29. Lily

Chapter 29

Lily

" N o," I say, shaking my head. My voice is barely a whisper as Jack comes to me and grips my fingers tightly.

"They both need to know what exactly is going on here. Emily, the Omega Trials, your secret."

My secret. The words hang in the air like a heavy weight, pulling all the light-heartedness out of the world and leaving a sombre silence.

Max's eyebrows furrow, his eyes shifting between Sam and me, looking for answers. Sam glares between me and Jack, also now suddenly out of the loop.

Jack tightens his grip on my fingers. "Lily, we can't keep this from them any longer," he whispers gently.

I close my eyes, taking a deep breath. "Okay," I finally say, my voice steadier than I feel. "But not out here. Let's go somewhere more private." Yanking my hand from Jack's, I lead them back inside the shop and towards the stairs to my flat. Jack is quick to lock up the front and back doors before following us. Pushing open the door, we crowd inside the small flat and Jack locks that door behind us too.

No escape.

My breath hitches, and my lungs squeeze all the air out of them as the panic attack hits me hard and fast.

Jack's arms wrap around me in an instant, his warmth and sturdy presence grounding me. "Just breathe," he murmurs softly against my ear. "You're safe. I'm here, and you know I won't let anything happen to you—not now, not ever."

Max and Sam stay silent as the walls close in on me and I push Jack away, stumbling for room, for air. My arms flail as Jack stares at me, his gaze telling me how scared he is.

It triggers something deep inside my soul that helps me gain control of my body again.

I gulp back air, and after a few moments, I manage to steady my breathing and calm the racing thoughts in my head, drawing in Jack's earthy scent that settles over me and calms me.

As my breathing steadies, I look up at Max and Sam, both watching with deep concern etched on their faces.

The silence in my flat is deafening. I can hear my own heartbeat, rapid and unsteady, as I look at the three alphas standing in my living room. Jack's eyes meet mine, a silent encouragement in their depths. He knows what I'm about to say, the secret I've kept buried for five long years.

Sam and Max, however, look confused and more concerned by the second. They can smell my anxiety, the sour note of fear that's creeping into my scent despite my best efforts to stay calm.

"Lily?" Sam's voice is gentle. "What's going on?"

I take a deep breath, willing my hands to stop shaking. "There's something I need to tell you. About my past."

Max's brow furrows. "Okay. We're listening."

I glance at Jack again, drawing strength from his steady presence. He nods slightly, and I begin.

"Five years ago, I... I was sold to the Omega Trials."

The words hang in the air, heavy and oppressive. Sam's eyes widen in shock, while Max's face darkens with anger.

"What?" Sam whispers.

I wrap my arms around myself, suddenly cold despite the warm evening. "My family were in debt. They owed money to some bad people, and I was their ticket out."

Max's hands clench into fists. "They sold their own daughter?"

I nod, unable to meet his eyes. "It's not uncommon, you know. The Trials... they pay well for young, scared, unmated omegas."

"But the Trials are..." Sam trails off, his face pale.

"Horrific," I finish for him. "Yes, they are."

I sit heavily on the couch and drop my head into my hands. Jack sits beside me, his warmth a comforting presence. I reach for his hand, squeezing it gently. "Jack rescued me. He saved my life."

The memory of that night floods back, vivid and terrifying. The cold, sterile rooms of the Trials facility. The leering faces of the alphas who came to inspect us. The bite on my wrist, burning and painful, binding me to the Trials.

"They put a binding bite on all of us," I explain, my voice shaking. "To keep us from running. But Jack gave me a claiming bite, one of ownership. It broke the bond enough for me to be able to escape."

Sam looks ill. "Jesus, Lily."

"We ran, both of us, here and never looked back. Except for now…"

"Now the scouts are close by, and Emily's pack wanted to sell her. That's why that Nigel prick was sniffing around. He knew Emily was here, and he wants her back."

Max is on his feet now, pacing the small confines of my living room. His scent is a potent mix of anger and distress. "So he came to me to try to pit us against each other? What a fucking arsehole."

He heads for the door, but Sam stops him. "Where are you going?"

"To find that prick and make him pay."

"No," Jack says, forcing Max to turn back and glower at him.

"No?"

"No. Not yet. We will, but Lily needs us right now," he says quietly, gripping my hand. "We can't leave her. If the Trial scouts know she's here, she will be dragged back and punished for leaving them."

Sam leaves Max, sits next to me, and takes my other hand. "What exactly happens in these Trials?"

I shake my head, unable to voice the horrors I witnessed. Jack speaks up instead.

"They're designed to break omegas," he says, his voice hard. "To make them compliant, submissive. They use methods that no one should ever have to endure."

Max hisses and I look up at him, his eyes fixed on me. "And you went through this?"

I nod, feeling small under his intense gaze. "Before Jack got me out."

The room falls silent again, the weight of my revelation hanging heavy in the air. I can see the shock on Sam's face, the anger on Max's. Part of me wants to run, to hide from their judgement or the possibility of betrayal. But I force myself to stay. Jack wouldn't put me in danger, so I can trust these alphas with my life. And that's exactly what I'm doing.

"I'm sorry," I whisper. "This is probably more than you wanted to sign up for. Or, in your case, Max, didn't sign up for."

Sam kneels in front of me, keeping his grip on my hand. "Lily, no. You have nothing to be sorry for. What happened to you is unforgivable. But it doesn't change how we feel about you."

I look up, surprised by the vehemence in his voice. "It doesn't?"

Max joins Sam in front of me, placing his hand lightly on my knee. His face is still tight with anger, but his eyes are soft when they meet mine. "You survived something horrible, Lily. You're incredibly strong. It's awe-inspiring. And maybe I didn't initially sign up for this, but I'm all in. I promise you, you've got me if you'll have me. I feel that perhaps you didn't sign up for me."

A sob catches in my throat, and suddenly, I'm crying. All the pent-up fear and shame I've been carrying for years comes pouring out. Jack holds me tighter while Sam squeezes my hand. "It's a package deal," I sob. "We all come with each other."

"Exactly that," Jack says.

"We're here for you, Lily. All of us. You're safe now." Max squeezes my knee.

I nod through my tears, overwhelmed by their support. For so long, I've lived in fear of this moment, afraid of the truth coming out.

But as I look at their faces - Jack's unwavering support, Sam's gentle concern, Max's fierce protectiveness - I realise I was wrong. They don't see me as broken or as something to trade. They see me as I am.

"Thank you."

"You're our mate. Our future," Sam murmurs. "We will be in your corner no matter what."

For the first time in five years, I feel the last of my walls crumbling. The secret I've carried for so long is out in the open, and instead of rejection or betrayal, I've found understanding. The beginnings of love.

As my tears slow, I find myself surrounded by the alphas. My alphas. It's not how I imagined this evening going, but I wouldn't change it for the world.

"So," I say, wiping my eyes. "What happens now?"

Max stands up, his face set with determination. "Now, we make sure you're safe. That no one from the Trials can ever hurt you again and neither will Nigel West. He is toast. He has done a double whammy, and he made a big mistake."

Sam nods in agreement. "You're part of our pack now, Lily, and we will protect you from everything."

Smiling at him and feeling their love and support surrounding me, I realise that maybe it is possible, with them by my side, to face anything.

Even my darkest fears.