“We should have been there sooner,” Charlie says, “Should have protected you. Should have kept you safe. Should have?—"
“Stop.” I reach for his hand, needing to touch him, to comfort him even as I’m being comforted. “You found me. That’s what matters. You came for me.”
“Always,” Beau says, and his arm tightens around me until I can barely breathe. “Always, baby. You’re pack now. Ours. And we protect what’s ours.”
The certainty in their eyes makes my throat tighten. And like they can all sense that I’m done talking, the conversation shifts, and the day slowly bleeds away.
We watch bad TV, laugh at worse jokes, and soak up the domestic pleasure of just being together—being held, loved, andcared for. I’m giddy with it, the joy humming under my skin, until exhaustion finally pulls me under.
“Sleep,” Beau murmurs, and his purr deepens, becoming more soothing. “We’ll be right here. We’re not going anywhere.”
“Promise?” My voice is muffled against his chest.
“Promise,” all three of them say together, their voices overlapping, their scents wrapping tighter around me.
And this time, I believe it.
I let my eyes close, let myself sink into sleep surrounded by pack—by the sound of their purrs, by the warmth of their bodies, by the safety of their scents—and I’m not afraid.
I’m not alone.
I’m home.
THIRTY-FOUR
jake
The APBRA officesmells like stale coffee and paper, with an underlying scent of anxiety that makes my Alpha restless. But underneath all of that, I can smell her—buttercups and honey, slightly acrid with nervousness but holding steady.
Willa sits in the chair across from the board members and Pack Lane, the heads of APBRA, large and imposing, but with her spine straight and her hands folded in front of her.
If I could have locked us in that hotel room for the next year, I would have. My plea for her to come to our house was also met with a firm no that made my Alpha want to argue. But she insisted on going home, to take a real shower, sleep in her own bed for a couple of nights, and collect her thoughts.
Those forty-eight hours without her were the hardest days I’ve had in years. My Alpha was agitated by her absence, needing to know she was safe even though I logically knew she was fine.
When she asked us to come with her today, there was never any other possibility. So here we are—me, Beau, and Charlie—taking up the space on either side of Willa as she faces down the people who are supposed to protect Omegas in this industry.
My hands are clenched at my sides, and I have to consciously relax them before I leave marks in my palms. I want her to own this moment.
“Miss James,” the board chair says—an older Beta woman whose scent is so subdued I can barely smell it. “We want you to know that we take your allegations very seriously.”
Willa’s scent spikes, a brief flash of fear before she controls it. I lean forward automatically before catching myself. Beau’s hand finds my shoulder, grounding.
“They’re not allegations.” Her voice is steady, clear. “Mark Felton locked me in a bathroom during my heat. There’s security footage. There are witnesses. It’s not an allegation—it’s a fact.”
Pride surges through me, warm and fierce. My Omega, standing her ground.
“Of course. You’re right. I apologize for my word choice.” The woman shifts papers on her desk, and I catch the subtle scent of her discomfort. Good. She should be uncomfortable. “What we meant to say is that we take these facts very seriously. Mr. Felton has been terminated from his position effective immediately. He’s currently in Denver city jail awaiting arraignment on formal charges.”
Willa’s shoulders relax slightly—just a fraction, but I see it. Smell it in the way her scent eases.
“We also want to address the broader issues you’ve raised,” another board member—an Alpha male whose scent carries notes of bergamot and tobacco—speaks up. “You mentioned in your written statement that Mr. Felton had been… inappropriate with you since you started the internship?”
“Yes.” The single word carries weight.
“We failed you.” The Beta woman again, and this time, there’s genuine regret in her scent. “Our policies should have protected you. Our oversight should have caught this behavior before it escalated to—” She stops. Clears her throat. “We’reimplementing immediate changes. Mandatory harassment training for all staff. A confidential reporting system for Omegas who experience unwanted attention. Regular reviews of staff conduct.”
“And the suppressant requirements?” Willa’s voice is sharp now. “The policy that requires Omegas to be on double suppressants that mess with our hormones and make heat unpredictable? Are you changing that?”
