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“Damn it, Liam,” I grumbled through my tears, closing it and setting it on the nightstand. Of course he’d do something so sweet, giving me a way to connect with the baby and not blame it. He wasn’t usually the sappy type, so I knew this was his way of giving me the space to truly accept it and myself.
Not wanting to live out of suitcases, I opened the closet door to find an empty walk-in. Shelves lined one wall, with the other featuring a bar for hanging clothes. It took about five minutes to put my meager belongings away, but once it was done and my suitcases were tucked away in the back, I felt better. Even though I didn’t know the guys or truly trust them yet, I knew Ellis meant what he said when he told me I’d be staying as long as I needed. They’d already proven they wouldn’t throw me out on the streets, and maybe it was just desperation for kindness after what had happened today, but I was oddly happy about that. It was nice to know I wasn’t alone, that I wouldn’t be facing this with my eye on nothing but survival.
Almost unconsciously, my hand rested on my stomach as if I could protect the little bean from whatever crazy would be coming our way in the upcoming weeks.
Before I could brush my teeth and climb into bed, a soft knock sounded on the door. Taking a deep breath, I walked over to open it, a bit shocked to see Miles on the other side.
“Just wanted to check in on you,” he said with a shrug, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck like he was the one out of his element.
“I’m… surviving?” I said with an awkward laugh. “I can’t say good.”
“Fair,” he agreed. “Want me to give you the rundown of this place?” There was a conspiratorial grin in his eyes, and I couldn’t help but let him in, too curious to send him off. I might also be craving the presence of someone who wouldn’t reject me like my family had.
Now that we were alone, the scent I’d noticed earlier wrapped around me, and the earthy notes of vetiver were soothing. Scents weren’t something I noticed often since I’d always lived and worked around so many people. They all kind of blended together, so one’s individual scent mark had never really been this distinct. But his… I found myself wanting to lean in and take deep, greedy lungfuls.
“So I know you saw the guys. Ellis seems in charge, but Graham, his uncle, is the one who runs this show. He owns the company we all work for, which pays for all this.” He gestured around the room before glancing back at me. “Honestly, I’ll put in a word for him to see if you can fit in there. We’d hire you pregnant.”
I laughed bitterly at that. “You’d be about the only one.”
“We’re different,” he said like that made sense, but he was already off on another tangent, so I didn’t interrupt. “Ellis is our protective one, though Wells is too in his own way. Ellis is just much more personable and charming, which is likely thanks to his rich parents making sure he always presented his best. Tallon is Tallon. He and Beckham are brothers, believe it or not.” My jaw dropped at that, and he chuckled. “They’re fucking night and day, but you’ll notice it now that I pointed it out. The main thing is to fire right back at Tallon, or he’ll never stop.”
“That I can handle,” I said. I’d had my fair share of assholes in the mayor’s office, so I could handle one jerk with a superiority complex. And after my last twenty-four hours, it might be cathartic.
“Good. That pretty much covers everything. Just don’t touch Graham’s top-shelf whiskey without permission, don’t use Well’s coffee maker, and you’ll be fine.”
“Why are you being so nice?” I asked, glancing at my hands instead of the omega next to me. “You didn’t seem happy when you picked me up. And I get it, trust me—an unmated, pregnant omega in your space. I know this isn’t my pack, and I won’t mess up your relationships.”
He sighed. “Damn, jumping right in to call me out, huh? Honestly, I don’t know. I hated the idea of picking up a stranger and figured the whole other alpha’s baby thing would be an issue, but from what I’ve seen in our short time so far, you’re focused on the baby. That, I can respect.” He gave me a look that said not to fuck with his trust.
“I don’t need that kind of complication right now. I need to survive and make sure my baby will be safe,” I admitted. He nodded like he understood where I was coming from, and as another omega, he probably did. They might not have babies like their female counterpart, but omega men had just as many alphas trying to take advantage or underestimate them.
“Well, we’re different here. Get some sleep,” he said gently, giving my thigh a squeeze before getting up to walk out. My traitorous mind was already wishing I could beg him to stay, but I had no choice but to watch him leave.
Time to pull up the big girl panties. You’re a mom now, Briar. No one is going to hold your hand through this.
But damn if I didn’t wish that someone would.
Even if just for tonight.
