By the time I made it back to my dressing room, my legs were trembling, adrenaline draining away, and leaving exhaustion in its wake. The gown suddenly felt impossibly heavy, the bodice too tight, and my feet ached in heels I wasn't accustomed to wearing. I closed my eyes and let my head fall back against the wall, just breathing, just existing in the silent space between performance and whatever came next.
Footsteps approached, and I didn't need to open my eyes to know who it was. Oak scent rolled toward me, and when I finally looked, Kade was there. His tall frame blocked out the dimly lit corridor as he leaned against the doorframe and smiled.
“You were magnificent, Jasmine!”
My cheeks blushed as heat rose through me. He walked over and reached out, his hands finding my waist, fingers splaying across the silk, and he turned me gently until my back was against his chest instead of the wall. The solid warmth of him enveloped me immediately, his considerable height meaning I fit against him like I'd been designed for this exact position.
I let myself lean into him, let my weight settle against his strength. His arm slid fully around my waist, pulling me closer, holding me secure, and his other hand came up to brush hair away from my neck.
“You were striking on that stage,” he murmured, his breath warm against my ear. The words rumbled through his chest into my back, vibrating through me. “You took my breath away. I've never been prouder of anything in my life than I was watching you on that stage.”
My throat went tight, emotion welling up too fast to control. I blinked against tears that wanted to fall, not from sadness but from the overwhelming feeling of being seen and valued.
“I was terrified,” I whispered, my voice still hoarse from singing. “Right until I started, I thought I might run.”
“But you didn't run.” His fingers traced gentle patterns on my hip through the silk, the touch possessive but not demanding. “You walked out there and commanded that room. Made every single person stop and listen. That takes courage.”
I tilted my head back, resting it against his shoulder, and stared up at the ceiling while his heartbeat thudded steady and sure against my spine.
“Thank you,” I said, and the words encompassed more than just tonight. Thank you for finding me. Thank you for seeing something worth saving. Thank you for giving me a reason to believe I could be more than what Bane made me.
Kade's arm tightened around my waist, drawing me impossibly closer. His other hand found my chin, tilting my face up and to the side so he could see my profile. When I met his eyes, the intensity there made my breath catch. Heat and pride and something that looked dangerously close to possession, all mixed in a way that should have scared me but didn't.
Our breathing synchronized without conscious effort, my chest rising and falling in time with his. The connection between us was charged, full of unspoken promises about what this could become if we both chose it. When he asked me again, when my heat wasn't driving me, when I could choose freely—I was beginning to think I knew what my answer would be.
Distant applause echoed from the ballroom, as another performer took the stage.
More footsteps approached, two sets this time. Leather and rosewood reached me before Theo and Lucian appeared, their faces illuminated by the dim lighting in ways that made them look almost ethereal.
They stopped a few feet away, taking in the scene—me pressed against Kade's chest, his arms around me, inside the intimate bubble we'd created. But there was no jealousy in their expressions, no territorial posturing. Just shared pride and something that looked like contentment.
“That was beautiful, Jasmine,” Lucian said softly, moving closer. “The way your voice carried through that space... I've played with countless singers, but I've never felt what I felt tonight. Like the music was alive.”
Theo stepped up beside him. “You were incredible, honey. Watching you find your power up there...” he trailed off, shaking his head like words weren't sufficient. “I knew you could do it. But seeing it actually happen, seeing you shine like that...”
The room suddenly felt very small with all four of us in it, but not uncomfortably so. They moved closer, forming a loose circle around where Kade held me, and their combined scents created something that made my Omega biology hum with fulfillment. This was what a pack was supposed to feel like. Safety. Pride. Connection.
Lucian's hand found my arm, his touch light but grounding. “The way you handled that climactic note—that was all you. That was pure instinct and talent, and it was stunning.”
“I was terrified I'd miss it,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.
“But you didn't.” Theo's hand joined Lucian's, his larger palm warm against my shoulder. “You trusted yourself. Trusted us. And you flew.”
I smiled. He was right; I had flown, singing my heart out on that stage in front of hundreds. My mother would be proud. My smile dipped, and I hated the fact I still missed her.
“What are you thinking about?” Kade asked quietly, his breath stirring the hair at my temple.
“How different everything is now,” I said, and my voice cracked on the words. “Three months ago, I was alone. Scared. Singing on street corners and hoping no one noticed me too much. And now I'm here, wearing a designer gown, having just performed for hundreds of people. With you. With all of you.”
“You earned this,” Theo said firmly. “Every moment of it. Your talent, your courage, your strength. It has all been you, honey. We just gave you a safe space to let it show.”
I turned in Kade's arms, needing to see their faces properly. His hands shifted to my waist, steadying me, and I looked at each of them.
“I don't know how to thank you,” I whispered.
“You don't need to thank us,” Lucian said, his hand cupping my cheek. “Watching you bloom has been its own reward.”
I yawned. It wasn’t late in the evening, but the performance had taken it out of me.
