Page 61 of Bailey-Rose: The Complete Duet

Quick as a flash, Yun tugged on the towel wrapped around me, causing it to fall in a heap at my feet. I gasped and instinctively wrapped my arms over my chest, trying to cover my nakedness. A whine of distress slipped out to which Yun responded by wrapping me up in his arms and resting his head on top of mine.

“Shh, omae, you’re safe,” Yun soothed. “We are here in our pack home, standing in your room, surrounded by your Alphas who will stop at nothing to protect you. There is nothing to fear, Bailey-Rose. You are encompassed by nothing but love and support.”

Taking a shaky breath, I looked into the mirror and focused on the faces of the men who gazed back at me tenderly. He was right. I had nothing to fear from these Alphas—they were mine, and I was theirs. I had no doubt that being naked around all of them would soon be a common occurrence, or at least I hoped it would be. Feeling more confident, I dropped my arms and stood there bearing it all, trusting Yun had a point to all this.

“Tell me what you see,” Yun instructed.

Brows scrunching together, I tilted my head back to stare at him. “I don’t get it.”

Yun gave me a sweet smile, dropping a kiss on my head before using his hands to return my focus to the mirror. “It’s simple. I want you to look straight ahead and tell me what you see in the mirror.”

Still not truly understanding the point of this, I let out a sigh and looked at what was before me. “I see someone who got out of the shower and needs to brush her hair, and it might also be a good idea for her to shave the next time she’s in the shower.”

“You can see deeper than that,” Ulysses scolded. I flicked my gaze to where he was standing just to the right of Yun, surprised at him calling me out. “Rosie, I know you and how you see the world. Pretend you’re looking at someone you want to paint to bring that life into your art.”

A different kind of panic bubbled up inside me. “I-I can’t,” I rasped out.

“Why is that?” Yun asked, his voice calm and grounding as he rested his hands on my shoulders.

Tears burned as I shook my head. “To look at someone the way I do when I paint is to strip away the mask and reveal what’s under it. You’re asking me to stand here and emotionally crack open my chest, letting all that I have hidden from even myself spill out in front of all of you.”

Yun brushed my hair to one side so he could kiss the spot where he’d left his temporary mark. “I refuse to accept there is a flaw you have that we can’t accept. No one is perfect. Every one of us has our own battle scars. Yet I believe with all my heart you’re the only one in this pack who’s strong enough to wear it on her chest.” As he spoke that last sentence, he let the tips of his fingers glide between my breasts.

Unable to stop myself, my eyes slammed shut, refusing to watch this man accept something I’ve fought to embrace as part of myself. It wasn’t the scar I hated—it was the questions. Once people found out about my condition, then everything about the interaction changed. Within a matter of seconds, Bailey-Rose was gone only to be replaced by the girl with the bad heart. Few people took the time to get to know me past that fact. I went through a phase where I tried to hide it all the time, but that became more work than it was worth. No matter what I did, eventually, people found out the truth.

I felt Yun step in front of me, the feel of his hands running down my arms to land resting on my hips. At the feel of his lips on the base of the scar, my eyes popped open, my hands grabbing his shoulders to push him away. “You don’t need to do that. Honestly, it’s not a big deal.”

His gaze met mine, and I could easily see he didn’t believe a word I’d said. “Try again, sweetheart,” he said, pressing another kiss between my breasts. “This time, tell me something I’ll believe. If you can do that for me, you’ll be rewarded.”

A hand gripped my neck, urging my head to look up. I already knew it was Gareth, his unmistakable sweet tea scent made me wish I had a glass to help soothe my parched throat. Gareth’s gray-blue eyes were full of compassion and affection as he held my gaze. “Baby girl, we are doing this for a reason, even if it seems like we’re trying to torture you. It’s become clear to us that you don’t truly see the woman we do, and that is simply not okay with us. Now be a good girl and listen to your Alphas.”

My heart ached upon hearing Gareth’s words. He was right—this did feel like torture. As if these men were going out of their way to make me experience pain I didn’t want to face. Rationally, I knew that wasn’t true, but when your mind and heart were at war, it was seldom your heart that won.

“Wh…” I paused, clearing my throat as fear constricted it. “What if I discover something about myself in all this I can’t accept?”

“Not possible,” Warrick said as he took my hand.

Gareth let his hand slide to my shoulder so we were still touching, but I could look at my sweet, sugary Alpha.

Warrick leaned in and kissed the tip of my nose. “Even if it were possible, then the five of us would help you find a way to appreciate all aspects of yourself. Bailey-Rose, when you were created to be part of this world, I have to believe every piece that makes up who you are was fated to be just as it is. Now, turn those stunning artist eyes to the mirror and tell me what you see about the woman I’m fairly certain I’m in love with.”

A tear slipped out as Warrick’s words knit together a piece of my shattered heart next to the one with Yun’s name on it. Warrick brushed it away, stroking my cheek comfortingly before he gestured for me to look in the mirror. With a soft sniff, I gathered the courage to face off with myself and find the woman these men could see.

I stared into the dual-colored eyes that reflected back at me, noticing there was a brightness to them. In a way, they seemed more alive, vibrant, and while a little fearful, there was strength. Pulling my focus back slightly, I looked at my face. There was a pinkness to my cheeks, giving me a healthier glow, or it could have been from the heat of the shower.

When I took in the whole picture, I found Yun kneeling before me, the side of his face pressed to my stomach with his arms wrapped around me. Warrick was to my left, his pinky hooked to mine in a show of solidarity. Gareth stood tall, guarding my back, his hand still on my shoulder with his thumb absently stroking my skin. The second my attention shifted to Ulysses, he laced his fingers with mine, reassuringly squeezing my hand. I couldn’t spot Vili, but he appeared as he came around Ulysses and sat in front of the man who’d blocked his view. Vili curled his hand around my calf and kissed my hip, letting me know he was here with me just as the others were.

How could I be afraid of anything when I had these men right here to protect me?

“I see a woman who has five men who are absolutely crazy about her,” I shared. “Men who have shown her that she’s never seen what real selfless love looks like.”

“Good girl,” Gareth praised, then sucked my earlobe into his mouth, causing me to inhale sharply. “This time, tell us what you’re good at.”

Thankful for the direction, as slight as it was, it seemed to make this whole thing less overwhelming. “I’m an artist,” I stated.

Gareth clicked his tongue in disapproval as he pinched my nipple, making me yelp. “More, baby girl. I want to hear you boasting about yourself. Say all the things people would consider rude, self-gratifying, or even cocky.”

Yun shifted, releasing his hold on me to move more to the side like Vili was. This meant I was once more on full display as I gazed into the mirror.