Page 80 of Forget-Me-Nots and Apricots

"One of the few things he doesn't exaggerate about," Dakota murmured, though there was fondness beneath his gruff tone.

For a few minutes, we ate in companionable silence, the clink of silverware and the occasional murmur of appreciation the only sounds breaking the silence. I found myself stealing glances at each of them in turn—Gabriel's composed authority, Dakota's controlled intensity, Theo's analytical precision, and Lucas's infectious warmth. Four pieces of a whole that somehow worked in perfect harmony.

"So," Lucas said finally, setting down his fork and leaning back in his chair. "The centerpieces are done, the food is eaten, and we're all avoiding the elephant in the room."

I nearly choked on my water, not expecting such direct acknowledgment of the tension that had been building all day. Dakota's hand immediately moved to my back, a gentle, steadying pressure between my shoulder blades.

"Lucas," Gabriel said, his tone carrying a note of warning.

"What?" Lucas shrugged, unrepentant. "We all know why we're here. Might as well address it head-on." He turned his warm gaze to me, his expression

softening.

"Vivian deserves to know where we all stand," Lucas continued, his gaze unwavering. "And I think we all deserve to know where she stands too."

I set down my water glass, suddenly finding it difficult to meet any of their eyes. The weight of four Alpha gazes felt almost physical, like a warm pressure against my skin.

"You're right," I said finally, my voice steadier than I expected. "We should talk about... whatever this is." I gestured vaguely between us.

Gabriel nodded, his expression thoughtful as he pushed his plate slightly away. "As I told you earlier, Vivian, none of us anticipated this situation. The four of us have been a pack for years, but we've never felt drawn to anyone the way we're drawn to you."

"All four of you?" I asked, glancing around the table. "Because so far, I've only heard from Gabriel and Dakota." My eyes flicked to Theo, whose analytical gaze remained steady behind his glasses, then to Lucas, who watched me with unusual intensity.

"All four of us," Theo confirmed, adjusting his glasses with precise fingers. "Though we each process and express attraction differently."

Lucas leaned forward, his elbows on the table. "What Theo means is that he and I might not have pushed boundaries by kissing you senseless in the greenhouse—" he shot a pointed look at Dakota, whose jaw tightened "—but that doesn't mean we don't feel the same pull."

Dakota growled low in his throat, but Gabriel held up a hand, silencing him before he could respond to Lucas's taunt.

"The point," Gabriel continued, his voice steady and measured, "is that we've all recognized there's something here. Something none of us expected."

I looked down at my half-eaten pasta, trying to organize my chaotic thoughts. "So what exactly are you proposing? Because I'm not... I've never been with multiple partners before. Let alone four Alphas."

"We're not proposing anything specific yet," Gabriel clarified, his blue eyes intent on my face. "This conversation is about acknowledging what's happening and deciding together how to proceed."

"Or if we proceed at all," Theo added, his analytical gaze somehow gentler than usual. "You have a say if this goes anywhere, Vivian."

I took a deep breath, looking around at each of their faces in turn. Lucas, with his warm eyes and easy smile that hid depths of perceptiveness I was only beginning to understand. Theo, whose analytical exterior masked a deep capacity for care that showed in unexpected ways. Dakota, intense and protective, whose kiss still burned on my lips. And Gabriel, their leader, whose quiet authority somehow made me feel both safe and seen.

"I don't know what I want," I admitted finally, my voice soft but steady. "This wasn't in my plans. Any of it. I've spent years being independent, keeping Alphas at arm's length. And now here I am, sitting at a table with four of you, trying to figure out why I can't seem to keep my distance the way I always have before."

"Why did you?" Dakota asked, his dark eyes intense as they met mine. "Keep your distance from Alphas, I mean."

I bit my lip at this, I should have figured this question would come up. I took a deep breath as I prepared to answer, “When I was eighteen I was being courted by an Alpha. I thought we were a good fit.”

"We dated for almost a year," I continued, staring down at my plate rather than meeting their eyes. "He was charming, attentive. Everything an Omega is supposed to want in an Alpha. But as time went on, he became... controlling. Little things at first—commenting on what I wore, who I spent time with. Then bigger things."

I felt Dakota stiffen beside me, his scent sharpening with anger that wasn't directed at me.

“When I inherited the flower shop, he didn’t like it.” Said Omegas weren't meant to run businesses, that I should focus on 'more suitable pursuits.' When I disagreed, he'd use his Alpha voice on me." I wrapped my arms around myself. "After that, I promised myself I'd never let an Alpha have that kind of control over me again."

I noticed all four of them had tensed, their scents shifting to protective anger. Gabriel's jaw was tight, his eyes stormy. Dakota's hands had curled into fists on the table. Theo's analytical expression had hardened to something colder, and Lucas's usual playful demeanor had disappeared entirely.

"He used his voice on you?" Lucas asked, his tone uncharacteristically serious, an edge of barely contained rage underneath.

I nodded, swallowing past the lump in my throat. "To make me quit my job, to stop seeing certain friends. To... other things." I didn't elaborate, but from their expressions, they understood.

“The shop had almost been sold, if it wasn’t for a friend of my Grandfathers, a beta, didn’t step in.” I told them softly, eyes downcast to the table.

---