Omegas are people too
My eyes catch on one in particular, and I suck in a breath, my eyes filling.
My name is Ava Stone, and I am not a number.
“Oh my god,” I gasp, my hands over my mouth. Lost, I look around wildly. “What do wedo?”
Bastien lets out a whoop, disturbing Emery and Leo as they start to cry. Squeezing his eyes shut, he mumbles an apology, scooping one into each arm and gently swaying them until they settle again. His eyes shine brighter than I’ve ever seen them when he looks at me. “They see you, sweetheart. They see you.”
Nikolai kneels in front of me, his blue eyes searching mine with tentative hope. “We see how this plays out, little bird,” he proposes. “This is more than we hoped for, and we don’t need to do anything right now but wait this out. We’ll speak to the Winter pack and see if anyone has reached out to them.”
My throat dries. “Has anyone reached out to us?”
Bastien shakes his head. “Not yet, but it’s likely the media is trying to track us down. They won’t,” he adds hurriedly, clearly picking up on my panic. “We’re well hidden, love. But they may put messages out for us to pick up and get in touch.”
I wipe my palms on my dress. “Okay.”
Luc takes a seat next to me, his fingers caressing my knuckles. “Breathe, brat,” he says simply, just a hint of a bark present. It’s enough for my breathing to slow, the flickers of darkness receding, and I swallow, leaning against him.
“I never thought this would happen,” I rasp. “I thought it was a lost cause.”
It’s only now that I realize how little hope I had. But seeing all those people, fighting for us, makes me understand how close we are to achieving everything I’ve never dared to want.
“It takes a single person to throw a snowball,” Luc says. “But enough people together can start an avalanche. You threw the ball, love. And now it’s gathering pace.”
Blowing out a breath, I watch the many faces on the screen.Gathering pace, indeed.
Luc pulls out his phone. “Do you want to talk to Harper?”
My hand hovers over the phone. “They lost Christian,” I whisper. “How can I be happy over this when Rogue has lost his father because of it? Because of me?”
Guilt swamps me in a wave of grief. I’ve barely thought about Christian the last day or two. What does that say about me?
“Christian knew what he was risking, little bird,” Nik rumbles. “He made a choice to step forward, and he made a choice to save you. And I’m incredibly grateful to him that he did.”
The others nod, but I can’t take my eyes off the phone. What if they hate me? What if they blame me for Christian’s death?
What if Harper hates me?
“You can’t change what happened,” Max whispers. “Christian’s actions were his own.”
It doesn’t make it any easier, but I turn to Luc, straightening my shoulders. “Call them, please.”
He hits a few buttons, putting the call on speaker as I brace myself, gripping my elbows.
Devlin answers nearly instantly. “How’s Ava?” he asks. “You a dad yet?”
Luc lets out a strangled laugh. “Father of two very healthy twins.”
“No shit,” Devlin says, impressed. “Ava doing okay?”
Before Luc can answer, there’s a grapple on the line and Harper shouts my name.
“Harper,” I snort-laugh tearfully, “I’m here. I’m fine.”
She sniffs tearfully. “And the babies?”
Smiling, I look down at them. The sight of them still hits me like a punch to the stomach, unable to believe they’re really here. “Healthy and here.”
