The possessiveness in me snarls.Mine, my instincts hiss.Mine first.
Out loud, I say, "Lucky you."
Drake steps forward, putting a hand out like he wants to stand between us and knows he shouldn't. "Why don't we show you your room? We got it all set up. Eli picked the sheets, so if you hate them, blame him."
Marie gives a tiny, nervous laugh. "I'm sure they're fine."
Ragon picks up one of her bags like it weighs nothing, his muscular frame making the task look effortless. Eli takes the other with those precise, careful movements. They flank her automatically as they head down the hall.
I watch them walk away.
The way Drake hovers near her elbow without touching. The way Eli tilts his head slightly toward her,scent steady and reassuring. The way Ragon adjusts his stride just a fraction to match hers.
I have never felt more like an outsider in my own home.
When they disappear into the room at the end of the hall, I sag against the counter, knees weak.
The scent of her lingers in the air, mingling with theirs, pressing against mine.
My chest aches.
I should go to my room. I should do what Ragon said—excuse myself, let them handle the welcome, rip the bandage fast.
Instead, I creep down the hall on quiet feet and stop just short of the doorway, far enough that I'm not technically in Marie's room, close enough that I can hear.
"...it's really nice," Marie is saying. "You didn't have to do all this."
"We wanted to," Eli replies. I can hear the smile in his voice. "If anything is wrong, tell us. We can change it."
"You can throw away the fuzzy heart pillow," Drake says. "That one was a mistake."
Marie laughs, small and real this time. "No, I like it. It's cute."
"Ha!" Drake crows. "Validation."
"Don't encourage him," Ragon says. But there's warmth there. Unearned and immediate.
Marie's scent swells again, pleased.
I grip the doorframe with my fingertips, nails digging into the wood. My throat is tight with a thousand unsaid things.
"Thank you," Marie says after a moment. "For letting me come here. I know this is complicated."
"It doesn't have to be," Drake says too quickly.
"It is," Ragon says at the same time.
Silence. Then Marie, careful: "Because of Vee?"
You're welcome,I think viciously.
"Because bringing any new omega into an established household is complicated," Eli says, the diplomat as always. "We're all adjusting. Including Vee. She's dealing with a lot."
I don't know if I want to kiss him or scream at him.
"I'll try not to make it harder," Marie says.
Too late, I think.
