I glanced longingly at the bed. My omega pushed me to wrap myself up in the bundle of blankets and start nesting. The urge was stronger than it had ever been now that I was going into heat, but part of me still resisted. If I made a nest, it would make my heat real, and I wasn’t ready for that.
Resisting the bed, I walked over to the wall of blackout curtains, curious to see the view. I pushed them aside and saw that the windows were actually French doors leading out to a private balcony. The nasty voice in my head spoke up again:You don’t deserve this room. As soon as the alphas see how defective you are, they’ll kick you out.I closed my eyes, resting my forehead on the cool glass door pane, and wished I could be kinder to myself.
I hesitated before grabbing my phone and slipping onto the balcony, sitting on one of the plush outdoor chairs. The balcony looked out over the back of the house, revealing a magical wonderland of a courtyard. Pale pavers surrounded a serene pool, and roses climbed on a brick wall towards the back. It looked like something out ofPride and Prejudice.Trees provided shade around the perimeter, and a large wooden dining table and chairs sat next to a fire pit and outdoor kitchen.
It was an unusually warm day for October. The sun was shining and a slight breeze played with my hair, wafting the scent of wild roses over me. I had been so overwhelmed when we pulled up this morning that it hadn’t truly registered how gorgeous this home was. I could picture myself waking up in the mornings and enjoying coffee on the balcony or curling up in one of the lounge chairs by the pool to read.
A burst of anxiety shot through me as I realized I was already envisioning myself in this home, bonded to these alphas. What if I let my guard down and they hurt me? I quickly dialed Sam’s number.
“Josie, are you okay? Why the fuck haven’t you answered my texts?” Sam asked, sounding pissed.
I bit my lip and saw I had eighteen unopened texts from him.Oops.
“Sorry,” I said. “I’ve been a little busy.”
Sam took a deep breath. “Didn’t mean to snap. Are you at their house? What are they like? How are you doing?”
I opened my mouth to answer him and a choked sob came out instead.
“Have they hurt you?” Sam all but shouted. “That’s it. I’m coming to get you out. This whole thing is fucking ridiculous.”
“No, wait, it’s okay,” I managed to get out. “I don’t even know why I’m crying.”
“Are you hurt?” Sam asked.
“No, it’s actually… good? I don’t know. I’m so confused.”
“Take a deep breath, Josie-girl, and tell me what’s going on,” Sam said.
I heard Gerald in the background asking who they needed to kill. Gerald was the kindest, gentlest alpha I had ever met. If not for his scent, I would never have guessed his designation. Hearing him make threats in my defense eased the tightness in my chest.
“We got here this morning. My parents were awful, of course, but they weren’t here that long. The alphas—Cam, Ben, and Theo—have been really kind. The house is beautiful. It’s in the historic district and all brick and covered in roses. They showed me to my room, which has its own balcony because, apparently, these guys are like super rich. So that’s where I’m sitting now.”
Sam didn’t say anything for a minute. “I mean this in the nicest way possible, but I don’t give a flying fuck about the architecture of the house. Tell me why you were crying and what the fuck is going on with the alphas.”
“I’m scared,” I said softly.
“Scared of what?” Sam roared.
I had to be brave and tell Sam everything or he would try to organize a rescue attempt.
“I feel more comfortable with them than I ever have around alphas, except you, of course. They’re funny and kind and I’m really attracted to them. I didn’t even get freaked out when Cam held me in his lap. I thought I wanted time alone, but now I have it and I just want them to be here with me. Oh, and they said we’re fated mates and want me to stay and bond with them.”
There was another long pause before Sam finally responded. “That all sounds… good.”
I started tearing up again. “But what if it’s all a lie and once I trust them, they’ll turn around and hurt me?”
Sam let out a deep breath. “You, more than anyone, have the right to be cautious about trusting alphas. I also know you have great instincts. What’s your omega telling you?”
“Oh, she’s thrilled about everything and trusted them immediately,” I said. “But I don’t know how sound her judgment is.”
“I think pretty sound,” Sam said, and I could hear the smile in his voice.
“Do you believe in fated mates?” I almost whispered.
“Yeah, I do. I don’t trust anything the Designation Government has put out the past few years, including whatever bullshit research they’ve published. Fated mates used to be pretty common. I remember you reading quite a few romance stories about them,” he said, his voice teasing.
“Yeah, well, those are just stories,” I mumbled. But he was right. I had always dreamed of finding my mates, and most romance books featured them heavily. “I’m literally living out one of my fantasies right now. Three super hot, rich alphas who happen to be my mates and have an amazing house and are super nice and supportive. So why am I so terrified?”
