Page 56 of Pack Baines

Our house. Because that’s what it is now. What it was always meant to be. The plan was to always ask Juno to move in with us, though I didn’t want to rush her like I have. But knowing that she was in a dorm, away from us and the safety I know we can give her… hell, it wasn’t even an option. The moment I heard the fear in my girl’s voice, I knew I had to bring her home.

“I had the same thought, but that’s not all. There was something familiar about him, Creek. Like, I recognized him somehow. I have no idea from where, and I can’t pinpoint how I do, but his face and vibe was familiar enough that it set my teeth on edge.”

I park, and the moment the car turns off, I unbuckle Juniper and drag her into my lap, her ass sitting bridal style while I hug her to me. With a heavy dose of conviction, I promise her, “We’ll figure this out. All of us, okay? We’ll call the police, file a report, anything and everything we need to do, we’ll do. We’re going to make sure you’re safe, beautiful.”

Juniper cuddles deeper into me, and I hug her tighter, noticing how her scent gradually fades from sour to sweet. As soon as she’s close to smelling as normal as usual, only small doses of fear leaking from her, I cup her face and gently pull her away from my chest. The moment her eyes meet mine, I whisper, “We’ll protect you, no matter what, okay? Even if it turns out to be nothing, you have us in your corner. Whatever you face, we face together.”

Slowly, Juno nods, her piercing, blue eyes roaming over every inch of my face. I brush my thumbs over her cheeks, and she makes an adorable sound at the back of her throat, right before she cups the back of my neck and pulls me into a bruising kiss that will forever be seared to my memory.

There isn’t an ounce of hesitation within my body the moment her lips press into mine, my fingers sinking into her hair as I kiss her back with equal amounts of passion and desperation. It’s like she simply needs the comfort being this close brings, inhaling my scent like it’s a drug that will soothe her.

Eventually, the passion simmers to sweet, sipping kisses, where I nip at her lower lip, she sighs, and reciprocates, both of us trading small licks and bites. By the time we pull apart, Juno is practically boneless, her body slumping toward me as her eyes flutter with exhaustion. The adrenaline must have bled out of her, and now all that remains is the aftermath.

“Come on, beautiful. Let’s get you inside. Lowie fixed the dinner situation, and you need a bath filled with bubbles and a glass of wine or something,” I instruct, determined to give her those things. “And if you ask real nice, I’m convinced one of us would be happy to give you a back rub.”

An adorably sexy smile flitters over her mouth, and she sighs. “That actually sounds like heaven. I haven’t had a back rub in… I don’t actually know how long.”

“Then let's get your stuff inside and get you settled. Let us take care of you tonight, yeah?” I push, a genetic need to care for her, a bone-deep, soul-deep need to look after her, riding me hard enough that I don’t think I’d actually accept anything but yes as an answer.

Thankfully, she nods with a slight smile that warms my heart, and so I maneuver us both out of the car carefully before gathering her things. The only thing Juno managed to grab is her bedding from her dorm room, a plum-colored comforter that matches her hair, and four pillows piled in her arms that it’s a miracle she can see where she’s walking.

The front door opens before either of us knock, Geo barrelling out of the house to take everything from Juniper’s arms, right before Evron storms out after him, snatching Juniper off her feet and forcing her to band those killer legs around his waist.

Huffing a breathless laugh while she drops her head to the crook of Ev’s neck, making no move to remove herself from his hold, she says, “Guys, I’m not made of glass. This is really sweet, but I won’t break. I’ve taken care of myself for eight years—”

“And you’re not going another second without us taking care of you, too. Don’t argue, Angel,” Lowie interrupts, both twinsappearing in the doorway, each one eyeing Juniper closely. They share a look before moving into the house, allowing the rest of us to enter and close the door.

As soon as Juniper is inside, tucked away safely in the comfort of her new home, it’s like I can finally breathe easier. I know it could be an overreaction. Hell, it might not be anything at all. But the sheer idea that there’s a threat to Juniper out there, in some shape or form, sends bolts of fear and anger through me like nothing I’ve felt before.

Well, no. That’s a lie. The last time I felt like this was when Low and Ley’s parents explained what happened to Juniper all those years again. Even without all of the details, my young self still felt a visceral fury for what that pack did to her over the years.

Shaking my head, I follow after Evron as he carries her up the stairs and to the bathroom fitted with an oversized tub—a tub that could be considered a small pool more than a bathtub—I asked the twins to start filling the moment Juniper called. Steam wafts from the surface of the bubble-covered water, a sweet scent very similar to Juno’s natural scent permeating the air.

“That one of yours?” I ask Leylan, though my eyes are on Juno, her face tucked into Ev’s neck as her back raises with deep inhales.

I see Ley nod in my peripheral, and he says, “Yeah. I have the scent as a close match but it’s not quite hers, still I think that’s something I’m going to have to live with. Realized the secret ingredient to it was her.”

Snorting, I tap his shoulder with a fist, amused that after all the time Ley has spent in his lab at school trying to recreate Juniper's scent like an obsessed scientist, it’s only now dawned on him that Juniper’s scent is uniquely hers. I do appreciate how close he managed to get the bubble bath, though.

Heading over to where Ev places Juno on the surface of the counter beside the sink, I cup her face and smile softly, the riot inside me dampening more and more the longer Juno’s scent mingles withmine and the others, filling the house with her presence already. She eyes me with a softness I’ve only ever seen directed at us, and I feel my heart melt, just like it always does when she’s near. “You want company in the bath, beautiful? Or do you want us to let you relax in peace?”

Her lips twitch, but I see the lingering fear in those pale eyes, and I decide to stay before she’s even opened her mouth to reply. Thankfully, she simply states, “Stay with me.”

I smile and nod, before turning to the others just as Geo steps into the bathroom and shuts the door, all six of us taking up space in the bathroom. “Nest is put together with her comforter and stuff. I put her bag near the door.”

“Thank you, Gee,” she sighs, shoulders dropping as she rolls her head on her shoulders, likely trying to work out the kinks she’s gathered from sitting so tense since I found her.

The motion spurs me into action, and I’m calling orders over my shoulder like a drill sergeant before I even realize I’m talking. “Strip and get in the bath. She wants company, so we’re going to give her company.”

I look back and find Juno watching me with an adorable raised eyebrow, hearing the rustle of clothing being stripped, and I fight my amusement when that gaze ventures over my shoulder. Pupils dilating and breath catching, Juno watches as the guys all remove their clothing before the sound of water reaches us.

Grinning, I reach for Juno’s clothes, unbuttoning her jeans and lowering her zipper while she’s distracted. Then I go about removing every article of clothing, loving every inch of exposed skin I hungrily take in and commit to memory. Even her scars, I trace like I’m touching delicate glass, because they’re a part of her. Her story. What she’s been through and survived. And there isn’t a damned soul on this earth that will add anymore to her beautiful body.

By the time I’m done undressing her, Juno’s gaze has fallen onto me once more, the others chatting quietly in the tub while they wait to get their hands on our girl. Her pale eyes glitter with emotion,a tangle of appreciation and affection, and her voice is sweet enough to gain a cavity when she almost whispers, “Thank you for this, C. I think I needed it more than I realized.”

I shrug a shoulder, turning my head to press a kiss to her warm palm. “We’ll give you everything you need, J. Always. You never have to worry about that.”

I receive a Juno Smile, a rare sight that I covet like treasure, before stepping back and ridding myself of my clothes. I’m all too aware of her eyes on me, and there’s simply nothing I can do about the semi I’m sporting, so I choose to ignore it. I mean, Juno is sitting right in front of me, naked as the day she came into the world and even more stunning than I remember. Of course, my dick is going to stand to attention when she’s present.

---