned you’re having nightmares again.”
“I wouldn’t call them that. More like memories not staying stuffed down where they used to.” As my mind cleared, I searched for our babies, confused and terrified that something had happened to them. My Omega whined for proof but as usual, my mates were right there. Joel continued rubbing my leg.
“They’re okay. Still sleeping. I just checked on them and we can check on them again once you’ve had a few minutes to breathe.”
Ren disappeared for a moment and then returned with a water bottle which I gladly chugged before speaking. We all wanted to know what Michael’s motive was for badgering me years after it was appropriate. Well, now we had one more clue. “I ran away a lot after my parents died. Michael wasn’t the nice Alpha heportrayed himself to be. But as the years passed, I outgrew him in size and height. I was still terrified of him but I could fight back more. I was faster too but the police, they gave me right back. Told my Alpha to take better care of me.”
Isaias tightened his hold on me. “What?”
“I heard some of what you were talking about earlier and I… I think that his connections stem back a good 15 years or so. Like when he was in my house. I remembered the officers after they returned me. Not their faces really but their words. Something about how I would fetch a lot of money and that I just needed to behave.” Just the thought of being sold to an Alpha left a horrid taste in my mouth. How could Michael be so fucking cruel? The worst part was his absolute need to fuck me through my heats, though. That didn’t match up.
Ren froze, his discomfort palpable as his scent became stale. “Wha-at?”
“I don’t—it’s all hazy but I’m not sure Michael was supposed to keep me. Like I was promised to someone else and Michael is still trying to pay up.” The fact that he had mentioned my babies told me that the next time, Michael would die. I wouldn’t hesitate. I knew my mates were trying to keep from overloading me with too much information that would only serve to further terrify me. However, knowing was better than being left in the dark. The fact that Michael was currently on his way to Grimsby helped soften my nerves.
My mates were trying to figure out how to respond at the same time my stomach rumbled, my body needing more attention than I was giving it. As if an alarm, Leo cried out through the baby monitor. I would never be able to explain how I knew the difference between their cries but I was halfway off the couch and into the nest before my mates even knew what happened. Leo was cradled in my arms by the time my mates were settledaround me, Isaias fetching Elias who was all shits and giggles. Literally.
He groaned before carrying our son out of the room to change him and I sighed as Leo hungrily wrapped his lips around my nipple and began sucking. As far as temperament went, our babies were perfect. But they would also wake from a dead sleep, ready to be fed or changed before calming again.
“Hungry?” Joel asked and I nodded, not sure what I was in the mood for. Knowing that the diner’s food hadn’t made it back to the house was disheartening but Joel and Isaias had, so I was content. “What do you have a taste for? I’m sure there’s a few places we could order in from.”
They were stupid if they thought this bond shit didn’t work both ways. I also hardly ever slept, always searching for my mates and their voices to calm the ever-growing panic in my chest. Joel and Isaias also hadn’t really been whispering in the kitchen, not to mention the open floor plan joined the kitchen, dining room, and living room in one large space.
The question was did I want to go out?
I did.
I just hadn’t known how much Michael’s presence had affected me. Knowing that he was in custody again for however long made me want to enjoy the freedom that came with it. “He’s not here, right?” Joel nodded. Fear still gripped my emotions but having three wonderful men surrounding me and confidence thrumming the bond, I felt like I could step out of my comfort zone. So, I cleared my throat and decided. “It’s still Valentine’s Day and we should go out. To the diner.” I had never really met Ava and Phoebe, the mother-daughter duo that my mates spoke about so much. The family vibe that I was missing out on had me curious. And if there was anywhere I was going to feel safe, it would be there.
Ren tried not to look excited but he immediately scrambled from the nest and headed toward the nursery, no doubt for one of many provisions we had bought a year ago and never used. Isaias returned, cradling Elias against his chest as he watched me feed Leo. He stared with a mixture of absolute love and possessiveness—that his men and boys were all here with him.
“He said we’re going to the diner! To the Pink Dome! I bet it’s all decorated and-” Ren’s voice dipped in and out as he scurried around. I pulled Leo away, Joel right there to steal him as Isaias moved forward to hand me Elias. They’d be hungry again in a few hours but I was content watching Joel rest Leo upright against his shoulder as he patted the baby’s back. Isaias sat beside me and pulled me close, running his nose along my temple and cheek as I fed the other twin.
It was an obvious domestic gesture and I realized Isaias was scent-marking me, a very Alpha thing to do before we stepped outside. Isaias had remembered when I said I wanted to show them off, to truly show the world about the pack who had loved me for me.
“To the Pink Dome, Kieran? It’s a very pretty little place,” Isaias mumbled. “Anything else you want to do while we’re out?”
I thought about it, wondering how much I had missed out on being inside of this house. “The shops on Vale?” The only reason I suggested it was for how close it was to the range. Should anything happen, I knew there were a host of men and women who would support our pack and the babies. However, if it got too crowded, I knew I’d want to come home. That didn’t mean I wasn’t going to try.
“Sounds perfect,” he purred, the sound rumbling through his chest and crawling down my spine.
The next few moments passed by in a whirlwind of chaos as Joel took on burping both babies and then dressing them for our outing, Isaias dragging me into one of the bedrooms to getdressed as well. Ren was practically vibrating by the front door when Isaias and I approached, Elias and Leo were bundled up in matching puffy black jackets and thick slippers that resembled UGGs. Joel and Ren each cradled one of our boys, the babies waving their arms as if they were just as excited to step outside.
“Did you want the stroller, Kieran? I didn’t bring it because…” Ren asked, eyes darting to the hallway. The babies’ bag had been packed and I smiled at the several packets of formula stuffed around the side. As comfortable as I was feeding our babies inside the house, I wasn’t sure how that would transfer outside. The fact that Ren justknewmade me smile.
“No stroller,” I said. There was no way in hell I was giving anyone the opportunity to snatch them from me. In my or the others’ arms, they’d be safe. I’d grow out of this shit eventually but for now, these were my only stipulations. “Let’s go.” My voice came out a little wobbly as Isaias shouldered the bag and guided me through the front door.
Ren and Joel were already halfway to the car before I froze on the small porch that jutted out from the front of our house. I wanted to retreat back inside where it was safe, the horrible feeling that all of my strength and tenacity had flown out of the window because of one man. Understanding trickled through the bond as Isaias ran his fingers along his fresh bite mark.
“That’s fucking cheating,” I ground out as I melted against his side.
“It helps, though, doesn’t it? Do you want to go outside?”
“I want to eat.”
He chuckled, the sound vibrating against my neck. “And that’s not what I asked. Kieran, look at me. Healing takestime. You can’t force that and as much as I know you need everything to be okay,it doesn’t have to be.” Isaias placed a firm hand against my chest and I met his gaze, matching his deep, calculated breaths. “Now, tell me again where you’d like to eat.”
It dawned on me that this moment was eerily similar to when we first met—Isaias giving me full control to tell him when to stop and when to keep going. I knew that if I said red, he would immediately cart me back inside and hold me in my nest until I was able to tell him what was truly wrong. But I didn’t want that. Not yet, anyway.
