Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Aldair

Goldie. The beautiful woman that smells of sweet berries is Goldie. My little Omega.

Seeing how easily Cill approaches her when she’s on edge makes my instincts flare to life inside of me. I want her to trust me enough to turn to me when she’s in need. I want to be her protector, her safe place. I can tell her Omega instincts are at war with her mistrust of Alphas. I can’t blame her for that. She’s been hurt many times in her life, and often at the hands of an Alpha.

I have a natural mistrust of humans, after what they did to my parents. We saw the brutality of true monsters and what their hatred could cause. But we also witnessed how kind and gentle humans could be as well. Ma didn’t have to save us. She could have kept running the second she saw my father’s body.

Instead, she took us in, raised us. Saw us through puberty. No matter how terrifying we could be, she never once considered abandoning us.

Ma is human, and yet, she doesn’t have an ounce of evil inside her.

I watched Goldie for years, keeping my distance, making sure she couldn’t see me stalking her from the shadows. I watched, forced to do nothing, as the villagers turned their back on her, and the people who were meant to protect her, her own flesh and blood, hurt her. Something that will never happen again, now that Goldie has found her way to us finally.

One day, I will make every person who ever caused Goldie harm, suffer. I never said I wasn’t the monster the villagers believe us to be. But humans are no better than us. If they want to call me a monster, that’s exactly what I’ll be, for her.

I just need to make sure my brothers, Ma, and especially Goldie don’t suffer the consequences of my revenge. I need to be discreet.

Thoughts of wandering into the village in my human form flash through my mind. Sneaking in at night. Making the murders look like the work of other humans… My dark musings are interrupted by Goldie’s soft voice. A voice that practically drips with honey. Fuck, I want to lick the words right off her lips…

“Have you always lived here in the forest? Is it not dangerous?” Her soft question does nothing to calm my rising need.

She’s pulled her knees up to her chest once again, almost like she’s trying to make herself smaller. Something that bothers me greatly. This will be her home one day too, when she’s ready to accept us. I want her to be at peace here. I realize the silence has stretched too long, none of us answering her. Too caught up in the sound of her voice to pay close enough attention to the words. Thankfully, Cillian is quick to recover.

“We’ve lived in the forest our whole lives. And it’s no more dangerous for us to be here than it is for you,” Cill answers as he sets the table, sending a crooked smirk her way. We know why she ran, but she hasn’t revealed that to us herself yet. I don’t want to scare her away already by revealing that we’ve been watching her. Our people have always lived in the forest, and the only reason you’re out here is that you are an Omega on the run… we’ll take care of you, little Omega. The men who hunted you, won’t ever be graced with even the sight of you, ever again.

“I wouldn’t be out here if I had any other options,” she huffs sadly, revealing more than I think she intended to. My brothers and I share a look, as Goldie stares at the table with a faraway look in her eyes.

“What makes you say that?” I ask gently, letting a little of my pheromones out. I want to put her at ease, relax her so she feels comfortable sharing her past with us. It’s only the first day with her. We need to move with caution, but fuck, my instincts are riding me hard. She stiffens slightly, as if realizing she might have made a mistake, but my pheromones hit her, and I watch, slightly fascinated, as her shoulders relax, just a fraction.

“Well, that’s useful,” Cill whispers quietly so only I can hear him, as we move several serving bowls from the kitchen to the dining table.

“Mmm,” I grunt in agreement, letting just a little more out. I don’t want to overwhelm her, or make her a horny writhing mess, but…a little bit of a pull to us couldn’t hurt.

She shivers, and I frown, as I pile food onto her plate first. It seems the chillier air still gets to her. Despite the thick socks and the sweater. Ky excuses himself and steps into the hallway as I consider setting another fire. Is it cold in here, or is she just lost in her memories? The interior of the mountain makes for a cooler home. Besides cooking, we have little use for the additional heat in our natural forms, so we rarely use it.

Ky returns with the blanket from the foot of my bed. Holding it up, he whispers, “Goldie, would you like this?” He’s so…submissive…with her.

“Please,” she nods, and he drapes it over her lap slowly, not making any sudden movements, like she's a frightened little bird, and she smiles up at him. “Thank you,” she murmurs softly, her cheeks turning pink as Ky retreats to his side of the table with blushing cheeks. Cill and I share a knowing look. Our precious baby brother, caring for his mate.

Their shy interaction was sweet, but I know he’s still terrified that he’s a danger to her. That he’ll do something that sends her running from us twice as fast as she ran from her village. We all want to make her comfortable with us, but if I’m honest, the Alpha in this room that is the least likely to scare Goldie off, is Ky. He’s so naturally calming. It’s why her horse lets Ky close, but is fearful of Cill and I. It’s just who he is in his soul.

Cillian is…vicious. Deadly, when someone he loves is threatened. That's true for all three of us, but Cillian can be a little unhinged in that regard. But he’s also playful and more carefree than the rest of us.

As for me, I’m the oldest. I keep my brothers safe. From harm, or from themselves. I make sure they’re strong and ready for anything. Becoming their protector when our father died was something I never grew out of.

Goldie never answered my question, but I don’t press her for more information, even if it does grate my nerves slightly. I’m used to getting my way. To others doing as I say… The golden strands of her hair catch the glow from the fire, setting them alight and making her look almost angelic. I clench my hands, wanting so badly to drag my fingers through the silky-looking strands. Clenching my jaw, I swallow the growl that was working its way up my chest and suppress the urge to release pheromones that will make her melt for us.

Do not start growling at the shy Omega… I tell myself as I take my seat and wait for Cill to sit, now that he’s finished filling all our cups with fresh water.

Goldie sits up, tucking the blanket carefully in her lap, as she grabs her fork and knife. We all watch her, breath held, as she cuts off a piece of rabbit and takes her first bite.

She lets out a strangled moan, her eyes falling shut as her cheeks turn a beautiful red.

“Oh, wow…” she groans, before shoving a heaping forkful of potatoes into her mouth next. “I have never, in my entire life, eaten something so—” she pauses, before taking another large bite of rabbit dipped in gravy and then piled with potato, “—so gooood.” The way she moans ‘good’ has my cock threatening to break free of these annoying human trousers. Thankfully, Goldie can’t see under the table right now, or she’d find three monster cocks straining to reach her.

The purr she lets out has my brothers and I entranced, and this time the pheromones that escape me are not intentional. I suspect the purr Ky rumbles, and the slight growl from Cillian, aren’t entirely intentional either.

Taking a bite to distract myself, the savory flavor of the carrots and potatoes with the rabbit shows that the lessons Ma gave Cill in the kitchen were worth the years of listening to him grumble about boredom. I grab a slice of bread, slathering it with butter, and pass it to Goldie, letting out my own satisfied purr as I watch her eat enthusiastically.

She hasn’t noticed the way we watch her, or the way we’re responding to the sounds she’s making. Thoughts of her moaning for my cock the way she does the bread have me pausing mid-chew. I nearly choke. Her scent has spiked, the berries and honey mix with her purring and moaning… I have always considered myself a strong man, but right now I am absolutely weak for the Omega across from me.

She keeps glancing between us, looking shy as she practically devours her meal. Cill has a smirk on his face as he eats, all but preening from her obvious enjoyment of his cooking, while Ky hides behind the curtain of his hair. A blush overtakes her cheeks as she catches my eyes on her. I smile gently as she ducks her head, returning to her dinner.

Before she needs to ask, I reach forward and place another serving of food on her plate. My Omega deserves everything she has missed from those years in the village, and I doubt she would have asked anyway. Her eyes go wide with unspoken gratitude, and I wink at her, making that blush of hers deepen.

Goldie is a beautiful sight. One I look forward to seeing every day for the rest of my life.

Our mate is finally home, all we need to do now is show her we deserve to worship her for all our lives.

Despite the lack of conversation, there is a comfort in the scrape of utensils as we share a meal as a pack for the first time.

It doesn’t take long for the four of us to finish eating, and the way Goldie uses a slice of bread to soak up every drop of gravy tells me just how hungry she was. Tonight, before she goes to sleep, I’ll make sure to bring her dessert.

She would make a delicious dessert, herself. I shake the dirty thought away, as I sit back in my chair, watching my mate clean her plate.

“Ugh.” Goldie groans, leaning back now that she’s eaten every last bite. “That was incredible. Will you…” she clears her throat, suddenly looking very shy, as she trails off.

“Will I what?” Cill asks with a smirk, amusement in his tone.

“Oh, well, um…” Goldie fidgets in her seat, looking uncomfortable, and that bothers me. Without even needing to think about it this time, I release more pheromones to help comfort her once more. She sighs, before meeting Cillian’s eyes. “Will you be making breakfast as well?” she asks quietly, looking away as soon as the words are free.

“Absolutely. Nothing would bring me greater joy than to feed you the best breakfast of your life, Little Omega,” Cillian says, a bit of his growl slipping into his voice. Her pupils flare, and she swallows thickly.

“Well, you’ve already given me the best dinner of my life, so I look forward to it,” she giggles, looking down at her plate like she wishes it was still filled with food.

“Would you like more?” I offer, but she must be full. She nearly ate as much as my brothers and me.

“Oh no. I’m so full. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten that much at once before.” She laughs again, this time the sound is almost sad in a way, like she’s trying to make light of a dark situation.

“You’ll never be hungry again, as long as I’m around,” Cill growls, this time sounding on edge, but it makes Goldie smile, rather than fearful like I expected.

“That’s very kind of you,” she murmurs.

Ky stands, his hands balled into fists at his sides, and I realize I hadn’t noticed how upset he had become. Foolish mistake. Goldie distracts me. I need to be vigilant! It’s my duty to keep her safe. I’m ready to jump to my feet to protect my mate, but Cill places a firm hand on my shoulder. The subtle shake of his head tells me he knows where my thoughts were headed.

“Trust, brother,” Cill growls so quietly I almost don't hear him.

“I better go make sure the animals are settled for the evening,” Ky states, his voice strained, but he’s in control. “Your horse will be well cared for, Goldie. He’ll be comfortable tonight and every night he spends here with us,” he reassures her, his body seeming to relax, as she stares up at him with so much gratitude in her blue eyes, it nearly breaks me. She’s so used to cruelty, that the bare minimum level of kindness is something that overwhelms her.

That will change. My brothers and I will show her a great deal more kindness and care. So much that she’ll practically drown in it! One day, Goldie will be fierce and confident. I will make sure of it.

“Thank you for taking such good care of my friend, I appreciate it. Bear means everything to me. I don’t think I could live without him,” she says gently. And I know, deep in my heart, that Ky, Cill, and I will do everything we can to make sure that horse lives a long and healthy life. If Goldie loves him so deeply, so will we.

“It’s my honor, Goldie.” Ky dips his head to her, the tips of his ears poking through his long blond hair pinken before he makes a quick exit out the front door.

“Come, you can rest by the fire while my brother and I clean up. Then I’d like to take you outside so you can see the rest of our home,” I say, as I make my way around the table, offering a hand out to Goldie. She takes it without hesitation, causing my chest to swell with pride. She doesn’t even realize how much that one action meant to me.

“I can help you clean up…” she offers, but I shake my head.

“Perhaps tomorrow night, but tonight, just make yourself at home. You can read, if you like,” I say, gesturing to the many books we’ve collected. I watch her carefully, waiting to see if she protests my suggestion that she’ll be eating dinner with us again, but she doesn’t even seem to notice it. Her eyes light up, as she looks at our shelves of books.

“You wouldn’t mind?” she asks, and I shake my head, turning to lead her to the book nook, rather than the rocking chair I made just for her.

“Never, Goldie. Help yourself.” To my heart. To my home. To everything I have, and everything I am. You can take it all, all I want in return is you…