45. Aria

45

ARIA

The plush carpet tickles my bare feet as I sit in the center of the pack’s living room. My hands are clasped so tightly in my lap, I can feel my nails digging into my palms. It’s the only way to hide how much they are shaking. The air is thick with my anxious orange creamsicle scent, but it’s not alone. My alphas’ scents wrap around me like a protective cocoon.

A nearby lamp casts a warm glow, throwing long shadows across the walls. My alphas form a circle around me, their presence both comforting and a little intimidating. I can hear their breathing, each slightly out of sync with the others, and it’s oddly soothing, like white noise.

“I need to tell you everything,” I say. My voice is quiet, but I make sure it doesn’t waver. “It won’t be easy to hear, but you need to know.” I take a deep breath, steeling myself. “And I need you to let me get through it all before you react.”

Malachi leans forward. The leather armchair creaks softly under him, and his dark eyes, filled with concern, lock onto mine. “We’ve got your back, Aria,” he says. His voice is steady, reassuring. It’s one of the things I love about him. “Take as long as you need to tell your story.”

As I start to speak, I’m struck by how different this feels. With Noah, admitting weakness was like painting a target on my back, but here, surrounded by my pack, being vulnerable doesn’t feel dangerous.

It feels… strong.

“It started when I was sixteen,” I begin. My voice grows stronger, even as my hands keep trembling. “My parents had just died, and I was alone. That’s when I met Noah.”

As I speak, memories flood back like a tidal wave. Noah was charming, and when he’d smile, he would make me feel like I was the center of his world, but it was all a lie, a trap to gain my trust and worm his way into my life. The gentle touches turned into painful grips, and the whispered promises twisted into demands. I remember the night it all changed—the sharp crack of his hand against my cheek, and the metallic taste of blood in my mouth.

“He seemed so kind at first,” I continue. My voice shakes, barely louder than the soft hum of the air-conditioning. “He took care of me and made me feel safe, but then he started getting… controlling. He didn’t like when I talked to other alphas or even other omegas. He’d always find something wrong with how I acted, how I looked, and when I tried to stand up for myself, he’d…” I trail off, rubbing at the faint scar on my wrist that never quite faded.

Zane’s fists clench, and I hear his knuckles crack. A low growl rumbles in his chest, vibrating through the air. Quinn reaches out and places his hand on my knee. It’s warm through my jeans, grounding me.

“I didn’t understand at first,” I say. The words tumble out, years of pent-up fear and pain finding release. “I thought… I thought it was normal and that this was what being an omega meant, but the abuse got worse, and I was too scared to leave. He isolated me from everyone and made me feel like I was nothing without him. Then, one night, I heard him on the phone talking about some of his business ventures. I didn’t know exactly what he was involved in back then, but the way he talked about omegas—like they were nothing more than commodities—terrified me.”

The room goes deathly silent. I can smell their shock and anger, sharp and acrid. It almost burns my nostrils, but I can’t stop now. The words pour out of me like a flood.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for the next part. “The first time Noah truly snapped… God, I can still hear that lock clicking into place.”

Quinn leans forward, his eyes intense. “What happened, Aria?”

“I’d gone out with Cayenne, just for coffee, you know? But when I got home…” I shudder, the memory vivid. “He was waiting. His eyes were… cold and empty. He grabbed my arm, dragged me to the bedroom, and shoved me inside.”

Zane’s growl is low, dangerous. “How long?”

“Three days,” I whisper, my voice breaking. “Three days of pounding on that door until my hands were bruised, begging him to let me out.” I can feel the phantom pain in my palms and remember the way my voice had gone hoarse from screaming. “The worst part was that when he’d come to the door, he’d tell me he’d let me out if I just… behaved.”

Dash’s voice is uncharacteristically serious. “Did you?”

I shake my head, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. “No. I was… I was too angry. Too scared. When he finally let me out, I thought that was the worst of it, but then…”

Malachi’s hand finds mine, squeezing gently. “It’s okay, Aria. Take your time.”

I squeeze back, grateful for the anchor. “He started… showing me off to his associates, like I was some kind of prize he’d won. They’d come over, and their eyes would just… roam, like I was a piece of meat.”

“Bastards,” Zane snarls, his scent spiking with rage.

“Yeah,” I agree, my voice barely audible. “I can still feel their eyes sometimes. It makes my skin crawl.”

The room falls silent, the weight of my words hanging heavily in the air, then Dash speaks, his voice soft but fierce. “Never again, sparkles. We won’t let anyone treat you like that ever again.”

I look around at my pack, seeing the determination in their eyes. For the first time in years, I feel truly safe. “I know,” I say, and I mean it. “I know you won’t.”

The silence stretches, heavy with unspoken emotion. I feel the tension radiating from my alphas, their scents sharp with anger and protectiveness, but beneath it all, there’s a current of love so strong it nearly takes my breath away.

Malachi breaks the silence, his voice low and controlled. “Aria, we can’t begin to understand what you’ve been through, but I want you to know that you’re safe now. We will never let anyone hurt you like that again.”

I nod, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. “I know. That’s why I’m telling you this. I trust you, and I know you’re different.”

I hold up a hand, willing them to wait. “You already know about Aunt Sara.” I lick my lips, twisting my hands together. “My last heat, he… he refused to…” The words catch in my throat.

I take a shaky breath, trying to find the strength to continue. The room is thick with tension, my alphas’ scents spiking with concern and barely contained rage.

“He refused to help me through it,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. “Said I didn’t deserve it. That I needed to learn my place.”

Quinn’s hand tightens on my knee, his touch grounding me as the memories threaten to overwhelm me. His usual playful demeanor is gone, replaced by a fierce protectiveness that radiates through his touch.

“I begged him,” I continue, shame coloring my words. “I was in so much pain, I would have done anything, but he just… watched. For days. He said it was for my own good.”

A low, dangerous growl rumbles through the room. I’m not even sure which of my alphas it came from—maybe all of them.

“When it was finally over, I was so weak I could barely move.” I wipe a tear away, my hand trembling.

Dash makes a choked sound, and he reaches for his pocket where I know he keeps his sobriety chip. The soft clink of metal against metal is barely audible. Our eyes meet, and I see understanding there. We both know what it’s like to carry the weight of past mistakes and be haunted by the things we wish we could have done differently.

“No other alphas?” Quinn questions, shocked. His analytical mind seems to be working overtime, trying to process this information.

“No,” I whisper.

I know what they are all thinking. One alpha for one omega? There isn’t any way that alpha would ever be enough. Noah fucking knew that. He. Knew.

“He knew exactly what he was doing,” Zane growls, his voice low and dangerous. His scent spikes with a protective fury that’s almost overwhelming. “Depriving you like that… It’s torture.”

I nod, unable to meet their eyes. “I think that was the point—to break me down completely.”

Malachi leans forward, his eyes intense. “Aria, look at me.” I force myself to meet his gaze, finding strength in his steady presence. “What he did to you is unforgivable, but you survived. You’re here now, with us.”

“I know,” I whisper, my voice thick with emotion. “But sometimes… sometimes I still feel like I’m there, like I’m still that scared, broken omega who can’t do anything right.”

Quinn’s hand squeezes my knee gently. “Aria, you’re hardwired into our pack now. No firewall Noah builds can keep us out.” His voice is soft but filled with conviction, his usual tech jargon reflecting his sincerity.

“He’s right,” Dash adds, his voice uncharacteristically soft. “You’re our omega now, our mate, and we’ll spend the rest of our lives making sure you never feel that way again.”

“The last thing Noah said to me before I ran,” I whisper, my voice hoarse, “was that he’d find me. No matter where I went or who I was with, he’d always own me, and that when he got me back, he’d make sure I never left again.”

Silence falls over the room as I finish, broken only by the soft ticking of a clock on the mantel and Zane’s restless movements. For a moment, I’m terrified. What if they see me differently now? What if they think I’m too broken and damaged?

“I should have fucking seen it,” Zane growls, his voice low and dangerous. He punches the wall, the thud echoing in the quiet room. “The signs were there. Noah won’t get away with this. I swear it.”

“It’s like solving a puzzle,” Quinn mutters, his eyes sharp with concentration. “Every piece of information you give us is another step toward unraveling Noah’s whole operation. If we just… hmm, maybe if we cross-reference…”

I can smell the fury rolling off my packmates, sharp and acrid, but Malachi remains outwardly calm, his scent a soothing balm to my frayed nerves.

Malachi moves, pulling me into a fierce embrace. His strong arms wrap around me, solid and warm. The others follow, surrounding me in a cocoon of warmth and love. Their scents envelop me—cedarwood, leather, lavender, citrus —chasing away the lingering ghosts of my past. I can feel the steady thump of their hearts, slightly out of sync but comforting in their rhythm.

“You’re safe now,” Malachi murmurs, his breath warm against my ear, his voice thick with emotion. “We won’t let him touch you. Ever.”

“We’ll bring down his entire operation,” Zane vows, his eyes blazing with determination, the scent of his anger sharp and protective. “Every last bit of it.”

Quinn nods, his usual playful demeanor replaced by furious protectiveness. His hand finds mine. “You aren’t alone anymore, Aria. You’re family.” He pauses, then adds, “And family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.”

“Time to flip the script on Noah,” Dash says, his voice rough like gravel. He ruffles my hair gently, the gesture achingly familiar and comforting. “He won’t know what hit him.”

As we sit here, tangled together in a mess of limbs and emotions, I feel something shift inside me. The weight I’ve carried for so long feels lighter, shared among these incredible alphas who have become my world. Their combined scents create a new aroma of safety and home.

“So,” I say, my voice stronger now, “I’ve spent too long looking over my shoulder. It’s time we turn the tables on Noah.”

The pack exchanges glances, a silent conversation passing between them, then Malachi nods, his expression resolute.

“First, we gather intel,” he says, slipping into his role as pack leader. “Quinn, I need you to dig deeper into Noah’s operation. Financials, properties, associates—everything.”

Quinn nods, already pulling out his tablet, his fingers itching to start hacking. “On it, boss. I’ll crack this bastard’s empire wide open.”

“Zane, reach out to your contacts in law enforcement. We need to know who’s in Noah’s pocket and whom we can trust.”

Zane grunts in acknowledgment, already pulling out his phone, his body tense with barely contained energy.

“Dash, I want you to?—”

“Let me guess,” Dash interrupts with a grin, some of his usual humor returning, “charm the locals and see what I can find out?”

Malachi’s lips twitch in an almost smile. “You read my mind.”

As they continue planning, I feel a surge of… possibility. For the first time, I can see a future where I’m not constantly looking over my shoulder.

This won’t be a quick takedown, but we have the strength and smarts to dismantle Noah’s empire brick by brick. Noah and his network won’t go down easily, but for the first time, I truly believe we can win, because we aren’t just fighting against something. We’re fighting for each other.

As night falls and the others drift off to sleep, I lie awake, staring at the ceiling. The magnitude of what we’re about to do crashes over me. We aren’t just taking on Noah—we’re taking on an entire system that allows omegas to be treated like property.

Can we really do this? Can I?

Doubt creeps in, as insidious as Noah’s manipulation ever was, but this time, I’m not alone. This time, I have a pack at my back.

Noah has no idea what he’s up against. This pack is a force that can’t be reckoned with, and that thought, more than anything, gives me the strength to close my eyes and finally, finally sleep.