Page 41 of Puck Your Neighbor

We have a home. We have each other. We have her.

I look at Anya, at the way she's excitedly browsing for more nest items, at the way her eyes light up when she finds something she likes, and my heart swells with a love so profound, so overwhelming, it takes my breath away.

My inner alpha purrs, a deep, resonant sound of contentment.

Ours. Forever.

"What do you think?" Anya asks, showing us a tapestry with a vibrant celestial design. "Too much?"

Leo shakes his head. "Never too much if you want it."

Maverick comes over and stands behind the booth, giving the top of her head a kiss. "It will go great with the galaxy light." He then glances over his shoulder. "Yo, that doesn't go there!" He's off, again, directing the movers.

"I like it," I say, nodding. "It's perfect."

I can't wait to see what the future holds. With Anya by our side, with our pack complete, I know it's going to be amazing. We'll fill this house with love, with laughter. We'll build a life here, a future. We're the luckiest men alive.

Chapter 17

Today is the day. The day Luis Salama, the man who stole my voice and nearly my life, faces his execution. A part of me expected to wake up this morning a nervous wreck, but I'm not. I feel...calm. It's an unfamiliar sensation, this peace. For ten years, this date has loomed over me. But now, as it's finally here, I feel a sense of quiet resolve.

My alphas are a large part of that. Maverick, Leo, and Jenson are a constant, comforting presence beside me. We're a unit now, a pack, bound by something stronger than fear, stronger than the past. They are my strength, my protectors, my home. The bond marks on my neck, smooth and silver, a constant reminder that I'm theirs, and they're mine.

We're in a small, sterile room, waiting to view the execution. There's a large window on one wall, looking into the execution chamber. Chairs are arranged in rows, and we take our seats. Maverick and Jenson sit on either side of me, their hands resting on my thighs. Leo sits behind me, his hands on my shoulders.

My heart beats steadily in my chest. Their presence is reassuring, a comfort against any lingering fear. I glance over at them, and they each give me a reassuring nod and a small smile.

The door to the execution chamber opens, and he's brought out, strapped to a gurney, his eyes scanning the viewing room. He's balding with long stringy hair trying to cover it. There's a gut where his toned stomach once was. A far cry from the good-looking man he used to be. Now he reflects the evil that oozes out of him like a disease. When his gaze lands on me, a flicker of something— perhaps surprise, perhaps anger—crosses his face.

I can't help the small, almost imperceptible smirk that tugs at my lips. I tilt my head slightly, deliberately showing him my neck. The ugly, jagged scars he left behind are gone, replaced by the smooth, silvery marks of my true alphas. Marks of love, of belonging, of a bond he could never understand.

His shit brown eyes narrow, a flash of rage igniting in their depths. But I don't flinch. I hold his gaze, unwavering. I am not the same scared, submissive omega he once knew. I am not his victim anymore.

A prison official reads Salama his last rites, his voice monotonous. He's asked if he has any final words.

His eyes lock with mine, and a cruel smile twists his lips. "You'll always be my flower."

The words, once a twisted endearment, now send a shiver of disgust down my spine. My alphas tense beside and behind me, their bodies vibrating with barely restrained fury. Maverick and Jenson's hands tighten on my thighs, and Leo's fingers dig slightly into my shoulders.

I place a hand on Maverick's, then Jenson's, a silent plea to stay calm. I don't want them to get in trouble. Not for me. Not for this. He's not worth it.

Salama is strapped down to the table, an IV inserted into his arm. The executioner, begins the process.

The lethal injection is administered, a cocktail of drugs designed to end his life. I watch, my gaze fixed on his face, as the drugs take effect. His breathing slows, his eyes flutter, and then...stillness.

It's over.

The official pronouncement comes moments later. "Time of death: 10:37 AM."

A weight I hadn't even realized I was carrying lifts from my shoulders. Relief floods through me, so intense it makes my head spin. Tears well up in my eyes, but they're not tears of fear or sadness. They're tears of release.

Leo's arms wrap around me from behind. Jenson rubs his hand along my thigh, his touch grounding. Maverick leans forward, his forehead coming to rest against mine. His eyes are full of a tenderness that makes my heart ache.

"It's over," he whispers, his voice thick with emotion. "He's gone."

I nod. The past, that dark, terrifying chapter of my life, is finally closed.

And as I look at my alphas, at the love and strength in their eyes, I know that a new chapter is just beginning. A chapter filled with hope, with healing, and with the unwavering love of my pack. My family. My home.

We don't linger as we leave the prison, stepping out into the bright sunshine. I take a deep breath, the fresh air filling my lungs. It feels like I can finally breathe again. The appeals for the other two were denied, they'll never be released. It's truly over.

And for the first time in a long time, I believe it. I look over at my mates, and smile. We get into the truck, and it's time to go home and everything about this part of my life can fully be in the past. Now, I can live the dream life that I never thought would happen. I have my alphas, a family, and home.

The End

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