4. Meggie

4

Meggie

T he room is dead quiet after Harrison leaves. I hug my arms around my waist, the events of the day finally catching up with me.

When Daniel first took me, I was too anxious to think straight, and when the guys first brought me home, I was too relieved to focus on much of anything. My whole body shook until I fell asleep in Ellis's arms, suddenly exhausted.

Now, I don't feel tired, but I'm still feeling that adrenaline crash, and I need a second to gather my thoughts. "I need a minute. Alone, I think."

Ellis looks like I punched him in the gut. Dante drops his eyes to the floor. Nils's lips narrow into a tight line, then he nods. But Oz stalks towards me. "Leaving you alone is the last thing I want to do right now."

"Oz," Dante warns.

Oz stops a foot in front of me and sighs. "I'll give you whatever space you want, baby, but I need you to know I don't like it. I… we… almost lost you today."

His voice cracks a little, and I stand to step into him, sliding my hands up his tattooed forearms before wrapping my arms around him as best I can. The purr that rattles his chest makes me want to give in and stay here with them. Biology telling me to wrap myself up in their strength. I want to ease the pain I know they felt when I was missing. But… I'm used to doing things myself and not giving in to my omega tendencies. I haven't even had a chance to process the fact that I'm going to Paris, let alone everything else that happened today.

I step out of Oz's embrace. It feels like ripping off a limb, but I do it. "Just for a little bit, okay?"

"Whatever you need, sunshine," Ellis says. "Right, Oz?"

"Fine. But you're gonna spend it washing the stench of that asshole off of you."

"Yes, sir." I shoot him a little smile to soften the blow of walking away from them, even just to go take a bath.

Oz scoops me into his arms and carries me directly upstairs to the bathroom in the nest. Setting me down in front of the enormous tub, he turns on the faucet and adds enough bubble bath to make mountains of fluffy white. While the tub fills, he lights the candles already scattered around the room and dims the lights.

"You sure you want to be alone?"

I nod, despite the conflicted feelings swirling inside me. Space to breathe will be good for me, but the thought of him leaving makes my hands shake. I just need a minute for everything to settle.

"Can I get you anything else?" He shifts his weight, then clasps and unclasps his hands, like he doesn't know what to do with them. "A snack? A book? Some more candles?"

Oz might look like the stereotypical tattoos and motorcycle bad boy, but I'm realizing he's really a roses-and-champagne kind of guy. Or at least he wants to be. It's really precious to see him trying to be romantic. I don't think he's had much practice with actually being in a relationship—not that we're in a relationship. Are we? I guess I don't really know. They all seemed pretty upset about Harrison's order not to bond until after the Olympics, but none of them have really talked about that with me yet. None of us have spelled out what this looks like after the Olympics are over.

I think I assumed this would continue. Hoped that maybe they would want me as their omega. But can I really assume that? Ellis, Dante, and Nils have made it pretty clear that's what they want, but the rest of them… I don't know. And they're a pack, so where will that leave us if some of them want me and some of them don't?

One more thing I need time and space to think about.

Oz taps on the doorframe as he hovers near the bathroom exit. "You sure you're okay?"

Again, all I can do is nod, not trusting myself to keep my resolve if I open my mouth. My body wants him to stay, but I can't be ruled by my omega instincts. I nod a second time.

Oz hesitantly closes the bathroom door.

I undress, then sink down to my ears in the bubbly bath, but it feels wrong. The lavender-scented bubbles pop as I shift in the tub. I don't want to smell lavender. I want ocean breezes, fresh cut grass, mint and eucalyptus. I want the scent of summer rain and jasmine.

The longer I'm alone, the more my anxiety grows. I was kidnapped today and almost forced to bond with a man I don't love. I scrub at my skin, at every place Daniel touched.

A little whine slips past my lips as image after image crowds my thoughts. It starts farther back than today. All the stress and uncertainty and confusion of the past few weeks. Trying to keep my designation a secret from the guys. Them finding out. Them trying to replace me on the team. Harrison almost biting me before we've even kissed or talked about it. Running away, thinking I was protecting them. Daniel scenting me. Grabbing me. Taking me.

It's all too much. Tears flood my eyes and splash onto the bubbles. I let them flow for a few minutes, and then swipe them away, sucking in air to calm my haggard breaths.

I was wrong. Time alone isn't what I need. I need them.

A soft knock on the bathroom door stops me from reaching for the tub drain.

"Meggie?" Ellis.

"Can we come in?" Dante.

I can't stop my smile. They must have a sixth sense for when I need them.

"It's not locked." I splash the last of my tears away and shift in the tub to better see the door as two of my men slink in, looking like kids with a candy jar.

"Hi," Ellis grins. I snort a laugh at his giddy expression and pink blush as he takes in my bare chest above the frothy bubbles.

We've been naked together with his pierced cock down my throat. Me being in a bathtub shouldn't be a big deal, but maybe they're still a little shaken up and unsure of things after everything that happened today.

"We brought snacks." Dante holds up a makeshift charcuterie board with cheese, sliced meat, crackers, and chocolates.

"And alcohol." Ellis holds up the sweet moscato I like.

Extending a sudsy hand, I wave for the wine bottle. While I take an unladylike gulp of the chilled wine, Dante and Ellis settle onto the tiled floor beside the tub.

Licking my lips, I pass the bottle to Ellis as his gaze follows my tongue.

"Are we okay?" I glance between the pair. "Is everyone else okay?"

"We're good," Dante nods. His gaze shifts to the redness around my eyes but thankfully he doesn't comment on the I've-just-been-crying look I'm sure I'm sporting.

"I'm sorry I pushed you all away. I just…"

"You don't have to apologize or explain, sunshine." Ellis's eyes are firm, but in perfect Ellis fashion, he smiles and splashes a bit of water at me to lighten the mood. "If you need time alone, you've got it. No questions asked."

"But you should know," Dante says, "as alphas, our instincts tell us to comfort and care for you." He grabs a piece of cheese off the snack board and feeds it to me, letting his thumb graze my lower lip. "It's painful for us to hold back and stay away from you when you're upset."

I knew that about alphas, but it's different coming from him and seeing the look in his eyes as he says it. There's so much sincerity it makes my heart swell. I've never had a man want to take care of me the way they do.

Tears prickle my eyes, but I don't let them fall. I've cried enough for tonight. Now, I want to enjoy these beautiful men.

"Will you let us take care of you now, little omega?" Dante offers me a piece of chocolate and I part my lips for the sweet treat, my tongue grazing his fingertips.

"Yes," I whisper.

Standing, Dante gestures for me to lean forward. He steps into the water with me and sits on the back ledge of the tub. One leg on either side of me, he urges me to lie back as his hands massage my shoulders.

"Let us make you feel good." He brings his lips close to the sensitive skin behind my ear. "We're gonna make you feel so good, little omega."

"Mmhmm." I smile and let my eyes close.

Fingers graze my thigh under the water, and I know it's Ellis. His hand wraps around my calf and squeezes the muscle as he massages down my leg. Dante rubs the tight muscles along my shoulders and down my upper arms. "We missed you."

It wasn't even an hour that we were apart, but I understand the feeling. I can hear the smile in his words with my eyes closed and loll my head to the side to let him work my neck with his skilled hands. Below the water, Ellis's gentle tug pulls my leg to the side as he spreads me wide open for him and slowly massages his way up my body.

Any thoughts of the fading bubbles or my wrinkled toes vanish as his hand reaches the apex of my thighs.

"Can I play?" Ellis's fingers gently stroke my flesh and my reply is a quick nod.

With my leg over the edge of the tub, he's surely getting wet, but he doesn't seem to care as his hand grazes my core. Dante's fingers trail up into my hair and the little tug he gives on my tresses feels sinfully good.

I'm sure they're communicating through that magical bond they have, but I keep my eyes softly closed and let them have their way.

"I love how wet you are for us," Ellis says.

"I'm in the tub." I give him a little splash, and I'm rewarded with a tug on my hair courtesy of Dante. The pleasurable pain makes me moan.

"That's not what I meant." Ellis chuckles and slides two fingers into the wetness he was referring to.

Slick and needy, I arch forward, but Dante keeps me reclined between his legs. His hands leave my hair, snake down my chest, and cup my breasts. He squeezes and roams until his fingers give my pebbled nipples the attention they crave.

"So beautiful, omega." His praise heats me further. It's different from the other times we've been together, when he whispered dirty words in my ear and told me all the things he wanted to do to me in that dominant tone of his. This is softer, like maybe he's as shaken up by today as I am.

"So beautiful," Ellis echoes, as his hand between my legs shifts. Placing his palm against my clit, he curls his fingers inside me, and I'm a whimpering mess.

"Yes," I gasp. "Oh god, that feels..."

"That's it." Ellis purrs. "Just let us make you feel good."

With Dante deliciously torturing my nipples, and Ellis stroking my g-spot while he puts pressure on my clit, my orgasm hits me like an ocean wave. Pleasure ripples out from my core in soft moans and tingles down my limbs. I feel weak and melted in the warm water, thankful for Dante's legs propping me up.

"Good girl." Oz's voice from beside the bathroom door breaks me out of my post-orgasm haze. "Good fucking girl."

He tosses Ellis a hand towel and holds up a large towel for me. "Disappointed I wasn't invited to bathtime."

"You snooze you lose," Ellis playfully replies, helping Dante out of the tub and toweling off his wet legs.

"Hey, I was just respecting her wishes, unlike you impatient horndogs."

I giggle, beckoning Oz to me as I stand. "Thank you, baby. But I've had enough time alone now."

"Good." He lifts me out of the tub, not caring that I'm soaking wet. Ellis wraps a towel around me, while Dante hands me the bottle of moscato.

I feel better, calmer, more centered now that I'm surrounded by my men. But it still feels like a part of me is missing. "Where's Nils?"

I don't ask about McQuinn or Harrison, though I ache to have them here with us. I feel incomplete without them, like part of my heart is missing.

"Nils and McQuinn said they had an errand to run," Oz answers.

I take another delicious gulp before offering the wine to him. The devil in his eyes sends tingles to my core. He shakes his head. "You hold it."

I laugh when he scoops me into his arms and charges out of the bathroom.

"Hey!" Ellis calls as Oz kicks the door closed in his face.

"You had your time with her. She's mine, now." He carries me straight out of the nest and into his room, where he spends the next two hours lavishing me with kisses and orgasms before he lets me come up for air and join the rest of the pack for dinner, tipsy and satisfied.