Seb chuckles. A little giggle drops from my lips.
Allen's lips purse. "I'm a psychologist. It's my job to understand how people feel—"
Chortling, I shake my head. "Really?Mypsychologist told me it was their job to help people figure out their own feelings, and then make informed decisions to live their lives in the best way for them," I say, smirking slightly.
A smile flits across Zeke's mouth as he winks at me. Ralph is fighting a grin.
Fresh, lemony herbs wafts through the room as Allen growls. "Would you stop interrupting and let me—"
"Wallow in unnecessary and unhelpful guilt? Nope." I grin at him. "Tell you what. How about you put down some of that burden over something you hadnopossible way of preventing, and I promise not to go down a massive guilt spiral for making you feel bad about it, and for asking you to give up something you've dedicated most of your lives to doing because I know I'm too selfish to let you?"
He rolls his eyes through a rough chuckle.
I rest a hand over his heart. "You have some things you and your pack need to figure out. Some choices you need to make—Ineed you to make. And I'm sorry that I have to ask you to make them. But how 'bout not melting down over stuff you can't control while you make them?"
Something firms and straightens inside Allen. I stare at his face as he glances around at his pack for a moment, then looks down into my eyes. They're focussed and sparkling and alive with warmth.
"You're the only one for us, little star," he growls, his arms pulling me close to his warm body. "And we choose whatever we need to do for you to want to choose us, too."
My omega jumps up inside me. My lips part as I stare up at him.
"We couldn't choose anyone but you." He seizes my mouth in a claiming kiss as I melt into his arms.
Chapter 31
She wants us to be hers.
We're all tired and hurting and angry and stressed, but seeing her, hearing her say that she ran from us to protect us, that she wants us, makes so much of it fall away.
Not all of it. But enough so that my heart is able to slowly pull itself back together. Maybe I don't want to admit that her logic wasn'tentirelyflawed.
No matter how convoluted her reasoning may have been, no matter how much it hurt—she did what she needed to do to feel like she was protecting us. Having four big, bad alphas in your corner makes it too fucking easy to forget that there are different kinds of protection.
And hearing how much she wants us to belong to her… how upset she would be by having to share us with other omegas in heat… God.
And seeing her help Allen find himself again when he's like that… And now, she's melting into his kiss. Freesias unfurl around us. His hope is a beacon in the bond, flooding it with warmth and light.
Allen is deepening the kiss, but she breaks away, glancing between Zeke and James and Seb and me.
"For… for all of you? You… you want me, even if I'm asking you to—"
I clear my throat. "You aren't making us throw anything away, sweetheart. You're letting us put something down that we just figured out that we need to drop."
Her lip quivers. She glances at Allen's face, then throws herself into my arms and pulls me down into a fierce kiss. I can't think. I can't move. I'm lost in a field of freesias.
I don't know how much time passes before she gently pulls back from the kiss.
"We chose to work in heat support a long time ago. Now, we get to choose you," I mutter into her mouth.
"How do you always know exactly what to say?" she murmurs quietly against my lips.
I smile as I pull away from her mouth and tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. She leans against my shoulder and sighs. Tension ebbs away from her body. Zeke's small pang of jealousy throbs down the bond.
My smile widens. His bond is back. I can feel him again.
"Just for the record—it's notjustmy omega that's claiming you. You'remine." Her words, barely above the threshold of hearing, are just for me. I clamp my arms around her, pulling her tighter into my arms.
I don't need a bite. I don't need a ring. This is enough.
