Page 34 of Omega in Love
I end the call not long after and sit there for a while, staring at the blank screen, my reflection ghostly in its darkness. My heart is racing with a new kind of adrenaline. Not fear. Not dread. Not the panicked fight-or-flight that's been my constant companion.
Hope. Fragile but persistent, like the first green shoot after a long, brutal winter.
"You can come in now," I call out, knowing they're hovering just outside the door. They always do during my sessions, never eavesdropping, but close enough that I could call if I needed them. It's a dance we've perfected over months, whether I've had a session online or in person. Their protective instincts balanced against my need for privacy, a delicate choreography of care.
The door opens and Levi's head pops in first, those warm brown eyes scanning my face with the gentle thoroughness that's become as familiar as breathing. "All good, Bloom?"
The nickname still makes something flutter in my chest, a small, tender sensation that unfurls like petals opening to sunlight. It's nothing like the panic that used to live there.
"Yeah. Come sit." I gesture at the chairs around me, suddenly craving their proximity after the emotional excavation of my therapy session.
They file in with the synchronicity of people who've learned each other's rhythms. Levi first, his massive frame somehow making the space feel more secure rather than smaller. Then Hero, moving with that liquid grace, a steaming mug of tea cradled in his hands. He always seems to know exactly what I need before I can articulate it. Dante comes last, closing the door with a soft click and leaning against it, positioning himself between us and the outside world, green eyes alert but relaxed.
"You told him about the Delvecchi offer?" Hero asks, placing the steaming mug in my hands. Our fingers brush, and the contact sends a little spark through me, even now, two days after my heat ended. The bond is still new, still raw and electric, like touching a live wire but in the most exquisite way possible.
I nod, wrapping my fingers around the warmth of the ceramic. "I'm going to do it."
The energy in the room shifts immediately, tangible as a change in atmospheric pressure. Levi's face breaks into that sunshine smile, the one with the dimples that could power a small city, his joy radiating outward. Hero's eyes widen just a fraction, so subtle anyone else would miss it, but I've learned to read the subtle expressions that betray his carefully maintained composure. Dante pushes off the door and crosses to me in three purposeful strides, the floorboards barely creaking under his weight.
He kneels in front of my chair, those green eyes fierce and serious, bringing himself down to my level in a way that makes my heart constrict. "You're sure? Because if you're not, we tell them to fuck off. Simple as that." His voice is low, a rumble that promises both violence and absolute protection.
I laugh, the sound surprising even me with its lightness. "Yes, I'm sure. Dr. Kendrick thinks it's a good step." I reach out, touch his face, feeling the slight rasp of stubble against my palm. "And I trust you'll be there."
"You're cute. You know we've got your six," Hero confirms, perching on the arm of my chair, his solid presence a comforting weight beside me. "Every step."
"Front row, back row, up top, all around," Levi adds, sitting cross-legged on the floor like the giant puppy he sometimes reminds me of, despite being one of the most lethal men I've ever met.
"Actually. . ." I take a deep breath, gathering my courage. "I want Charlotte and her pack there as well."
Dante's eyebrows shoot up, surprise flashing across his usually controlled features.
"It's never been done before," I continue, words tumbling out faster now. "Usually, it's just the designer and the stylists backstage. You three are a given. But I'm not doing it without all of you. Not negotiable." I lift my chin slightly, feeling the strength of my conviction solidify as I speak it aloud.
The look that passes between them is something I'm still learning to read, this silent Alpha communication that seems to transcend words. A complex language of minute shifts in posture, subtle changes in scent, and barely perceptible expressions.
"We'll make it happen. We'll talk to Teagan and Charlotte as soon as possible," Dante says finally, voice firm with that don't-argue tone that used to irritate me but now just feels like safety.
"What changed your mind?" Hero asks quietly, his hand finding the nape of my neck, thumb tracing small circles that make me want to purr, to melt into his touch like warm honey. The contact grounds me, anchors me to the present when memories threaten to pull me under.
I think about how to answer. How to explain that something fundamental has shifted in me, a tectonic movement beneath the surface of who I am.
"During my heat. . ." I start, then stop, embarrassed despite everything we've shared, the most intimate parts of ourselves laid bare. "When I was at my most exposed self, my weakest, you three made me feel invincible. Not weak. Not broken." I swallow hard against the emotion building in my throat. "If I can be that naked with you, maybe I can stand in front of the cameras again."
Levi makes a soft sound, reaching for my hand, his palm engulfing mine completely. "Brookes. . ." His voice carries a wealth of emotion, thick with things unsaid.
"No, let me finish," I whisper, needing to get this out. "When I was taken, they tried to erase me. Make me invisible. Small. And for a while, I let them win." I look at each of them in turn, meeting their eyes deliberately. "But this, us, it's made me want to be seen again. On my terms."
Dante's hand covers mine where it rests on his cheek, his touch both gentle and fierce. "Then we make sure it happens on your terms. No compromises."
"And if anyone so much as looks at you wrong—" Hero starts, that dangerous edge creeping into his voice that reminds me these men aren't just my lovers but my protectors.
I laugh again, leaning into him, feeling the solid warmth of his body against mine. "Please don't murder anyone in the fashion industry, I still need to work in it."
"No promises," Levi grumbles, but he's smiling too, his eyes crinkling at the corners in a way that makes my heart feel too big for my chest.
There's a moment of comfortable silence. Then I say what I've been avoiding all morning. "I told Dr. Kendrick about us. That we're a pack now."
Their collective attention sharpens, focused entirely on me. It used to make me nervous, having three Alphas zeroed in onme. Now it makes me feel anchored, rooted to something real and solid when so much of my life has felt like shifting sand.
