36. Adrian

thirty-six

"You're supposed to be resting."

Jade huffs. "I'll rest when I'm dead."

She crawls up my body and presses kisses to my chest. "Alpha."

"No, you need another week to recover."

"WEEK? It's been two already. Alpha, I'm good, I need you."

I have to force myself not to smile as she carefully drags herself up my body.

"Nope!"

I almost curse Sven as he lifts her off me and puts her on her own seat. She gets up immediately and pauses when Kandi walks into the lounge in tight bike shorts and a tank top.

My omega's eyes go black. She's so transparent.

"What's going on?" Kandi asks, towel drying her hair.

In the last two weeks, we've officially moved Kandi and Sven into my house. I've also lodged us as a pack and got the house put in our names. Kandi and Sven have taken up my garage with their workout gear. Which I don't mind at all. I'm actually thinking about renovating a bigger space for them. It's not like we don't have the room.

Jade's nest has been outfitted and painted a soft and inoffensive lilac. She added the final touches a week ago.

We all have bedrooms.

We all end up sleeping on my giant bed together. I thought that spending all that time together would be weird. But it hasn't been at all. I find I sleep better than I ever have.

Sven and Darion did their magic thing, and the issue with Trevor just disappeared.

I, on the other hand, was not quite so able to let it go. I went to see Jade's mother today because there's only one way he found out where we lived. And I recognise the car he was driving as the one Mrs Greenway was driving from that day at the festival. Trevor also gave me her name just before he died.

Suffice to say, she was looking pale and clammy when I handed her into the ambulance. I handed them her chart and stood and watched while she was taken away.

She'll be doing a stint in psychiatric care under the watch of one of my trainees, who is almost as bad as I am but brilliant. He's shaping up to be an incredible doctor.

Now, there is no threat to my omega, and I'm free just to soak it up.

"No!" Sven growls. "You're still healing."

"It didn't stop you," Kandi says evenly and leans down to kiss Jade.

"I'm not the doctor, Adrian is," Sven growls and folds his massive arms over his chest.

Fucking hell, he's hot when he growls.

"Uh-huh. So, um, what are you going to do about that?" Kandi points at me.

Sven slowly turns to look at me, and what he sees makes his eyes narrow. "Addy."

Why does he have to sound so good?

"Mm, my alpha wants to play," Jade purrs, and I groan as my dick twitches. "Fine, I'll watch."

"Say what now?" I sit up properly and glare at the smug little omega.

"If I can't play, I'll watch. Put on a show for me, come on."

My willpower isn't that strong. If she were anyone, I'd have cleared her, but if she-

"Sadly, cold shower for you, Alpha. Missy and her pack just arrived," Kandi says with a reluctant sigh.

"Why?" I snap, suddenly homicidal.

"Because we're friends," Kandi stresses with a laugh.

"I beg to differ," I mutter wrathfully.

Am I holding a little bit of a grudge? Yes, just a little one. But I'm also really, really annoyed they are here now.

I slump in the chair and groan.

"Poor alpha," Jade teases with a glint in her eyes. "It will be worth it, delayed gratification? Isn't that what you keep telling me?"

I snarl at her, but she just dances out of the room, laughing.

I find myself smiling for no other reason than I'm happy. My phone rings, and I answer it with another uncharacteristic smile.

"Simon."

"Hey, Adrian. I was wondering if you were coming to see Mum this weekend for her birthday?"

"Yes. I'll be bringing the pack."

"So, it's true? You aren't leaving?"

I hate the note of anxiety in my little brother's voice. "Si, I'm sorry."

"No, it's all right. I know you wouldn't have left without a good reason. I just couldn't imagine being in Silver Falls without you."

I sit up and groan. "How are things with you and-"

"We're great. He asked me to marry him, formally, with a big ceremony for the parents."

"You said yes again, of course?"

"I did."

"So we've got lots of news for Mum," I say carefully. "She's going to get weepy."

"Yeah, she will. But happy tears."

I heave a sigh. "You better bring those cakes she likes. I'll grab the toffees."

Simon laughs, and then falls silent. "Are you happy, Adrian?"

"I am," I say honestly.

He exhales roughly. "I'm happy for you, bro."

"Are you crying?" I ask suspiciously.

"Course not. Gotta go. See you on the weekend."

He hangs up, and I stare at the phone for a little while. Simon's a good boy. He's solid, and his attention to detail is second to none. I tried to shelter him as best I could from the things at home, but there's a vulnerability inside him that I don't have. The violence of our youth showed our true selves. I'm stone cold. Simon's softer under the exterior.

I thought that was who I am.

But I have that softness in me. It just took them to bring it out.

Kandi sees me lingering in the door and comes to lean against me. "How long do you want them to stay?"

"An hour."

"Done." She glances up at me. "You good, Ads?"

Ads? I like it.

"Yeah, I'm good."

She grins up at me and walks away. I'm getting used to her frequent touches. She's a toucher. Puts her hands on people she cares about. I've spent the last two weeks observing the phenomenon. Kandi's touch grounds the omegas, Hazel, Missy, Soren, Barren, Dylan, and Jade. Onyx does the same, but where Kandi does it through her arm over your shoulder and around your waist, Onyx holds fingers and pats arms.

They do it with the alphas, too.

It takes the temper from the rooms, brings emotions back down to a manageable level. I'd thought that this theory about betas was shit, but all this time, Kandi's been keeping Jade grounded. Trying to imagine her not grounded makes my mind boggle.

Sven snags the beta's fingers as she walks past him and drags her into his arms.

He rests his chin on her shoulder and watches as Darion puts a huge tray of meat down.

"What's that?" I ask with alarm.

"First annual pack meeting," Darion rolls his eyes.

"First annual, what the fuck now?" I say sharply, standing up off the door frame.

"Now, be calm, baby," Jade says softly and strokes my chest. "You'll get all sexy if you start getting mad, and I can't do anything about it while they're here."

I drop my eyes to her, unable to help myself.

"Damn it," I grumble and fold my arms over my chest as she goes to the back door.

"Yeah, that's about how I felt. I'm happy to tell you, I have no control over my omega," Lukas says.

I side-eye him. "She just smiles-"

"And you lose whatever thought you have? Yeah, I get it. Want to blow something up?"

I pause, thinking about it. "Sure. I've got this train that a colleague gave me."

We're quietly waiting for the explosion a few moments later when I hear movement. I twist around and scowl harder. "I need more trains."

"Missy said you were hiding," Falcon says coldly.

I glare at him. We're too similar predators, Falcon and I, to ever feel comfortable around each other, but Soren and Dylan appear just behind him.

"What are you doing?" Soren asks.

"Is that a train?" Barren shouts in excitement. "I've got one, too."

It's at that moment that the train explodes.

Lukas laughs loudly and howls his joy. I grin, too, which surprises me.

Barren blinks at the remains on the ground. "Rest in pieces, poor train."

"I heard an explosion!" Gray and Silas from Pack Treyfield rush out, while the alphas from pack Montford run towards us. Demon, Carson, and Sunny stop, alarmed and annoyed by the evidence of the scraps of our fun. I roll my eyes and glance at Lukas, who snickers.

"Invasion of the alphas. It's like a horror movie title."

"Or a romance," I mutter.

Lukas snickers and slaps a hand to my back. "I like you."

To be fair, I am enjoying myself, and I think I might actually like Lukas, too.

"You're blowing shit up?" Gray snaps. "Seriously?"

"Yes!" Gold says and pulls out his phone. "This now."

Lukas snatches the phone and races off to set off the next one.

"My dad keeps calling," Gold says with a shrug. "He heard about Scarlet and my pack. He hates Scarlet, so, naturally, I told him to shove it up his ass and leave us alone!"

"Ah! Extra sauce, please, Alpha Raptore," I call out.

Lukas stands up and gives a jaunty salute.

Taylor and Scarlet look at our huddle but keep moving. Which is weird because their omega is here, bouncing around Gold, but still. Jet takes his hand and pulls him into a hug, his trademark grin in place.

"What do you know, Doc?"

"Depends on why you're asking. Are we hiding bodies?"

Jet bursts into laughter. He shakes his head and smiles, a friendly, genuine smile. "You look different."

"I feel different."

"STOP!" Sven growls.

Lukas pokes his head up and glares at Sven. "Go away, you giant buzzkill!"

"You can't do that-"

"Well, actually, I said he can." I shrug as Sven turns to me with an incredulous expression.

"Why?" Sven almost whines.

"Because it makes me happy."

I wonder if everyone sees the way he melts or if it's just me. He stalks towards me and snags my chin.

"Fine. If blowing up shit in the backyard makes you happy, you can do that, Addy."

"Don't call me Addy," I whisper.

He slams his mouth against mine, tasting like the beers he's been drinking. But far too soon, he pulls away and stalks back into the house.

"Okay, now that we have parental permission, let's blow this sucker," Lukas howls again and races back to me, turning to watch.

The crowd of alphas and omegas at my back doesn't worry me the way it used to. When Acton puts a heavy hand on my shoulder, I actually find myself comforted by his touch.

"What is this?" I mutter two hours later while Lukas and I eat from paper plates. The packs are mixed. No one is threatened. Everyone is relaxed and eating and having a good time.

"It's a giant pack," Lukas whispers in my ear. "It's like a family. Instead of just the pack, everyone you see is now inside your inner circle."

He laughs and pats me on the shoulder. I jolt when I realise Simon just walked in hand-in-hand with his husband and an old lady that Missy calls Oma.

"Welcome to the family, brother. You drank the kool-aid," Lukas whispers in my ear. "Your life will never be the same."

I turn my head and realise I'm not annoyed by people here. That I want to talk to them.

I'm looking forward to the future.

Jade finds me, weaving through the people, her eyes lighting up when she spots me. She buries her face in my chest, her arms going around me.

"Are you happy, Adrian?"

I look across the lawn and see Sven with a beer. He looks up when he feels my gaze, smiling back at us. Kandi leans into his side, and when I smile at her, she smiles back, too.

"I didn't know I could be this happy," I say honestly.

"Me, either."

"Thank you for fighting for us," I whisper, teasing her.

"Of course. I knew you were mine. The writing was on the wall," She says tartly and traces my bottom lip. "Just needed to convince the three of you that we were the packaged deal."

I lean down and press my lips to her forehead. The smell of blackberries is strong and familiar. My favourite scent. "You have it all now."

"Yes. I have everything I ever dreamed."

I make a promise to myself to make sure that remains true forever.