In the Garden

Mari

T his garden is unreal.

It spans from the back of the house all the way to the edge of the trees. It’s got to be at least an acre, if not bigger, and every bush and hedge is shaped like smooth spheres or sharp rectangles. It doesn't look natural. But the mountains in the distance look amazing. They jut upward into the sky, almost as if they’re trying to stab the clouds. They’re so large and intimidating.

They look like home.

I close my eyes, feeling the morning breeze across my bare legs. I’m still wearing the oversized T-shirt from last night. Hopefully, my clothes will arrive soon, but it's still early in the day.

“I got you something to drink,” Everly says as she walks up behind me. I turn to look at the beta, throwing a glance back at the house. It’s enormous, wrapping around the front of the garden like a fortress. “Do you want to sit?” Everly places two glasses of lemonade on a large hardwood table.

She keeps trying to get me to sit down, but I’d rather stand—actually, I’d rather run, but that’s not an option.

Not yet.

“Or we can get something to eat,” Everly says as she moves to me. “You didn’t eat much of your breakfast this morning.” Her gray eyes pull in at the corners behind those black-rimmed glasses. I understand her concern. I’ve been really quiet today, but I can’t muster the energy to pretend. Not after last night.

“I’m okay,” I say, turning back to the snow-capped mountains. There’s so much land between me and them. Miles and miles.

Is Donovan Tenus somewhere out there right now?

Is he still kidnapping omegas?

Does he keep track of the ones he sells?

“Mari?” Everly says my name with deep concern as she steps up next to me. The warm air kicks up, twisting the beta’s dark hair. The lush scent of alpha hits the air, and my thighs tense. I can smell Dassy and Hutch. Their aroma clings to her skin. It’s herbaceous and spicy with bright hints of lime. When combined, the twins’ aroma is admittedly very nice. Almost calming. It’s not like Izan. His aroma just makes me on edge.

“Do you need anything?” Everly asks, staring at the side of my face. “Maybe a nap?”

“I’m fine,” I say far too forcefully, then I quickly clear my throat. “I’m fine,” I say again, this time giving Everly a smile. She returns the gesture, but she doesn’t look convinced at all.

I inhale deeply, trying to steady myself, but a trace of Izan’s crisp aroma fills my lungs.

He left me last night to be with Everly.

He probably kissed her, touched her, filled her to the brim with his alpha cock. Alphas can only knot their betas if they have a deep mental connection, which not all betas are capable of. Does Everly have that kind of connection?

Does she take her alpha’s knots one at a time? Or maybe all three at once? Each one stuffed inside a different hole.

I glance at Everly. Her three mating bites are faint, each one overlapping the next. My fingers graze my own neck, and for a brief moment, I wonder what it might feel like to be mated.

Stop it! I silently yell at myself. You aren’t jealous of Everly, you don’t want her pack, and you will get the fuck out of here before one of them can mate you.

The cutting pain of sorrow lances through my heart, and I scowl.

Stupid fucking biology.

“You know.” Everly rocks from one foot to the other, catching my eye. Her nervous energy vibrates in the air, making me restless. “We have the number for your therapist at Havenfield. If you want to talk to someone?—”

“I’m good,” I say, trying to sound happy and light, but even I can hear the sharpness in my tone.

“Oh, okay.” Everly drops her gaze for a second. She reaches out, touching a nearby shrub. The leaves are shiny, almost plastic-looking. I wonder if this is one of her rose bushes. “Izan said you were sleepwalking last night.” She looks up at me, biting her bottom lip. “Do you do that a lot?”

I shrug. “I’m not sure,” I say, happy that Izan bought my little act.

“I was reading online about sleepwalking this morning.” Everly pushes her hands into her pockets. I can’t wait for my clothes to get here. “There are a few things we can try to relax you before bed.”

“Like what?” I ask, praying she’s not going to drug me.

“Actually, there are all kinds of things,” she says with a lift in her voice, obviously excited that I’m listening. “There are little things like deep breathing or playing with your hair, but there’s also progressive muscle relaxation or meditation to manage stress and anxiety.”

“No more doctors,” I say firmly. “And no more medication.”

“That’s okay.” Everly shakes her head as if to agree with me. “We don’t have to do that. I know you aren’t a fan of pills,” her eyes flicker to the hair framing my face, “or having your hair played with.” There’s a note of sadness in her voice. This girl really wants to touch my hair. “But tonight, maybe Izan can rub your back or?—”

“I want you to do it,” I cut her off. I don’t want Izan’s hands on me more than they have been, but I can tell that Everly won’t stop fussing over me until she can do something to “help” me. This might get her off my back. “You can rub my shoulders. That might help.”

“You want me ?” Everly’s eyes go wide. I nod and she ducks her head. “I can do that.” She blushes and I smirk.

I’m still not totally sure how I feel about the beta. She’s an incredibly kind person—there’s no denying that—and she’s very beautiful. A little nerdy at first glance, but her eyes are bright and curious, and her skin looks so soft.

I bet Izan loves fucking her.

She seems like she’d be very submissive for him as he pumped her beta pussy full of cum.

“There’s someone at the door for you.” Hutch’s loud voice makes me jump, and I quickly turn to face him.

“Who?” Everly asks, looking up at the exceptionally tall alpha.

He shrugs. “Some guy trying to deliver furniture.”

Everly looks at me with the most vibrant smile. “It’s the nesting couch for the sunroom! I wanted you to be able to nap comfortably outside of your nest too.” She reaches for my hand, squeezing gently. “I don't want you to feel like you have to stay cooped up in your room every time you want to rest.”

A nesting couch.

“Really?” I ask, a little stunned by the kind gesture.

Havenfield had a few nesting couches in the gathering rooms. They were always covered in lazy omegas, snuggled up against each other, but I never joined them. It looked too crowded and hot.

But now I have my own.

“Really,” Everly laughs, jerking her head toward the house. “Let’s go and check it out.” A flit of excitement moves through me and I take a step to follow Everly toward the house.

“Actually.” Hutch holds up a hand, and we both stop in our tracks. “I’d like a word with Mari alone.”

I tense, not sure what he wants. Is he angry I rejected him last night for Dassy? Is he here to remind me that he has a right to my body before his brother does? Or does he just want to leer at me again?

“Go on,” Hutch urges Everly when she doesn’t move.

“Oh. Okay.” Disappointment is clear in Everly’s gray eyes, but she doesn’t argue. Instead, she places a hand on Hutch’s chest and pushes up onto her toes. I expect her to kiss his cheek, but instead she whispers, “She’s still drifting off.”

Drifting off?

I frown at that. I’m not drifting off . I’ve just got a lot on my mind.

“Go on.” Hutch pats Everly’s ass, before pushing her toward the house. “Mari’s in good hands,” he says in his deep, gravelly voice as his intense blue eyes land on me.

My body goes stiff, fighting off the urge to back up. Hutch doesn’t scare me, but he definitely puts me on edge. It’s the way he looks at me. It’s like I’m a wounded rabbit waiting to be devoured.

“What is it?” I cross my arms as I turn to properly face the alpha. All that stands between me and him is the thin material of my shirt. I don’t even have underwear on. I fucking hate it.

Hutch’s bright blue eyes narrow as he scans the full length of my face. “How did you sleep last night?” He takes a few steps, closing the space between us. I want to both backup and lean in. He smells so good .

“I slept fine.” I shift nervously, and the slick lips of my pussy slide against one another. It feels as if there’s a tiny heartbeat in my clit. Fuck, I wish I had underwear on.

“Really?” Hutch says as if surprised. “Because something has been bothering me.” He leans down, his eyes landing on my mouth. The air seems to tingle around us as his breath fans across my face. “It’s about last night.”

The growing desire in my belly shifts and fear sets in. I hold my breath, waiting for Hutch to continue, but he doesn’t. He stares at me, his massive body radiating so much heat.

“What about last night?” I ask, trying to sound cute and innocent.

“In the sitting room. What were you looking for?”

I pull my brows together in confusion, not sure what he means. “Looking for?” I ask, still staring at his mouth. Hutch’s bottom lip is full and pouty—just like Dassy’s—but there’s a tiny freckle on his top lip. I wonder if his twin has the same mark too. “I wasn’t looking for anything.” I finally look up, meeting Hutch’s bright blue eyes.

The corner of his mouth twitches up, and he smirks. “We both know you weren’t sleepwalking.”

“What?” I quickly step back, completely caught off guard.

“What were you doing in the sitting room?” Hutch repeats, his voice a little more forceful this time. “What were you looking for?”

“I wasn't looking for anything,” I say, backing up again, but this time Hutch follows my movements.

“You weren’t?” His eyes narrow, clearly not believing me.

“No,” I say as anger takes hold. I can’t tell if he found the tablet or not, but I’m not about to admit to shit. “I woke up in the sitting room, surrounded by three half-naked alphas.” I cut a glare down his impressive form. His waist is so trim compared to his broad shoulders. “It didn’t take three of you to come find me, unless you were wanting to scare me.”

A soft growl pushes from Hutch’s broad chest, but I can’t tell if it’s from frustration or simply to intimidate me. “So you just magically appeared in the sitting room?” he says. “No memory of how you got there?”

“No,” I answer quickly.

“No idea how you got out of your room or down the stairs?”

“No.” My voice rises as I take another step back, right into a damn shrub. The leaves poke through the thin T-shirt, stabbing my ass. “I don’t remember anything.” I push at Hutch’s chest, trying to escape the fucker, but it’s no use. He’s so fucking strong, he doesn’t even sway. “For all I know, you three dragged me out of bed and put me downstairs just to fuck with me.” I’m grasping at straws, but I can’t breathe or think with a branch in my ass and an alpha in my face.

“To fuck with you?” Hutch’s brows raise at my crass choice of words. “Such language.” He tsks me, shaking his head. “I thought omegas were supposed to be modest.”

“And I thought alphas were supposed to be chivalrous.” I shove again. “Get out of my face!” I yell, and Hutch’s eyes flash, making me freeze. The fastest way to a raw ass is mouthing off to an alpha.

“I’m going to tell you a story.” Hutch’s voice slips into a dangerous growl as he leans back down, staring at my face. I don’t move an inch, terrified of what he’s going to do next. “When my brother and I were younger, he would sleepwalk every night. He’d go all over the house and do the most random things. He’d go into the kitchen and make himself enormous sandwiches, leaving behind a horrible mess. He’d leave the door to the fridge wide open all damn night. He’d stuff toilet paper in the fireplace, pour milk on the carpet, and once he even pissed on our mother’s favorite fern. But do you want to know what he never did?”

I don’t say a word. I just stare. Silent.

“Dassy never screamed or fought,” Hutch says, his voice growing more forceful. “He moved slowly, unable to answer questions in a coherent way. But most importantly, he couldn't recall a single detail of what he did. But you remembered. Didn’t you?”

“No.” I shake my head as I rack my brain, trying to recall exactly what I said last night. How did I give myself away?

“You remembered hitting Izan in the face with a book,” Hutch says and it takes everything in me not to react. “You looked right at the alpha and said you didn’t mean to do it.”

Shit .

Fear and frustration cuts through me. How could I be so stupid?

I have to say something right now, but I don’t know what.

“I don’t know what you’re up to,” Hutch stands to full height, looking down at me with hard eyes, “but we both know you weren’t sleepwalking.” He crosses his arms, making his pecs pop out at me. “Tonight, you’d be smart to stay in your nest, because you won’t like what will happen if I catch you wandering around in nothing but a fucking blanket.”

And instantly I’m pissed again.

“Look,” I say with far too much attitude. I know I’m pushing my luck, but I can’t stop myself. “I don’t give a shit if you believe me or not, but that’s what happened. I was sleepwalking. Accept it or don’t. Either way it’s not my fucking problem.” I try to shove past him, but he grabs me by the upper arm, stopping me.

“Watch it, omega,” he warns, squeezing my arm ever so slightly. It’s almost as if he’s scared to leave a mark. “I might not be the leader of this pack, but I’m still an alpha and I will not be talked to like that.” He flashes his teeth as he speaks, giving me a peek at his pointed canines.

“And what exactly do you think I was up to?” I ask in a calm, even voice. “Do you think I was trying to burn the house down? Knocking down a wall?”

“You can’t run away from us, Mari,” Hutch says simply. “Whatever or whoever you’re looking for…they’re gone.”

“What?” I pull my arm from his hold, then glance at the snow-capped mountains in the distance. “I’m not running anywhere or looking for anyone.”

“You belong to us.” Hutch grabs my chin, forcing me to look up at him. “You are our omega now,” he says slowly, “and we will never let you go.”