She's quiet for a moment, her hand tightening in mine. When she speaks, her voice is thoughtful. "You could just ask. Wyatt did. And Silas... well, he kissed me this morning."
She loosens her hand from Riley up to touch her lips, a small smile playing there, and something in my chest loosens. She's not afraid of what's building between us. She's embracing it, reaching for it despite her fear.
"It's not you," she continues before I can respond. "The flinching, I mean. It's not personal. Dylan and Maddox announce themselves when they come around a corner or approach from behind. I wasn't going to ask you guys to do that. It seems like too much."
"Ask," I say firmly, stopping so I can turn to face her fully. Riley and Isaac have run ahead to the park entrance, already visible through the gate. "Ask for everything, Amelia. Whatever you need to feel safe, to feel comfortable. We want to make this work, but I don't want to hurt you in the process. Even accidentally."
Her eyes search my face, looking for something. Sincerity, maybe. Proof that I mean what I say. "Okay," she whispers. "I'll try."
We walk the rest of the way to the park hand in hand, and something about it feels momentous. Like I'm finally stepping off the sidelines and into the game, finally claiming my place beside her instead of watching from a distance.
The playground is everything I promised, fenced in and completely visible from the cluster of benches where parents typically sit. Riley and Isaac make a beeline for the playstructure, already arguing about who gets to go down the slide first. Amelia settles onto one of the benches, and I sit beside her, our thighs touching, still holding her hand.
I watch the kids play, Isaac climbing the ladder with Riley hovering protectively behind him, and let myself imagine this being permanent. Amelia beside me every weekend, the kids happy and healthy, our pack whole again in a way I didn't think possible after we lost Evie.
Can I do this? Can I let myself want this woman, build a life with her, bring her fully into our pack? Can I handle the guilt that comes with moving on, with finding happiness again when my sister never got that chance?
A breeze shifts the air and I catch it. Just the faintest hint, barely there, but unmistakable once I notice it. Rose. Sweet and warm and distinctly Omega, cutting through whatever blockers she usually wears.
My entire body goes still, my hand tightening on hers. That scent. That's not just any Omega scent. That's hers. And underneath it, something that makes every Alpha instinct I have sit up and take notice.
She's mine,myscent match. Perfect biological compatibility in a way that's supposed to be rare, that I didn't think happened in real life. How did I miss this? I'd been too wrapped up in my own grief and guilt to pay attention, too focused on keeping distance between us. Even then, evenwithher scent blockers, how had we never figured that out?
"Hunter?" Amelia's voice breaks through my thoughts. "You okay? You're squeezing my hand pretty hard."
I force myself to loosen my grip, to breathe normally even though every instinct is screaming at me to pull her closer, to mark her, to make sure everyone knows she belongs to us. "Sorry. I'm fine. Just... thinking."
How did we not know? How did we not realize immediately that she was perfect for us, that her scent would call to all three of us like this? Even through blockers, even with her trying to hide her Omega nature, it's there. Undeniable.
"I'm going to grab food from that vendor," Amelia says, gesturing toward a cart near the park entrance. "Do you want anything?"
"I'm good. Thanks."
She squeezes my hand once before letting go, standing and heading toward the vendor. I watch her walk away, my mind spinning, trying to figure out what to do with this information. Does she know? Has she caught our scents the same way? Is that why she's been opening up to us, letting us in despite her fear?
Movement at the park entrance catches my attention. Wyatt and Silas, walking hand in hand with the easy comfort of people who've been together for years. The sight makes something warm bloom in my chest. They're finding their way back to each other, learning how to be Wyatt and Silas again instead of just Evie's grieving mates.
They spot me and head over, Silas carrying a bag that I recognize as being from the deli down the street. Wyatt's grinning, relaxed in a way he hasn't been in months.
"Thought we could have a little family outing," I say as they settle onto the bench on either side of me. "The kids wanted to come to the park."
"Good call." Wyatt leans back, stretching his legs out and tracking Riley and Isaac with his eyes. "They've been cooped up all week."
Silas sets the deli bag on the bench between us. "I also brought sandwiches in case anyone gets hungry. And those cookies Isaac likes."
"You're going to spoil them." But I'm smiling, grateful that Silas thought to bring food, that he's present and engaged instead of hiding in his study.
Amelia appears from the vendor, holding snow cones in both hands. She calls to the kids and they come running, Isaac nearly tripping over his own feet in his excitement. She distributes the treats with patient hands, wiping Isaac's face when he immediately gets blue syrup everywhere, reminding Riley to eat it slowly so she doesn't get a brain freeze.
"She's ours," I say quietly, knowing only Wyatt and Silas will hear me over the sound of kids playing and the general noise of the park as we continue to watch them with Amelia. "I caught her scent again. She's ours."
Silas' head whips toward me, his dark eyes going wide behind his glasses. "What?"
"You shouldn't be able to smell her with a blocker on," Wyatt says slowly, his expression shifting from relaxed to concerned. "Unless..."
We all reach the same conclusion at the same time. Our eyes move to Amelia, who's watching the kids play with a soft smile on her face, completely oblivious to our conversation.
"Her heat," I finish grimly. "The blockers are failing. She's going into preheat."
