53. Mila

Seven days pass, and Lily has mysteriously vanished.

Well, so the reports say.

But I know that my pack dealt with her accordingly, and I can't help but feel for the poor woman.

She had no one in the end. No one to fight by her side, and I suck in a deep, trembling breath, staring blankly at the headstone before me.

This is the first time I have been back to his grave since Lily ambushed me.

The day my pack never came…

But look how far we have all come. All four of them fought for my freedom in the end, and I think that my heart has finally forgiven them.

Wounds are still a little fresh, but it's only been seven days since we defeated Lily.

I needed the time to think. But one thing I do know…

I am going to stick with the pack. No point in being lonely in this world. It was what my father wanted for me. I saw it in his eyes when I held his hand—that peace.

He knew he wouldn't be leaving me all alone, and now he and my mom can truly rest.

Still… I wish that I could see them again. Just for one last time.

So, I picture them in my mind's eye.

They're standing behind me, practically glowing like angels, and I smile.

"Hey, Mom. Hey Dad…"

They grin back at me. Mom even reaches down and grips my shoulder, and for a moment, I can feel her touch.

I wipe a tear from my cheek. "So… it turns out that I've found my family. For real this time. Now, nothing can keep us apart."

A bird chirps in a nearby tree, and the wind rustles my hair, but I know they're listening.

I can still feel their presence.

Dad has a glint in his eye, and Mom's smile is as bright as I remember.

A lump clogs my throat next, and more tears streak down my cheeks. "I promise I'm going to live my life to the fullest. For the both of you. I wouldn't be who I am today without either of you and… thank you… For bringing me into this world…"

Mom's eyes crinkle, and what I would do to hear her warm voice again.

To hear either of them.

Another form appears behind them, and it takes me a moment to recognize him.

After all, he looks just like his son…

Gryphon's dad.

The grass rustles behind me, and when I turn, it's not my parents I find, but those deep burgundy eyes.

My heart seizes, and I quickly remove the tears from my cheeks.

We haven't spoken much since we kissed in the hallway. I had been the one to make the move, yet the Alpha didn't push me away.

He kissed me back.

He was determined to take me away from the horrors that were about to unfold, and it's because of him that I'm still a little foggy about the exact details of Lily's defeat.

He had protected me. Like a good Alpha should.

Gryphon doesn't say anything when he spies my tears. He merely takes up a place beside me on the grass, and now we both sit cross-legged before my parents' grave.

We don't talk as we gaze at the headstone, but I don't mind.

Just having him here is enough.

"It's a beautiful resting place…" he remarks, and I agree.

It really is. There's a grove of trees not too far, one filled with the sound of birdsong.

"Thank you."

A few silent beats. Then he whispers, "My dad's grave is just a few headstones away…"

I look up.

I never knew that.

He doesn't meet my eyes, but I study that stoic face, the perfect square jawline, and the aquiline nose. But I notice the tic on his cheek, and finally, he turns my way.

Again, neither of us speaks, but we seem to have a mutual understanding now.

Oliver and Gryphon had communicated via their bond during the fight with Lily, and it still amazes me.

Had the whole pack been communicating the whole time?

A void fills my chest, and I bring my knees to my chin, thinking about how sweet it would be to be so close to them all too.

To share in that pack bond.

"So… ready to return to the house?"

I nod, keeping my face buried against my knees.

Gryphon rises to his feet, extending his hand out for me. I stare at his outstretched fingers for some time, biting my lip. Then I get over myself and take his hand, and that's when I spy the others standing a few feet away.

They had all waited in the Jeep outside the cemetery. I told them that I wanted to see the grave on my own at first. But I know that I don't have to be alone anymore.

Now, I have them.

***

Oliver tells me that they have a surprise waiting for me when we return to the house.

The house is still being repaired after the explosion.

Gryphon was offered a place on the council, and as a result, he has recently come into a massive amount of funds.

At first, he didn't want the position, but Oliver managed to convince him in the end.

After all, things need to change. Omegas are treated like possessions in this world, pretty much stripped of their rights the moment they perfume, and it's about time that it all stopped.

And Gryphon can be the one to make that change.

People will listen to the Alpha who managed to defeat Lily in a duel. Now he is the strongest Alpha in the country, and hopefully, his influence will extend far and wide.

But it's still early days. The other governors have agreed to hear him out.

I just hope it all works for us.

Omegas should at least be given a choice. If they want a pack, so be it. If they want to learn how to cook and knit booties, each to their own.

And if they want to learn how to fight and shoot a gun, then the option will be there for them.

I'm surprised by how well the house is coming along. All signs of the explosion have nearly vanished, and once again, it is in livable condition.

Unfortunately, my nest was destroyed, along with Oliver's.

Yet the Omega has a smile on his face as he leads me down to the basement, and I blink.

Where is he taking me?

It was the only room in the house that didn't get destroyed.

The others follow behind us. Lachlan is a little more hesitant, considering this is where they used to lock him up during his episodes, and I don't understand…

"Why are we going down into the basement?"

Oliver smiles up at me. "Just you wait and see…"

I glance at Barret to see if he will give me any answers, but he merely smirks.

I guess I am on my own then.

Oliver covers my eyes, then whispers close to my ear. "So, you know how our nests got destroyed in the explosion?"

I nod. "Yes."

"Well, I decided that it was time for an upgrade anyway. For the both of us…"

Finally, we reach the bottom step, and when the Omega removes his hands from my eyes, I gasp.

It's the ocean and the forest.

One side of the wall is painted blue, and the other is bright green. Oliver's side of the nest has trees and long, gauzy curtains that act as a forest canopy, and mine has waves, seagulls, and even seashells.

It's… beautiful.

"So, do you like it?" Oliver asks.

I nod, taking his cheeks in my hands. "It's perfect. The blue matches your eyes…"

A smirk crosses his lips. "And the green matches yours…"

My heart thumps in my chest, and then the next thing I know, we're kissing.

Oliver lifts me in his arms, and now I wrap my legs around his waist, letting him lead me to the blue and green line that bisects our nest.

He gazes deep into my eyes, panting for breath. "Mila… I have decided… that I want you to join our pack… Gryphon will be the one to bite you…"

My heart pounds, and then sweat heats my back and my upper lip.

The nest grows silent at Oliver's declaration. I'm not even sure if they have all discussed it as a pack. They most likely have, through their bond.

A bond that I want to be a part of.

Gryphon steps closer, a question in his eyes. I nod.

For the first time since I have known him, Gryphon smiles at me, and hot damn.

He's beautiful when he smiles.

"Are you actually smiling?" I blurt out without thinking, and the guys laugh.

Even Gryphon chuckles as he shrugs, and now he takes up a position beside his Omega.

"So, how about it Mila? Will you have me?" he asks.

I chew my lip, thinking it over. Maybe I should make him beg for it first. Grovel until he is blue in the face and the balls, but no.

I have waited long enough. We all have.

I am going to be a part of this pack.

This time, Gryphon makes the first move. He takes my face in his large hand, rubbing his thumb in circles over the apple of my cheek. Then he kisses me bruisingly, almost possessively, and a growl rumbles in his chest.

Quickly, we remove each other's clothes, and I have waited so long for this.

It appears Gryphon has too, and he's an animal.

One moment, his pants are on, and then the next, they're lying in a heap on the floor with mine.

Oliver, Barret, and Lachlan's clothes join ours too, and now we're all naked.

We meet in the middle of the nest, just between the ocean and the forest, and it couldn't be more perfect.

Gryphon presses the head of his cock to my entrance, and I grind against him, wrapping my arms around his neck.

He growls, responding in kind, and now he slips between my legs, burying himself to the hilt, and we both take a moment to enjoy the sensation of being so close.

Finally … is all I can think.

My body has yearned for him for so long, and my Omega is practically glowing, basking in his attention and warm glow.

Honeyed heat spreads through me, reaching my fingers and toes, and I don't look away from Gryphon's eyes.

They're brown now. No trace of that angry, demonic red remains.

Well, maybe just enough to be sexy.

The red circles his pupils, a burning ring of fire, and then he thrusts, hard.

A groan escapes me, and then he growls, picking up the pace.

It's just the two of us at that moment as he slips in and out, slow, then fast, and then slow and torturous again, and I shudder as he grazes my walls, biting my bottom lip until I bleed.

I feel Oliver's blue gaze and I'm pretty sure Lachlan is jerking off, but for the moment, I focus on Gryphon.

Just me and him.

The heat spreads further, up and down my spine, and then I freeze, lights sparking behind my eyes when I crest my peak.

Gryphon follows right at my heels, and the liquid movements of his hips become jagged as he comes next, and finally, I feel his knot.

It expands inside me, locking him in place, and I lay back on the plush blue and green pillows and sigh.

It's even better when I'm not in heat. Because this way I can truly appreciate it.

Gryphon kisses my neck, and I open my eyes, meeting his dark ones.

"Ready, Mila? It will feel strange at first."

My heart skips a beat, but then I nod, burying my fingers into his thick hair as he marks a spot on my neck.

Gryphon purrs softly, running his fingers through my blonde locks.

And then he bites.

My body goes numb, new sensations swimming through me. The room burns white, and I squeeze my eyes, spying a glowing thread.

Gryphon's mate bond.

It wants me to grab on.

And so I do.

My vision tunnels, and then I spy myself, panting and flushed on a blue and green cushion, and I am seeing myself through Gryphon's eyes.

Holy fuck.

We are connected.

I stare at him and then back at myself, and how is this possible?

I have two streams of consciousness, and it's not as disorientating as I would have thought.

It's beautiful…

I sense the others, though it's a little faint.

My nose fills with the scent of honey, and I feel Oliver through the bond. I latch on to him, and he sends a warm tendril my way.

Then I sense wildflowers, and Lachlan pokes at me through the bond.

Barret isn't as intrusive, but I smell his earthy, rainy scent too.

Gryphon's campfire and marshmallow is the strongest, though he's more squishy marshmallow than brimstone now.

Now they all crowd around me, and we speak through the bond.

How is it, Mila? Oliver asks.

I take a moment, replying in my head. Like a dream…

I don't open my eyes, wanting to sense them this way instead.

Gryphon remains inside me, locked at my hips, so it will be some time before either Barret or Lachlan can have their turn.

But that doesn't stop Oliver from slipping in behind me, taking me from the rear.

He uses my slick to wet his shaft and my backside, and then slowly edges in.

It's a tighter hole, so it takes a moment for me to adjust, but when he meets me at the hilt, just a small membrane keeping him apart from his Alpha, I bask in them both, enjoying every second.

Oliver brushes my hair away from my neck and then he bites. A bond won't form, but I do notice that ours grows a little stronger.

His voice strengthens through the bond, along with his honeycomb scent.

I love you, Mila…

I smile, tugging his tendril closer. I love you too.

He licks the wound when he's finished, kissing beneath my ear. You didn't think I was going to let Gryphon have all the fun, did you? You are mine , Mila. Always will be…

I still don't open my eyes. I don't need to.

I can feel them all around me.

Barret and Lachlan are close now.

Hey there, sunshine… Barret says, taking my wrist gently in his hand. Mind if I claim you here?

I nod. Go ahead.

The Alpha purrs, stroking the spot he has chosen on my wrist, then bites.

And my connection with him grows stronger too.

Love you, sunshine.

Tears prick my eyes, and then I reply. I love you too.

Now Lachlan's wildflower brushes gently against my right, and then he takes my other wrist. Snowdrop…

His warm tendril wraps around me, curling around my wrist and neck like a game of bondage.

Lachlan… I reply.

I love you, snowdrop.

And just like that, I smile again.

I love you too.

He doesn't wait to ask. Lachlan goes straight in for the kill, and I see the world through his piercing blue eyes now.

Everything looks a little crazy from here, and I make a note not to spend too much time behind his eyes.

It's Gryphon's turn now, and finally, I open my eyes, meeting his burgundy.

One side of his mouth quirks, and he decides to say it out loud.

"I love you, Mila. Have from the moment I looked at you. Just didn't know it yet then."

Tears pour in earnest now, and then I bring him closer, kissing his lips.

"I love you too."

Now all five of us are connected, our bond forming a perfect, five-pointed star, and more tears shed from my eyes.

I will never be alone again.

END