But I'm covered in sweat and cum and other evidence of what we've been doing, my skin sticky and uncomfortable. My scent is still too sweet, lingering traces of heat pheromones mixing with my normal rose, making the whole nest smell like an Omega who's just come down from her cycle.
Then the terror from earlier slams back into me like a physical blow. Vincent. Breaking glass. Curling into Silas’ hold while the sound of fighting, of Hunter roaring, and Vincent screaming that I belong to him happened just outside.
My breath catches in my throat, panic clawing its way up from my chest. He was here. In this house. In my safe space. During my heat when I was at my most vulnerable. The violation of it makes my skin crawl, makes me want to tear out of my own body and run somewhere he can never find me.
But there is nowhere. He always finds me. He always comes back.
I sit up gasping, my chest tight with panic, my hands shaking as the memories crash over me. Vincent's face. His voice. The certainty in his words that I belonged to him, that he had every right to take me. The sound of the fight, not knowing if my Alphas would survive, if he'd get to me, if this was finally the moment he'd—
Hunter pulls me back against his chest before the thought can complete. His arms wrap around me from behind, one hand splayed across my stomach, the other coming up to rest over my racing heart.
"You're safe," he murmurs against my hair, his voice rough with sleep but steady with conviction. "Breathe, Amelia. You're safe. We've got you."
"Vincent," I manage to choke out. "He was here. He broke in. He—"
"He's gone," Wyatt says from my other side, his hand finding mine and squeezing gently. "Locked up. The police took him away. He's not coming back."
"For how long?" The question comes out small and broken, my voice barely above a whisper. Because Vincent always comes back. He always finds a way. Restraining orders didn't stop him. Police patrols didn't stop him. Nothing stops him. "What if he gets out? What if he comes back when you're not here? What if—"
"Stop," Hunter says firmly but gently, his arms tightening around me. "Don't spiral into what-ifs. Stay here, right now, with us. You're safe in this moment. That's what matters."
"Breaking and entering, violating a restraining order, attempted assault," Wyatt lists, his voice firm. "He's looking at serious time, sunshine. Years, not months. And we're going to make damn sure the charges stick. Dylan's already talking to lawyers, making sure Vincent doesn't slip through any cracks in the system."
I want to believe them. God, I want to believe them so badly. But my hands won't stop shaking, my breath won't regulate, the terror sitting like a stone in my chest.
"He knew," I whisper. "He knew about my heat. He knew exactly when I'd be most vulnerable, when you'd be distracted. He planned this. And if he could plan this, he can plan the next thing, and the next, and—"
"And we'll be ready," Hunter interrupts, his voice dropping to that Alpha rumble that makes something instinctive in me respond. "Every time. We will always be ready. He won’t ever get that close again and if we have any say, he’s going to stay behind bars for a very, very long time."
I start to calm between their purrs, both Alphas rumbling deep in their chests to soothe me. The sound vibrates through my whole body, triggering something instinctive that makes mymuscles loosen, my breathing slow. But the fear doesn't leave entirely. It's still there, coiled tight in my chest, waiting for the next moment of vulnerability.
Heat builds low in my belly despite everything, my body responding to my Alphas' presence even though I'm too sore to actually do anything about it. The biological response feels wrong somehow, inappropriate, like I shouldn't want this after what just happened. But my body doesn't care about appropriate. It just knows safety, knows pack, knows that my Alphas fought for me and won.
A knock on the archway pulls my attention away from Hunter and Wyatt. I look up to see Silas standing there fully dressed in jeans and a button-down, his hair damp from a shower I must have slept through. The sight of him clothed when the rest of us are naked makes me frown.
"I need to go run an errand," Silas says, and there's something apologetic in his expression. "Need to pick up new locks for the doors and windows. Hardware store closes at six."
"Now? Really?" Wyatt asks, disbelief coloring his voice.
Silas shrugs, but his eyes are soft when they land on me. "The sooner we get this place secured properly, the safer everyone feels. But your brother and Maddox are coming over for dinner around seven. Dylan asked if you'd call him when you woke up."
I sit up a little more, Hunter's arms loosening but not releasing me entirely. "He came over?" I ask, my voice still rough from sleep and crying. "During everything?"
Silas nods. "The moment Wyatt called him. He was here within five minutes, helped deal with the police, made sure we were okay before he left."
A smile tugs at my lips despite everything, despite the lingering fear that makes my hands tremble. "He's always been there. No matter what. Always taking care of me, fixing my problems, being the big brother who handles everything." Thesmile fades slightly, reality creeping back in. "Hopefully I won't need that anymore and I won't have to bother him like that."
"Our job taking care of our baby sisters is never done," Hunter says firmly, his hand cupping my face and turning me to look at him. "And we never want it to be done. That's what family does. What pack does. You're not a burden, Amelia."
He kisses me slowly, thoroughly, taking his time despite the fact that we're having a conversation with Silas. When he finally pulls back, I'm breathing harder, sinking back against his chest boneless and content. The fear is still there, but quieter now, pushed back by the feeling of being wanted, being protected, being home.
Wyatt sits up, stretching in a way that makes his spine pop. "I'm sure you can spend a little more time with us before you have to leave."
Silas grins, something mischievous dancing in his dark eyes. "Only a little bit of time, I suppose."
He's dropping into the nest before Wyatt can respond, moving with predatory grace until he's hovering over Wyatt. The kiss he gives him is anything but chaste—deep and demanding, full of possession and want. Wyatt makes a surprised sound that turns into a moan, his hands coming up to fist in Silas's shirt.
My scent sweetens immediately, responding to the sight of my Alphas together, and I slap a hand over my mouth like I can somehow contain it. "I need to get my cream," I mutter, embarrassed by how obviously aroused I am just from watching them kiss.
