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Feeling it was the safest course of action, I raised my hand. Bailey-Rose shifted her mesmerizing dual-colored gaze to meet mine. She studied me for a moment, then let out a sigh, waving for me to speak.

“I agree with everything you just said, but I do have one question,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm even though panic was beginning to rise. “You said the men you’re supposed to be spending the rest of your life with. Are you telling us that if we can’t agree to get a handle on our protectiveness, you won’t be our Omega?”

This had everyone snapping to attention, eyes fixed on the woman before us who held our fate in her petite hands. Bailey-Rose dropped her gaze and wrapped her arms around herself like she was trying to keep from falling apart. “I can’t live my life with people who only see me as broken, fragile, and sick. There is more to me than a broken heart. I deserve to be loved just like anyone else, and if my one scent match can’t do it, then I’ll make a life on my own in peace.”

Pain ripped through my chest at the thought of her walking away. It sounds crazy, seeing as we’ve only known the woman for half a day, but that is the power of finding your match. She is the person who was meant to complete my, no, our life, to fill the void no one else ever could. For her to think we wouldn’t be able to love her unendingly means either we fucked up or that behind the bright colors and smiles, our precious Omega has been tricked into believing she’s not worth loving.

Unable to simply stand there staring at her, I rushed forward, dropped to my knees, wrapped my arms around her waist, and buried my face against her stomach. “No,” I rasped. “Don’t, don’t you dare give up on us that fast. Bailey-Rose, you are the most perfect being to walk this planet, and we aren’t worthy of you being our Omega. Please, please give us a real chance to show you who we are and learn how to be a family together.”

Her arms circled my head, returning my hug. It gave me hope we hadn’t fucked this up too badly. We took for granted how happy and joyful our sweet, tender-hearted Omega seemed and didn’t bother to question it. She’d balked this morning when I carried her downstairs. Gareth said the matter had been handled, so I didn’t question it, but I should have pressed him about what happened.

“You’re right, Warrick,” my sweet angel shared. “My fear of letting you guys get too close only to throw me away makes me lash out at you. While I do really fear being locked away in a glass cage, I shouldn’t just expect you guys to be the ones who will do it.”

“Rosie, being rejected or hidden away aren’t the only two realities you face,” Ulysses pointed out. “As new as this is for you, it’s the same for us. With the flip of a switch, you gained five Alphas, but we also gained an Omega. Sure, it might seem we have the simple part of this, but there are five of us all feeling the possessive high that comes with finding your scent match. It’s one of the reasons they give us courting leave. This way, we have a chance to settle into a new way of life without having to deal with the normal chaos of life.”

Feeling Bailey-Rose’s hold on me loosen, I took the opportunity and stood. Not letting her go far, I tucked her against my side. Over my dead body was I going to let her walk away from us. I didn’t care if I needed to beat some sense into my packmates, nothing was going to push our Omega to the point where she needed to walk away.

Ulysses’ words seemed to make an impression on my sweet Care Bear. I could feel her relax against me as if the fight-or-flight mode she’d been in was now calming down. Bailey-Rose nodded her head, accepting all of us might have overreacted slightly.

Gareth stepped up and held out a hand to her with a pleading look. “I’m sorry, baby girl. I’ve been waiting for this day for what seems like forever, and the thought of you getting hurt on my watch is terrifying. Remember when I told you this wouldn’t always be easy between us? As long as we’re willing to fight for each other and forgive mistakes all of us are bound to make, I know we’ll be happy together.”

The man was right. There is no such thing as a perfect relationship, and to assume there is was downright stupid. People are flawed with scars of their past that dictate how they act in the future. Some things can be relearned, while others might require some grace and acceptance. I knew why Gareth was so scared of Bailey-Rose getting hurt, but that was his story to tell.

“You’re not the only one who needs to apologize,” Bailey-Rose said, taking Gareth’s hand. “I could have handled things better. Instead of assuming the worst, I should have explained my fears and not just lash out at all of you. None of you have given me any reason to believe you’ll treat me the way so many others have, and for that, I am truly sorry.”

Unable to control the relief I was feeling, I scooped my Care Bear up and hugged her tight as I spun in a circle. “God, just when I didn’t think you could get any cuter,” I mumbled against her neck. “Thank you, Care Bear, for trusting us enough to give this relationship a fair shot.”

The giggle that bubbled out of her had my heart melting. “Care Bear… I like it. That’s my favorite so far.”

Lifting my head to meet her gaze, I couldn’t hold back the smile that took over my face. “Yeah?” She nodded with a hum of agreement. “All right then, Care Bear it is.”

The moment was broken as her stomach rumbled, reminding us why we were even in this parking garage. Not bothering to put my girl down, I marched off toward the elevators feeling like nothing could bring me down. Today has certainly had its ups and downs, but that’s life. It’s not about how many arguments or disagreements that happen in a relationship but how you resolve them. Leaving things to fester and anger to grow helps no one, but speaking your mind, as well as being honest with the group, prevents negativity from growing.

“Where are we going? I don’t think I’ve ever been on this side of the city before,” Bailey-Rose asked.

Hitting the button for the ground floor once everyone stepped into the elevator, I answered, “We’re in the northern part of the city that used to be the suburbs when Windermere was still a small city. Once it grew, this area became surrounded by factories and skyscrapers, but this small pocket of the downtown area managed to keep its roots. You know the farmers’ market they have all summer long? Well, most of the people who sell produce, honey, or spices grow them all here in this neighborhood.”

Stepping out of the elevator, I released my hold on Bailey-Rose, leaving her to stand next to me. Her eyes went wide as she took in the massive garden you couldn’t see from the side we pulled in on. It was about the size of a football field and had various plots that different families or groups tended to. While each section was technically looked after individually, no one would let a plot go to waste.

“Oh my goodness, this is amazing.” She gasped. “Are we allowed to explore and see what people have done?”

“Of course, it’s open to the public,” I assured her. “Let’s eat first, then we can wander all you like.”

Bouncing with excitement, she clapped her hands together, grinning up at me. “It’s magical, like it’s a secret fairy garden tucked away in the cold concrete city. I wish I’d brought my sketchbook with me. It would be so fun to draw in a place like this.”

Reaching out, I tucked a lock of hair that had fallen into her face behind her ear. “Sounds like we’ll just have to come back another time. It’s not like we’re that far away. I’m sure there will be plenty of opportunities for you to sketch all you want.”

When people talk about someone being the embodiment of joy, I now understood what they meant. Bailey-Rose was beaming as bright as a ray of sunshine at the prospect of coming back here. It showed me how I’d lost the appreciation of simple things that so many take for granted.

“Come on, Rosie, if we don’t get you moving, you’ll say screw it to breakfast, and we’ll lose you to the garden,” Ulysses said, grasping her hand and tugging her along.

Breakfast was divine not only because we got to sit on the balcony overlooking the garden but the food was outstanding. The restaurant tried to use as much local produce as they could incorporate with their meals. The guys all ordered substantial dishes—omelets, eggs benedict, traditional sausage and eggs—making me feel slightly guilty for wanting to pick something that was practically dessert.

“Sweetheart, order what you like,” Yun-Sun urged. “None of us will judge you for your choices. Think of the next two weeks like we’re on vacation. Let loose, and enjoy the time we have to be free of normal responsibilities.”

I chewed on my lip as I considered what he said before admitting the truth. “Lysse already knows this, but I have a major sweet tooth. Like I would prefer to live off all things sweet and delicious than suffer through eating a leafy green vegetable. Of course, with my health, I’m always careful, but given the chance, my go-to isn’t gonna be the healthy option.”

They all smiled and some chuckled, but none of them seemed at all bothered by this. Reassured I ordered strawberry cream waffles and about died at the fact there was a scoop of strawberry ice cream sitting proudly in the middle of the pile of fluffy waffles. It was almost too pretty to eat, but once I tasted it, there was no way I could let it go to waste.