“What the hell happened to him?” I ask.
Aleksei appears next to me, using both hands against Roshka to dislodge him from our cuddle. Neither of them is upset, far from it. Aleksei’s smile is proof of his happiness, and Roshka’s beating his tail so hard against my leg, I’m going to have bruises.
“This house is his safe place. He knows when we are here, he is free to be himself. As are you.”
For about the hundredth time tonight, I get lifted up. Aleksei’s strong arms wrap around me, and I’m of half a mind to wrap my legs around him, too, but he repositions us so he’s holding me in a fireman's hold, but high up so the dogs can’t reach me.
He speaks in Russian to them, barking off commands that get lost under his loud laughter and their excited yapping. And I know, this is one of those moments in life I will never forget. Not necessarily just this moment with the dogs, but the whole snapshot of tonight is forever going to be a special memory. One that will make my insides warm and always bring a smile to my face.
Chapter Forty-Four
QUINN
The scene inside the house is equally satisfying. Aleksei is talking to Roshka while he gets a bowl of food ready for him. Kade is limping slowly through to the main room, plates and cutlery in his hands, with Nalla trailing after him. They bonded a lot during their recovery, and it doesn’t look like their new alliance is going to change anytime soon.
But seeing them together, I’m struck with a new problem we need to solve.
I swing around to face Aleksei. “What about the dogs?”
Santiago walks past me with another armful of belongings from their car, answering me. “They’ll come with us.”
“You two have spoken about this already?”
He stops mid-step, in a spot he can talk to me, but he’s clearly including Aleksei in the conversation. “Yes, bebe. We have spoken. If you can give us ten or so minutes to freshen up, get the food ready, then we can sit down and go through how we see things going forward. Of course, you are our deciding factor,so all these plans we made can change if they don’t match what you see happening. Go sit, I’ll bring you a drink.”
Aleksei says something to Roshka, and all of a sudden, he is encroaching on my space, and he doesn’t stop his shepherding until I’m in the main room. It looks like I’m not allowed to help. Roshka turns to walk off, but he keeps checking over his shoulder, like he’s making sure I’m not going to try and rejoin them.
“Bossy dog,” I hiss at him as he disappears back into the kitchen.
“Sit down!” Santiago insists at the same time.
“Bossy Alpha!” I yell back, making both Santiago and Aleksei walk to where I can see them.
Their challenge is mimicked in the same way they stand and their similar expressions, leveling me nearly submissive without trying too hard.
Kade clears his throat, and my gaze flies to him. He shrugs innocently, but he is far from it. “That wasn’t bossy, and you know it.”
From out of nowhere, I poke my tongue out.
I’m mortified. Since when do I poke my tongue out?
Except, on top of dealing with the horror of what I did, they throw me even more because, instead of laughing, they respond encouragingly. A trio of whispered, growled “brat” winds through the room, bringing a wave of them.
Their combined focus, presence, scents—everything—hits like a feather anvil. For whatever reason, they aremore, and right this second, I’m somehow moreopento their influence. I stand there, imprisoned and consumed by them as much as I am cast adrift by the subtle cinnamon, deep and sensual amber, and the mysterious luxury of agarwood perfume in the air.
“I need to get better at this,” I say to myself, torn by expectation and longing. My voice is barely above a whisper as I look hard for control again.
Santiago, with his super hearing, answers, but they all heard. “No, you don’t. I hope you never do. Each time you look surprised or in awe of this obvious thing we share, it only confirms to me, we’re all where we need to be.”
“And you’re so sur…”
Kade clears his throat. “Quinny, give yourself a break. It’s overwhelming for us too. You have to trust in yourself. I doubt you’ve ever let yourself down yet. Simplify it to basic biology. Scent compatibility is a major factor used to indicate potential mates to make up a new pack or when packs are inviting new members in. Right?”
“I know this,” I offer quietly, suddenly self-conscious.
“I know you do. I’m breaking it down to your way of thinking because you’re going up and down between skepticism and acceptance like a yo-yo. If I take out what you know, which is the biological side of our scent matching, then we can focus on alleviating the stress of your Omega. It’s okay to look at other people for answers, sweetheart.”
I’m aware of where a huge part of this insecurity stems from. My own swirling apprehension is one thing, but the root of a lot of my designation-effacing is Victor.
