Nate stands next to me and Sterling, his fingers gripping my chin as he presses a soft kiss against my lips.
“We’ll move at your speed, I just hope that the taser can go out of commission,” Nate jokes and I give him a sheepish look.
“I don’t think we’ll need the taser again,” I say, meaning it. I’m not sure exactly when we’re going to bond, but I’ve made up my mind.
These guys are a pack and we’re going to make it official sooner rather than later.
Holy shit, I’m going to have a pack and I have no idea how to be the center of it all.
CHAPTER 27
HAYES
Nate and Sterlingare getting some sleep before they start their next shift. So it’s just me and Hailey sitting on the couch. Some love show is on in the background as she turns to face me.
She’s wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt, her hair in a messy bun with no makeup on her face, and I think this is my favorite version of her.
Her mouth opens and then shuts before she sighs. “Can I see it?” she asks and I grin, before grabbing the collar of my shirt and whipping it off.
The tattoo has healed nicely, her name memorialized on my chest forever.
Hailey takes a deep inhale, her thumb dragging along her name like she’s underlining it. She licks her lips and pulls her hand away.
“You got this right after everything happened at Lavender Moon?” she says, her big gray eyes meeting mine.
“When you kicked us out of the nest, I knew I needed to prove to you that we were all in. This was something I promised you, and I wanted you to know we were serious.”
She grabs the blanket, bringing it up to her chin, staring back down at the tattoo.
“Seeing them, the things they said, the way they looked at me, it brought back a lot of bad memories. In my head, it made sense that it showed you I wasn’t good enough for your pack.” I go to interrupt her and she shakes her head. “I’m not saying it’s rational. I don’t feel that way now. It’s clear that I was in pre-heat and not thinking clearly. But this”—She touches the tattoo lightly—“You’ve always been that sure, and now it’s time for me to do the same.”
I smile, bundling her up even more and holding her against my chest.
“So…what do I do now?” she asks.
“What do you mean?” I ask her with my brows furrowed.
“Like, what do you guys expect out of an Omega? My mom went to all her Alpha’s functions. She was the perfect respectable center of their pack. She planned dinner parties and worked with a few organizations. To anyone outside looking in, she was the perfect humanitarian Omega, and it made sense why her pack was so big.”
I squeeze her tight, resting my chin on the top of her head.
“We don’t have any expectations.” I clear my throat, wondering how to word this. “I know you mentioned this morning that you were going to be leaving Lavender Moon to explore this. We’d never tell you what you can and can’t do with your body but the idea?—”
She cuts me off, grabbing my hand, her fingers trailing over the bones of my fingers.
“I don’t want to work there if I have a pack. I felt empowered, and I think I needed it at the time, to be honest. Designating late and figuring out who I was with all these new sensations. But being with you guys makes me feel safe and bold in a wholedifferent way. I felt sick to my stomach around all those other Alpha scents my last day of work. I think I’m retired.”
I bark a laugh.
“Well, hopefully not fully retired, I did quite like my time in the VIP.”
“Maybe for times when you’re a really good boy. But seriously, what do I do with my time? What do you all want out of an Omega?”
“Whatever you want. I know Sterling would prefer if you didn’t work, but just because he’s pack lead doesn’t mean you have to do what he says. Nate and Sterling work a lot, but I only go to the tournaments I want to, so you won’t be alone often.”
She hums, her fingers still trailing patterns all over my skin. “I’ll have to think about it then. Do you think we could go to the store tomorrow to get some things for me to work on?”
“Of course, whatever you want.”
