Ashton moves off the bed slowly, and I watch him through my panic-hazed vision. He seems steadier now, more present than he was when Dustin brought him in. He crawls into the nest with careful, deliberate movements, like he's approaching a frightened animal.
When he reaches me, he extends his hand, offering without demanding. His palm is open, fingers slightly spread, just waiting for me to take it if I want to.
I take it without thinking, desperate for any anchor in this storm. His hand is warm and solid in mine, his grip firm enough to ground me without being restrictive. I let out a heavy breath, some of the tightness in my chest easing fractionally.
There's something about another Omega's touch that's different from an Alpha's. Ashton understands in ways Dustin can't, not because Dustin doesn't care but because he's never experienced the particular terror of being an Omega in a world designed to control us.
Dustin is still whispering into the phone, his back partially turned to us. I can see the tension in his shoulders, the way he keeps glancing at the locked door like he's expecting it to burst open any second.
Then he hangs up and comes over, dropping to his knees at the edge of the nest. His hands immediately reach for me, cupping my face and forcing me to look at him.
"Kade and Stefan are both okay," he says firmly, his eyes locking with mine with an intensity that demands I believe him. "Not sure exactly what happened out there but they're handling it and they're coming back in a few minutes. Solana, look at me. Hey, I got you, okay?"
I can't find my words, my throat too tight to form sounds. But being held by Dustin with Ashton's firm grip on my hand is helping, pulling me back from the edge of full panic. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to focus on the physical sensations—Dustin's warmth against my side, Ashton's thumb stroking across my knuckles, the softness of the nest beneath me.
The panic is still there but it's not consuming me entirely anymore. I can feel the edges of it, can recognize it as panic rather than being lost completely inside it.
Then I gasp as a cramp builds in my stomach, sharp and sudden. The pain is intense, stealing my breath and making me double over slightly. Slick gushes between my thighs, soaking into the blankets beneath me. My heat is spiking again, triggered by the stress and fear.
I let out a whimper of need, the panic growing again as my body makes demands I can't control. This is too much, everything converging into something overwhelming.
My body doesn't care that I'm terrified. It just knows what it needs and it's demanding that need be met right now. The cramping intensifies, making me curl in on myself.
Dustin tries to calm me, his hands stroking down my arms in long, soothing motions. "You need to relax, sunshine. I don't want to hurt you. Just breathe with me, okay? In through your nose, out through your mouth."
I gasp for air anyway, unable to follow his instructions. I'm unsure of where the other Alphas are and what really happened. The confusion is so disorienting, so similar to the psychological games Harmony House would play.
They would create chaos and then offer themselves as the solution, breaking us down until we were grateful for any scrap of stability they provided. Until we would do anything, accept anything, just to make the uncertainty stop.
Is that what's happening now? Are Kade and Dustin playing some kind of game with me? Testing me to see how I'll react?
No. No, that's the Harmony House programming talking. Kade and Dustin have never done anything to suggest they'd manipulate me like that. But the fear is so deeply ingrained that I can't help the thoughts from surfacing.
Ashton leans in and kisses me softly, his lips gentle against mine. The contact is unexpected but welcome, pulling my attention away from the spiral of thoughts. I let out another whimper, clutching his hand tighter. The kiss is grounding, another point of contact to anchor me to the present moment.
"Let him distract you, sunshine," Dustin murmurs against my ear, his breath warm on my skin. "And I'm going to give you what you need. Then Kade and Stefan will be back, okay? I promise they're fine and they're coming back."
I let out another little cry, torn between need and fear. My body is demanding relief from the cramping but my mind is still caught in panic about my Alphas.
Ashton kisses me again, but this time it's not slow. It's passionate and needy, his tongue pushing into my mouth with purpose. His hand comes up to tangle in my braids, holding me in place as he deepens the kiss. I lean into it, losing myself in the sensation. His mouth tastes like mint and something sweeter, probably from whatever he ate earlier.
Dustin positions himself between my legs, his hands gentle as he spreads my thighs. I can feel him hard and ready against my entrance. Then he pushes inside in one smooth thrust, filling me completely.
I finally melt, my body accepting what it needs. The panic doesn't disappear entirely but it recedes, pushed back by the physical satisfaction of being filled. The cramping eases immediately, replaced by the stretch and fullness of Dustin inside me.
We rock together, Dustin's movements gentle despite the urgency thrumming through all of us. He knows I need comfort as much as relief, so he doesn't rush. Each thrust is deliberate, measured, designed to build pleasure slowly rather than chase a quick release.
Ashton continues kissing me, swallowing my moans and whimpers. His free hand comes up to cup my breast, his thumb brushing over my nipple with perfect pressure. The dual stimulation is overwhelming in the best way.
Dustin hitting that perfect spot inside me with each thrust, his cock dragging against sensitive tissues and sending sparks of pleasure through my core. Ashton's mouth on mine, his tongue exploring and claiming. His hand on my breast, teasing and caressing.
The panic fades further with each passing second, replaced by building pleasure that wipes away everything else. There's no room for fear when sensation is consuming every nerve ending.
When I fall apart, it's with Ashton's name on my lips as much as Dustin's. My body convulses, clenching around Dustin's cock as the orgasm crashes through me like a wave. The pleasure is so intense it borders on pain, my whole body seizing with the force of it.
Dustin follows immediately, his rhythm faltering as he reaches his peak. His knot swells rapidly, expanding and locking us together as he fills me with pulse after pulse of warmth. I can feel each release, the heat of him flooding into me.
Ashton breaks the kiss and strokes himself frantically, his hand moving fast over his length. His eyes are locked on where Dustin and I are joined, watching with obvious arousal. Then he comes with a gasp, his body going rigid as his release covers my stomach. The warm mess on my skin should probably bother me but it doesn't, just feels like another layer of connection.
