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Mr. Hurst nodded sagely. “I thought you’d say that. However, Demi is not currently in our system nor does she have a recognized pack, regardless of how much you may wish otherwise.” Leaning to the side to see around Hades’ bulky frame, he leveled his attention on me, and earnestly added, “I’d like to help change that, if you’ll let me.”
“How did you get our address?” Knox interrogated, physically placing himself between me and the director.
I didn’t miss the flex of his fingers, primed to reach for the gun tucked into the back of his jeans. His shirt covered it, but the bulge was unmistakable. He was armed and ready. Somehow, that made me feel better.
Mr. Hurst gave him a droll look. “You are all informed that I’m working with the FBI. Do you really think they don’t know the location of your safe house?”
“Who else has access to that information?” Eli demanded before Knox could stop his growl long enough to ask the question himself.
Mr. Hurst sighed. “Normally, I don’t take well to others issuing orders, but given the circumstances Demi has endured, let me assure you that no one else has that intel other than the agents working this case, Pack Jacobs, and myself.”
Sharing a look, Eli and Knox backed off, somewhat appeased.
Ever the businessman, Jamison motioned toward the couches. “Perhaps we should get more comfortable before we continue this conversation.”
Nothing was going to make this talk less uncomfortable, but I agreed anyway.
Thane sidled up to me before I could leave the kitchen and gave me an encouraging wink. “Don’t worry, darling. I’ll take care of this. Go get settled and I’ll be in with refreshments.”
I would’ve rather stayed and helped him, but I forced myself to face the music and padded into the other room after my mates. The cut on my lip had been rapidly healing, but with how hard I bit it, the sting was back.
“Demi,” Jamison called, holding out one hand and tapping his lap with the other.
Dirty and damp, I hesitated. “I might get you wet.”
I saw the innuendo cross his mind as his gaze flashed with amusement, but it quickly faded, replaced by something far more disconcerting. Questions filled his sapphire-colored eyes, coated with wariness as if he were afraid I wouldn’t welcome his touch.
Yeah, no.That look had to go.
I slid my fingers effortlessly into his and let him pull me down. The stoic man tugged me close, and the persistent tension he always wore melted away as I relaxed into him.
The rest of my pack settled around us while Chaddrick Hurst took one of the accent chairs in the corner, close but nottooclose.
He obviously had experience working with Omegas. He kept an ample distance so as not to pose a threat to my Alphas while remaining close enough for me to scent and see. His hands rested harmlessly on the armrests, and he smiled his thanks to Thane when he handed him a drink. With a tray of snacks placed on the coffee table between everyone, my chef perched on the arm of the couch, staying nearby.
“Now then, do you want to tell us why you reached out to the OMA, Sweetness?” There was no condescension in Jamison’s voice.
I could’ve shrugged or played coy, but a deep, yearning part of my heart knew this discussion was inevitable. We needed to get onto the same page, and while I would’ve loved to have privacy for such an important talk, I ignored Mr. Hurst and pretended he wasn’t eavesdropping.
Shifting on Jamison’s lap, I gazed into his face. Even though I sat on his thighs, I didn’t tower above him but remained at eye-level. “Do you want the long or the short version?”
“Always the long version, Sweetness. I believe I speak for all of us when I say we want to know everything you think. Everything you feel. There’s no thought too small or emotion too inferior. Every part of you matters to us, Little Omega.”
My eyes misted. “I wasn’t sure how you felt after your hesitation the other night. Julia and Adeline both had solid plans for going back to the OMA, fixing their status, and making matches. I don’t want to live in limbo forever. This”—I motioned to the room at large—“is such a beautiful house. I love it. But it’s not home.” I gestured from my chest to his, then swept my hand toward all my other mates, making sure they knew this included them as well. “Thisis home to me.You’rehome. And I don’t want this to be temporary. But if it is, if you’ve changed your minds since my heat—“
Jamison growled so viciously, I hiccuped and recoiled in fear even as his fingers tightened possessively on my waist to keep me from going far. “Demi,” he practically barked. “Do you really believe we think this istemporary?”
I couldn’t tell if his disbelief or anger edged out for the win.
“I didn’t,” I whispered. “Until the other night. No one had an answer on what our next steps should be. You all seemed... uncertain and indecisive. I thought...”
“You thought we’d changed our minds,” Leo picked up where I left off, smoothing the rough edges between Alpha and Omega with his never-ending sixth sense as a Beta. He always knew exactly what we all needed. “You thought we didn’t want you anymore.”
I shrugged, not denying it. “Or at least, had your doubts about claiming me.”
“Never,” Hades rasped. “You’re ours, Baby Girl. That means forlife. No way is another pack getting their hands on you.”
“Which was one of our concerns with going to the OMA. We were worried about putting any more undue stress on you by making you go through the rigorous matching process,” Eli added.
