Page 35 of Omega in Love
"And?" Dante prompts, his green eyes steady on mine, searching for any sign of distress.
"And he thinks it's good. Healthy." I shrug, trying for casual and probably failing miserably. "Said I'll be stronger for it. Now that I've found my family. That it's a sign of healing, not weakness like I worried."
Hero's fingers drift to the mark at the juncture of my neck and shoulder, his mark, stroking it gently. The touch sends a shiver down my spine, that pleasant warmth that radiates whenever any of them touches the places they've claimed. "We're all stronger for it, Heart," he murmurs, his hazel eyes soft in a way reserved only for private moments.
"I was scared," I admit, voice low, barely audible even in the quiet room. "That first night of my heat, when I asked you all to stay. I thought maybe it was just biology. Just Omega neediness. That you'd regret it when the pheromones cleared."
"It wasn't," Levi says firmly, his deep voice brooking no argument. His warm vanilla scent wraps around me like a physical embrace.
"I know that now." I look up at them, these three men who've somehow become my whole world when I wasn't looking. "We've been circling each other for months, haven't we? Since Paris."
Dante's lips quirk up, that rare half-smile that transforms his stern face. "Before Paris."
"Houston, when we moved you out of the apartment you shared with Charlotte," Hero corrects quietly, his fingers still making those soothing circles against my mark. "At least for me. When you were sorting through photos and laughed for the first time since the attack."
My heart stutters, a painful squeeze in my chest. "That long? You never said anything."
Levi shrugs, those broad shoulders lifting in that casual way that belies the weight of his words. "Some things you just know, Bloom. Even when you're fighting it. We all knew you weren't ready. Couldn't push."
I did fight it. God, how I fought it. Kept them at arm's length, bristled at their protectiveness, told myself they were just doing their job, that I was just a paycheck and an obligation—but being a paycheck didn’t explain the way Dante held me on nightmare nights, his strong arms a fortress against the dark. Obligation didn’t drive Hero to memorize how I take my tea, or Levi to leave those little notes in my pockets when I was having a bad day.
"I'm still figuring out how this works," I admit, gesturing vaguely between the four of us. "The four of us. I've never. . .there's no manual for this. No precedent in my life. Nothing stable to compare it to."
"Neither have we," Dante says simply, his cedarwood scent deepening with his sincerity. "Like we said before we agreed to this, we'll learn together. Make our own rules."
Hero's fingers slide into my hair, massaging gently at the base of my skull where tension always gathers. "One day at a time. No rushing."
"Starting with New York," Levi adds, squeezing my hand, his palm engulfing mine completely. His dimples appear with his encouraging smile. "Show the world the Brookes Daniels we get to see. The one who's stronger than he knows."
I lean into their touch, their words, their presence. For the first time in my life, I don't feel like I'm performing. Just being. Just Brookes, not the glossy magazine version or the broken victim or the abandoned son. Just me, with all my jagged edges and healing wounds.
"You know Charlotte's going to freak out when she hears I'm coming back to New York and New York Fashion Week," I say, trying to lighten the moment before I start crying. Again.These men have seen me cry more than anyone in my life, and somehow that hasn't scared them away.
"Already texted her," Hero admits without an ounce of shame, his expression completely unapologetic.
I twist to look at him, mock outrage on my face. "Traitor. Going behind my back to my best friend?"
"Efficient," he corrects with that quiet confidence, dropping a kiss on my forehead, his lips lingering just a moment. "You'd have spent three days working up the courage to tell her."
"She's flying back from a mission," Dante adds, standing and pulling me up with him, his movements fluid and coordinated with mine like we've been dancing together for years. "Said, and I quote, 'Try and fucking stop me from showing up and showing out for my Brookie'."
I laugh, imagining her fierce face and take-no-prisoners attitude, the way she's always been my fiercest defender. "Sounds like Char. Subtle as a sledgehammer."
"Family's important," Levi says simply, rising to his full height, towering over me with that protective presence that never feels threatening. "And she's your family. Has been through everything."
The word hits me square in the chest. Family. I had one once, blood and bone, that threw me away like I was nothing when I didn't meet their Alpha expectations. Then I found Charlotte, my sister in all the ways that matter, who never once made me feel less for being a male Omega. Now these three men, this pack that chose me as deliberately as I chose them, against all odds and expectations.
"Yeah," I whisper, letting myself be folded into their arms, their scents mingling with mine until it becomes something new, something whole. "Yeah, she is."
So are you, I think but don't say. Not yet. The words still feel too fragile, too precious to risk.
The way they hold me tighter though, their bodies creating a fortress around mine, I think they hear it anyway.
Chapter 16
Levi
Iwake to a familiar warmth, a sensation that’s uniquely Brookes. The wet heat of his mouth envelops me, and I can’t help the groan that escapes my lips. This isn’t the first time we’ve woken up like this, all of us tangled in the sheets, limbs intertwined. There’s something special about having Brookes all to myself, even if it’s just for a moment. It’s rare, and I cherish it.
