41. ELLIE

ELLIE

The afternoon unravels in sweet kisses and a luxurious bath that ends in soft orgasms and cuddles. Savin is the most relaxed I’ve seen him as Macon deposits him back in the nest before heading to the kitchen. I follow him a little while later, seeing my Alpha hang up the phone. A tight smile sits on his face, his jaw pulled tight, and as much as I want to ask, I’m not sure I want to know who was on the other line. Besides, I mostly came out here to find ice cream or mac and cheese. I’m promptly denied my cravings as Macon hands me a bottle of water and a bowl of pre-cut fruit from the fridge.

“Macon-”

He raises an eyebrow as he guides me to one of the barstools. “Calling me Macon now? Just because I’m making you eat real food? That hurts a little.” Macon chuckles as he points to the fruit, waiting for me to pop one of the strawberries into my mouth. It’s not that I don’t want it. It’s just that I would rather be eating ice cream. Or cheesy goodness.

He leans back against the counter, folding his arms across his chest as he watches me eat. I didn’t realize how hungry I was—that lunch earlier wasn’t enough to curb my hunger. I’m eating for three after all. “Are you up for an interview, Ellie?” I freeze and stare at him, my cheeks full of berries. “Jace has been on my ass about putting out a statement. I wanted to smooth things over with my mother first but that’s not working. So, it’s time to address the public. I don’t want to do this if you’re not ready, though.” So, that’s what the phone call was about.

“I’m ready. When are we cussing out your mother?” I ask around the food in my mouth. Macon doesn’t answer me and for a moment, I think I’ve overstepped but his expression doesn’t convey anger. It’s akin to confusion and a little bit of hurt. “Alpha, I’m sorry-”

“No. You’re right. It’s just hard to separate the woman who raised me and this awful person who keeps trying to derail my life. She hasn’t been the woman who raised me for a while but I keep hoping she will be. And as much as I want to cuss her out, truly tell her to shove it, it’s not that easy. No, Ellie, you’re misunderstanding.” He pushes off the counter and comes to stand beside me, twisting me away from the fruit. His hands cup my cheeks, tipping my head up so that our eyes meet. “Sweetheart, it’s not that easy to just cuss someone out in the entertainment industry. That just further exacerbates the situation. It’s a process. Talk is all it is—just talk. But if we show my mother that we’re in love, that her accusations don’t hold any weight? That’s what saves us.”

Which means that something like a bond or a marriage would silence the public, neither of which I am ready for. Marriage isn’t even viable since Macon is married to Savin. “You’re still going to cuss her out, though, right? She tried to ruin your life so it’s only fair you return the favor.”

“Yes, sweetheart. Goddess, I’m going to let her hear the few words I’ve had saved for her. Now, eat. Jace and one of his staff on payroll should be here within the next hour or so if Savin’s up for it. The sooner we make a statement, the sooner the public leaves you two alone, and things can go back to normal.” A grin splits across his face as he drops a hand to my belly. “Well, our normal.”

His thumb brushes across my lips, my mouth parting to suck in the tip. Macon’s eyes darken when I lick the edge of this thumb.

“Baby girl, as much as I would enjoy another round, I don’t think any of us are up for that.”

“Is that all Savin ever gets? One round?”

“Correction, I don’t think you are ready for what opening that closet truly means. I know you want to play, Ellie, but slowly. You wanted me to prove to you that this relationship was more than bonds. I need you to trust me when I say that throwing you in the deep end when it comes to that dynamic might add further confusion to your decision.”

My brows furrow as I lean back. “I’m not on the fence anymore, Alpha. I’m sorry it took me this long. I just…”

“Ellie, look at me. I know you aren’t. I also don’t want to overwhelm you. There are a lot of new things happening for you. Let’s get through this situation with my mother first and then we’ll talk. Truly talk. About everything.”

Everything means our future together. Our living situation. The babies. Goddess, the babies. I gulp nervously and twist away to finish my fruit, almost getting away with not downing the bottle of water. Macon is insistent on it though as I chug the entire thing.

“Happy?” I ask, knowing that I’ll hate myself later when I’m peeing all that water out.

“Marginally.”

Savin is more than ready for the interview when he enters the kitchen an hour later. Or so he says. I can see the faint gleam of sweat on his forehead and the way he keeps shaking his head as if to keep himself awake. His scent is like pure sugar at this point, Macon telling me that having all three of us together is pushing him toward a full-blown heat. I don’t understand all the specifics of his health diagnosis but it seems to be dragging Savin across a spectrum of pleasure and pain.

I also can’t fathom how an Omega could allow other people in his space during his heat but Savin isn’t exactly a normal Omega. Macon doesn’t seem to mind as long as no one walks down the hallway. However, I’m not okay with it.

Which is why I’m currently shoved into a pair of leggings and one of the dresses that Macon had delivered, glaring at where Jace and the journalist are setting up by the couch. I’ve been wandering around in a mixture of their clothes the past few days, not even realizing I haven’t had my own. And now I’m a little uncomfortable in this silk material, not because it isn’t pretty, but because it doesn’t smell like my mates.

I deliberately pulled Savin back into the nest when they arrived and I haven’t let him go since, grumbling at their presence. He dons a patch that dims his scent, something he wears in public when he’s close to his heat to stave off any unwanted experiences. I hate that I can’t smell him though.

When we reemerge, Macon is looking at me, confused but Savin is enjoying my possessive ass. It isn’t until the journalist looks up to wave and I bare my teeth that Macon catches on. He steps in front of me, blocking my view of the living room.

“Hey, sweetheart. It’s okay.”

“It’s not okay! They’re in Savin’s space so close to his heat. How can you two be okay with this?”

Savin shrugs. “As long as they don’t take over my nest, I’m used to it. We have staff in and out of here all the time.”

“That’s…”

Macon smiles down at me as he places a hand on my shoulder, his thumb fingering Savin’s shallow bite. I do well not to moan with company but I visibly relax between them. “Ellie, it’s not about Savin or his nest, is it? It’s about having them in your space.” I don’t want to admit to that. “Why didn’t you say something? This house is just as much yours as it is ours.”

But that’s the problem, isn’t it? It’s not my house. I’ve been living here, more out of fear that the public will latch onto more lies. I’ve loved every moment inside though with Savin and Macon, even if I’m a little on edge, needing a spark of the outside in my life. This isn’t the time for this conversation “We haven’t had that talk yet on where we divide things, on what’s ours and what’s yours. I didn’t know that I could say something since Savin was okay with it.”

“I’ll ask them to leave,” Macon says, searching my expression for my true emotions.

“No. They’re already here and I want this over with.” My discomfort with them in this home isn’t about them personally but the fact that there are others in a place that I’ve deemed safe. My apartment is safe. Here is safe. Safe from a world of entertainment that I don’t understand and is currently trying to vilify me and my mate. They aren’t really the problem. With that realization, I lean into my Alpha’s chest, Savin pressing up against my back. “So, the reporter is just going to record us and then ask questions?”

“Not a reporter. I would never let one of them into the house. Jace has some connections with a few news outlets and brought someone who knows how to work a camera and ask questions.” He chuckles when my face contorts, my nose scrunching up as my gaze narrows at him. “What I meant to say is that he occasionally asks his cousin, Camila, to gather information because she has a much gentler touch than he does.”

Our Alpha guides us to the couch, greeting Jace and then his cousin—Camila. Macon wasn’t joking about the gentler touch. The Beta seems sweet with her bubbly personality and bright smile, long black hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. She radiates this kind of pure happiness with a thinly laced deviance, an odd combination. Her eyes light up when they land on me, the Beta reaching out to shake my hand while my mates sit down. I frown at the gesture and then comply, not wanting to seem rude.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Ellie.”

“Why?”

It’s like staring at an angel if that’s even possible. Sunshine radiates from her personality, the scent of sunflowers wafting from her. Everything about her reminds me of an Omega even if she clearly isn’t one. Camila clasps my hand tightly before releasing it. “Because you can’t fake the love in their eyes. The way they look at you, crowd around you? You’re glowing and so are they. This is what the public misses. This is what the tabloids keep hidden because they like conflict. You’re a beacon of hope for all those Betas out there who think it’s hopeless.”

“Camila…”

She shushes me with a quick flick of her head. “You found your forever, your mates! And maybe they aren’t the typical ones, but Ellie, so many Betas believe that they’re only destined for an average existence. You’re showing them that they don’t have to be. That mates are still on the table.”

“How the fuck do you know we’re mates?”

“Macon let it slip to Jace. Besides, it’s obvious. Now, sit in the middle of them. I’m going to record. Is that alright?”

Again, I frown. I don’t understand what she’s going on about and the bit of dominance that slides into her tone tells me that she’s not as innocent as she seems. I continue to observe her as I settle between Macon and Savin, both gravitating closer until they’re all but wedged under me. Jace is pacing beside the couch, angrily whispering into a phone. I thought he might try to berate us into giving a certain story but it seems that Camila has this part handled.

“Your aura is confusing,” I blurt out and then sigh. Goddess, that’s embarrassing.

Camila giggles and then tilts her head to the side, giving off that soft image again. A wide smile spreads across her lips as she sits on a chair that has been procured from Macon”s office. “I guess I should give my story and then get to yours? Your mates know most of mine—we’ve hung out often enough. Ellie, not like that. I used to be a church girl.”

My eyes narrow at the way she’s so elegantly poised in her chair, the rigid position she’s holding, the flattering clothes that seem to hide her curves rather than show them off. “Church girl?”

“My father was a pastor. It was a whole thing. Keep your head down, be a good girl, let an Alpha choose you. Marrying anyone else was out of the question. It was harsh but the rules were… easy enough. Until we visited The Temple and all that changed. I even get to help out my cousin without the church breathing down my throat for being a heathen.” Her entire face lights up but I’m stuck on the fact that this woman walked into a club, one of the most notorious locations for debauchery at that, and then somehow found her forever and left the church.

Euphoria is one thing but The Temple? Goddess, Camila must have been out of her element.

“My beginning was a lot like yours. I met my mates and the rest just fell into place. I still fall back into old patterns but my Omega is usually the one to drag me out the quickest.” She blushes and then grins, obviously infatuated with the mates she’s accepted. Her happiness is contagious.

Macon throws an arm around my shoulder, pressing his lips to my hair. “What she failed to mention is that she stumbled into that club and into her Omega, one of the owners of the club.”

My eyes widen at the realization that she’s the Lincoln’s Beta, as in part of the pack that owns the biggest club in our city. How this sweet innocent flower found herself with them, I have no idea. But it also tells me not to judge a book by its cover. I’m curious as hell but this is not the time to delve into her personal life. Besides, if she’s Jace’s cousin, I’m sure I can always find out later.

“Enough about me. Ready for the interview?”

I nod, mind still reeling as Camila explodes into an explanation that this is just a formality but to act comfortably as if the camera isn’t there and she’s just a nosy friend fishing for details. It helps that she introduced herself first and for me—that she’s a Beta. She can relate to my plight and insecurities and when Macon squeezes my hand, I realize that her presence here is on purpose.

He’s always one step ahead of us. He isn’t just our Alpha. He truly is our protector and I love it.

“So, just act natural?” Savin asks when Camila finishes her spiel.

She bobs her head up and down before unearthing a small pad of paper from her pocket. “I’ll make sure to edit it so just be yourselves. Jace! If you keep fucking murmuring during this, the public is going to laugh at my skills.” Her tone is harsh, contrasting her playful smile as she waves him over. He grunts from behind the couch and hangs up the call before plopping down into one of the lounge seats.

“Just make this go away, Cam. Savin’s current contract is in jeopardy but oddly enough a few have lined up trying to get their hands on the most problematic Omega at the moment. Sorry, not sorry. This has been a headache and-”

We all glare at Jace to shut up because what has been a headache for him has kept Savin and I stuck in the house the past few days. Camila jumps right into the deep end, asking how we met and how we reunited. I look to Macon a few times for guidance but it’s clear that we have to give them the entire story, not just pieces. As it stands, if we don’t, the public will twist our words any which way they want to.

Which means that they need to know everything. All of the pieces. Every last bit, right down to the babies. Camila’s smile only brightens when she hears about the twins, squealing when I mention that they’re Savin’s.

“Oh, that’s a beautiful present,” she says in response to Savin’s health decline and everything else he’s been put through over the years.

Macon and Savin do most of the speaking and I chime in when I feel it’s necessary, taking the reins when it comes to discussing the babies and our future plans. I don’t have much to say but Macon slides an arm around my waist, keeping me grounded. Savin is curled into my side, the growing heat of his body starting to worry me. He’s still shaking his head every so often but not as much as before. The worst part is that the fading bite in my shoulder offers me an insight into his pain that I don’t usually have. No doubt Macon can feel it by the way his hand tightens on my waist every so often.

I want to stop the interview and carry Savin away but they’ve both told me numerous times that Savin doesn’t want the attention. He doesn’t want to be catered to or coddled, yet we still have to be there to reel him back in when it’s too much.

By the end of Camila’s questions, I’m ready for food and Savin desperately needs rest. Macon helps to usher them out the door but not before Camila hands me her card. “If you ever need a sympathetic ear or maybe an invitation to a better club. Hell, if you’re still dancing after the babies, I’ll save you a spot.” I feel like I’ve gained someone in my corner even if we’ve just met. “Now, take care of your mates. Looks like they need you a lot more than you need them.” Camila throws me a wink before exiting the living room.

I want to relish in the moment but hearing Savin groan at my side paired with a pang in my chest draws my attention back to him. His breaths are shallow as he leans back against the cushions, an arm thrown over his stomach, the other over his face. “My head is fucking pounding.”

“Then let’s get you back to the nest. Where it’s dark and cold. You’re burning up.”

“It’s just the start of my heat. It’s not always this bad.”

“I don’t care. Up, Savin.” I stand up and pull him to his feet, steadying the both of us before trying to head for the bedroom. His steps are feeble as he wobbles to the side, clinging to me as if I might let him go. “I’ve got you baby.” My voice is laced with fear as Savin’s steps slow, each one seemingly more difficult to take than the last. We barely make it to the kitchen when he slumps against me and then crumbles to the floor, bringing me with him. “Savin!”

Macon is already there, scooping our Omega up into his arms and carting him down the hall. I follow, frantic and scared as we enter the nest, my Alpha emptying the nest of its blankets until it’s just a few sheets covering the mattress. Everything happens so fast, Macon stripping Savin down to his boxers and then rushing back to the kitchen.

He returns with two ice packs, pressing them on either side of Savin, the Omega letting out a sigh of relief. I’m still standing there at the edge of the nest, wringing my hands together, tears in my eyes when Macon finally turns his attention to me. It was all going so well this morning and then…”Why aren’t we taking him to a hospital?

“Because they can’t do anything. They’ll give him a few painkillers or sedate him, keep him under observation, and then release him when it all goes away. Sweetheart, I…”

“Don’t apologize. You mentioned that there are good times and bad times but it hurts my heart to see this, to feel this.” That temporary bite in my shoulder is channeling my Omega and I can feel how painful it is, like a sharp sensation beneath my skin. “Does this happen often?”

“His heat is always stressful. It just manifests in different ways. However, this afternoon might not have helped. Why don’t you go curl up on the couch and I’ll bring you something to eat? It’s a bit cold in here and I’m not sure what Savin is going to want.”

Macon is trying to take care of us both, catering to our needs. It’s also visibly tearing him apart that our needs don”t coincide at this moment. I shake my head, pressing my hands to my Alpha’s chest. “I’m not abandoning him. Or you. I just need a blanket but don’t deny me my Omega.” My Omega. It sounds so sweet on my tongue, like it belongs there.

“He is yours. So am I,” Macon purrs, tucking a stray curl behind my ear. I crawl in beside Savin after grabbing one of the discarded blankets and swallow a sob at the image before me. His skin is a few shades lighter, his shallow breaths interrupted by the occasional gasp for air. How this happened so quickly, I have no fucking clue but I hate it.

Our Alpha is still moving through the room, preparing for Savin’s heat as I cuddle as close to Savin as possible. His lips purse out as a gasp slips out, his words cutting me to the core. “Don’t cry for me, angel. It’s not worth it. I’m just so glad he has you.”

His words take a little while to register and I only truly understand his meaning when a tear slips down his face. Savin thinks he won’t make it, that our future won’t include him. I don’t accept that. I won’t. I push up on my elbow, jabbing my finger into his chest. “You’re not fucking dying on us, on me, Savin. That’s not what this is.”

“It’s never been this bad,” he croaks. “And I’m just so tired.”

I’ve seen my fair share of horror in my classes, learning about the moments when patients give up, when they no longer want to fight anymore but I can’t fathom a world without Savin in it. “And you’re not fucking leaving me or Macon. Don’t you want to see your babies? Savin, listen to me. Don’t you fucking die on me. You’re not allowed to die. Rest but you better open your fucking eyes in the morning.” I’m desperate but I need him. I need him more than the air I breathe. Losing Savin would break us and that’s not a pain I think I could survive.

Macon has told me that his Omega isn’t dying, that the pain Savin experiences isn’t life-threatening but that it will be an obstacle for years to come. Savin doesn’t answer my demands so I place my head on his chest, listening for that slow beat of his heart.

I’m not sure what I’ll do if it stops.