28. CAMILA

Chapter twenty-eight

CAMILA

Kolsen found too much amusement in helping me walk to the car so I dragged Amiri into the backseat with me and Sasha. He's pouting as he drives but that's what he gets for putting me in this situation, especially since I have to sit a little angled not to feel the plug in my ass. Now that we're clean of all the paint and Kolsen thoroughly washed me before sticking that plug back into my ass, I can really feel it. And it's not as small and unobtrusive as I thought.

The worst part is that Kolsen handed the remote to Amiri just before telling me that we're stopping by my father's house to pick up the last of my things.

I mentioned a few times that there were things I needed, especially my mother's stuff in the back of the closet. None of them have judged me for wanting to keep her clothes until I'm ready to let go. I am a little surprised that they want to stop on the way to Temple while Sasha is on the cusp of his heat. There are not enough scent blockers in the world to keep his scent from filling my nose, my Omega's pupils blown as he focuses on something on his phone.

This is a terrible idea.

I lose myself in my phone, intent on shooting Violet a few texts. Sofie hasn't answered and I'm a little worried about her at this point.

Violet

You come up for air finally?

We don't fuck all the time.

Well, they're definitely corrupting you. A curse word? You probably curse like a sailor.

I do not

Sure. How many things have you crossed off the list?

We're not completely following it.

you dirty girl

How are you? Sofie?

The little bubbles pop up and wave across the bottom of the screen before disappearing. That happens a few times until Violet's message pops up.

Could be better. Something's wrong with Sofie. She's not sick. Just not herself.

Oh .

Violet and I had suspicions years ago when Sofie was so much smaller than the two of us. Her feistiness kept us from asking questions but it's always been a thought at the back of my mind that Sofie was just a late bloomer and not a Beta at all. Knowing that Violet has a crush on our friend eases my mind. I know she'll take care of her and then the moment Sasha's heat is over, I'm rushing over there to see where I can help.

Us three have no idea how to be an Omega but I'm determined to make the process as easy as possible for Sofie. She has a support system.

"Everything okay, sweetheart?" Amiri asks as he runs his nose along my cheek. I nod, giving him a small smile before staring at the messages on my phone again.

Don't worry about it. I got this. You go get dicked and then we'll all figure it out.

Maybe Sunday?

You going to church?

No, I mean like lunch. I'm not going back there.

Good girl.

I laugh at her response and shove my phone into my pocket, grimacing at the outfit Kolsen stuffed me into. While it can still be considered a dress, the way it hugs my tits and stops just past my ass portrays a very different side of me. When I asked Kolsen why, he just said that he liked looking at them and therefore he should share the view. Amiri says I look like a baby doll and Sasha just started purring like an idiot, saying it was his favorite shade of red .

When we pull up to my father's house, Sasha explains just why we're doing it now rather than waiting. "Ames and Kol are more than just protective. They're also a little territorial, buttercup. They want other Alphas to smell you all over them and vice versa. It's another sort of claiming and throwing that in your father's face is probably the most primal thing I can think of without them having a fistfight."

That's what I was afraid of. The shower didn't do much when it came to erasing their scents. In fact, their scents seemed to be stronger after I changed. "Dad's going to blow a fuse," I mutter as I slip from the car. Amiri follows me, Kolsen staying in the car with Sasha. I blow out a deep breath and knock, knowing full well I could have called my father to let him know I was stopping by.

As it is, giving him a heads-up meant that he could try to call Teo or any number of other things that my Alphas would react badly to. Amiri rubs up and down my arms before kissing the top of my head. "I want you to speak your mind. Tell him everything you need to say. I will be right behind you the entire time unless you need me to step in." I can feel his calm control seeping into me, giving me what I need to tell my father all the things I've been holding back over the years.

The door swings open, a version of my father I've never seen standing at the entrance. There's dark bags under his eyes and a frailness to him that doesn't make sense. It looks like he hasn't been sleeping but that's not my problem. If he had wanted me to stay, he should have shown me the love I deserved.

"I wasn't expecting you, Camila. Don't you have work?"

I snort. "No, Dad, I don't. Remember when Teo came into my job and threatened Violet and I? We were fired for hiding in the back room instead of protecting the art. I just came back to get my things."

"Your things?" His voice wobbles, his gaze moving from me to Amiri. My Alpha hasn't moved in an inch, standing behind me with his hands on my hips. It's a possessive move on his part, one that I'm grateful for as it's giving me the courage to stand here. "Surely, you're not moving out with this… this-" He waves his hand at Amiri, his nostrils flaring from the myriad of scents I'm bringing into the home.

I step past him and then finish his sentence. "Mate. Yes, I'm moving out and living with my mates because they treat me better than you ever have. You've never respected my choices, desires, dreams, anything. When I found out you wanted me to be a pack Beta, I knew that you didn't care about anything other than your agenda." I take a deep breath, fisting my hands at my sides. "And when you tried to gaslight me into marrying Teo? Enough is enough. I thought you might have learned when Ethan went no-contact. He doesn't even ask about you. His Alpha does, but never Ethan."

Tears gather in my eyes as I try to keep a neutral expression. I don't hate my father but everything he has done since my mother died has only ripped us apart.

He tries to reach for me and I hiss, pulling myself out of his reach. Amiri steps in front of me, his towering frame leaning down the slightest bit to speak to my father. "You don't touch my mate. Ever. Try that again and I will render it useless." There's no doubt in my mind that Amiri will make good on his promise so I jog up a few of the stairs to keep the violence to a minimum.

"You have no right threatening me in my house. I am a man of god and you've dressed my daughter like a whore."

Once again, my father is proving that he's the worst type of Alpha, man, and father. "Dad, my Alphas didn't force me to wear anything. I like the clothing just fine. It makes me feel pretty. Also, I am not a whore. I'm just not following your plans and therefore that makes me unworthy." Amiri steps up to me, his head coming to my chest. I can't read the expression on his face but he's letting me make my choice, whether it's run upstairs to gather my things or say my last piece. "I am perfect just the way I am and it took me a long time but I know why Ethan doesn't want anything to do with you anymore. Mom would be ashamed of what this family has become because of your actions. I am not something for you to control. I am your daughter. Well, I was. "

Then I march up the stairs, Amiri on my heels so that my father can't have the last word. No doubt he'll have plenty of things to say when we come back down, my heart in my throat as my anxiety gets the better of me. Amiri follows silently, watching as I rip through my closet to pack every bag I own. I'm not making multiple trips and I refuse to come back here.

The sound of my Alpha sitting on my mattress draws my attention away from my clothes, a deviant grin on Amiri's face. Those who don't know him see a business casual Alpha who finds it awkward to spend time in public. He doesn't say much when others are around, but his eyes say enough. One of his hands is angled behind him, flat on my bedspread, the other in his pocket.

I frown at him and then a squeak tears from my throat when my ass starts vibrating. "You can't do that here!" I hiss, trying to stalk over to my Alpha and look menacing while doing it. Unfortunately, it's more of a waddle as Amiri ups the setting. I fall to my knees and of course, I'm right in front of my Alpha, my head bowed as if I'm going to service him in my room. I grit my teeth together, trying to regulate my breathing so I don't orgasm while my father is downstairs. "Ames-"

Blindly, I reach for his pocket, trying to dislodge his hand from the button. That just makes it worse, though, as my fumbling has Ames pressing a higher setting. I whimper and then fold against my Alpha, my hips rocking as I try to find my release. "You're such a good girl, aren't you, sweetheart? Good girls deserve to come, don't they?"

Another whimper. "Alpha, not… my father…. "

"I'm not sure I like hearing about him when we're in the bedroom, sweetheart." The vibration speeds up and I dig my fingers into his knees and bite my tongue. No fucking way is my father going to catch me screaming through an orgasm. I haven't explicitly set any rules with my Alphas but if Amiri commands me to show him how much I love this, I won't be able to.

One of his hands slips into my hair and tugs backward, my lips parted in ecstasy, my entire body on fire.

"Give it to me, sweetheart. Come for me."

A slow whine comes from the back of my throat as I come, Amiri bending down to kiss me. It's sweet and slow, the vibration dying down until I'm just aware of the pleasure coursing through my body. "You're a naughty Alpha." I struggle to stand, righting my dress and then marching my ass to the closet. Amiri had way too much fun with that while I'm trying not to flush red. God, Sasha and Kolsen are going to know the moment I get in the car.

"Naughty, huh? Camila, we haven't even started. Grab your things. If we have to come back, I'll send Kol to do it."

That's definitely a thought but I don't have much that I care about taking with me. My painting and my mother's things are the most important as I pack three full bags. The only thing that doesn't fit is a small jewelry box. It was my mother's, filled with odd pieces that my father gave her over the years before she died. I found out later that it was just to placate her and not because he loved her but Mom loved them. She cherished them and cleaned them all the time. I can't find the heart to wear them but I also can't find the heart to get rid of them.

"Bring her. She's the reason you've kept your smile so long, it would be wrong of us not to make her a special little mantle in the condo. Maybe we can visit her grave- "

I shake my head, hugging the small box to my chest. "Mom was cremated. She's on the mantle in the living room. It's the only piece of her that Dad has allowed to stay in the house. Everything else was thrown out or in my closet. I don't know why he doesn't want to remember her. He won't even talk about her." I shrug, trying to show Amiri it doesn't bother me but my face is too expressive for my own good.

It also doesn't help that the lingering effects of my orgasm are making it even harder to hide my emotions.

Amiri shoulders my bags and guides me back down the stairs, his eyes wandering for several seconds. I want to ask him what he's looking for when his gaze locks on the periwinkle urn sitting on top of the fireplace. "She's gorgeous," he murmurs from my side before marching into the living room. My eyes widen as he grabs her off the mantle, my father yelling as he steps out of his office.

"What are you doing with my wife?"

"I'm putting her somewhere she'll be cherished and loved. Before you try to argue with me on that, the first day I met your daughter, she was wearing this color. I thought it might be her favorite but seeing her closet there and now her mother's ashes, I'm convinced it's not just a color. It was her mother and everything she embraced. Your walls are the same shade. That's her touch to this god-awful house. If you treated her even partially the way you've treated Camila, this woman does not belong here."

I can't hide my smile. No one has ever stood up for my mother. How could they to the preacher of our church? "Bailey. Her name was Bailey." It's a name I haven't said in forever, a name that brings life back into this dreary house I grew up in.

Amiri nods. "Ezra, I'm sure you won't miss either your wife or your daughter once the dust settles. If you ever learn how to be a gentleman, call me. Maybe we can figure something out should Camila want to make amends."

My father grunts at my Alpha's harsh but true words. "You cannot take her away from me. Either one of them."

"Your daughter is a full-grown woman. She can make that decision for herself."

Both men turn to me and I reach out for the small urn, barely bigger than my hand. "Mom's coming with me. She deserves a place she's loved, just like I do and that isn't here." Maybe I'm making a mistake taking this piece of my father's heart but he has never cherished her the way I did. With Mom in the condo, Ethan can finally and truly say his goodbyes as well.

Amiri places it in my palm before nodding to my father. Of course, my father isn't remotely done with the conversation. "What about Teo? You can't just run off into the darkness with these men and ruin another Alpha's life."

I don't know what he sees in Teo. I really don't. "It's being handled," I spit out. I hope it is. Amiri and Kolsen haven't mentioned it and I don't want to bring it up now. I also don't want to be here any longer, something Amiri catches onto immediately as I throw out a goodbye and walk out the front door, clutching my items to my chest.

Amiri stops me before we get to the car, turning me around so that his dark eyes meet mine. "Sweetheart, I know there's probably a billion and one things running through your head but I will say this—it will all work out. Everything. You're ours and we are yours, regardless of what happens and your mother would be proud of all those things you said to your father. He needs to hear it, even if he isn't truly listening."

"I didn't really think I'd care having her with me but it makes a world of a difference. Thank you." I reach up on my tiptoes to kiss him just as a low groan reaches my ears and ‘just stick it in' comes from Sasha's mouth. I twist back to look at the car, the windows steamy from heavy breathing. "Seriously?"

Amiri chuckles and heads for the trunk. "I don't think we're making it to Temple tonight. Not if Sasha couldn't even wait to get to the apartment over the club." He presses a button on the back door and it raises, my Alpha's entire demeanor changing from playful to pure desire. His nostrils flare in response, the scents taking a little longer to reach me before I stumble towards the car and rip open the side door.

I should have known that I would essentially be receiving a live porn show but it's so much more real seeing it in person. Sasha's straddling Kol, his pants disappeared somewhere in the car, Kol's pulled open just wide enough to get his cock out. My Omega's head is thrown back, one of Kol's hands digging into Sasha's side while the other is tangled in the Omega's collar. It looks like a fucking picture, ecstasy and desire making it hard for me to concentrate.

Well, I'm focused enough to cover my mother's urn so she isn't totally appalled. Amiri ushers me into the front seat and closes the side door before slipping into the front seat. "Home?" He asks, looking in the rearview mirror.

"Home," Kolsen grunts before Sasha groans and the scent of his release has me squirming in my seat. "I'll call one of the managers but Sasha is in heat. The bastard probably slathered on an entire bottle of scent blockers so that he wasn't a nuisance to the business."

Kolsen doesn't sound happy with Sasha regarding this topic. It isn't the first time it's been brought up either. Our Omega takes suppressants so he doesn't have to take time off but it's messing with his biology. Long-term use hasn't been studied and Sasha is definitely taking them for longer than he's supposed to. Skipping a few heats is fine but for as many as Sasha has, I'm sure it's taking a toll on him .

This will either be the best three or four days I've ever experienced or the worst. Or some wonderfully twisted combination of both.

I try to keep my head, rolling down the window so that I don't have to inhale my mates' scents. It doesn't help when Kolsen leans forward from the backseat, cradling Sasha's head against his chest. "You smell like sex, love. Did you have a romp in the sheets with Ames with your father in the house?"

"No." I twitch in my seat, that damn butt plug reminding me that it's there. The first moments I get to have Mom and she hears this mess.

"But you wanted to," he purrs.

I tighten my arms around the urn and my mother's jewelry box. "My mother doesn't need to hear this," I whine.

Kolsen laughs. "You brought her back with us? Love, I'm not sure anywhere is safe in that condo." He's right. Sasha doesn't care where he fucks and I'm not shy either. Which means that I will be calling Ethan as soon as possible. No fucking way am I allowing anyone to bend me over in front of the woman I've looked up to for so long.