"You want to make French toast?" Plague asks, somehow interpreting Wraith's intentions from the disaster in progress. Wraith nods, and Plague starts giving quiet instructions, showing him how to properly prepare the egg mixture and soak the bread.
I watch them work together, struck by the strangeness of the scene. Plague, always aloof and particular, patiently guiding Wraith through the basics of breakfast preparation. Wraith, normally solitary and withdrawn, accepting help without bristling.
All because of her.
The omega upstairs.
The kitchen door swings open again, and Thane walks in, looking exhausted but slightly less murderous than last night. He's wearing a faded Ghosts t-shirt and jeans, his dark hair swept back from his face.
"Junk guys are loading up the last of the destroyed furniture," he announces, then stops short at the sight of Wraith and Plague cooking together. "What the hell is happening here?"
"Breakfast," I reply with a shrug. "Or at least, Plague's version of it. Mine was more of a cremation."
Thane's eyes fix on Wraith, who has gone over to the blender where he's adding protein powder to a mixture of fruits and yogurt. "Wraith. We need to talk."
Wraith doesn't look up from his task, but his shoulders tense slightly.
"About Valek," Thane clarifies. "He's arriving in—" he checks his watch, "—two hours. We need to figure out how to handle this situation."
Wraith still doesn't respond, focused intently on measuring protein powder.
"Valek already suspects something," Thane continues, his voice dropping lower. "If he catches her scent?—"
Wraith's head snaps up, a warning growl building in his chest. The feral sound raises the hair on my arms.
"I'm not saying she has to leave," Thane adds quickly, hands raised in a placating gesture. "Of course not. Just that we need a plan to keep her safe and out of sight. We don't know this alpha, and you've already beaten the shit out of each other."
Wraith's growl subsides, but his eyes remain locked on Thane, challenging. His hands move in a series of signs that I can't follow.
"I know she's your priority," Thane translates, clearly understanding Wraith's version of sign language way better than I do even though it's his own version and fucking impossible for any of us to learn. "She's our priority too. All of us."
Something flashes in Wraith's eyes at that. Possessiveness, maybe, or doubt. He turns back to the blender without responding further.
The tension in the kitchen ratchets up another notch. I shift my weight, feeling like I'm standing in a minefield. One wrong step and the whole place might explode.
"Look," I say, unable to keep quiet any longer, "we all need to get on the same page here. The omega?—"
"Ivy," comes a soft voice from the doorway.
Time stops.
We all turn as one to see her standing there, and holy fuck, she's even more beautiful than in my dreams.
She's small—barely over five feet—with curves that even Wraith's oversized t-shirt can't completely hide. Her hair is damp from a shower, the dark brown dye starting to fade at the roots, revealing strands of auburn. But it's her eyes that catch me, bright and clear like the ocean, a stunning mix of blue and green that makes my heart sing when they meet mine.
And herscent. Honeysuckle and summer rain, stronger and purer than the traces we caught through the vents. It fills the kitchen, wrapping around us all like a divine embrace.
"My name is Ivy," she says again, her voice steady despite the way her fingers twist nervously in the hem of Wraith's shirt. "Not 'the omega.'"
For a moment, none of us move or speak. We're all just staring at her like idiots, caught in some kind of collective trance. Even Plague seems affected, his usually impassive face showing a flicker of wonder.
Wraith recovers first, moving to her side with surprising speed for someone his size. He positions himself slightly in front of her, protective but not possessive, and I notice how she leans toward him instinctively, drawing comfort from his presence.
That stings more than I want to admit.
"Ivy," Thane says, testing the name on his tongue. He takes a step forward, then stops when Wraith tenses. "I'm Thane. We…didn't get properly introduced last night." His voice sounds hoarse. Thick.
"I know who you are," she says. "I looked you all up."
