A sound escapes me—half sob, half sigh—and I feel myself melting back into him. I’m met with a deep chuckle and the slow glide of his hand over my arms and shoulders.
“That’s it,” he murmurs against my hair. “Just relax. Let me take care of you.”
My only answer is a deep sigh.
He reaches for soap—something that smells clean and simple—and starts washing me. His hands are gentle but thorough, working over my shoulders, down my arms, across my collarbone. Washing away Felton’s scent.
When his hands move to my neck—to the spot where Felton pressed his face, trying to scent me—I flinch.
“I know.” Jake’s voice is rough with barely controlled rage. “But he’s gone. He can’t hurt you anymore. And I’m going to wash every trace of him away until all you can smell is pack. Is us. Okay?”
I nod, not trusting my voice.
His hands continue their work, and somewhere in the middle of it, he starts to purr.
The sound rumbles through his chest into my back, vibrating through the water, through my bones. It’s the most soothingthing I’ve ever felt. My Omega, who’s been screaming and clawing and terrified for hours, finally starts to settle.
“That’s my girl,” Jake murmurs. “There you are.”
I’m so tired. Exhausted in a way I’ve never been before. Like I could sleep for a week and it wouldn’t be enough. But through the exhaustion, there’s a need for Beau and Charlie. My Omega needs them here, their scents. I know I won’t be able to fully settle until they’re here, too.
“Where are Charlie and Beau?” My voice comes out barely above a whisper.
“On their way. They had to stay and talk to the officials and the police.” Jake rinses my hair, his fingers gentle on my scalp. “Do you want them here? Or is it too much right now?”
I’ll have to face Felton eventually, I think dimly. I’ll have to deal with the police, with APBRA, with all the shit that’s coming. But not right now. Not tonight.
Right now, all I want is sleep and cuddles and my Alphas. My mind drifts to what it will be like to go through a heat with a pack—something I’ve never done. Jake is the only Alpha I’d ever been with up until a few days ago. He’d helped me through heats when we were together, but it was just him and me, and definitely never like this.
“I want them.” The words are immediate, certain. “I want all of you.”
I feel him relax behind me, like he’d been worried I’d push them away.
“Good. Because we’re not going anywhere. Ready for cuddles and terrible TV?”
“Fuck yes,” I answer, realizing just how close to unconsciousness I feel.
He helps me out of the tub, wrapping me in a towel so soft it feels like a cloud. My legs are shaking and unsteady, and he has to support most of my weight.
“Almost done, baby. Just a little more, then you can sleep.”
He dries me off with gentle efficiency, then reaches for the patch Dr. Reeves left. I watch as he carefully applies it to my upper arm, smoothing it down to make sure it adheres.
“Should start working soon,” he says. “Take the edge off.”
Then he’s pulling an oversized T-shirt over my head—his, I realize, from the way it swallows me and smells like chocolate and spices. It hangs to mid-thigh, soft and worn and perfect.
“Come on. Let’s get you to bed.”
He guides me back to the bedroom, and I can’t help but laugh when I see the massive bed. The pack suite. All those blankets and pillows already arranged in a nest.
“You guys really did plan this,” I say, and there’s no accusation in it. Just tired amusement.
“Maybe a little.” Jake grins as he helps me onto the bed. “Can you blame us?”
“No.” I burrow into the pillows, pulling blankets around me. “I can’t.”
It’s been a long time since I’ve been anywhere long enough to actually make a nest of my own. And though this is all so new and strange, and I’m still unsure how I’m supposed to sleep next to so many men, my Omega gives zero fucks. She is on a mission.
