41. Elena

When we arrive backat the house two days later, it's almost like nothing tragic happened here. Everything is spotless and perfect, just like it was before my heat.

Declan is the first to greet me with a warm hug. He strokes my hair and kisses my cheek.

"Missed you, blondie."

"Missed you too," I tell him honestly against his chest.

I can only imagine the shit we could have gotten into at the resort together. As badly as I wanted them all there, I know that they were doing everything in their power to make this place safe for me again.

Lorcán is next, and I know he immediately notices Cillian's bond mark. I can sense a bit of jealousy there, but he tries to hide it well. I grab him by his waist and rest my chin on his sternum as I look up at him.

"Soon," I promise the Alpha.

While I know I'm the Omega, bonding is a huge deal for everyone. I feel like Lorcán deserves something special for waiting for so long, for protecting me all of those years.

"I can be patient," he relents, and I smile.

He leans down and kisses me softly.

Finn is sitting at the dining table, and I can tell he's on edge. I feel the worry in our bond. It's especially hard to discern Cillian's and Finn's emotions, but I know with time, I'll get better at it.

I approach him, and he swallows. I grab his chin, tilting his face toward mine before giving him a soft kiss. "I don't regret it either," I tell him, finishing our conversation, which was so rudely interrupted.

Finn looks at me like I told him something revolutionary as he grabs the back of my legs and stares up at me.

"Do you want to talk about your?—"

"No, I don't, and I'd prefer we just act like it never happened," I say to all of them.

Declan and Lorcán look at each other like they're surprised I'm not sobbing or having a meltdown over everything. "I suppose it's time for another pack meeting."

They all look around as I sit at the head of the table, and they take their seats. Maeve comes strolling into the room, putting down a tray full of snacks.

"I want my own apartment," she requests.

"Fucking done," Declan agrees quickly, and she rolls her eyes.

"It's nice to see you dressed as a decent woman," she compliments, looking down at my outfit.

"It's nice to see you didn't get murdered," I reply, and she gives me a smile before leaving the room. Maeve, I can handle. She's grumpy in her own way, but she doesn't mean any harm, not like Cillian and Finn's mother.

"I want to act like nothing bad happened after my heat. I don't want to mention his name. I don't want to know what you did. It's just better that way."

There are head nods all around me as I wrap my arms around myself.

"I've bonded with Cillian and Finn," I state, and Lorcán's jaw ticks. I give him a look like he's being dramatic. "I want to bond with you too, Lorcán, and if there's any way I can be connected to Declan, I want that too."

Declan gives me a beaming smile, and I'm glad that at least one of the guys is easygoing and not as intense, not that he doesn't have his moments.

"We have to learn to be a pack. I want to make sure that I give each of you all the attention you need, so you just need to be honest with me. There are four of you and one of me, so if you need your time with me, just tell me."

"I want my own night," Finn says, surprising me but making me smile.

"Yeah, me too," Lorcán adds in.

"Bunch of fucking whiners," Declan complains, and I shake my head.

I won't deny that I enjoy having all of them wanting their own time with me.

"We'll come up with a schedule," I counter, hoping to pacify them slightly. "But more than that, I need to figure out my place in this pack. You all have known each other most of your lives, which helps, but I know there's a lot of hurt there."

"You won't be working," Finn demands.

"Obviously," I grimace. "But I do know how to take care of wounds and general care, so when I can be useful, I want to be."

"Already looking to stitch me up after fights, baby?" Finn asks.

I'm not sure when I'll get used to him calling me that, but it's not anytime soon.

"I'd prefer if you didn't fight."

He looks at me, stroking his scarred lip as I remember everything he told me about his past. I'm sure it's been years since he rehashed those old memories, but he did it for me, for us. It's why I was so content bonding with him. I think deep down, I knew there was good inside of him, maybe only a little, but enough to work on himself for me.

"I'm getting too old for that shit anyway," he responds.

The other men gape at him while I smile.

"Thank you," I say to him before turning to everyone else. "We're a pack now, so from here on out, we're nothing but honest with each other. No more holding things in for years, fake identities, or keeping things from each other. Okay?"

"Yes, Queen," Declan says, sarcasm lacing his voice.

"What now?" Cillian asks, and I turn to Lorcán.

"I'd like to take you out on a date, if you're interested."

He smiles, his pretty blue eyes shining as he nods his head.

"You've been gone for days and he gets a date?" Finn complains.

I stand up and grab his chin. "Be a good boy, and I'll give you attention when I get home."

I kiss him, and the confusion on his face is comical. It's like he's trying to piece together when he became so needy. I place a kiss on the top of Declan and Cillian's heads as I grab Lorcán's hand, and we head to the garage.

"Which one is yours?" I ask, and he points to a large black SUV.

He opens my door for me, and I climb in. I go to buckle my seat belt, but he takes care of it for me and places a kiss on my temple.

"Where to?"

"The West Wind," I tell him, and he looks at me curiously.

It's been a while. Maybe he doesn't remember, but I do.

Lorcán keeps a hand on my thigh the entire time he drives, and I've never felt like a bigger Omega passenger princess in my life; I love it.

He doesn't comment on how the throw back movie playing tonight is The Bodyguard. He just buys our tickets and snacks and turns the radio station to the one necessary to hear the movie.

"Do you remember coming here with me when I went on that date with that guy from my surgical technology class? I told my dad he was gay when he clearly wasn't, so I could go on the date?"

"I wanted to strangle him the whole time," Lorcán confesses while squeezing my thigh.

It's late at night, and there aren't many vehicles here to see a movie that's been out for what feels like forever.

"I wished it was you. Wished that you showed an interest in me and didn't care what my dad thought."

He groans, resting his head against the headrest and looking over at me.

"Do you know how many times I've thought about how different everything would have been if I did just that?"

"Why didn't you?"

He licks his lips and really looks at me. "I spent years never fitting in, never really feeling wanted by my father. I just fucked up his life. Your pápa was the first man who ever really made me feel like a son. He said you weren't ready, and so I just watched. Loving you, wanting you, protecting you from afar. It was hard, but it was easy at the same time. I knew you were worth waiting for."

I reach out and touch his face, and he sighs as soon as my skin meets his.

"You love me?"

"More than anything."

Fuck it.

I climb out of my seat, and Lorcán slides the driver's seat back to accommodate me on his lap.

I grip the sides of his neck and crash my lips to his. He grabs my ass, pulling me against his hard body when our lips part.

"I love you, too."

When he kisses me back, it's like he's parched, and I'm his last glass of water. Every swipe of his tongue and press of his lips feels urgent and necessary. It's how I always wanted to be loved.

Lorcán is the softest for me out of all of my men, and I love him because of it. I remember thinking at my father's funeral how perfect he would be for me, and he is; and he's finally mine. Well, almost.

"I know it's not super romantic, and we are in a parking lot full of people."

"Princess, if you're going to let me bond with you, just pull your fucking panties to the side and let me take what I want."

I bite my lip, nodding, before leaning forward to adjust my panties and doing just that. Lorcán distracts me by kissing my throat and gripping my ass tightly.

"Tell me how bad you want my knot, Elena."

I'm fumbling with my underwear, and Lorcán gets frustrated, shifting my skirt up himself. He grips the side of my panties and rips them right off. He's like a man possessed as he tugs down the bodice of my dress and bra, kissing and sucking on my nipples. He sucks so hard on the right one that I grip his hair, holding him to my chest as slick drips down my thigh.

"How bad do you want it, sweet girl?"

"I need it. Please. I want your knot and your mark. Make me yours."

"You were always mine, princess," he murmurs. "Take my cock out and take it all."

I press my hands between us, undoing his pants and sliding his length out. I stroke him a few times, gripping his knot and balls. He bucks into my hands and groans.

"Tell me you're mine."

"I'm yours."

"Wrap that sweet cunt around my knot and prove it."

I moan at his words and rub the tip of his cock against my wet pussy before sliding down and taking all of him.

My head falls back as I use the headrest and his shoulder to balance myself, but Lorcán is impatient as he fucks me from the bottom. The way his body is angled, my clit drags against him with every movement.

"Are you going to gush around my cock, sweet girl? Get my knot nice and messy before I claim you?"

My hand moves from his shoulder into his hair as I fall apart, coming around his length.

He moans into my mouth before biting my bottom lip.

"Fuck, that's it. Right there."

His knot swells, and just as I was reaching the end of my orgasm, it spikes again, sending me into a spiral.

"Mine," Lorcán rumbles as his knot reaches its largest size, spreading me wide, and his lips press against the bare side of my collarbone.

I shout as his teeth sink into me. The mix of pain and pleasure is euphoric as he claims me and officially makes me his. Lorcán has one hand gripping my ass and the other holding the back of my head as he kisses and licks his mark.

"Fuck," he whispers as he looks at our newly cemented bond. He peppers more kisses against his bond mark, and I try not to let it go to my head. "So perfect." More kisses. "So mine." He holds me tight to his chest. "This was well worth the wait."

My arms are sandwiched between us, but I hold his neck, making us as close as we can possibly be, especially with his knot locking us together.

I play with his shirt. The background noise of the movie and our breathing are the only sounds in the car. I kiss the underside of his jaw, and he sighs contently. I can feel the relief, love, and joy through our bond.

"Thank you for being patient with me."

"I'd wait forever to have this," he says as his thumb trails against his bond mark.

There's a light tap against the window and Lorc groans as he slightly rolls it down and peeks out.

"Sir, there's been some complaints about this vehicle. We need to ask you to leave."

The man rises on his toes and looks deeper into the vehicle.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll fuck off right now."

The man looks in the car again, trying to get a better look, and Lorcán loses it. His knot is still deep inside of me as he grabs a gun from the center console and points it at the man.

"Look at her again. I fucking dare you."

The man swallows and holds up his hands.

"I'm just trying to do my job."

"We'll leave as soon as we can. Don't fucking look at her again."

The man backs away, and Lorc rolls up the window.

"He might call the cops," I hiss at him.

"Don't act like your pussy didn't grip my knot tighter when I said it. He won't say shit."

He grabs my jaw and kisses me like he doesn't have a care in the world. He was right, this was absolutely worth the wait.