EMME
The next few hours felt so normal that I briefly forgot the crisis we were facing. The Reeves pack were right—Kellan’s family were everything good in the world. From his bubbly, kind, and sweet mother to the stoic and calm silence of his father, not to mention the way the brothers ribbed each other with a million inside jokes but never made me feel like an outsider.
It was nice to just bask in their comfortable glow.
Slade eventually left to beat up his enforcers, but not before reminding me he’d be waking my ass up for dawn training. Everyone else departed soon after, to get ready for hockey tonight. I was thrilled to watch our Celtic Wolves take on the Greenville Demons.
It had been too long since I attended a game.
“Hunter will meet us there, so you’re driving over with us, Shortcake,” Kellan said after we’d waved off his family, who would also meet us there.
“Sounds good to me,” I said. “I’ve just got to get my jersey on, and paint your numbers on my cheeks, and then I’m set.”
Finley and Kellan pushed in on either side of me, their alpha dominance washing over my tingling skin, leaving my legs like Jello. “We had a special jersey made for you,” Finley murmured, his voice deepening as his scent spiked. “Florence left it on your bed.”
Desperately searching for moisture in my mouth, I swallowed roughly. “You guys had a jersey made?”
When they nodded, curiosity pushed through my breathless state.Which was how these alphas always affected me. Popping up on my toes, I pressed a kiss on Finley’s lips first, and then Kellan’s, before I took off up the stairs. They attempted to grab me but I got away. I was on a mission, and their warm laughter followed me all the way to my room.
Inside, their scents were strong, and tingles fluttered across their bites as the bond shimmered in my mind. Their beasts were closer, so my wolf was all but pressed against them, and we could have communicated if we wanted, but instead chose to just let our essences dance together.
Until we were almost one and the same.
Our full quintet was a complete circle, with no beginning or end. All sharing one power.
Pushing aside the curiosity ofsharing power, I focused on the pile of neatly folded clothing on the bed. Above all of it, though, was new piece of origami.
I lifted it, examining what was clearly a flower. It took me a minute to recall the name: lotus. The dark pink lotus was intricate, and I couldn’t figure out how many pieces of paper Finley had used to make it, but it was more than one. My pulse fluttered as I sent a happy sigh toward my bear.Thank you, mate. I love all these heartfelt gifts.
Kellan’s wolf butted in closer to mine, as if he wanted to see what I held, and I sent him a mental image of the flower. I didn’t expect that to work, but to my surprise, he yipped.Did you ever unfold any of them, pretty mate?
Finley’s bear bellowed with that, and it was clear he’d heard those words too. But he didn’t say anything. All I got through the bond were waves of his love and gentleness.
I’ve never opened them.
Kellan’s wolf nudged me again, and I retreated from the bond, re-positioning my beast so she was blocking the conversation once more. It had only been hours, but already I’d figured out how to single out and communicate with the alphas, mostly due to trusting the instinct of my wolf.
I focused on the lotus once more before deciding it was far too intricate to unfold. This would have taken him hours to create. It was so delicately perfect, I refused to mess with it. Moving to the drawer of origami, I slid it open and swapped out the lotus for the horse.
Finley had made this one for me on the day we went to therapytogether, and as much as I loved it, I wanted to know what might have been in his heart that day. It took me many minutes to unfold the paper without tearing it, marveling all the while at how tiny some of the folds were. Finley might be a huge bear, but it didn’t show in the dexterity of his fingers.
A truth that made me onevery luckyomega.
As the paper unraveled before me, the occasional word appeared, and when I finally had the creased paper open, there was also a drawing in the middle. It was my face with a pair of familiar hands cupping my cheeks. Such a beautiful and simple line sketch and written along Finley’s hands were tiny words—adore, cherish, crave, desire, need, want, love, mate, peace. Love, peace, and mate were repeated multiple times. Above all of that, almost like the title of the piece, was a single word: HEALING.
His feelings for me coated his arms, but the sketched version of me couldn’t see them, as my eyes were closed.Oh, Finley. My beautiful bear.
My eyes were wide open now, and I wouldn’t be closing them again. Not ever.
Wanting to keep this with me, I slid it into my bra, leaving it close to my heart. Finley’s bear pressed in against my wolf, waiting for me to let him in, so he’d know what piece I’d chosen to unravel. I sent him a mental picture of the navy horse, and a huge rumble shook the bear’s chest.
Not what I expected, but I should have known you’d be drawn to the one where I left most of my heart.
I’ll keep it safe for you, I whispered back.I love you, Grouchy.
There was not even a second delay from him.I love you too, baby. I’ll keep every part of you safe. Now get your jersey on and get that sexy ass downstairs. We’re waiting for you.
I felt the caress of his bear, and then I was once again alone in my essence. Or at least my wolf was, standing in the center, with beasts quiet and dark around her.
