Track 34 All the Ways

"Okay," Gray says right on my heels as I storm into the room I woke up in. "Obviously, we fucked up. Just tell us how, so we can fix it. Please, Sorrel."

I whirl around to face the four of them, frustration building, building, building in my chest until it pops like a bubble and I shout at them, "you told the fucking world you wanted me before you told me ." My hand slams into my sternum. "How do you think I feel hearing on the fucking TV that you want me to join your pack? How do you think I feel having you air our relationship on national television without consulting me first?"

Liam shuffles his feet and gives me puppy dog eyes. "We sort of hoped you'd view it as romantic."

"A grand gesture," Rafe says, gripping the back of his neck.

"We know we fucked up, biscuit. We want to make it right."

I fist my hands at my sides, then point in the general direction of the other hotel room and the cameras and Guilia fucking Hanson. "That's not how you do it. You should know me better than that." All of them drop their eyes looking guilty. "That wasn't for me," I say, shoulders slumping. "That was for you. So you can feel like you're doing enough, making a big enough statement."

My fingers uncurl, and I shake my head. "I don't need the world to know that you want me. I need to know it. I need you to tell me. Not them. Aren't I the one that matters in this situation? Not your fans, or Guilia Hanson, or fuck, I don't know, the asshole with the clipboard. Or the dude who told me he'd fuck me but not marry me, too?"

"Who told you that?" Gage growls out.

I wave my hand. "Some troll. It doesn't matter. What matters is that he probably found out you want me to be a part of your pack before I did. That Gage is joining the Cordova pack before I did. That you weren't there for me because you were trying to stop Apex from ever pulling this shit again."

Gray steps forward, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "We did plan on telling you first," he says carefully. "We were going to tell you before the interview, but you were asleep, dead to the world."

"Oh, so it's my fault? Like everything else that's gone wrong?"

"No." He's quick to shake his head. "No, if you would just listen. We could explain."

I grit my teeth and make a ‘ go on ' motion before folding my arms over my chest.

"We should have waited," Liam says, hitting me with his sincere puppy dog eyes again. "We see that now. We should have talked to you first, before we even set up the interview with Guilia."

"But we didn't want to go one more minute without telling the world that you belong to us," Rafe moves a step closer.

"With us," Gage corrects. "You belong with us. Not to us. Though I'm pretty sure we belong to you. I know I do. I can't really speak for the others."

Gray shakes his head. "The things they were saying about you, Sorrel. We couldn't let them go on one moment longer. We needed to step in to protect you."

"It's instinct, lovely. My omega would literally not let me hold my tongue."

I sigh and shift. As a beta, I can't pretend to know what omega and alpha instincts are like, but I do know that when either designation feels like someone they deem theirs is in any sort of danger, they'll react.

I suppose nasty comments could be seen as dangerous. But it's more likely that they couldn't stand to see the possibility of people thinking badly of me when they could do something about it.

Which is nice. But still.

"You should have talked to me first."

Gray nods. "Yes. Absolutely, sweet thing. We should have talked to you first. Put off the interview until we'd worked things out among ourselves."

I nod. "Exactly." My arms drop to my sides as a wave of exhaustion hits. "Because honestly, I'm not sure I want to do this."

The four of them go still. I'm not even sure they're breathing.

"Not sure you want to do what, conejita ?" Rafe takes a step toward me, and I get the distinct impression that I am being hunted.

I back up a step as he advances. "You know what, Rafe."

He shakes his head slowly. "I think I need you to spell it out for me."

I back up a step, waving a hand between me and the rest of them. "This. Be in a relationship with you. Put my heart in your hands and trust that you won't hurt me again. I don't think I can just do that again. With any of you."

I don't miss how Gage winces at that.

"Too bad," Gray says, drawing my attention immediately.

I arch a brow at him. "Too bad?"

He nods slowly, stalking toward me with the same intent as Rafe. "Yep. Too fucking bad. You aren't going anywhere. We aren't going anywhere. You aren't ready to trust us with your heart? That's… well, not fine, but understandable. We're willing to put in the work for you. To show you we mean it this time. That we won't fuck up like we did. And eventually, you will trust us again. You'll give us your heart."

I frown and fold my arms over my chest. "You can't know that."

The corner of his mouth curls into a smirk. "I do know that, Sorrel. Because if you feel even an ounce of what I feel for you… its inevitable."

The words tug at something in my chest. Inevitable sounds an awful lot like fated . And I'm not sure I'm ready for that kind of talk. But I can't help but soften toward them. They've made mistakes, loads of them. But so have I.

Rather than try to refute what they heard in that altered conversation, to explain, to prove to them I wasn't that type of person, I walked away. Gray had begged me with his tone of voice to give them a reason to believe me, and I'd just… given up.

In my mind, our ending was inevitable.

But what if it's the opposite? What if my being a part of their pack is meant to be? And everything that came before it, all the hurt and anger and tears, was just meant to prove it? That we can weather any storm and any reservations that any of us have, so long as we are open with each other willing to communicate and stick it out.

Gray grins, sensing his—their—impending victory over me.

"I'm still mad at you," I scowl, backing up a step, readying for a retreat, to run and hide and maybe call Sylvie and Sadie and have them talk me through what I should do here.

But I don't make it very far, because as I back up I run right into a warm wall of muscle that smells like wood fire smoke and vanilla scented whiskey. Gray moves in front of me and Liam comes up on my left side while Rafe comes up on my right. The prime of the pack reaches up and cups my face gently, fingers stroking over my skin. "You can be mad at us all you want, sweet one. I don't expect one interview to clear up all of your anger and hurt. But you can be mad while staying right next to us where we can see you, where we can touch you."

"What if I don't want you to touch me?" I say, wanting to sound derisive, but it comes out sounding… breathless… needy .

Gray shrugs. "If you really don't want us to touch you, we can stop."

Gage kisses the back of my head as his hand sweeps up my stomach under the hotel t-shirt, splaying over my ribs, just under my breasts. "Maybe letting us touch you will make you less angry, though, hmm?"

Liam nods emphatically. "Yeah, maybe we can help you let go of some of that anger. Release it."

I know what he means by ‘release it'.

It's so freaking tempting and the way my body is heating up and between my legs is wet, I really like the idea. But I'm still hurt.

I shake my head. "Sex doesn't solve everything."

"No," Rafe agrees, easily bending to kiss my shoulder. "But it can help with a lot of things."

Another shake of my head has them all going still, pausing in their gentle caresses. "No. I need time and space."

A furrow appears between Gray's brows, his pretty gray eyes running over my face, probably gauging if they should force the issue or not. Half of me wants them to listen. The other half… well, she wants them to force it, to make me let them touch me. There's four of them and one of me, and it wouldn't be that hard for them to hold me down and coax pleasure from my body.

Gray's mouth quirks into a little smile, like he knows what I'm thinking before he nods. "We can give you time, sweet thing. But not space."

My lips part in surprise. "What?"

"What part of ‘you can be mad at us while staying right next to us' did you not understand, biscuit?"

"We're never letting you out of our sight again, conejita . Ever. So be mad all you want but do it here. Where we can see you."

I shake my head at the audacity of these men, frustration bubbling. "You won't give me space if I ask for it? Seriously?"

"Seriously," Liam confirms.

"What if I have to take a shit?" I say bluntly. "Will you give me space, then?"

Startled laughs erupt from them, but I'm not laughing. I need to know how far they're going to push this and part of me thinks they might try to go that far.

"I think we can give you some space to use the bathroom," Gage chuckles. "But only after we've double checked that it's safe."

I hum and decide to test their resolve on this, readying to dart between them and make a run for it. "Don't," Gage warns, not quite a bark but bordering on it. "I mean it, Sor, don't be a brat right now. We need to have you where we can see you."

He lets out a soft oof of pain as my elbow connects with his stomach, but his grip on me doesn't loosen and the three other men tighten up ranks, closing in around me.

Liam tsks. "Oh, you've done it now, lovely. Growly Bear has that look in his eyes."

My heart thunders in my chest as I tip my head back to meet Gage's dark blue gaze. They scan over my features, linger on my lips before landing on my gaze again. I arch a brow.

He growls, and then he bends his head and devours me. A hungry rumble moves from his body to mine as he eats at my mouth, his hand laced into my hair to hold me just as he wants. He pulls back just enough to murmur, "Fuck, I've missed you biscuit. So fucking much."

I twist in his arms, slide my hands up to grip his shoulders. "I've missed you too." His arms close around me, holding me close to his body as his cheek rests on my hair, rubbing back and forth, scent marking me.

He's not the only one either. I feel Liam move behind me, his lemon blueberry cheesecake growing stronger as he presses into my back, his face nuzzling into the nape of my neck. I half expect Gage to snarl or pull me away, but he turns me in his arms again, keeping me wedge between their two bodies.

Gage curls his hand around my throat, using his thumb to tip my chin back. "Kiss your omega, baby," he murmurs into the side of my head. "He's been desperate for you."

" Our omega ," Gray corrects him. "Your part of the pack now too, Gage."

Warmth blooms in my chest. Gage has a pack now. Like he's always deserved. Like I always knew he would, even when he told me it wasn't what he wanted.

Liam inches closer, full lips parted as he asks uncertainly, "can I kiss you, lovely?"

I shouldn't. God, I know I shouldn't. I'm not ready to open myself up to heartbreak again. My wounds are still too fresh, still bleeding. But being here with them, having the four of them surround me, it feels… right. Healing. Like I'm finally starting to put pieces of myself back together.

I nod. "Yes, Liam."

He blows out a relieved breath and runs his knuckles down my cheek gently, before pinching my chin between his thumb and forefinger and tilting my face toward his. Gage's hand slides to rest on my sternum, no doubt feeling the frantic beat of my heart against his fingers.

"I missed you too, lovely," Liam murmurs, brushing my mouth with his. "We never should have let you go. It's been miserable without you. I've been miserable without you. Since the moment we left you at the studio. Fucking unbearable."

He kisses me slow and languorous like we have all the time in the world. And I suppose we do, to some extent. They've promised they aren't going anywhere, and I so desperately want to trust it.

I part my lips and Liam whines as his tongue touches mine, deepening the kiss, savoring me, until I'm shifting, rubbing my thighs together and grinding my ass on Gage's erection.

Liam pulls away from me with a deep inhale, dragging his lips over my cheek, leaving a trail of saliva and scent behind. He nibbles along my jaw as my head tips back to rest on Gage's shoulder, lips parted, breathing heavy.

My heavy gaze meets the hungry ones of Rafe and Gray, watching as their omega makes a feast of my skin, marking me with his cheesecake smell. It's not enough.

"Wanna bite you," Liam murmurs into the curve of my neck. "Wanna mark you and claim you. Bond you." He pulls back and cups my jaw, holding me in place to meet my eyes. "Then you'll know how I feel about you, how we feel about you."

"Please," Gray rasps, drawing my attention over to him. His gray eyes are intense on my face, pleading. "Please, sweet thing, please let us bond with you."

"Let us show you how much we want you, how much we love you, conejita ."

"I've been in love with you since I was eight, biscuit." Gage's hand drifts up to touch the space over his heart. "I don't want to go another minute without feeling you here, without feeling what home is."

I stare at all of them, warring with myself. Because, fuck, do I want to give in. I want what they're offering me, but I can't shake the fear that as soon as they can feel me, feel all my wild emotions that I hide under a polite smile, they'll change their minds. They'll regret it. They won't really want me.

"Not gonna happen, biscuit," Gage growls, like he can already feel me, like he knows what's going on inside my head without the bond.

"It's a lot," I choke out and Liam's fingers tighten on me. "Believing that you really want me."

"Believe it or not," Gray murmurs, moving closer to me and Liam, until Liam is sandwiched between the two of us, and I'm wrapped up in their scents and their arms. "We want you. So fucking bad, Sorrel." His teeth scrape over the flesh where my shoulder meets my neck, making goosebumps spread over my body and my nipples pucker.

Liam chuckles, feeling my body's reaction to their closeness. "If you don't want to bond with the rest of us, lovely. At least bond with Gage." My head jerks up to meet his eyes and he gives me a tender smile. "Growly Bear has been in love with you forever, Sorrel. You know that, don't you? He deserves to feel you, to feel complete."

Rafe moves closer while Gage stays where he is, dark blue eyes focused on me. "The rest of us can wait. We'll put in the work to prove to you we mean this, but Gage… he's already done that, hasn't he?"

My gaze flicks between the three men surrounding me, and then back to Gage, my best friend for years. He's staring at us like he can't quite believe what he's hearing, like he can't fathom that they'd back his right to bond with me over their own. But this is what being in a pack is.

They're using this opportunity to show him they view him as part of theirs, that they find him worthy, that they want him too, not just me.

"Gage?"

His jaw tics as he looks at me, then away.

"Come on, Growly," Liam urges, and Gage lets out an abrupt bark of laughter. "You know you want to."

"I fucking hate that you think you need to give your permission for me to claim my girl." He glares at the three Cordova pack members. " Mine . She's been mine for fucking years. If anything, you should ask me for permission to bond her."

My brows arch at his audacity, but Gray just nods. "Yeah, okay. That's what we'll do. When Sorrel feels ready, we'll check in with you, too."

I want to think this is sweet, but part of me is more than a little pissed. "Or you could, I don't know, let me decide who bonds with me and when, regardless of who else I'm already bonded to. It is my fucking body, heart and mind you'll be connected to, after all."

All four of them look at me, expressions of chagrin on their faces. "Right, of course," Gray stumbles over his words. "I only meant that, while I'm the prime alpha of the pack, we recognize Gage is the prime alpha of your heart."

My frown deepens. "I don't love him more than I love any of you."

The words slip out before I can think better of them. And I don't want to call them back once they're out there. It's the truth. "My love for Gage is different from how I love all of you, but it's not… It's not more valid or…" I look up at my best friend, leaning farther into his chest, lacing my fingers through his. His mouth twitches into a small smile that lets me know he understands what I'm saying as he slides his calloused palm into mine. "It's just different," I finish lamely.

I look away from Gage, back to the three Cordovas. All of them are staring at me hard. Liam's mouth is open and I swear there are tears in his eyes. Gray's gaze is intense, almost like a predator watching his prey. Rafe has a smirk on his lips, his brown eyes crinkled at the corners.

"What?" I ask uncertainly, backing away from their attention on instinct before I make my feet go still. "Why are you all looking at me like that?"

Liam is the first to speak, his lemon blueberry cheesecake flooding the space. "You," he swallows thickly. "You love me? Us. You love us, Sorrel?"

My brow furrows and I look between the three of them, uncertainly. Gray brushes his thumb over my brow, easing the wrinkles there, smoothing them out. "Even after what we did to you, sweet thing?"

I look away from him, down to the tips of his polished dress shoes. "It wouldn't have hurt so much if I didn't," I mutter. Gage squeezes my hand. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything, maybe I shouldn't have told them I love them the first time like this. Maybe I should have waited until everything is settled between us, until things are back to being good.

But the words are out there now. I'm not going to unsay them or backtrack.

Gray's hand falls away from my face as Rafe uses his to tip my chin up, forcing me to meet his brown eyes. "I love you too, conejita ," he says firmly, sincerely. "I know it might not seem like it after what we did, how we treated you. But I do. So fucking much. Please believe me."

My mouth parts and I think he expects me to say something sweet back, but what comes out is, "I believe you. Love doesn't magically negate stupidity."

He winces. "Ouch."

"Our girl is not pulling her punches today," Liam says with a smirk on his face. "That's okay, though, lovely. We can take it."

"We can take anything you want to dish out, so long as you stay within three feet of us," Gray says, a chuckle lacing his words.

I roll my eyes even as warmth infuses my body. They must be able to sense it. My softening toward them, my forgiveness hovering right there, ready for them to take. I want to give it to them. I do. I want to be with them, to be happy. I'm just…

"I'm scared," I admit. "I'm scared you'll change your mind again. We'll be bonded and I'll feel it. I'll feel every fucking moment you don't want me."

Gage makes a choked sound and turns me to face him, his big hand coming up to cup my cheek. "Sorrel Forbes, I have wanted you since before I even knew what wanting was. I have loved you for years. There is no world that exists where I stop wanting you. You are mine. Always ."

I stare up at him, reading sincerity in his dark blue eyes and love and hope. Devotion.

So much that I'm momentarily overcome. I don't deserve him looking at me like that…

Half his mouth quirks up. "Stop it, biscuit," he murmurs softly. "Stop doubting your worth."

"Nasty habit," Liam says, dropping a kiss to my shoulder.

"One we'll have to break you of," Gray adds, lifting my hand to press a kiss to my wrist before he takes a deep inhale of my skin.

"Hmm, what do you think, conejita ? If we spank you enough while showering you with compliments, telling you what a good girl you are, will you eventually believe it?"

I look over at Rafe, brows arched and turned on beyond all reason by that suggestion. "I guess we'll have to try it and find out." Sinking my teeth into my bottom lip, I shake my head. "But not today. Today I want…"

"What do you want, lovely?"

I tip my head back to meet Gage's eyes. "Today, I want Gage to claim me."