Chapter 46

Chapter Forty-Six

CASEY

" C asey, babe, where are you getting all this shit?" Elliott whispers, closing the door behind me since my hands are full.

I grunt quietly, depositing all the goodies on the couch by the window. "Gift shops. I've found three so far," I say, grinning as I take in all my purchases.

"Okay," Elliott drawls coming up beside me. "But how are you paying for all of it?"

"Oh!" That reminds me. Spinning, I address Ronan, "Remy's dad has your wallet and cell phone."

Ronan's eyes widen, then he's out the door with his brother trailing behind with questions. I smile. It's interesting to see them outside of the academy and cell walls.

"Casey."

"What? Oh, my mom wired some money to Remy's mom before she left for the airport so I could get something if I needed it," I say, finally answering Elliott's question.

My alpha's lips twist in thought, his eyes flicking to our sleeping omega. "And you thought stuffed animals, bright colored blankets, and a pillow in the shape of a rainbow were needed?"

I smirk, really enjoying talking to him again like a normal person. I feel like it's been fucking ages since he's looked at and spoken to me like he used to. Not that I blame him. Everything has been fucked for months. I just miss him; I miss us.

"Yeah. She panicked when she woke up because everything was too similar to that fucking place."

This morning was a fucking roller coaster of emotions when she woke up after the doctor dropped that bomb on us. Not only was Freya completely lost in her head and couldn't hear anything we were saying, but Beckett barging in and declaring her his twin sister was a lot for everyone to take.

"Good idea," he says, kissing my head and walking away.

"Where are you going?"

With his hand on the bathroom doorknob, he turns with a cheeky wink. "Well, I have a mother-in-law to meet tomorrow and there's no way she's seeing me for the first time like this."

He's closing and locking the door behind him before I can tell him I don't mind the beard, nor do I hate the longer ringlets of his hair. I am excited to see his cheeks again without all the fuzz, and see him styling his hair again, though.

Ronan and Lucas cleaned up their look as soon as we were escorted to the room and given freedom to do our shit with the hygiene stuff Remy's mom gave us. I followed suit not long after, hating the itchiness of a scruffy face.

Unfortunately, hot showers, razors, and clippers haven't made me feel any less disgusting after everything we witnessed and had to endure. It's like the trauma is lingering as a constant stickiness clinging to my skin that demands attention.

Blowing out a breath, I shake off my morbid thoughts. I'd much rather build my omega a temporary little nest for her to wake up to.

Rifling through my bags, I sort the stuffies in one pile, blankets in another, and prop the rainbow pillow against the bottom of her bed by her feet. If I would have found a pi?ata to hang over her, I would have done that so she truly saw something different when she woke up.

Before I begin wrapping her new stuff around her, I spritz the lavender aroma mist in hopes that as she wakes, she won't smell the hospital first.

Next, I peel the shitty hospital comforter off her little body and replace it with the soft purple one I bought at the first gift shop. The bright blue blanket I got is a bit lighter, so I fold it and put it on the nightstand beside her head. On top of it, I snuggle a mini green dinosaur and tuck a little white cat plushie under her arm.

I scatter the other stuffed animals I found around our pack room, so I don't smother my poor girl in fake fur.

Humming, I settle down beside her and crack open a book. A yummy one if the abs on the cover of it are anything to go by. I barely make it through the intro sex scene when Freya's voice startles me.

"Oh god, is this a fever dream?"

I can't help but laugh as her eyes take in the extreme amount of color around her, then widen on my book cover.

"Not a fever dream," I rush out, not wanting her to panic. I set the book down beside her hip. "You're safe, baby."

Freya's eyes flick to mine, then down to the stuffed cat in her arms. She doesn't say anything or show any sign that she heard me. A little frown mars her face, like she's trying to understand what the hell is going on.

"Do you want me to incline the bed?" Fuck, I'm an idiot. "Freya... can you hear me?" I ask hesitantly, my heart clenching in my chest.

She nods softly, plucking at the soft hair on her fake kitty. "You sound funny, though," she whispers and touches her lightly bandaged ear as I get her into a seated position.

I swallow, tipping her chin up with my pointer finger. I need her to look at me when I tell her. "Baby, your right ear..."

Her lip wobbles, bright blue eyes pleading with me to give her some good news. She looks so damn tired of everything, and I really don't want to be the one to break the bad news. Especially alone. Maybe it's for the best, though. She's doing so much better than earlier without everyone crowding her.

"Your right eardrum got pretty damaged toward the end there. The doc said being so close to a gun firing tore it pretty bad, but we have to hope you'll regain hearing in that side, okay?" I'm trying to keep her optimistic.

"I—" Freya covers her left ear immediately. "I can't hear anything."

My heart breaks watching her test it over and over again. But I need to let her process. I can't relate to what she's going through, but I can support my omega while she comes to terms with the next few months of recovery.

On the sixth round of covering and uncovering her left ear, the shower in the bathroom turns on much louder than the buzzing of Elliott shaving his face. Her head snaps up before looking at me for answers.

"Just Elliott, don't worry. But Freya, there's some other stuff we should talk about."

I don't know if she realizes it, but she's fluffing and rearranging the blanket around her. Maybe it's a nervous tick, or maybe she's nesting like I had planned.

"What else?" she asks with dread lacing her tone.

Taking a chance, I give her the blue blanket and green dinosaur. Immediately, she begins forming her own small cocoon, making my heart swell with pride.

"You are extremely dehydrated, that's what the IV is for." I gesture to her arm. "Malnourished, just like the rest of us. But there's something else he mentioned; do you want them to do a rape kit on you?"

I feel sick just saying the fucking words, but it's her choice. Christ, if they did more than violate her the way they did in front of us, I don't know how any of us will react. It won't be good, which is why I decided to ask now while we're alone.

Nibbling on her plump little lip, I worry I'm going to puke the more my omega has to think about if she was raped or not.

Freya shakes her head. "No. I really don't think so." A weight, a fucking heavy one, lifts off my shoulders and chest. "The only time I felt sore down there was after my heat with you guys," she admits, blushing furiously.

"Thank fuck." The relief tumbles out of me too fast to catch, but to my absolute astonishment, Freya giggles at me. "What's so funny?"

She smiles sweetly, petting the white kitty that matches her hair. "You're just too cute when you swear."

"What?" I ask, shocked because nobody's ever said that. "I always swear, though."

More giggles, sparking butterflies in my stomach. "Sorry to break it to you. Did you get all this?" she asks, gesturing to all the colorful things.

"I did!"

"Thank you, Casey," she says around a yawn, snuggling further into her pillow and makeshift nest. "Stay with me?"

Our weak bond flares when her hand grips mine. "Always," I whisper, watching my beautiful mate drift off to sleep.

There's so much more to talk about, like Beckett being her brother and where we go from here, but all of that can wait.

My sweet omega is safe now, and she's going to get all the rest she needs. And if she wants me to stand watch for her all night long, I absolutely will.

The shower shuts off just as Lucas and Ronan walk through the door.

We're all here. She'll never know loneliness again.