She pulled a small square box out of her purse and handed it to me. My hands trembled as I pulled the top off the box, revealing a tiny silver heart-shaped locket tucked inside. “I got one for Rose when she got married. I know omegas do things differently, but I’d love for you to have it.”
My chest was bursting with emotion as I ran my finger over the locket. Everything I wanted, my deepest dreams I didn’t dare speak out loud, were within reach. And I was still terrified it would be ripped away.
A tear slipped down my cheek and Anne immediately handed me a tissue. I gave her a tremulous smile and took it from her gratefully.
“Thank you. It’s beautiful,” was all I managed to get out. I took the necklace out of the box and put it on.
“It looks beautiful on you,” she said, taking my hand in hers.
I wiped my face again with the tissue as Rose and Lilah walked in. For a second, I was scared Rose would be upset that I was taking some of her mom’s attention, but she smiled when she saw the necklace.
“It looks beautiful on you,” she said, sitting down on my other side. “I have no idea how my brother snagged a girl like you, but I’m happy he did.”
“All of our guys are dating up,” Lilah said, giving me a wink.
I smiled as I sank deeper into the chair.
104
WESTIN
Ieyed Liam as he paced around the kitchen, muttering something about leafy greens. We were just a few days away from the MRI, and he seemed to be growing more stressed by the minute. He was back to spending his evenings hunched over his laptop, reading research articles and making lists of omega health advice.
“He’s going to give himself a heart attack,” Bear muttered. I was sandwiched between him and Gray on the couch, and we were all staring at Liam.
Gray squeezed my hand. I met his eyes, and he gave me a soft smile.
“Go to him, princess. He needs you.”
I gave him a soft kiss, grateful that whatever alpha bullshit had been going on between them was sorted, before turning to Bear. I ran my fingers down the stubble on his cheek. “Is that okay with you? It’s supposed to be your night.”
“Yeah, baby. Fix him up with that magic pussy of yours. I’ll get my time with you tomorrow.”
I rolled my eyes, earning myself a pinch on the ass.
“Thank you,” I said, giving Bear a kiss.
Liam didn’t notice me as I walked into the kitchen. I wrapped my arms around him, my chest pressed against his back.
“Hey,” he said, turning in my arms so we were facing each other. He cupped my face with both hands. “Is something wrong? What do you need?”
I grabbed his hand. “I need you to come with me.”
“Are you hurt? Do we need to go to the hospital?”
My heart broke at the dark marks under his eyes and the burned edge of his scent.
“Just come with me,” I said gently. He let me tug him into my bedroom and I locked the door behind us.
“What are you doing, sweetheart?”
“I’m taking care of you. I don’t think you’re okay.”
“What do you mean?” He looked around the room as if he wasn’t sure how we’d gotten here.
“You’re running yourself ragged trying to fix me. You’re not sleeping or eating. I’m worried about you.”
“But I need to take care of you,” he said.
