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Joel chuckled. “She is definitely sweet, like a little flower always in bloom. Or at least she used to be.”
The pain in his voice was evident but I didn’t push it. We had all gone through some kind of trials before we were brought together but hearing that Joel had left home at a young age and was forced to lose contact with his sister? That had to leave a deep wound that I would never be able to understand.
I stared at the entrance to the nest, wondering if the connection between me and Nala had nothing to do with Joel and everything to do with the fact that we weren’t what most people thought of as an Omega. I came off as an Alpha until people caught my scent and Nala if that truly was her scent, I couldn’t imagine being in public was very safe. I decided not to voice that thought and continued to hold my Beta as we waited for his sister to finish showering.
eighteen
JOEL
I watched carefully as Nala emerged from the bathroom, her arms wrapped around her as her eyes flitted up and down the hall. Her wet hair clung to her shoulders, water droplets seeping into the shirt Kieran had grabbed for her. “Joel?” she asked timidly.
“In here, Nala.”
She approached the entrance of the nest and I cringed, hoping I hadn’t overstepped. This was Kieran’s safe space and I had just unwittingly invited another Omega. Kieran didn’t seem to mind though as he placed a kiss on my temple and nodded her in. She shuffled inside, her eyes widening as she caught sight of our boys. “You had babies!” Nala squealed and then slapped her hands across her mouth before sitting beside us.
I hadn’t seen her that excited since she stumbled inside the house, a rosy color returning to her cheeks. “Elias and Leo, four months old.”
Nala grinned, crawling a bit closer and poking at their chubby cheeks. I opened my mouth to say something but Kieran shook his head. I felt across the bond, confused but happy that he was content. Something vibrated against my back and I realized that he was purring. Nala’s excitement as she cooed at our children warmed my heart.
“They’re so cute,” she whispered before turning to us. “I’ve missed so much.”
I held out my arms and she gladly crawled into my embrace, Kieran holding us both. It was strange but I wasn’t going to comment on it. “I’m sorry, Nala. I never kept in contact. I was angry and didn’t know where I fit in but… I should have. I came back and you guys had moved. I just thought you would be okay at that school that-”
She pushed out a bitter laugh as her scent spiked and then softened. That had to be fucking inconvenient. She scurried out of the room and I held my breath for several seconds until she returned, her scent almost nonexistent. “The school that mom was always talking about? It was okay, I guess. School was school and then I found him. He was so sweet and nice and kept telling me all the things I wanted to hear.”
Kieran frowned, “Your scent is gone.”
She pointed to a small flesh-colored bandage sitting across her neck. I might have missed it had she not pointed it out but I guessed that was the point. “I’ve been wearing them since my first heat. Something to dampen my scent but they don’t last long and they don’t work well in water. I thought that it was just a lingering effect or something but my scent is what the doctors call overpowered. It… it draws in unwanted people.” Nala bowed her head, her wet hair falling forward as her body began to shake. “I just… nothing happened but there were so many times…”
“Michael never touched you?” Kieran ground out. His arms tightened around me as her head shot up.
“No! I… he tried and then I ran. He was at graduation and it was supposed to be a cute little dinner but I…” Her expression darkened as she sat back. “Why would you ask that? Wait you-”
Kieran didn’t respond to that but I knew he wouldn’t. Nala whimpered once she realized, just as the sound of a door opening down the hallway told me that Isaias and Ren were done. “Do you want to go back out in the living room and talk to our Alphas a little bit? Isaias knows more of what’s going on and any information you have could help.”
“I think so?” Nala whispered as Kieran slipped me off his lap and moved to grab our sons. “Can… can I hold one?”
I held my breath, waiting for Kieran to crawl into himself but he didn’t. A small smile climbed onto his lips as he nodded. I think he saw himself in my sister in a way that no one else could and was trying to save her the same way we had for him. I loved it. I just hoped we weren’t too late.
nineteen
ISAIAS
I emerged from the shower, smiling as I caught Nala in the nest rocking back and forth as she spoke with Kieran and Joel. Seeing a smile on her face made me think she would be okay at some point. Terrence dashed down the hallway as if that would make it impossible for her to be bothered by him and his scent. The descenter had worked wonders, neither of us smelling like more than an air freshener sprayed in the room hours ago. He scrambled around the kitchen, pulling out bread and meats.
“Ren, calm down. What are you doing?”
“Feeding her! When’s the last time she ate and fuck, will she mind me making her a sandwich? Should I let Joel make it? Maybe she’s allergic to mayo. I’ll do mustard. But what if-”
I already knew he was frazzled from running into her at the shops but now it was that much more evident. It didn’t take a genius to see that he was worried he wouldn’t be enough for the woman who had stumbled into our house. Terrence was a peoplepleaser at times and not being liked by Nala had affected him. Granted, it had nothing to do with him but I could see him trying to put in the extra effort.
“Just pull it out and we’ll ask when they come into the living room, alright?” I ruffled his hair before dialing Xyloagain, hoping to let him know that we had found Nala. When he didn’t answer, I tried Zahria, knowing that Michael was being transported over her way anyway.
“You keep calling and I might think you have a thing for me.” The joke fell flat as she sighed. “I guess you heard that they’re transporting him here?”
“I did. Called the officer that booked him and…” Did I want to tell her about Nala over the phone? Not particularly and definitely not with that beautiful Omega possibly within earshot down the hall.
“Xylo? Yeah, I asked him to tag along with the transport with everything going on. Not knowing who to trust, I needed someone I knew.”
