Chapter 12

"Shae, for fucks sake, your knee's shaking the table… again."

I winced, embarrassed as I slowed the bouncing of my knee, rubbing my hands along my thighs. Theo mopped up the small puddles of water that had sloshed over the rim of the glasses. We were waiting in the private room Jade had booked for us at the restaurant I'd suggested—one that was owned by an Alpha who Jade and Miles had grown up with and his pack. This restaurant was the perfect compromise for wanting to take this final step in courting Ethan properly, without prying eyes or staff we couldn't trust. Plus, the others refused to take a chance on our safety by going somewhere unknown.

"Sorry. I can't quite calm down. I think he'll say yes, but I just… what if he doesn't?"

Theo's jaw clenching was the only sign that he might be struggling with the same level of nerves as I was. He sighed and lifted his arm for me to cuddle into. I buried the surprise, so it wouldn't show on my face, as I scooted across the bench seat and ducked under his arm. Theo had never been particularly affectionate with me before everything had happened. I didn't know if it was me being taken, him being the one to find me first, or his whole transition, but he'd been much more tactile since then. There was so much comfort in being with someone who was pack even if we weren't bonded or romantically together. He was just another piece of home and I needed that to ground me.

"He loves us. He's told us. Maybe he won't be ready for a bond right now, but he wouldn't—" I felt the bob of Theo's throat as he swallowed roughly from where my head rested on his chest. "He wouldn't leave us."

I nodded and squeezed him around the middle before I moved away from the hug. We both resumed our vigil, staring at the door and waiting for our Omega and our girl to walk through.

The waitress came back in to fill our waters and leave another basket of biscuits when the scent of eucalyptus and cinnamon rolls seeped through the open door. Theo and I both scrambled, in a completely dignified manner, to get out of the booth to greet Ethan and Jade. The waitress was fighting back a laugh at our expense when the other pieces of our hearts came into the room.

Ethan's smile stretched broadly across his face at seeing us standing there and he moved toward us while Jade told the waitress their drink orders. He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me against him and pressing his face into my neck, inhaling deeply before the sweet, soft hum of his purr vibrated through his chest. Theo had an arm around Jade as he leaned down to press a kiss to her jaw while she smiled fondly at me and Ethan. I felt Ethan's other hand reach toward Theo as Theo reached back. Their fingers tangled together and I felt the swell of affection coming through my bond with Jade. The nerves I had been fighting earlier completely released and the tension in my shoulders loosened. I pulled back from Ethan and gave him a chaste kiss before tugging him into the booth until we were sandwiched by the Alphas.

Theo pressed a kiss to Ethan's jaw in the same way he had Jade's and rubbed his cheek along Ethan's briefly, scent marking him, and causing Ethan's perfume to grow in the confined space. Jade cleared her throat to make sure Theo and Ethan didn't take anything too far as the waitress came back into the room to bring their drinks and the first course.

She laid out the various small plate dishes and explained she'd be back in about fifteen minutes with the main course. Ethan ducked his head and began to look around the seat of the booth, as if he'd lost his phone. Once the waitress was gone, he put his hands over his face with a quiet groan. We all smiled at him and I felt Jade's amusement in the bond as Theo tugged his hands away.

"Why are you embarrassed?"

"She absolutely told us the number of minutes she'd be gone so she didn't walk back into the room and find an orgy. Are people always going to assume we're fucking if the door is closed?"

Jade's grin was mischievous and she met my eye. I didn't need the questioning nudge in the bond to know where she was about to take this.

"It wouldn't be the first time our pack has played in a somewhat public space."

Ethan's head whipped around to her so fast I was surprised he hadn't hurt himself. He spluttered indignantly as she casually sipped her wine like she hadn't just told him we let her dominate us in public. He looked back to Theo who raised one shoulder nonchalantly.

"You knew the score with the three of them, Biscuit. I've never been involved with any of their scenes, let alone somewhere like this. But I would bend you over this table and eat you instead of this meal in a heartbeat."

Ethan whimpered and clutched at Theo's thighs, looking like he was ready to climb in the Alphas lap and beg. Jade put him out of his misery though and steered the conversation back to more polite topics.

"We can talk about what you would be comfortable with sometime, at home, Omega. Even though we know the owners well, I don't want to put them in an awkward position." Ethan blew out a breath and settled back into the seat completely as Theo rubbed firmly along the back of his neck. "What did your advisor have to say?"

There was a subtle shift in Ethan's scent that betrayed some nervousness and the smallest amount of fear. We all focused completely on him, the need to fix whatever had upset him was too strong.

"Did something happen at school, Omega?"

Jade's hard tone was merely a reaction to Ethan's shifting scent. We knew that if something had hurt Ethan, Miles would never have kept it from the rest of us. I thought back to the night before, to the brief surge of anger and protectiveness that I'd felt in our bond, but I'd forgotten to ask him about. Cursing now how I'd been too distracted by the hints of attraction I'd picked up as well.

Ethan shook his head and wrung his napkin between his fingers. Theo's purr stuttered to life in response to his Omega's distress. We all moved closer to him, Theo and I each taking a hand to still his worrying and Jade slipped her arm behind my shoulders to stroke the back of Ethan's neck. He sighed and relaxed into my side, closing his eyes.

"When Miles and I were having dinner last night, the police called and said that Clint was asking to speak to me. That he was refusing to help with the investigation until he got to?—"

Ethan was cut off by two growls and my brows drew down. Theo's teeth were bared in a snarl and he was breathing heavily, obviously struggling to stay calm. Ethan shifted so he could lean back into Theo and let him be wrapped in the Alpha's arms. Ethan's perfume rose again and Theo's breathing started to even.

"I've been thinking about it and I want to go, but I don't want to go alone."

Jade reached across me and took the hand Theo had released so he could hold Ethan, gripping it firmly.

"You don't have to go alone, Ethan. You belong to us—with us. We would never let you face that alone. We'd all go if you asked or just one of us, whatever you need. You're pack."

A watery grin split Ethan's face as he squeezed Jade's hand. Theo moved an arm from around Ethan's waist and tipped Ethan's face to his with a finger against his chin. The way he looked at Ethan was so full of love and devotion that it felt a bit like we were intruding until I felt Jade's lips press against the back of my neck.

"Bond us?"

Theo's voice was barely audible but Ethan's intake of breath was sharp as his eyes shot to Jade. Her voice was calm but the hand that flexed slightly on my hip and the worry in the bond betrayed her as she spoke.

"We talked about it, Ethan, and we have all the paperwork ready to be filed. If you want this too, we want to bond you into the pack."

Ethan's gaze moved between Jade and I before turning to Theo, who was still staring at him. He swallowed and his voice rasped with emotion.

"Everyone is okay with that?"

I smiled then because it was obvious how badly Ethan wanted this too, but he would never do anything to make Miles or Trevor uncomfortable. I leaned in and ran the tip of my nose along the bridge of his before kissing him softly and pulling back so I could hold his gaze.

"Miles and Trevor aren't ready to bond yet, but they want you in the pack completely. If you're ready for a step like that, we don't want to pressure?—"

"Yes."

Joy lit the bond between Jade and I as she pressed in so the four of us were as close as possible. She wrapped her arms around me and pressed a kiss to the side of my neck before leaning past me to kiss Ethan, then sitting back and tugging me with her so Theo could kiss Ethan stupid.

A light rap on the door caused them to break apart as the waitress came in with the main course. She excused herself saying that, unless we needed anything else, the room was ours until we were ready to leave. Theo didn't allowed Ethan to get far, nearly pulling him into his lap, as we made our way through the decadent meal, just enjoying the glow of happiness.

"So, would you bond me into the pack, Jade? I don't need to rush but Theo and I talked about not knowing if he could bond me. Would we need to wait until my heat?"

"Actually, I would like Theo to bond you first, if possible. He and I have a few things to work out before that, but I don't think your heat is necessary, unless that's what you want?"

Ethan's brow furrowed and a hint of sadness bled into my joy. I hated that Jade and Theo's bond had suffered because of what had happened to me and I sent up prayers to whoever was listening that the bond could be mended between them.

"I think I'd rather just bond when it feels right?"

Ethan looked over at Theo with adoration, and another purr rumbled to life as Theo looked back at him before scowling down at his chest.

"Fucking ridiculous."

That sentiment made us all laugh as we teased Theo and talked more before leaving the restaurant. Ethan and I walked arm in arm down the street, bracketed safely between the Alphas as we approached Theo's SUV. Jade opened the door for us so we could slide into the back seat as she and Theo had a moment outside before they moved into the front seats.

Ethan's fingers threading through mine pulled me from the sight of Jade smiling sweetly up at Theo, who was speaking softly to her.

"Shae?"

His voice held the smallest indication of nerves, and the look on his face threw me back to sitting with him at Mac's before he anxiously confessed that it was our pack he wanted to meet.

"Hmm?"

"I know we can't bond like with the others but I… I love you. I wanted to know if you would want to do something to show the world that we belong to each other too?"

I sat staring at him for a moment, because my mind had gone blank. While I struggled through my surprise, I watched the hint of nerves, evident in how he chewed the corner of his bottom lip, morph into genuine worry and embarrassment. The longer I stayed silent, the more acrid his scent became.

"Never mind, forget I said anything, we'll be connected through them and?—"

I cut off his sweet ramblings with a kiss, tasting his relieved exhale from as I gripped his shirt in my hands. Pulling back, I pressed my forehead to his.

"I love you, Ethan. Feeling you through the bonds with our Alphas will be amazing but, yes. Whatever you want to do, yes."

He smiled and chased another kiss that was mostly teeth and laughter. The sound of the doors opening and the light jostling of the car broke our moment but I linked our hands again and pulled them into my lap. Ethan leaned his head on my shoulder and ran his thumb along my knuckles as we started back home.

We'd only been driving for a few minutes when my phone started ringing. I pulled it from my pocket and saw it was Cat calling.

"Hey girl, how are?—"

"Shae, someone broke into my place." The blood drained from my head and my vision swam but I shook it off as much as I could and switched the call to speaker. "—the guy Jade set up told me to wait in the car while he called it in but, Shae, I'm fucking scared. What if they come back?"

My heart was pounding, and I'd leaned forward, gripping my hair roughly in the hand that wasn't holding my phone. I felt Ethan's hand moving up and down my spine but his scent betrayed his worry.

"Are you at your apartment, Cat?"

The tires squealed as Theo braked and crossed the lanes to pull a u-turn. The abrupt change in direction jostled me and I looked up to see Jade's hard gaze staring back at me.

"Yes."

My best friend's voice was thick with tears and my heart broke a bit.

"I'm with Theo, Jade, and Ethan. We're on the way, alright?"

Jade hissed as Theo twisted his head to speak to me, pulling his eyes from the road for a moment.

"Tell her to have her escort get in the car with her and wait for us to clear the apartment. Any sign of trouble, he should drive her to Drake House."

"Did you hear what Theo said, Cat?"

"Uh-huh."

She relayed the message to her bodyguard and I heard doors closing on her end of the call. We were only fifteen minutes or so from her apartment, but the way Theo was driving, I knew we'd get there faster. Even so, it still felt like we were too far away.

Cat stayed on the line with me and explained that she'd left her place with the bodyguard to pick up her suppressants. When they came back, the door was unlocked. The guard noticed scraping around the deadbolt and assumed it had been picked. He'd taken her to the car and had been calling the incident into Drake House for backup and the police when Cat called me.

We pulled into the parking lot of Cat's complex and Theo slid his SUV into the space next to Cat's old, boxy Jeep. Jade exited the vehicle almost immediately and Theo turned to us.

"Stay in the car."

The command in his voice was absolute and, though we knew he didn't mean to bark at us, a whimper slipped from Ethan. Theo blanched.

"Fuck, Biscuit. I didn't mean to say it like that. I'm sorry."

Ethan nodded fast but kept silent. Theo took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Go help our girl, Tough Guy. We're fine."

Theo met my eyes and gave a sharp nod before he exited the car as well. It was only a moment or so before my door opened and Cat shouldered her way into the seat next to me. I took in her reddened, slightly puffy face and opened my arms for her to collapse into as she continued to quietly cry.

The campfire-warmed marshmallow scent that had been subtle on Cat as a Beta had been dialed up to an extreme and her perfume had that charred note of terror. I held her and spoke softly about what I could see, telling her that she was safe, until Jade climbed into the driver's seat.

"Theo and Ryan will go make sure the apartment is clear while we wait for the police. As soon as they confirm no one is in there, we'll all go up and you can look around to see if anything was taken."

Cat straightened while still leaning most of her weight on me and gripped my hands in her shaking ones.

"This car is safe, Cat. There's a reason we always take it when we're together. This thing is a fucking tank with bullet resistant glass. If anyone tries anything while we're waiting for Theo and Ryan, I'll run them down. Then I'll drive to the police station to wait. No one is taking you…any of you, while I'm here. Do you understand?"

She nodded and gave Jade a soft, watery thank you before relaxing into the seat and leaning her head on my shoulder. I looked over to Ethan, ready to apologize since I'd always been told how territorial Omegas could be, but there was nothing but concern in his eyes where he looked toward Cat. His gaze lifted to my eyes and he leaned in to kiss my temple softly. Fuck, I loved this Omega.

Ethan turned his head toward the building, having spotted Theo coming from the main doorway. He approached the SUV and gestured for us to come with him. Jade and Ethan exited on the driver's side and I followed Cat out to where Theo waited to escort us inside. Cat kept hold of my hand as we walked into the building and took the stairs up to her apartment on the second floor.

I'd met Cat in college, and we'd formed a fast friendship, becoming roommates through those years until she met her old pack. Then again after they'd excised her and left her a shell of the friend I'd known for so long. She'd clawed her way back to herself in the five years since then and I hated seeing her back at this place of uncertainty. But it was worse this time because there were reasons to be afraid now. Real boogeymen lurking in the shadows, because of me.

Jade must have sensed where my thoughts had gone because she tugged on the bond for my attention before sending me feelings of admonishment and love. I smiled at her and pushed back my gratitude and affection. Sometimes I thought it would be better if the bonds let us speak to each other like magic, like when I'd been taken. Extreme situations aside, this was almost as good. The longer we were bonded, the easier it was to communicate through those feelings.

We exited the stairwell and found Ryan waiting outside Cat's apartment door. He nodded to her and entered the apartment before us, holding the door open as we all filed in. I couldn't see anything to obviously suggest that someone had been in Cat's space but as she went into her room, a soft whine filtered out that had me moving toward her.

She was kneeling in front of the walk-in closet and looking at a pile of blankets with fresh tears in her eyes.

"I'd been wanting to nest, I guess, but putting it off. I couldn't quite let myself do it because it felt too real, ya know?"

I sank down to sit beside her as she wiped her cheeks with the heel of her palm and tucked some of the deep red strands that had escaped her messy bun, behind her ears.

"Couldn't stop buying these though. When the color or the texture was right." Her red, shiny eyes met mine. "Someone's been in here. They're not the way I left them, and I can smell someone. It's faint, like they used de-scenting sprays or something, but it's there."

"Come stay with us. We'll go to one of the nesting supply shops and get everything you want, for… whenever you're ready."

I hadn't realized that Ethan had followed me into the room, but when Cat and I looked up we found a very determined Ethan staring down at her.

"But you're an Omega and your pack… I couldn't stay. It'd painful for you!"

Ethan looked gobsmacked and his nose wrinkled in disgust.

"Who told you that? It's a load of shit."

Cat flushed and I even felt a little dumb. That was one of the things the Omega who'd forced Cat out of her pack had told them. That Cat's presence physically hurt her. That the Alphas treated Cat like an Omega and it was "painful." Ethan crouched down in front of us, blocking the sight of Cat's violated nesting materials, and took her hands.

"You're obviously family to Shae, and you"ve been through hell. We're not sending you to a hotel or some shit. Besides, my mom, my sister, and I can help you through this whole new Omega thing, too. I mean, if you want that?"

Cat nodded and sniffled before flinging her arms around my Omega, making him chuckle. I mouthed, "I love you," to him and a blush darkened his cheeks before he patted Cat's back and helped her stand.

"Let's pack a bag with anything you need to be comfortable for a few days and we can always come back for more if you need to stay longer."

Cat went out to the living room to get a suitcase from the storage closet and I took the opportunity to crowd Ethan until his back was against the wall and I could press myself against him.

"Sweet, kind, beautiful, perfect Omega. Thank you."

I sealed my lips to his before he could say anything to brush off what he'd just done for my friend. Then pulled away to drag my dazed Omega back to where our Alphas were waiting. We'd take Cat home with us and find her a safer place soon.