Page 80 of Claimed By My Exiled Alphas
We approached the door together, and Cassian used the spare key with hands that were steadier than mine would have been. The cottage was dim, curtains drawn against the afternoon light. Her scent was everywhere, thick enough that I could practically taste it.
“Talia?” Cassian called softly. “It’s us. All three of us. You said we could come.”
A sound from the bedroom. Not quite words, more like a whimper of need mixed with relief.
“I’ll stay back,” Cassian said quietly. “Let Jace and Hollis approach first. She’s known Jace longest, and Hollis, you have the most calming presence. I’ll organize supplies and be here if you need me.”
I wanted to argue, to say we should all go in together, but he was right. Flooding her bedroom with three alphas when she was already overwhelmed wasn’t the answer.
Hollis and I moved down the hallway together, and I found myself grateful for his presence. His pine and paper scent was grounding, a reminder that we were doing this together, that this wasn’t about competition but coordination.
We found her curled in her nest, surrounded by pillows and blankets and items that carried our scents. My flannel from the cooking lesson. One of Hollis’s scarves. Cassian’s reading glasses. She’d built this nest with all of us in mind, even while trying to convince herself she could handle it alone.
“Hey,” I said gently, crouching beside the bed but not touching. Not yet. “We’re here. All three of us. You’re okay.”
She looked up at me with eyes that were more pupil than hazel, her skin flushed and damp with sweat. Then her gaze shifted to Hollis, and I saw relief wash over her face.
“You came.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “All of you?”
“Of course we came,” Hollis said softly, settling on the other side of the nest. “You asked us to.”
“I tried to handle it alone,” she said, and there was shame in her voice that made my chest ache.
“You don’t have to,” I said firmly. “That’s why we’re here. That’s what pack means.”
“What do you need?” Hollis asked, the question gentle but direct. “Tell us what you need and we’ll give it to you.”
She looked between us, her gaze landing on me and staying there. Something in her expression shifted, became morefocused despite the heat clouding her mind. “Jace first. I need Jace first.”
The words hit me like a physical blow, half relief and half overwhelming responsibility. She was choosing me, trusting me with this first vulnerable moment.
“Are you sure?” I asked, even though every cell in my body was screaming yes. “There’s no pressure, Talia. We’re all here for whatever you need.”
“I’m sure.” She reached for me with a trembling hand. “I need you. Please.”
Hollis stood smoothly, understanding without being told. “I’ll be right outside if you need me. Both of you.” He squeezed her hand once, then left the room with quiet grace.
I heard him in the hallway conferring with Cassian in low tones, the two of them coordinating without my needing to be part of it. That’s what we’d been practicing, this ability to work together instead of competing.
But right now, my entire world had narrowed to the omega in front of me, her scent calling to every alpha instinct I possessed.
“I’ve got you,” I said, pulling her against my chest. She was burning up, her whole body radiating heat that soaked through my shirt. “I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere.”
She pressed her face against my neck, breathing in my scent like she was drowning and I was air. “I tried to handle it alone.”
“I know. You’re so strong, trying to manage this by yourself.” I ran my hand down her back, feeling her shiver under my touch. “But you don’t have to anymore. Let me take care of you.”
“Vincent never cared what I needed during heat.” The words came out muffled against my skin. “He just took what he wanted.”
Rage surged through me at that admission, at the confirmation that her ex had used her most vulnerable state against her. But I pushed it down, focused on what matterednow. “I care. I care so much about what you need. And I’m going to make sure you get exactly that, okay?”
She nodded, and I felt the tension in her body start to ease slightly. Trust. She was choosing to trust me with this, with her heat and her vulnerability and her body.
“Can I kiss you?” I asked, pulling back enough to see her face.
“Yes. God, yes.”
I kissed her softly at first, tasting the salt of her sweat and something sweeter underneath. She made a small sound of frustration and deepened the kiss herself, her hands fisting in my shirt like she was afraid I’d pull away.
