"I'm surprised you're being so patient with her," Julian admits to Tank, and I can hear the genuine curiosity in his voice. "This is a lot. The Rio rants, the possessive pointing at ceilings, the general chaos. It's a lot."
Tank's hand continues its gentle path through my hair, each stroke pulling me a little deeper toward actual sleep. "Through sickness and in health, right?" he says softly. "That's the deal. That's what pack means. We don't just love her when she's put together and charming. We love her when she's drugged up and ranting about Brazilian vacation destinations." I can hear the smile in his voice even without opening my eyes. "Besides, she'ssimply adorable like this. Ridiculous, but adorable. Look at her trying to threaten Ruby by pointing at the ceiling. That's peak comedy."
"Agreed," Elias says warmly. "The Rio rant is going to be legendary. We'll be telling that story at family gatherings for years. Decades, probably. Our grandchildren will hear about the time Grandma advocated for multitasking with Jesus watching."
"I'm having it transcribed and framed," Julian adds, sounding thoroughly pleased with himself. "For the living room. Right next to the fireplace where everyone can see it. Maybe with a nice frame. Gold, I think."
"You're cruel," Elias laughs.
"I prefer the term 'strategically sentimental.'"
I want to protest this obvious mockery, but my mouth doesn't seem to be cooperating anymore. Everything is getting fuzzy around the edges, the sounds of the room fading into a pleasant background murmur. The beeping of the monitors has become almost musical, a lullaby of medical equipment.
Somewhere in the distance, I hear Elias asking the doctor about medications and travel preparations. Her voice is professional and reassuring as she confirms they have enough supplies, explains about the extra injection she gave me in case I don't want to go into heat when I'm back to my senses.
"You should be completely set for the trip," she's saying. "I've included detailed instructions for the medication schedule, as well as emergency protocols if anything unexpected happens. I've also included a prescription for anti-nausea medication in case the travel doesn't agree with her in this state."
"And if she decides she wants the heat to progress naturally?" Tank asks, his voice low and thoughtful.
"Then you stop the medication and let nature take its course. She'll probably go into full heat within twelve to eighteen hours of the last dose. Just make sure she's comfortable and hydratedand surrounded by people who care about her." The doctor pauses. "Which, based on everything I've seen today, shouldn't be a problem."
"I have a connection where you're going," she continues. "An excellent physician who owes me a favor from our medical school days. If you need anything while you're there--any complications or concerns, anything that seems off--he'd be happy to help. Day or night. I'll send you his contact information."
"Thank you," Julian says, and there's genuine gratitude in his voice beneath the usual aristocratic polish. "For everything you've done. For stabilizing her, for the medication, for being discreet about the circumstances. You saved her."
"She saved herself by holding on until you got there," the doctor corrects gently. "She's stronger than she looks. I just did the cleanup. But take care of her. She's special. Any Omega who can make their pack laugh this hard while recovering from a kidnapping and a drug-induced heat delay is someone worth keeping.”
Special. They think I'm special. Even the doctor thinks I'm special. Three Alphas who shot people and threatened financial destruction to get me back think I'm special. That's nice. That's really, really nice. That's the nicest thing anyone has ever thought about me.
I feel myself being pulled into a warm embrace, shifted until I'm tucked against someone's side--Tank, I think, based on the familiar wall of muscle and the overwhelming scent of home. A kiss is pressed to my forehead, soft and tender.
"Sleep, Sweetness," Tank murmurs against my hair. "We'll be there when you wake up. All of us."
"Promise?" The word comes out slurred, barely audible.
"Promise." Another kiss, this time to my temple. "We're not going anywhere without you."
I relax into his warmth, letting the medication and the exhaustion and the overwhelming safety of being surrounded by my pack finally pull me under. Tank's heartbeat is steady against my ear, a rhythm that's become as familiar and comforting as my own. His scent wraps around me like a blanket--cedar and pine and that underlying note of masculine warmth that means home and safety and love.
I can feel Julian and Elias nearby too, their presence a tangible comfort even with my eyes closed. Julian is probably checking his phone, making arrangements for wherever we're going, ensuring that every detail is perfect. Elias is probably hovering anxiously, wanting to do something useful but not wanting to disturb me now that I'm finally settling down.
My ridiculous, wonderful, overprotective Alphas. They shot someone for me. They threatened to destroy entire family legacies for me. They're taking me somewhere secret and surprising so I can heal properly. They recorded my Rio rant to mock me with later, which is honestly very on-brand.
The last coherent thought I have is wonder--curiosity about where we're going, what surprise they have planned, what adventure awaits us once I'm recovered enough to enjoy it. Will there be beaches? Will there be sunshine? Will there be those little fried cheese ball things whose name I definitely knew before the drugs scrambled my brain?
Where are we going? What are they planning? Is it somewhere warm? Somewhere with beaches? Somewhere with cheese balls and religious monuments and opportunities for multitasking? Probably not Rio, unfortunately. Tank said it wasn't Rio. But maybe somewhere just as good. Maybe somewhere better.
Somewhere with my pack. That's all that really matters. Wherever we go, as long as they're there, it will be perfect.
I fall asleep before I can wonder where.
Epilogue: Our Knotty Valentine
~ROSEMARIE~
"FIREWORKS!"
The word tears out of me in a shriek of pure, unadulterated joy as the sky above explodes into a symphony of color and light. Brilliant bursts of gold and crimson and emerald cascade across the velvet darkness, each explosion blooming like a flower made of fire before fading into glittering trails that drift lazily toward the ocean below.
