The house reveals itself as we descend. Hallways branching off. Doors, closed and open. Windows letting in afternoon light. Back staircase on the left. Front door visible from the landing. Two ways out if we needed them.
The scents intensify as we go lower. Second floor, stronger. First floor, they hit me like a wall, all four of them layered together, filling every breath. By the time we reach the bottom,we're both shaking. Aubrey's grip on my hand has gone from tight to desperate, his knuckles bone-white, and I'm holding him just as hard. We made it. Two flights of stairs and we're both still standing. Barely.
The kitchen opens up ahead of us. Large, bright, afternoon sun streaming through windows. Back door on the right. Front of the house somewhere to the left. Then I see them.
“Look who made it down,” Lex says.
They all look rough. Kev stands by the counter, arms crossed, shadows carved under his eyes. Ezra is near the stove. Sera sits at the table, her spine too straight and we’re pinned by three sets of eyes.
The guilt hits before I can stop it. If they chose to stay awake all night, that's their problem. Except they look so tired. And they did it for us.
Sera stands the second she sees us. Her whole body angles forward, half a step, the wanting coming off her in a wave I taste. Then she stops herself. Backs away.
“Sweetheart.” Her gaze lands on me. Then softer: “Angel.”
Aubrey goes still beside me.
“Come. Sit.” She pulls out chairs at the table. “Ezra has been cooking the house down and if you don't eat some of his food, I’ll have to and then I’ll put on too much weight and I only have one spare pair of jeans.”
The draw toward her sharpens the moment she speaks. My body leans towards her. Through my hand still linked with Aubrey's, his awareness echoes mine. We sit. Our fingers stay laced on the table. Kev's gaze drops to our joined hands.
Ezra approaches with food. A protein smoothie, rich purple-red, that actually smells good. Toast cut into triangles. Fruit, sliced small.
“Nothing heavy,” he says, his voice warm despite the exhaustion lining his face. “Your systems need time to adjust.The smoothie has protein in it, should be easy on your stomachs. It's berry. If you don't like berry, I can make something else. We have options.”
The smoothie is actually delicious. That surprises me. Berries and vanilla, sweet without being cloying. He wanted it to taste good, not just be good for us. I’m happy when Aubrey takes a sip too.
“Thank you, Ezra,” Aubrey says softly and the alphas go still.
Kev nearly reaches for us. I catch the movement in my peripheral vision, his hand lifting toward where Aubrey and I sit pressed together. Then he stops. Forces his hand back down.
“What are your favorites?” Ezra asks. He's leaning against the counter now, trying to look casual and failing. “I want to make sure we have things you'll actually want. Any requests?”
The question hangs in the air. I don't know how to answer it.
What do I like to eat? What do I want? I haven't been asked that in years. At Haven, you ate what they gave you or you didn't eat at all. Nobody cared what you wanted at the Facility. I was grateful whenever the guards remembered to feed me. Too sick most days to even eat when they did.
“I...” My voice comes out wrong. Too small. I try again, remembering what I used to like before my designation came in and the world turned dark. “Tacos. I think. I like…tacos.”
Sera’s full lips lift. “Tacos. We can do tacos.”
My stomach flips. Through my hand in Aubrey's, his response echoes mine.
Ezra turns to Aubrey. “What about you, Aubrey?” His voice is gentle. “What's your favorite meal?”
“I like…” His gaze darts from alpha, to alpha, to alpha. His shoulders relax when they don’t move. “…anything barbecued.”
“We have a barbecue.” Kev's voice is careful. Steady.
“I can get some steak to cook. Or maybe you’d prefer burgers. I can barbecue anything,” Ezra adds.
They're trying so hard not to make a big deal out of it. Trying so hard not to spook us.
Kev clears his throat. “Our yard is private. The fences are high enough that no one can see in.” He meets my eyes when he says it, and I wonder if he knows that's exactly what I need to hear. “It's sunny and warm. Would you... would you like to go outside?”
Outside. The yearning hits me hard. Fresh air. Sunlight. Open sky. It’s been years since I felt the sun on my skin. Sera was taking me to the OHC garden, when I saw Aubrey and my world crashed around my shoulders in another way.
“Yes… please.”
