Chapter 22

Iwatch the security cameras as Tanner carries Laken back inside my home. He kicks off his filthy boots just inside the doorway, and I exhale heavily while reminding myself the housekeepers will be here tomorrow.

I simply won't look at the dirt and muck left on my flooring.

If I don't see it, I can pretend it doesn't exist. That logic doesn't soothe my system, and I'm just about to go for paper towels, the steam mop, and disinfectant when the upstairs camera feed lights up to indicate they've made it to the hall with my bedroom.

The room Tanner was given is across the hall from my own, and I mistakenly expect him to make the left into that room. He swerves to the right, and Laken uses her access to let them both in.

My eyes narrow.

That was not part of our agreement. I gave her access to my inner sanctum. That invitation in no way included Tanner.

I stomp down the hallway toward the stairs, but Maverick steps into my path.

"Don't go up there and do something you'll need to apologize for later," he says, quirking an eyebrow. "We all get you have idiosyncrasies, but sometimes you've got to compromise a little."

"She let him in my bedroom." It sounds very much like an accusation…likely because it is one.

"Yeah, and the downstairs tub is clogged with dog hair. Sometimes you have to roll with the punches." He laughs. "You're probably going to want to up tomorrow's cleaning service to a deep clean."

A terrible scoffing sound escapes my lips. "I told you last time. Those mutts are relegated to outside baths only. That's what the back porch is for."

"You'll get over it," Maverick says, shrugging. "You like her. I'm not just saying you're willing to tolerate her being here for the greater good. You actually feel attraction toward that woman."

I nod, crossing my arms over my chest.

It's not like it's a secret.

So, why does it feel like I'm about to be the punch line of his joke?

"Then, you're going to have to accept that Tanner is part of the package deal. At least, if you want to keep her happy." Maverick gestures toward the stairs. "She's seen you at…" He frowns. "I'm not going to say at your worst, because we all know it can get a hell of a lot darker than a couple of quick executions, but she got a taste of who you are." He points at my chest. "Then she ran to your crazy ass for safety, not away from you, like most anyone with a fully functional sense of self-preservation would have done."

"I don't hurt innocent people," I grind out, trying to determine why he's giving me a pep talk when Tanner is probably flouncing his scent all over my personal space.

That's it.

I'm going to have to place him in spot number two for a few days until he learns his lesson. Much like a puppy piddling on the floor gets put in timeout and frequent trips outside, even when they don't want to go.

"You're plotting his dismemberment right now. Aren't you?" Maverick snorts, shaking his head. "It's like talking to a wall."

"I don't hurt innocent people," I repeat as my teeth grind together.

"Jesus Christ. Fine, go up there, show your ass, and see how fast she kicks you out of your own bedroom." Maverick laughs. "The good thing is, she's just feisty enough to call you on your shit."

Yes, well, I've already seen that firsthand.

I let myself into my bathroom, and the first thing I see is the foggy mirror. The shower has been run recently because the glass drips with fresh condensation. There's a towel on the floor and several others piled over the edge of the tub.

It's a four-person style with jets.

I've rarely used it, but it's currently occupied.

Tanner and Laken share one seat. He's got her back to his chest, and his hands running down her arms.

The little omega's head swivels toward me. "Are you going to join us?"

My head nods of its own volition, and I move to rip off my T-shirt before dropping it in the laundry basket.

I move to my belt next as my mind races.

Sparrow and I grew up in a pack.

Albeit, a very small one.

Our fathers had their own romantic relationship that pre-dated our mother, but the three of them were very happy together. They made for a solid unit. I've seen the benefits of a cohesive pack firsthand.

However, I've never envisioned myself sharing. A good deal of that is due to believing I would never claim an omega. All my concerns regarding my enemies are still valid.

I'll need to ask Grady and Kane how they manage the fear that something could happen to my sister, due to their foes seeking revenge.

I tug off my socks, realizing I've already disposed of my jeans and boxer briefs.

Damn.

I'll have to fish my belt out of the laundry basket later.

I throw my socks in the basket and notice my work boots lying next to it.

Normally, I would place them in the closet in their cubby, but the tops of Laken's breasts are visible as they float in the steamy water.

I'm fully aware there's a plush mat circling the massive tub, but somehow, I struggle to lift my foot high enough and end up tripping over it.

My hands hit the edge of the tile surrounding the tub. Using my upper body strength, I lift my legs and slide into the hot water, but it's far from a smooth transition.

Laken laughs as the water laps around her chest. My legs are longer than Tanner's, so I place them on the outside of his.

"You know, there's a whole side of the tub completely empty," he says, frowning.

"Yes," I agree. "Much like you have your own bedroom."

"Be nice." Laken smiles, lifting her leg and placing her foot on my stomach. "You can check my cuts and clean my toes."

"I can do that." Grabbing the bottle of body wash, I give it a liberal squeeze and move to assess if she has any open areas on the wound on her ankle.

Tanner growls, planting a hand on the omega's stomach. "You're a wiggly little thing."

"Sorry." She smiles at him over her shoulder, and I fight the urge to rip her out of his grasp.

My thumb digs into the arch on the bottom of her foot as Tanner reaches for his own pump of body wash.

"The housekeepers come tomorrow?" he asks, running his soapy hand down Laken's shoulder. Her hair is wet, but I'm unsure if that's from the rain or the shower they shared, because it's currently up in a bun to keep it out of the water.

I nod, carefully avoiding putting too much pressure on the area that's still raw and healing as I move up her calf.

"Good." Tanner cups a handful of water, rinsing the soap away. "Kate's scent sent Laken into a panic attack."

My head tilts as I study her face. "It's truly bothering you? I assumed it was the?—"

"We're not getting into the other stuff right now," Tanner growls, startling my omega. "This talk is about making Laken as comfortable as she can be under the circumstances."

I bare my teeth at him, growling a warning that equals pain and suffering if he doesn't leash his attitude.

"Enough," he says, like he has a death wish. He moves his palm to Laken's sternum, holding her in place before stretching to grab more soap. "You should know better. Omegas don't share their alphas, and they certainly don't allow unknown, unbonded omegas in their nest when they have a heat coming."

"Kate has never stepped inside my room, let alone the nest," I grind out.

Apparently, everyone thinks they can get away with lecturing me tonight, and it feels very much like a challenge to my authority.

Laken pats Tanner's arm, and he releases her. She pulls her leg down and floats toward me. Once she's within reach, she kneels on either side of my thighs and her hands come to rest on my shoulders.

"Logically, I understand that." She nuzzles her cheek to mine. "My instincts…not so much."

"I will ask them to air out the house tomorrow," I assure her as my hands caress her soft hips. "We could rent a hotel room for a few days if that would help."

"I'm not sure if all that is necessary," she says, spinning around until her back hits my chest. "But I would like the three of us to snuggle together in the nest tonight."

Tanner smirks, giving me a look that seems to indicate he thinks he's won something.

"I can't wait to see if it's up to your standards," I say, kissing Laken's wet temple.

My gaze stays on the alpha on my last motherfucking nerve.

I give him a dangerous smile.

She has to sleep sometime, meaning she won't be able to protect him from my wrath forever.

I'm not even sure what exactly he's done to gain my ire to this level, but I'm sure he'll remind me shortly.

The nest is directly off the pack bedroom, with a door that attaches to the bathroom.

Laken seems tiny when wrapped up with one of the bath sheets, but Tanner's muscular form makes the same size towel seem small.

The back wall of the nest is like a den, with walls on three sides and no windows. At the top of the three steps, there are two large armoires on the left and right. They house extra sheets, pillows, blankets, and a variety of other heat necessities, like an omega thermometer and ice packs.

Farther past those is the platform-style mattress. It's already made with a waterproof pad and sheets.

Either side of the nest mattress has a small end table, and one side has a touch panel to close the curtain and to work the lighting fixtures and the noise machine.

The den has a wall-sized curtain that can be pulled to fully enclose the small room.

Laken squeals, gesturing to the circular sunken cushion nest when you first enter. "Um, holy shit! That's super fancy."

The sunken nest is open and likely wouldn't work for the first few days of her heat, but it would be an option for the last few days, since it's airier.

The windows on each side of the den nest allow for natural lighting to the circular cushion, but due to the walls surrounding the den itself, they won't bother her when she's tucked in the platform nest.

Laken gets to the steps and turns back. "Are you two coming?"

"Hell, yeah," Tanner growls, elbowing me out of the way.

I nod, watching as she scrambles up the stairs and does a running jump onto the mattress. A slow smile crosses my face as she gets annoyed with the towel, ripping it off and tossing it aside.

"She really is too fucking cute," Tanner says over his shoulder.

"That she is," I agree.

Laken spends a while examining the extra blankets while fully nude. Once she finds one that appeals to her senses, she instructs Tanner to adjust the lighting. It becomes a whole endeavor.

I flip on the circulation fans and collect their fallen towels before carrying them back to the laundry basket.

I war with myself about whether I should go for sweats or even underwear, but the urge to feel Laken's skin against mine wins out.

I do still have to pop into my room to grab several bottles of water from the mini-fridge and to set the alarm.

After collecting my phone and charger, I head back into the nest, texting Maverick along the way to ask him to lock up for me, which he assures me he will.

"See, he didn't ditch us," Tanner says as I make it back into the room.

"No, certainly not. I simply needed to ensure the house was secure and set the alarm." I drop the bottles tucked under my arm, plug in my phone, and place it down on the bedside table.

I'm suddenly very aware of my own nudity.

Laken scoots back into Tanner's chest and pats the bed. I clear my throat as she lifts the blanket. I'm not sure I'm mentally prepared for group sex.

Does three people constitute group sex?

No, I believe that's a threesome.

My heart races as I climb under the comforter and stretch out.

Laken moves closer, tossing her thigh over my leg, and Tanner moves in behind her.

"I would like to explain my rationale on why it's important that you not fight our impending marriage," I say, frowning when Laken lifts my arm.

I still comply, allowing her to rest her face on my bony pec.

Damn, at times like these, I wish I was softer.

Tanner chuckles, moving with her until his chest lies against my arm that's wrapped around her back. "It doesn't sound like he's letting that one go."

"Okay," she says around a yawn. "Go ahead and convince me why we need to get hitched."

"Firstly, it's already been filed," I say, beginning the speech I went over in my mind many times during the course of this afternoon. "Although, I don't plan to begin calling you my wife until I have the stamped certificate in hand."

Her soft fingertips brush over my chest in a way that makes my heart thump erratically. "That's only logical," Laken says, sounding quite amused.

"Indeed," I agree. "With Kurran and Adair still on the game board, combined with the Barretts, I believe it will give you the most safety. If ever there was a situation where you may be called to testify, it would also allow you spousal privilege."

"That's kinda grim," Tanner says, brushing his fingers over her stomach. I jolt and barely stop myself from slapping his hand away to force him to stop touching me.

"New game plan," Laken mumbles sleepily. "Don't get arrested."

"I certainly don't intend on it," I assure her. "My services are of a for-hire variety, and the jobs I take can be dangerous, but I do my best to mitigate any negative outcomes."

"You might want to think about sticking to security contracts," Tanner says. "Your wife won't stand for you taking unnecessary risks."

I push up on my elbow to glare at the idiot.

I'm always careful.

"She will not." Laken pats my chest. "Your scents are making me sleepy. Hit the lights, will you?"

"We spent five minutes agreeing on that ambient setting." Tanner chuckles. "Good night, firecracker."

"Good night," she says as I stretch to click off the track lighting.

My mind is still a little too focused on the fact she didn't slap the hell out of me and tell me to get lost.

Laken falls asleep not long after.

It's easy enough to tell by the way her breathing evens out and her hand stops rubbing circles over my heart.

Tanner leans even farther over her back and stares at me until I make eye contact with him. "She was having a panic attack when I found her. I've heard enough about you from the others to put a picture together. You're used to getting what you want, but you lack the social skills to understand how your choices impact others."

I growl and quickly try to stifle it to keep from waking my omega.

"She likes you." He laughs softly. "Who the fuck knows why, but she does. If you care about her, you need to step up and show it. Not with bossy, unreasonable demands, but with your actions. When we were in the shower, she mentioned she normally takes medication for her anxiety."

"I was unaware of that," I admit.

"Well, I'm telling you now. You said earlier that she was waiting for her doctor to call her back about something. She's completely isolated here, and she's handling it a lot better than most people would. Do whatever you need to do so that she can check in with her doctor or make plans for her to see one here."

My pride bristles.

All of that is already on my list of things to tackle.

I approach things in order of emergency, and finding more information on the missing Braxton Barrett seemed to trump a trip into town, especially when the dirt road floods whenever we get heavy storms.

However, I saw how each member of my family triad brought something different to the table.

Where my biological father had shortcomings, Sparrow's father had strengths, and vice versa.

I'll never be as emotionally aware as someone like Tanner.

"Thank you for the advice. I'll address that tomorrow," I assure him.

He grunts, dropping his head to the pillow. "Good."