“As ready as I’ll ever be.” And ain’t that the truth? I don’t think I could be more ready if I tried to—and I certainly wasn’t going to try. The mishmash of emotions at war inside of me would soon settle; once I was at the new apartment, with my new pack, I’d come to an equilibrium that would become my new normal.
A new normal, something I never thought I’d have. Even now, it’s a surreal thing, to be chosen and to choose in return. I was not expecting any of this.
Delilah leads me out of the academy, to her idling vehicle out front. We load my bags in the trunk of her car, and then we get going. As she drives, she goes over everything again: “Remember, just because you’re no longer a student at N.O.A. doesn’t mean you can’t call if you need something or if any of your mates step out of line.”
My mates.Hearing her say that causes a chill to sweep up my spine and make me shiver. I do my best to hide my body’s reaction to those two words, but I don’t know whether I succeed or not. It’s safe to say I never, ever thought I’d call anyone my mate, let alone have three of them.
Three mates. Three guys… and all the body parts that accompany said three guys.
I know what to expect, of course. We were taught since practically the day we presented that, when we find our mates, things will happen fast. Bodies will react naturally, and there’s nothing we can do to stop it.
The slick. The knots. The dominance and submission.
And then there’s my heat, which thankfully isn’t for a while now. We’ll have a good half a year together before we have to worry about dealing with that. Hopefully by then we’re in a routine together, and we’re totally used to each other.
Delilah is still talking, even though I tuned her out for a while, “My only other advice is to follow your heart. Or your gut. Whichever one. This is, barring any unforeseen circumstances, your forever pack. There’s no point in holding back.”
“I know.”
She glances at me. “You’ve always been a quiet one. You’re good at flying under the radar, much better at it than other omegas.”
I don’t say anything to that, mostly because I’m shocked she noticed.
“That skill might’ve served you before the changes at N.O.A., but from here on out, it won’t. Your mates will see you, and once you bond, they’ll feel you. You’ll be connected in a way that’s almost magical. You spent so long being invisible, but now you have to do the opposite and learn to be comfortable in your own skin.”
It’s funny. As she says all this, I imagine it’s advice a mother might give her daughter before sending her off to live with her forever pack. Delilah is definitely not my mother, but ever since she helped take over N.O.A., she’s become the mother hen of the academy, and though she’s not an omega herself, she speaks with such authority you have no room to argue with her.
How could you? Everything she says is completely true.
All I can do is nod in response, and she gives me a smile. This one isn’t tight; this one is genuine. “You’ll do fine, Dulcie. I know you will.” Her belief in me, surprisingly, makes me feel good. It makes me feel like I have someone in my corner other than Casey.
I can do this.
By the time we pull into the apartment building’s parking lot, my nerves have returned. I’m both excited and so anxious I want to throw up. Delilah parks the car, and together we get out and grab my bags. She lets me carry the two smallest bags, and she leads the way to the sliding doors of the building. We pass an area with mailboxes in the wall and go straight to the elevator. This place is in the middle of the city, which means there are lots of apartments on multiple different floors. I think I saw a sign saying the building also has an underground parking garage.
Crazy, I know. This kind of living isn’t something I’m used to. Elevators and garbage chutes.
The elevator doors slide open on my new floor—the thirteenth—and Delilah makes a left as she steps out. I followher, as I don’t really know where to go. I don’t know which apartment belongs to me just yet.
Apartment 1309. That’s the door we stop in front of. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a key, sticking that key into the lock and opening the door. After she pulls the key out, she hands it to me and uses her back to hold the door open, gesturing for me to go in first.
So I do. I step inside the apartment, walking right into a living room. The apartment is fully-furnished with what looks to be new furniture. It’s an open-concept space from the door to the windows on the far side of the room, where the kitchen and dining area are. A hallway breaks up the space between the living room and the kitchen, where I assume the bedrooms and bathroom are.
I make it about ten steps into the apartment before the smell hits me. Sweet lemongrass that makes me want to close my eyes and surrender everything I am, offer up my very soul on a silver platter to said alpha.
And that alpha? He comes strolling out of the hallway, followed shortly by the others. His dark eyes focus on me immediately, and his feet skid to a stop. Monroe, the pack leader, is not as immobile, nor is Lev. They both come toward us and offer to take my bags from me and Delilah.
“Thank you,” Delilah says as she hands them over. “I trust you three will treat this girl right. She’s got the full force of Alabaster Security behind her.” Though she says it off-handedly, the only way to take it is a warning, a promise that if they should hurt me, they will not get off with a slap on the wrist.
Redd finally joins us, having regained control of his legs, right as Monroe says, “You don’t have to worry about us. We’d never hurt her.”
She turns to me and pulls something out of her pocket. “My card. My personal number is there. Call if you need anything, okay?”
I take it and run my thumb over it, not knowing what to do with it. I meet her eyes when I whisper, “Thank you for everything.”
“Don’t mention it.” She pats me on the arm, apparently not one for hugs, and then shoots the guys one last look before she heads out. “I’ll leave you four to your unpacking. Good luck and have fun.” I’m pretty sure that last part was meant for me, which is why I blush as she leaves, closing the door behind her.
And then, just like that, I’m alone with Redd, Monroe, and Lev.
