"I thought he was dying," Dustin gasps out, his voice breaking on the words. "It felt like it. Through the bond or whatever. I'm sorry. I should have said something about Solana's heat, and I just..."
He breaks off, another sob wracking through him. Kade continues whispering, Dustin's breathing gradually starting to even out. The shaking lessens, his body relaxing incrementally against the wall.
I stand there frozen, my heart breaking as I watch something I don't understand. The intimacy of the moment feels private, sacred almost. But I can't stop watching as Kade puts Dustin back together piece by piece.
Taking a deep breath, my entire body goes rigid, two scents that don't belong in the house, drifting out from under the guest room door. They're Alpha and Omega, that much I can tell. But they don't smell strange or threatening. Almost inviting actually, underneath the layers of pain and blood and fear that coat them.
The Omega's scent especially calls to me. Faded lavender and rain-soaked stone, but there's something else. Fear and pain and exhaustion, all mixed together into something that makes my instincts ache with sympathy.
A small whimper pulls from my throat before I can stop it. The sound seems loud in the quiet hallway, drawing both my Alphas' attention immediately. Their heads snap toward me, Kade's expression shifting from focused concern for Dustin to surprise at seeing me standing there.
"Hey..." Kade starts, his voice softening even further.
I shake my head, cutting him off before he can continue. My hands are still wringing together, a nervous movement I can't seem to break. "What's going on?"
Kade opens his mouth to respond, but I speak again before he can, the words tumbling out in a rush. "Please just don't lie to me. You can say you can't tell me, but I can't do lies. Please."
The plea comes from somewhere deep inside, dredging up memories of Harmony House and all the lies they told. I can't handle more lies. Not from them. Not from my Alphas.
Dustin pushes away from the wall, wiping at his tear-stained face with the back of his hand. "My stepbrother and his Omega were badly hurt. They're okay now, resting in the guest room." He takes a shaky breath, clearly trying to pull himself together. "I'll grab your clothes, okay? I know it's really close to your heat but..."
I shake my head despite the fear coursing through me, despite the very real knowledge that my heat could hit at any moment and complicate everything. "I don't care about any of that." The physical needs of my body pale in comparison to what I'm feeling through the bond, to the pain I can see written across Dustin's face. "I can feel you," I continue, pressing my hand to my chest. "And it hurts here. I just couldn't stay in that room. But they're okay? Your stepbrother and his Omega?"
Dustin leans his head back against the wall, fresh tears tracking down his cheeks. Kade moves closer to him, their bodies nearly touching. The proximity seems to help, like Kade's presence provides some kind of comfort or strength that Dustin desperately needs.
"They will be," Dustin says finally, his voice rough.
Kade's attention shifts fully to me. "Let's go back to the room, alright?"
But I can't move yet, my eyes drawn to the closed guest bedroom door. "They're really alright?" I ask, needing the reassurance.
Kade comes up to me, his hands coming up to cup my face with surprising gentleness. He kisses my nose, the gesture so tender it makes my chest ache. "Are you alright? I didn't even think about how you might be feeling when I told you to go into that room and lock the door like that."
Kade always seems so in control, so aware of everything happening around him. But he's admitting to a mistake, to not considering my feelings in the moment. The vulnerability in that admission makes him seem more human, more real.
"Just scared," I answer honestly.
I reach for Dustin, my hand finding his and tugging gently. He comes willingly, following me back down the hall toward our bedroom. Kade trails behind us, his presence a solid comfort at my back.
We reach the bedroom and I push open the door. Kade immediately groans when he sees Moo-Shu lying on his side by the window, snoring softly. I ignore his reaction, focused entirely on getting Dustin into the nest where he can be surrounded by our combined scents.
I guide Dustin into the nest first, arranging him carefully among the pillows and blankets. Then I turn to Kade, reaching for his hand and pulling him in as well. I position Dustin in the middle, creating a sandwich with Kade and me on either side.
"What... what are you doing?" Dustin asks, confusion cutting through his distress.
I settle against his chest, feeling his heartbeat beneath my ear. It's too fast, racing with residual panic and fear. "I like being held, so I thought you might like it too. Kade's your Alpha too, right?"
It makes sense in my head even if I'm not sure I can articulate it properly. The comfort I get from being held between them, surrounded by their scents and their warmth, should work for Dustin, too. Especially now when he's hurting so badly.
Dustin's arm comes around me automatically, pulling me closer. Behind him, Kade curves his body around Dustin's back, one arm draping over both of us. A smile crosses Dustin's face. "You're amazing, you know that, sunshine?"
I lean up and kiss his tear-stained cheeks, tasting salt on my lips. Then I press a soft kiss to his mouth, trying to pour comfort and reassurance into the contact. When I pull back, I curl into his chest, my head tucking under his chin. His scent wraps around me, hay and honey mixing with the cedar and leather from Kade. Together they create something that smells like home, like safety, and like everything I never knew I needed.
But the question I've been avoiding finally surfaces, bubbling up through my contentment. "Are we in danger?"
Kade tenses behind Dustin, his arm tightening fractionally around both of us. "No, but there's some trouble where Stefan is concerned. We'll fix it before—"
"I don't care about my heat!" The words snap out of me with more force than I intend, interrupting whatever Kade was about to say. "Family is important. Well, the family you love anyway. He's important."
