15. NEPHELINE

15

NEPHELINE

I wake up in a sandwich of different wolves than I fell asleep next to. River is holding me and Mateo behind him with the Beta still pressed up against my chest. His chin rests there, beautiful silver eyes meeting mine. A warm smile sits on his thin lips and I can't help the heat that bleeds through me when his eyes start to sparkle. "Dari?" I'm not sure where the name came from but I'm sure it's his.

"You're Bambi. I thought you were just in my dreams." His voice is rough, no doubt his body still trying to navigate the wounds inflicted on him. He lifts a finger to run down my cheek, grinning at the way I shiver beneath his touch. It's different from my Alphas, softer but just as welcomed. "So pretty," he mumbles as his lids start to flutter closed, exhaustion claiming him.

I tug him closer, running my fingers through his soft hair before looking around to see my other Alphas perched at the edge of my nest. Remi is all but sitting on Asani's lap, Maverick's thigh touching Asani's. Maverick's cheeks are pink as his hands sit in his lap, the Alpha cleverly avoiding my stare. I smelled their mixed scents earlier and now I just want to know what happened. Asani catches my expression and smirks as he deposits Remi next to him and then reaches forward to help me out of the tangle of arms and legs.

"Did you sleep okay?" He asks as he tucks me into his lap, running his nose along my throat. I shrug as my body relaxes, Remi taking my feet in his hands for a massage. Maverick places a light kiss to the top of my head, all three of them crowding me until I can only think about their presence rather than everything else that is going wrong with the world. "Maverick and I visited the clinic. I might be able to find an antidote to the serum just in case we run into another wolf that's been injected. I also made something that might ease Gael's pain."

The momentary bliss disappears as the sunken eyes and ashen face fill my mind again. I turn to look at my first Alpha, the one who stole my heart despite the fact we weren't supposed to meet yet. His face is twisted up in a mixture of anger and sadness. Mateo draws comfort from the Alpha he's holding and right before my eyes, Dari scoots closer. It's an automatic movement, my Alphas sleeping and Dari too exhausted to know what he's doing but it's a perfect picture.

He belongs with us.

"It's not the serum you gave me, is it?"

Asani continues to run his nose along my neck and my cheek before shaking his head. "No, this herbal remedy will take away his pain. He won't hurt for however long he has left. See if you can meet with Gael before dinner."

I blow out a little breath before pushing to my feet, brushing off my clothes. There's no point in continuing to drag out the inevitable. Tonight, I will announce my position even though Mateo did so in the heart last week. Here, I will be with the pack that I was promised absent of the people I've lost. I manage a tough smile as I head to the kitchen for water and a breath of fresh air.

Asani and Maverick follow, Remi on their heels. I grab a cup in silence, gulping down several glasses before I'm ready to face this long-awaited dinner. A week ago, I was sitting across the diner with Maverick as the head of our group, glaring at River and Remi, wondering why they were entertaining someone else.

And now, I'll be sitting beside Mateo as his equal.

"Ready, sunshine?" An arm snakes around my waist as Remi pulls me to his chest. I stare up at Asani and Maverick, both waiting for an answer before nodding. "We'll be right there with you. We'll have to be strong for Mateo. He's hurting more than he lets on."

I know as much because I sent out that same wail when I returned to my pack lands and everything had been stolen from me. The way I steeled my heart so that I wouldn't hurt and the desire for that serum so I wouldn't have to deal with my biology didn't make me stronger. Finding the men I was supposed to be with and learning to lean gave me the strength I needed.

Silence filters in as I stand there, shuffling in my nest telling me that it's nearly time to leave. When Mateo makes it into the kitchen, he engulfs me in his large arms, tucking his head into my neck. I sink into his chest, both of us needing each other to calm our wolves. Where I'm anxious and worried, he is angry and restless. A perfect match, right?

"I'll just get dressed and we'll leave, princess." He kisses my forehead and trudges to his room, the heaviness of this moment starting to weigh in. My other Alphas begin shoving on shoes and coats as I turn to Maverick who's merely leaning against the entrance of the living room, no doubt watching over my Beta.

"You aren't coming?"

"Someone has to watch him. Dari, right?"

My nose wrinkles as I search for his name. "Darius. Yes, it's Darius. Dari is for me." I temper down my jealousy because it's stupid to be annoyed that someone else is using the name I gave my Beta. Even so, Maverick pushes off the wall and steps up to me, settling his hands on my waist.

"You're allowed to keep some things for yourself, Nepheline. I'm just here to make sure he's okay and with so much happening, we thought it best that I stay here until I'm fully integrated into the pack." He sports a small smile before Remi comes up behind him and slaps his shoulder.

"Or, your last Alpha decided that if something went down and he was the only one who couldn't shift, Asani would have to carry him."

The air is suddenly supercharged with lust as my body heats and Maverick stutters for a response. Oh, he really does have a crush on Asani, doesn't he? Although, the image of Maverick on Asani's back isn't really the fantasy I want to have in my head. Switch it around and place Maverick on the earth floor as Asani plows into him…

"Whatever you were thinking, kitten, don't. You're going to have horny Alphas on the way to the diner and I guarantee you that you will have a heat spike. As much as you enjoy performing, I don't think you're ready to do so in front of your entire pack." Maverick squeezes my waist, dragging me out of my head as I mumble a sorry and scurry toward the front door.

"Since you're not going, I'm bringing back dessert," I yell as I stuff my feet into the shoes River picked out. They're dark blue boots that lace up to my calf but are highly impractical if I need to shift.

"Like a date?" Maverick questions and I nod. Just me and him.

Several groans meet my ears after my silent declaration as River comes up against my side, wrapping his arms around my waist. "None of us have taken you on a date, sweetness. Shit, this is going to make us look bad."

"We can do dates later." He seems satisfied with that as we step outside, Mateo taking my hand in his as Asani brings up my other side. The freeing emotions inside the house are replaced with the somber atmosphere as the earth beneath us bleats with energy. I clutch Mateo's hand a little tighter as we near Calista's house, Asani placing a small bag in my hand and then kissing my temple for good luck.

Everyone except for Mateo falls back and I hold my breath when Calista answers the door as if she had been waiting for us. "Again? What for? Yes, your father is dying. He's a waste of space and he's not useful to the pack. What else do you need?"

"To see him," Mateo growls. His hand tightens around mine until his punishing grip has me trying to soften his anger. I don't fault him for his reaction but my expression will just give Calista one more thing to pick on. "Pack law states that another Alpha can't enter a home with an Omega in it without the house Alpha's permission but let's be real for one fucking second. You're no longer tethered to my father. You have no right to keep me from him."

Calista laughs, staying in the doorway to bar our entry. "And yet, he's still mine. You have no right-"

Mateo steps closer, snarling in his mother's face. His canines surface, elongating until I'm sure he's going to shift right here in the open. "I have every right to see the man who gave me a home. Step. Aside." I nearly miss the way Calista shivers and sidesteps into the foyer as Mateo leads me up the stairs. His heavy breathing increases the closer we come to Gael's room—or Ilsa's room as I came to learn, that stench of despair and death filling my lungs again.

My Alpha lets out a small whine as he drops to his knees before his father, laying his head in Gael's lap. His shoulders fall as he holds onto his father's leg, silence filling the room until it's almost unbearable. Gael reaches forward and places a frail hand on his son's head, the tender embrace breaking my heart.

I never got to say goodbye to my father but this embrace feels too similar, too raw in my head from a moment I've been trying to block out.

Locke slips from my chest, resting against me as his heartbeat slows. My clothes are stained with the rivers of crimson flowing around me, my pack slain mercilessly across the forest floor. Dying wails of anguish and pain continue to echo through the woods, death surrounding me. Snowflakes dampen the sound as it coats the violence that unfolded here just moments before as if nature is trying to blanket death with its own peace.

There is no blood here, but the anguish is the same.

"You should not have come. There is nothing you can do for me."

Mateo doesn't move, still holding his father as if he's the most precious thing in the world. I step closer and unravel my hand to reveal the small bag Asani gave me. A small container sits inside and I quickly loosen the cap before digging a finger into the paste. The strong scent immediately blocks my senses, peace running through my veins like I've never experienced.

Gael looks up from his son, tears blurring his eyes as I lean forward with the paste. He gives me a small nod before I reach toward his gland and run my finger down his neck. He sighs, his entire body sagging with relief as his eyes close. "Asani, I presume? I didn't even know how much pain I was in. You will be a wonderful Luna. And Mateo, you will be the perfect pack Alpha." His hands move again to grip Mateo's head with as much strength as he has left.

Mateo stares up at his father, silently saying his goodbye. I still feel like we'll see him again because the next full moon is tomorrow but it won't be a happy reunion. "If I could bring you with me, I would Gael."

"And that is why I know you will be wonderful as this pack's Alpha. My home is here, with your father." Gael sports a small smile, pointing to the little picture on the table beside him. I didn't notice it before but the man is most definitely Mateo's father with the same kind eyes and determined expression.

Slowly, Mateo rises and then bows to his father, giving the previous Luno a respect that many Omegas never receive. I stand beside my Alpha and do the same, waiting until Gael dismisses us.

"You have a Luna to present, Mateo. Make me proud. Make Ilsa proud."

Mateo leans down and slides a hand around the back of Gael's neck to bring their foreheads together. It is a gesture usually made between Alphas or mates. It is a testament to Mateo's respect for his father and the love that he has for a man falling apart in front of him. "I love you, Gael." Mateo's voice trembles as he pulls back and then holds his hand out for me to take.

"Gael, I wish I could have learned from you," I say. "You were a wonderful Omega and are a man I respect with my entire being. I wish things were different."

"As do I."

We leave with my hand firmly engulfed in Mateo's, a snarl ruining the silence when Calista stops our exit with her mouth pursed to say something. Mateo doesn't wait for her words as he wraps a hand around her neck and thrusts her against the wall, baring his teeth at his mother. "Not a word from you, Calista." His wolf is just beneath the surface again as he steps deathly close to the Alpha who has ruined both our lives. Blood drips from where Mateo's nails dig into her neck as he growls in her face.

The sound vibrates through the room as I gently tug on his hand for him to come back to reality. I want her dead just as much as he does but killing her here will only hurt us. We both know that her death must be public.

Mateo finally answers to my soft touch, Calista leaning back against the wall as if she has won. "Control your wolf, Mateo. It would be a shame if your pack knew that it is feral, that you are losing your handle on that wild animal."

My Alpha tries to answer with a retort but I tug him toward the front door. We don't need a confrontation. I might be small but his biology is built to provide for mine, an Alpha's natural instinct to protect and listen to their Omega. Calista definitely went against her instincts but Mateo easily follows me, still seething until we're outside on the pavement. I find my back against the side of the house, Mateo's rough kiss dominating my thoughts.

His tongue thrusts between my lips as he hoists me up, dragging my legs around his waist until we're all but fucking in public with our clothes on. "Alpha, Alpha, " I manage to push out in between kisses. "Mateo, baby, come back to me." His cock hardens against the apex of my thighs, his knot throbbing against my core. My Omega is needy for it but we have a dinner to attend and although this would fully distract Mateo from the demons in his head, this isn't the time.

He grunts and presses his forehead to mine, our ragged breathing slowing until I can hear the faint wind running through our pack lands again. "When we get home, I'm going to fuck you until you pass out, princess. I'm going to stuff you with my knot and fill you up until you're screaming for me to stop."

I smile up at him as he places me back on my feet, his wolf retreating. He's deflecting from the scene we just witnessed but I avoided remembering for a long time too. I didn't want to pull up those memories and the last moments that I didn't even know were my last moments with my family.

Mateo holds out his hand again for me to take as the others join us. No jokes are shared as my Alphas bound around me, Boone and Nolan following close behind. All that hits my ears is the crunch of snow beneath our boots and the wind whistling through the trees. I have hope that Mateo can fully bring the magic back to the pack lands but I'm not sure how much he'll have to suffer first.