36. Lucy

For the firsttime in my life, I didn't dream. I didn't have nightmares, or stress dreams either. There wasn't even a good dream. Which may not be something another person would find comforting, but my brain rarely got a chance to rest.

Because even in my dreams I was constantly trying to accomplish something, worried about whatever nonsense was going on, but when it was nothing but darkness, my thoughts finally quieted and it felt like I could take a moment to reset – to take a breath before the chaos started all over again.

My face felt warm from the late afternoon sun shining into my room, but it didn't make me grumpy like it usually did. It actually made me understand why plants always strained towards the light – like I was being recharged every second I was under the sun.

It was so warm and cozy I didn't want to open my eyes, but I felt a tiny flash of amusement that wasn't mine. Forcing my eyes open, the first thing I saw was the ink on Cas's chest. He was under me again – like the man thought no mattress could be better than his own body.

It wasn't just me and Cas this time though. I could feel Liam next to us, smothering me like he wanted to be my blanket – so much so that he was partially on top of Cas as well. I didn't think my bed could fit me and two alphas, but they'd managed to prove me wrong.

Liam gently bit down on my shoulder and then kissed the tender flesh on my neck. "We asked Frankie to give us the day. She's going to stay at the Lopez compound tonight which will give us time to air out the apartment."

The sensation of his teeth on my skin made me shiver and I suddenly felt flushed all over.

Cas wrapped me up in a bear hug and buried his face in my hair to breathe me in. "You smell good enough to eat, little omega. What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing," I mumbled against his massive chest.

His fingers tangled in my hair and he pulled back, craning my neck so I had to look up at those bright blue eyes shining through the dark strands of his hair. "I don't believe you."

"Don't try to lie, Lucy. We can feel everything now." Liam slid his hand down to my ass before squeezing hard. "Are you still hungry?"

I was starving, but I was too tired to do anything about it.

Cas slid his tongue into my mouth, kissing me long and slow – like we had all the time in the world. His mouth was hot and silky, his tongue wicked. He tasted sharp yet sweet like green apples and cinnamon.

When he finally released me, I stared at him in a daze, trying to remember what planet I was on.

Liam chuckled and kissed my shoulder again. "I hope you don't mind, but we drew some of your blood and sent it over to Nathan by express courier. I don't want you taking those suppressants anymore if you don't have to."

I reached up and winced when I brushed against the spot where they'd marked me. There was no way I could wear scent blockers either. At least not yet. It did feel like it was healing a lot faster than a normal wound though.

Cas watched me with those glittering red eyes. They followed every move I made like we were nothing more than predators and prey. "How are you feeling?"

I dropped my head back down to his chest and snuggled into him, pulling Liam's arm around my waist until I was completely covered by him. "I'm sore, but it feels right. I wish I'd done it sooner."

My pheromones oozed from my pores, mixing with theirs until it created the perfect scent. The rain had stopped and the afternoon sun was making me feel lazy and content. I wasn't tired enough to go back to sleep, but I felt drained.

Emotions were exhausting.

"You seem to be able to control your pheromones much better now," Cas murmured against the top of my head. "They're not flooding the room despite how badly you want us."

I glared and pinched his nipple as hard as I could. "That's very annoying."

He chuckled softly and covered my hand with his. "It's only annoying because you're too tired to do anything about it."

Ugh, this was going to be a pain in the ass. I could already tell.

I could feel Liam smiling against my shoulder as he traced the spider lilies that went all the way up my spine to my neck. His happiness flooded the bond, so bright and warm I could taste sunlight on the back of my tongue.

Cas put his other hand on the back of Liam's head, holding him close. I could feel just how content he was to have both of us in his arms, still naked and covered in blood and cum and slick. This was all he's ever wanted and now he has it.

I blinked away the tears and tried not to get overwhelmed by the intensity of their emotions, but I fucking loved being able to know exactly what they were feeling.

"Lucy…" Liam kissed one of the spider lilies on my back and I could feel just how pleased he was with them. "Where would you like to live?"

"With you and Cas, or in general?"

Cas was amused again, but he didn't say a word.

"Both?" Liam untied one of my buns and combed it out with his fingers. "If you want us to live here with you we need to talk to Frankie. If you want to live in the apartment across the hall we need to move our stuff, but if you want to live in Chinatown…"

I pushed up and turned to look at him. "You bought that place because of me, didn't you?"

He gave me a small smile tinged with melancholy as he untied my other bun. "You caught me."

My parents and I used to live in Chinatown. That was the last place he'd seen me. At the bus stop that would take him out to the suburbs at the edge of the city. I couldn't believe that never occurred to me before.

I felt stupid all over again.

"Hey, don't do that." Liam combed out my hair and gave me a soft, sweet kiss. "My mother made sure all traces of me and my fake name were erased. There's no way you could have known."

I lay back down, finally understanding why I'd never been able to find anything about the boy I went to school with. That anxious curiosity in the back of my mind finally faded away when it all clicked.

"I like the house in Chinatown, but there's no room for me there."

"You only think that because you've never been up to the third floor." Cas slid his fingers through my hair again and again. It was soothing and I almost felt sleepy.

"What's on the third floor?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" I cracked an eye open to study Liam and saw the glittering red of Liam's eyes staring at me with such predatory intensity I suddenly didn't feel the littlest bit sleepy.

"Nothing," he confirmed. "I left it alone and completely empty so you could design your own nest when I finally found you again. I didn't know if you'd be an omega or not, but I figured it should be yours regardless since you would no doubt have at least one weird hobby."

My heart skipped a beat when the full scope of my new reality hit me like a brick.

This was all real.

Liam had spent all these years looking for me, planning for this very moment—ensuring I would have anything and everything I needed. He had really, truly planned for everything.

"I am an omega, but I don't know if I want kids," I blurted out.

Cas snorted at that, more amusement flooding the bond. "Okay. And?"

And…

"I don't know. Doesn't that bother you?"

"Nope." Cas kissed the top of my head and ruffled Liam's hair. "This one's a little disappointed though, isn't he?"

I tried to understand the feeling coming from Liam and decided it wasn't sad or disappointed, but…wistful.

"It doesn't bother me," Liam insisted. He kissed my cheek and gave me such a brilliant smile I felt like I had to believe him. "Whatever you want, remember?"

Right, whatever I wanted.

It was still a shock to know I could still do what I wanted even though I was bonded to two alphas. And one of them was a legacy alpha.

"So, where do you want to live?"

I contemplated that as he kissed every single one of the spider lilies on my back, moving up my spine toward my neck. "The house in Chinatown. But not until sometime after the meeting with Lopez and Valor. I can't abandon Frankie."

"She can just move in with us." Liam kissed the spider lily on the other side of my neck, carefully holding up most of his weight so he didn't squash me.

"My pheromones make her sick," I reminded him. "You're not going to want me to wear scent blockers."

"We'll see what Nathan has to say about your new levels. If she can't handle them…" Liam trailed off.

I watched him lean back and prop his head up with his hand as he thought about that. Then he smiled down at me and I was almost nervous about whatever it was he decided.

"I'll just buy the townhouse next to ours then. We can put a door in between them so you don't even have to go outside to see her if you don't want to."

"Oh, sure. Just buy a whole townhouse. Why not two?" I rolled my eyes, annoyed that I'd forgotten just how much money he had.

"Don't give him any ideas," Cas muttered. "We don't need three fucking townhouses."

"I don't know. It would be nice not to have any neighbors on either side." Liam grinned when Cas shoved him hard enough he fell onto his back, leaving me exposed.

I eyed him, wondering how he could even facilitate that kind of extravagant lifestyle after what he did. "How are you going to pay for that? Didn't you just quit your job?"

"I own three different companies that I refused to put under the Valor name." Liam stretched and I couldn't help but admire the strength in his body. "Those will belong to the Valentine pack now."

"Why not Parker?" Cas snapped, his irritation leaking through the bond.

I rubbed my cheek against his chest and it instantly faded.

"Because, Lucy doesn't want to be in the spotlight. Remember?"

"And I do? Are you a fucking idiot? I'm not even supposed to exist. Remember?"

I listened to them bicker and realized they both loved arguing just for the fun of it when their affection for each other flooded the bond.

What a bunch of psychos.

"I like the name Valentine," I murmured into Cas's chest, rubbing my cheek against it again. He was so much better than any of my pillows or plushies. "It's kind of fitting don't you think? Creating a new legacy pack for love…it's romantic."

Cas sighed but he didn't argue with me.

"So, does that mean you love us?"

"I guess I have to, don"t I?" Saying it out loud still freaked me out even though I had their bonds, but at least now they could feel the full depth and scope of my emotions just like I could theirs.

Liam threw his arm over my waist and gave me a wide grin that showed off all his teeth. It was genuinely happy too and it looked familiar.

I reached out and pressed my thumb to the corner of his mouth. "I've never seen you smile like this."

I knew this smile. It was the same one he used to give me when I showed him whatever treasure I'd unearthed from the sand, always matching my energy – truly delighted and excited simply because I was.

"Why didn't you show it to me before?"

Liam turned his head and gently bit down on my thumb. "I finally have a reason to show it to someone."

I hooked his cheek and pulled, annoyed that he hadn't had a reason up until now. "Don't smile like this at anyone else."

He pulled my thumb out of his mouth and kissed the inside of my wrist. "Not even Cas?"

"…fine. But no one else."

"So greedy," Cas whispered. "What else do you want?"

Everything.

I wanted everything they could give me and I didn't want anyone else to have it.

They were mine.