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Lexie had been focusing on flipping hash browns, and not making eye contact with anyone, so she missed the way Leif’s face crumpled.
“What creepy guy?” Leif asked, with so much raspy pain lacing his voice I couldn’t bear it, and I barely knew the guy.
Lexie swore as she looked up and her face drained of color. She’d told me this story the first night, but it was clear this was something she’d never told Leif. The answer was all over her face without her saying a word.
“When did this happen?” he ground out.
Lexie seemed hesitant to answer, but his eyes were pleading with her.
“When you went away to that school camp.”
The broken, guttural groan that escaped Leif was heartbreaking, made worse by the tears that tracked down over his cheeks while he shook.
Lexie leaped onto the counter in front of him, knocking utensils off the table recklessly, and wrapped her whole body around him.
“I failed you,” Leif all but whimpered.
“No. No, you didn’t, Leif,” Lexie seemed frantic to convince him. She was squeezing him hard, but he was rigid with his arms hanging down his sides. I could almost see the self recriminations flashing through his brain like an old slide show.
“You were the best big brother. You were a kid yourself and you did more than any kid should have had to do to keep me safe, then you got me out. He doesn’t get to take that away from you. Or me. He doesn’t. Don’t let him. Please.” Lexie had pulled back from him slightly, with tears running down her own face, and was banging on his chest.
“You should have told me,” he said in a voice that had gone flat and seemed deadened somehow.
“No. You took enough burdens on yourself. That one was mine,” Lexie whispered.
He moved suddenly and wrapped her up in a giant bear hug as she hiccuped out a long, shaky breath against his chest. His movement seemed to break everyone else’s stasis, as Damon, Hunter, Max and Maia all surrounded Leif from behind. Hugging them both and comforting them.
Feeling her pain through our bond tore me open. I approached behind where she was sitting on the narrow, steel kitchen bench and wrapped her up in my arms, leaning my head on her back and joining the tangle. I felt arms come around me too, as Dave, Sam and even Ava and Cary joined in.
Their pain united us. Bonded all of us in something bigger than ourselves. I didn’t know what it meant at that moment, or what would come of it, but I felt nothing but love surrounding and flowing through us all. Love in all its pain and its beauty.
I knew I would do anything to keep this family for Lexie. For all of us.
seventeen
I’dneverfeltasclose to a group of people in my life as I did at that moment. As much as Leif and I had been there for each other growing up, we also protected each other, and sometimes that meant secrets. I was used to keeping things to myself, shouldering burdens I didn’t think he needed to bear, and he did the same.
It was nice to just let it all out and have other people catch us. I looked up at Leif and he smiled down at me gently as I wiped his tears away with my hand.
“Are we good?” I asked him.
He nodded slowly. All the fight had left him and my gentle big brother was back. His eyes roved all over me, looking for signs of injury or pain, the way he’d always done. “Always, Lex. Just don’t shut me out of this, okay? I want to be here for you.”
I nodded as I felt a moment of pure relief and joy. I didn’t deserve Leif, but I loved him fiercely. My joy lasted all of three seconds until Hunter piped up.
“Is it wrong that I have a boner right now?” He asked from behind Maia.
“Ew, gross.” I laughed while reaching over and trying to pinch him as he ducked away. Maia just rolled her eyes at Hunter with a loving smile.
“Is that what you wanted to talk about after breakfast?” Ava asked, a little hesitantly, as she stepped away and I unwound myself from Leif before swiveling back around and hopping down from the bench. Knocking another spoon off as I went, before picking it up and adding it to the others in the sink.
“Yeah. I was hoping you could give me some omega advice. Before I met Maia, I’d never even been around an omega before, let alone had the Palace training. I was hoping you could help and answer some questions?”
“Absolutely. The rush of conflicting emotions can be intense for new omegas. It must feel like a lot with everything you’ve suppressed. I’d love to help,” Ava answered sweetly. Just her telling me the wildly swinging emotions were normal had my hunched shoulders relaxing.
“You seem to be doing just fine,” Maia piped in with a wink as she brushed my messy hair off my face. “Plus, the omega training isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Some omega chat time sounds like a great idea, though.”
“Why don’t you grab a few plates from what’s already cooked and head up to the treehouse now,” Dio said, watching me closely. “We can handle breakfast.”
