“Right now, it’s for kidnapping you.” Ethan says shrugging. “Jasper is getting released from the hospital today, and is going straight into police custody. I would guess that your parents somehow got word of what happened—and how we framed it as a ‘pack dispute gone wrong’—and didn’t want any blame falling back on them. Their trial isn’t until later this month, and I’ve been going through their security footage of the last three years to see if we can get anything else on them besides what they did to you. We need to know for sure if you were the first omega they abused, or if there were others before you. We were already going to turn them in—even if we let them think we wouldn’t—but your parents throwing them under the bus gives us the advantage of time.”
I swallow. So they know Pack Caruso abused me…do they knoweverything? “Are you referring to how they drugged me?”
Maverick rumbles. “Yes. But…what else did they do?”
Brennan leans forward quickly. “You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to—”
“But it’ll ‘elp make combin’ through three years of foo’age easier,” Teddy finishes.
Swallowing, I nod. The duties Pack Caruso gave me are nothing compared to them drugging me and trying to induce a heat.
My fingers tighten in my blankets. “They, um…created a ‘rewards system’ for me. If I did my duties, I’d earn a nest item. If I failed, they would take one away.”
Growls rip out around the room, making me fold in on myself, but I continue, looking down. “I…I was good at cleaning, I suppose, but not so much the cooking—”
“Hey.” Brennan’s voice has me freezing, and I look up to see him standing in front of the bed, his gentle eyes on me. “The growling…it wasn’t meant for you. We just…we can’t stand the thought of Pack Caruso—or anyone—treating you with anything less than the respect you deserve. We…we’ll try to keep a rein on our emotions, okay?”
“Okay.” My voice is quiet as I nod, and he gives me a small smile. I’m so used to being the punching bag, it’s strange to have people getting angry on my behalf. The others—Teddy, Ethan, and Maverick, all nod in agreement. The sight gives me the confidence I need to keep going. “They told me I ruined breakfast when I made a perfectly acceptable scramble. It was almost like…” I trail off, trying to put the thought into words. “It’s almost like they were going to say it was horrible no matter what I did…like they had a routine.”
Ethan nods. “So we might be right about you not being their first omega.” He stands quickly. “Alright, I’ve already been working on a code to filter out blank footage and isolate frames that have females under five-foot-five in them…that should narrow it down. If we can anonymously send condemning footage to the judge before their trial, we can have them put away for a long time.”
He disappears without another word.
My mouth opens to call after him, but…what would I even say?
“Ethan! Get your ass back here!” Maverick’s voice is the one that barks at the other alpha, his eyes intent on me. Ethan appears back in the doorway, the question evident on his face. Maverick is still looking at me. “What did you need, Baby Girl?”
Gods, is this what it’s like to have someone care about my needs, my wants? For me to not have to say a word because they read the intent in my expression?
“I, uh…wanted to talk about the true scent match…if you all have a minute.”
“We’re all ‘ere foryou, Dove.” Teddy grins at me.
“Of course,” Ethan says quickly, sitting back down in his chair. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking—”
“It’s okay,” I let out a little laugh, holding out my hands. “I just…it’ll probably be quick. It’s just that…you all know that I presented late, right?” At the nods that go around the room, I take a deep breath. “Well, that being said, I never even dreamed of having a pack before. When I was a beta, I figured maybe I’d meet a nice guy I kind of liked. After presenting…the only pack life I knew of was the ones my parents wanted to try to force on me. So…I know that I’m probably not what you had envisioned—if you had ever even wanted an omega, that is—but since we’re all true scent matches…”
I’m really dancing around the subject. “I talked to Teddy, and he wanted me even before we knew…” Fuck, stop rambling. “I just…all I mean is…I’d like to…get to know you all? If I could. I know we’re all fated or whatever, but I also know that doesn’t really matter if you don’tlikethe person. Or if you guys don’t want to be a pack with each other.”
A nervous laugh leaves me as I shake my head. Holy fuck, somebodyplease shut me up. “Woah, that was presumptuous as fuck. I’m not justassumingyou want to be a pack for me—”
“Wren.” It’s Maverick’s gruff voice that takes me out of my rambling. My throat bobs as I swallow, and I look at the alpha, his dark brown eyes seeing way too much. “We’ve had a few days to talk it out amongst ourselves. We all agreed—that as long as it was something you wanted—we’d want to try our hand as apack. With you.”
I blink.
Did I hear him right? They…they want tocourtme?
These alphas, who are nothing like the stick-up-their-asses packs my parents tried to pair me off with, want…me? The socially-inept virgin who can hardly even speak to them without it turning into a ten minute, self-doubting monologue?
“Is that something you’d be interested in?” Maverick looks almost…bashful. “I know…I know I’m probably ten years older than you, so I wouldn’t blame you if you didn't want me to be a part of your pack—”
A sound that I’ve never heard before rips out of my throat as my eyes go wide. The alphas respond immediately, almost as if they can’t help it, and before I know it, I have four alphas surrounding my mattress.
“I—” I shake my head, my cheeks flaming for the fiftieth time since waking up. “I don’t know what that was.”
“An omega whine,” Brennan says roughly, his fingers twitching at his sides. “It’s a uh…distress call to your alphas. I’m assuming…I’m assuming you didn’t like Maverick talking about not being a part of your pack.”
My mouth opens slightly to argue. Because…wouldn’t that make me desperate? But then my eyes catch on Maverick, and I can tell he’s holding himself back fromsomething.
