Epilogue

ETHAN

The rhythmic crash of waves rolling into the sand and retreating had a hypnotic quality that stilled my mind as I sat on the deck of the beach house Miles' parents let us use for the week and stared into the surf. The rest of the pack was inside cleaning up dinner and getting drinks ready to watch the sunset, since we'd be leaving in the morning. They'd shuffled me out here, insisting that I enjoy the beginning of the sunset and they'd be out soon. It had been almost three months since Miles had killed Graves and raids on all of Pack Jackals properties uncovered, not only damning evidence, but more captives, as well as the one turned Omega who'd been abducted a second time. We'd spent the days after bonding answering questions for the police and ensuring nothing would come down on our pack or Drake House.

It had all gone unexpectedly well until the fact slipped out that the Omega of Pack Rothchild hadn't been an Omega until her abduction. At first, we'd hoped it would be spun as a miraculous late emergence of an existing designation but then someone, connected to one of the other three women who'd been turned, had sold her story to the press and there was no going back. The media had gone into a frenzy and the story made international news. In the end, both Cat and Theo's names had come to light, and they were hounded relentlessly for weeks. Eventually, after a nasty incident between Theo and a reporter who'd gotten too aggressive and too close to me while trying to get their headline, the press learned to stay away from him. Cat had become somewhat reclusive and had only returned to work at Drake House with Shae a few weeks ago.

None of the newly changed Omegas or Theo had accepted calls or bribes from organizations, individuals, and governments to allow themselves to be studied. Then two weeks ago, Dr. Hopkins, the psychiatrist treating Clint, had phoned me.

"Dr. Stephens has been pardoned. The government decided that he is no longer a threat and his innovative abilities could serve the greater good.

My legs gave out beneath me and I sank to the floor of my office in the BullPen. It took seconds for Trevor to race to my side, switch the call to speaker, and demand to know what was happening. I could feel my other bondmates probing worriedly at me through our connections and I sent back weak assurances that I was fine.

"—refusing to leave."

I tuned back into the conversation with a furrow between my brows. Trevor had moved to sit behind me on the floor, stretching his legs on either side of mine. He wrapped his arms around my middle, pressing his cheek to my temple and purred. That comfort made the haze of shock retreat so I could speak again.

"What do you mean, Dr. Hopkins."

Her voice was kind, even through the speaker.

"Dr. Stephens asked me to reach out and see if your Alphas would be willing to meet with him. I believe he would like to arrange some sort of monitoring system, for as long as you'd like, so you and they will be assured that he will not come near you. And he has stated that he will remain here, voluntarily and indefinitely, if that is the will of your pack."

Trevor tensed but his purr never broke. He stayed as a wall of support and allowed me to work through everything I was feeling and that the doctor was saying.

"I don't understand."

She sighed.

"Off the record, not speaking as Clint's doctor and because he has, once again, given me permission to be as candid with you as you ask—he doesn't trust anyone. He's not ill and it's not paranoia in an unhealthy sense. His former assistant has visited him many times and they would like to continue their research in the way it was intended, to help people but?—"

"He doesn't trust the Foundation or the government or whoever."

"Precisely."

I closed my eyes and tipped my head back to lean on Trevor's shoulder. He kissed my neck gently and took the phone from my shaking hands, knowing instinctively that I needed him to take over.

"We will consult with our packmates and let you know what we decide."

That call had been the beginning and now we were working toward a Drake House funded lab and clinic operated by Clint and Dayton under the supervision of the company and its protection. Clint had agreed to an implanted tracking device. Personally, I'd thought it a bit insane but the Alphas, Clint included, seemed to think even that was not far enough. I'd struggled with it at first, but therapy had helped me, and so had visits with Dayton and the Omega and Beta couple that Clint had told us about when we'd visited the institution that first time. I would never forget what he had done to me but I was on my way to forgiveness, at least as much as I was able. I'd even tracked down, Liam, the Omega they suspected he'd begun bonding with, and it seemed like they might find their way to each other.

The slide of the door between the house and the deck alerted me to the others coming outside before their voices and scents reached me. Trevor's joyous and booming laugh immediately brought a smile to my face as I broke my stare-off with the ocean and turned to watch my mates. Theo's smirk lifted the corner of his mouth as he made his way to where I sat. Trevor's long hair was half tied up and his arms were slung around both Jade and Shae's shoulders. The latter was laughing quietly with him, and the former rolled her eyes as she tried not to grin. Miles walked behind them, steady and fully healed, with a soft smile on his face. He shot me a wink that had butterflies taking off in my stomach just as Theo plopped onto the cushions next to me and pulled me to his side. Drinks were passed around as the rest of our pack settled into the U-shaped seating and stared across the waves as I had been moments before. Cuddling into Theo's side, I reached a hand over to Shae, who entwined our fingers and sighed as they sank against Miles.

I soaked up the peaceful moment. Closing my eyes, I listened to the waves and allowed myself to sink into the sensations of our bonds. They'd all become stronger in the last three months, not nearly as strong as the ones that had existed between my mates before we'd met, but that would take time. Jade had explained to me how deeper and more complex all of their bonds had become since we'd all become linked through me. I'd been so afraid that my weaker bond with Shae would fade but it hadn't. They'd still insisted we do something more, like we'd originally planned, just in case. That "what if" sent a pulse of anxiety through me and all five of my mates turned to me with various expressions of worry. My Omega instincts preened under their attention and my cheeks warmed. Jade moved from her spot between Miles and Trevor and crouched in front of me.

"What is it, love?"

I looked at my lap, unable to meet the concern in her brown eyes, and rubbed my hand, the one that wasn't being held between Shae's, along my thigh.

"It's nothing really. Just a little anxious about the future, I guess. So much has happened and a thought just wormed its way in." I felt worry coming from one of them but didn't dig too much before I looked up and met her eyes, giving her a small smile. "I'm not doubting us. I would never."

She reached out and cupped my cheek. I leaned into her touch as the others made sure to reach out both in the bonds and physically until the six of us were connected. It was Miles" deep voice that put all of our emotions into words.

"We can't know what will happen in the future, Ethan. But this, our pack, our bonds, are forever. We will never leave. We will never hurt you. And… we will never stop loving you."

I sent a smile to my stoic Alpha, and he returned it, bringing peace back to the moment. We all settled against the cushions and watched the sun sink into the water, painting the sky in oranges, reds, and purples and stealing my breath. Trevor was the first to speak.

"Think your parents would let us put a giant couch bed out here, Miles? I miss the nest."

"I think they'd give us the house if Miles promised grandkids someday."

My breath sucked in sharply at Shae's joking words, and Theo and Jade nearly choked on the drinks they'd just taken. Shae laughed at all of us and Jade reached over to collar their neck with her hand, cutting off the sound and making Shae's chest heave. I could tell Jade wasn't squeezing enough to cut off their air. The change in their breaths was all from their Alpha, their Domme's reaction. Just like that my shock melted away and heat roared through my veins. I hadn't taken Jade, Shae, and Trevor up on their offer of watching them play to see if it was something I was into, yet. Little moments like the one I was witnessing made me want to remedy that and soon.

Before anything else could be said, the obnoxious ringtone that Aubrey had assigned herself on my phone blared over the sound of the ocean and the charged breaths of my mates. I heaved a sigh that was mostly exaggeration. I loved my sister more than almost anyone, but damn, her timing was shit, lately. Tapping the screen to answer, I brought the phone to my ear.

"Hey Aubs."

"Hi, E. I'm sorry to interrupt your honeymoon?—"

I was about to remind her that it wasn't a honeymoon when my mind registered that her voice was low, and the words were distorted—she was chewing on her thumbnail as she spoke. That was one of the tells that she was upset, and I sat up straighter.

"What's wrong? Are you okay? Is it Mom?"

Once again, the attention of everyone was on me. The bond roiled with concern and a protective ferocity that sent a shudder down my spine.

"We're both fine. Mom went to that spa with her friend for the weekend, remember? It's Cat."

My shoulders slumped, guilt worming under my skin as I looked at Shae.

"Going to put you on speaker, okay?"

Shae's brows knit together as Aubrey's voice projected for everyone to hear.

"We'd gone to the pizza shop on the corner, and everything was fine when we left. Bodhi didn't see anyone waiting outside like sometimes happens. We thought it wouldn't be a big deal. Cat just wanted a walk and a slice of pizza."

"Is Cat hurt?"

Shae's worry thrummed in the bond and Miles wrapped his arms around their middle as Jade squeezed their knee.

"No. Well, no one attacked us or anything, but there were a group of reporters and paparazzi outside the door when we came back. They yelled questions at her about a Pack Sutter and she just froze." Shae's breath hissed out and they stood up quickly, storming into the house with Miles on their heels as the rest of us sat stock-still while Aubrey continued. "Like, all the color drained from her face. Building security came out and Bodhi got us inside, but she wouldn't talk to us."

Jade had what I'd dubbed her "Grim Jade" face on. It was the expression that was somewhere between "Drake House Board President Jade" and "Going To Stab Someone and Then Get Coffee Jade".

"Where is Cat now, Aubrey?"

I could picture my sister fidgeting at Jade's tone.

"She checked her phone when we got back home and shut herself in her room for a little while, then she said she was going up to the garden and Bodhi followed her. I—I looked on my phone too, to try to find out what had happened, and there was some kind of tell-all article from that pack. It was brutal."

I looked between Jade, Theo, and Trevor, but only Jade's face held no confusion.

"Thank you for letting us know, Aubrey. I'm sure Shae will want to be there for Cat. When she comes back down, please tell Cat we're on our way home."

"Okay."

Jade rose to go inside and Theo leaned over my shoulder to speak to Aubrey, his voice contained notes of the bark he still struggled to hold back when he was upset.

"Stay inside until they come back or Daniels gets there."

"Duh."

Aubrey had quickly filed Theo and Miles into the annoyingly overprotective older brother category. Trevor was more playful with her and was clearly her favorite of my pack. The others might have had hurt feelings about it if we hadn't all been so amazed by his transformation. Well, I was amazed; the others had explained this was how he'd been before. Poppy Cabot better rot in jail. If not, I had no doubt Jade would pay her a visit that was long overdue. Theo squeezed the back of my neck, and I shook off that train of thought, refocusing on Aubrey.

"I'll text when we get close, Aubs. But call me if anything changes?"

"Yep, love you."

"Love you too."

I ended the call and Theo kissed my temple before going inside with the others, no doubt to finish getting ready to leave. I chewed on the corner of my lip until Trevor tugged it free. He'd scooted next to me, and concern etched his features before he smoothed them over. Reaching behind my back with one arm and to the hip across my body with the other, he used his considerable strength to shift me across his lap until my knees were tucked on the outside of his hips, hands resting on his wide shoulders, and I was looking down at him.

"Want to tell me what you're thinking about, beautiful?"

I sifted my fingers through the strands of long hair at the back of his head, scratching lightly along his scalp with my blunt nails. He leaned into my hands as his eyes drifted closed and a satisfied groan thrummed in his throat. I swallowed roughly before answering his question.

"Sometimes it feels like we get through one horrible thing only to be slapped in the face by another just when we start to relax."

His eyes opened and he stared at me. Trevor's hands moved from where they'd rested on my hips then he removed my own from his hair to press them to his chest as he began to purr. The sound soothed away the lingering anxiety and I had to fight the urge to melt against his chest, because there was more I wanted to say.

"I know that is kind of just how life works but it's been so much more than a broken-down car or a burst pipe." I allowed myself to sag against him, pressing my forehead to his collarbone. "It's going to be months or years more of the fallout from all of this. Worrying each time the phone rings that it will be another shoe dropping."

Trevor's long arms wound around me as he pulled me in closer against his chest and my face went to his neck where I took deep breaths of his mahogany and teakwood scent.

"I don't know the right thing to say, Ethan. I'm still working on it day-to-day, and I feel like I have to fight not to slide backwards." I held my breath, not wanting to interrupt. "What Miles said earlier is true. No matter what comes for us, we have our pack. We have these bonds, and we have to lean on them, trust in each other. If we do that, we will get through anything."

I sat back up, keeping my hands against his chest, and met those blue eyes.

"Together."

He nodded and leaned up at the same time that I ducked my head to press my lips to his.

CAT

I closed my eyes and focused on the scents of the plants around me and the sounds of the city. Far off sirens of an ambulance made me wonder what kind of call they'd be on; what kind of help the people would need. Curiosity temporarily drowned out the raging swell of embarrassment and pain that had begun to choke me when I'd seen the headlines about the tell-allinterview. Fucking vultures.

It wasn't enough to crush me so fully once—Pack Sutter had to drag me through it again. What did they stand to gain? Money, you idiot, and their fifteen minutes of fame.

I wasn't a masochist, so I didn't look at the article, but the image attached to the headline was a photo taken about a week after we'd met Heather. The Omega who'd seemed so sweet and caring at first but had slowly turned the Alphas against me. She'd lied about so many things, and I hadn't even questioned any of it until Ethan had contradicted one of her claims months ago.

I'd clawed my way out of the despair their rejection had buried me beneath for years and had been living my life for myself: before everything went to shit again, at least. When they'd excised me five years ago, Shae was the only thing that kept me going at first, and kept the worst of my thoughts away. Then Miles joined them in caring for me, in his own way. Eventually the whole pack welcomed me in as an adopted sibling of sorts, knowing that Shae and I were as much of a package deal as we could be without any blood or romantic feelings tying us together.

Sighing, I shifted slightly, rocking side to side where I sat on the edge of the rooftop deck space as my muscles began to cramp from being so still for too long. The communal garden was on a raised portion of the roof and the ledge I sat on overlooked the pool about fifteen feet below. I wasn't crazy enough to sit on the ledge of a building this size, but I liked dangling my feet here and enjoying the green space among all the concrete and buildings around me. Mari had begun insisting I help her in the garden a few weeks after I started living with them and I'd found a surprising amount of solace in working alongside her, planting and caring for what we grew. Ethan, Aubrey, and Nate had really hit the jackpot in the parent department. Well, at least with her. From what Aubrey had told me, and what Shae had said, their fathers were the kind of assholes I associated with parents, just with more money than my own.

I straightened, stretching my stiffening back muscles, and wobbled the smallest bit. My pulse skyrocketed and then strong hands gripped my waist. I'd have screamed if it wasn't for the nearly whispered reprimand of a smoky voice in my ear.

"Careful, Cat."

Bodhi. I couldn't be sure if being so lost in my thoughts had kept me from noticing his spicy cinnamon scent, or if the breeze had just kept it from me, but there was no missing it now that I was aware. My newly emerged Omega neediness preened at the worry in his voice, loving that he wanted to protect me so much that he couldn't let it stand for me to even sit on the roof by myself for too long.

We'd circled each other for years now, introduced at some dinner at Shae's pack house when I was still healing from being excised. By the time we'd run into each other next, I finally felt like myself, but Bodhi had been on a date with a stunning brunette Beta. I couldn't deny that I'd felt pulled to him from the start. He was so handsome, with skin the darkest golden brown, and thick black hair that was just long enough to make me want to run my fingers through it. It was more than that, though, his scent had pulled me from the mental gymnastics that had become my routine in public. Masking the depth of my depression with practiced smiles and forced, false cheerfulness. His cinnamon had registered even to my Beta senses and my brain had stalled, as my neck had craned this way and that as I'd tried to locate the source. The memory of how I'd been surprised at the strength of the pull to his scent was laughable now.

As an Omega, my senses had been heightened in ways I couldn't have imagined before. Every time he was near me, I tasted spicy cinnamon candies on my tongue and had trouble focusing. I'm embarrassed to say that I couldn't walk past a candy aisle for weeks after getting out of the hospital without buying different cinnamon ones until I'd found a particular brand of gummy bears that was so close to how my mind had imagined he would taste. After I found them, I always had a bag in my room to eat and casually smell, in a completely non-psychotic way, when he wasn't around. Being an Omega was weird.

Bodhi moved a few feet away and lifted himself onto the ledge. I mourned that space between us but knew I wasn't in a place to start anything anyway. And I knew that if he was interested, he would have made a move already.

"I don't want to pry, and I haven't looked anything up, but you know you can talk to me if you need to, right? I'm no Shae but, we're friends, Cat. I want to help."

I forced a smile to my face, hoping that it didn't betray how much hearing him say we were friends made me want to crawl into my nest and sob. Friends were amazing. I loved my friends. But since I'd become an Omega, my hindbrain, or whatever it was that was all Omega now, screamed at me that he was supposed to be more. To be mine.

"I know. It caught me off-guard, but I'll be okay. Thanks."

Bodhi's thick brows came together, and his full lips tightened like he was forcing them not to let anything past them. After a moment of staring at each other in silence, me with a smile plastered on my face and him looking as though he was on the edge of saying something, he turned back to the view and blew out a harsh breath before nodding slowly.

We stayed like that for a while longer before he cleared his throat and slid off the ledge and back onto the pavers behind us.

"I should go check on Aubrey, or Noah will have my head. Will you be up here much longer?"

I shook my head. He took another breath that I wanted to read something into, but was probably just a breath, and stuffed his fists into his pockets before turning back to the garden's entrance. I should have gone in with him. Aubrey would probably be worried after I'd run out like that, and I didn't want to upset her. One of these days I would have to stand on my own two feet again. Unbidden, his voice spoke to me out of my memories.

"Why would you need to stand on your own two feet when I could carry you?"

A tear slid down my cheek. That photo had woken ghosts I thought I'd finally laid to rest, and I worried that I wouldn't have the strength to recover from pain like that again.