3. Juno

3

JUNO

The cat nuzzled her wrist before giving it a big lick. Such a pretty, regal cat. Enormously fluffy. Tabby with soft white paws. The size of a lion. That was normal, right? The vibrations of its loud contented purr ran ticklish through her. The cat gave her another affectionate head-butt and licked her wrist again. He smelled like the sea. There was something about cats and water that felt wrong but Juno could not for the life of her figure it out.

But she was also definitely in her nest, not lying on a sandy beach. The awed satisfaction she was feeling was not her own and the large blue feline eyes blinked and became her very content, bonded alpha licking her awake.

“Sorry,” Everett said unabashedly. He continued to tend to his bondmark. “I still can’t believe it.”

“It’s ok,” Juno said groggily, leaning up to kiss her own bondmark on his neck. “What time is it?”

“5am.” Everett waved his hands apologetically at Juno’s scandalised expression. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I have a site visit I can’t cancel but I’ll take the rest of the day and come home right after.”

Juno now saw that he was dressed, half-in half-out of her nest. Needing to go but not wanting to. He kissed her again. “I love you,” he said when they broke apart.

She grinned. “I know.”

He bared his teeth and released a playful growl. “Say it back,” he demanded.

“I love you too,” Juno said, sending him warmth and assurance through their bond.

She tried to go back to sleep afterward but gave up after fifteen minutes. There was no chance, especially since Everett’s happiness was like an excited, wriggling puppy in her chest.

Coffee it was then.

Juno made her way to the kitchen, feeling the lingering disheartened emotions pervading the rest of the house. Guilt ate at her for being the cause, not to mention spending a pleasure-filled evening bonding her alpha while the rest of the pack suffered. She bit back a small whine, her omega displeased by the fractures in the pack. She’d have to fix it and soon.

Miles, Ollie and Julian were still asleep in their respective rooms, sheets rumpled like they’d been tossing and turning all night. Isaac’s bed was still perfectly made from the previous morning.

Not good, none of this was good.

She sipped her coffee as she made her way to Isaac’s office and saw the light on beneath the door. Juno’s relieved breath rushed out of her as she pushed it open.

Isaac flinched at her sudden appearance, managing to drop his phone and swipe half the papers onto the floor at the same time. He swore under his breath, muttering madly to himself as he began picking everything up. His scent was so strong in the room, but it had grown sickly and stale. The unwelcome taste of rum on a furry tongue the morning after.

“How long have you been here?” Juno asked him slowly.

He blinked owlishly at her. “You’re bonded,” he said wondrously. He left his mess and scrambled over to her. It was even worse when he was closer. Bruise-like shadows under his eyes, sallow skin and his hair in complete disarray.

“Have you not slept?” Juno demanded.

The man had sweat patches for god’s sake.

Isaac didn’t answer. Instead, he took her arm and lifted her wrist up with the utmost care. He stared spellbound at the fresh bite. “Is it…is it what you wanted? Are you happy?”

“Yes, it’s what I wanted,” she replied gently.

“Wow, that’s great. Bonded.” Isaac turned back to his desk and ran a hand through his hair, clicking the fingers of his other hand. “Well, I definitely need to add you to the pack LLC and our accounts then. Not that I’m expecting you to contribute anything! I’ll make an appointment right now with—”

“Isaac, stop.”

Juno extricated his hand from his head and held them both in hers. He looked down at their joined hands and then back up at her with a slightly gormless expression. “I have…I have a lot to do still. Have to…keep you safe.”

She caressed the side of his face, tracing his eyebrow and cheekbone before coming to rest at his chin. He sagged slightly, letting his head sink into her cradled hand.

“You hold everyone in this pack, don’t you?”

“I have to,” he whispered.

Juno pressed her forehead to his. “Who holds you, Isaac Rivera?”

He didn’t have an answer for her. They shared an understanding that Miles was not the answer — not because their relationship was lesser in any way but simply because Miles served a different side of him. It didn’t alleviate the immense pressure he felt as prime.

“Come with me,” Juno said once they broke apart.

That was how Isaac was invited into her nest for the first time. Flagging, exhaustion creeping so quickly upon him he couldn’t argue. He let her settle him against the curved wall, before she crawled in behind him, spooned against his back.

“Sleep, Isaac.”

Juno held him until his breaths became even and the lines that marred his face disappeared.

Juno noticed Isaac stirring out the corner of her eye. She continued sketching, her pad balanced on her knees.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” she greeted him in a sing-song voice. He sat up blinking, taking a moment to register where he was.

He still mostly looked and smelled terrible but his eyes were alert and rejuvenated. “How long was I out?” he asked raspily.

“About two hours,” she sniffed. “You still need more sleep but I suppose that will do for now.”

Isaac peered at the second coffee of the day she had in her hand. “Should you be drinking that in here?” he chided.

She rolled her eyes to the ceiling. The man was insufferable sometimes. “Aaand he’s back,” she said sarcastically.

“Yes, I-I suppose I am.”

They glanced at each other shyly, a wordless thanks passing between them.

Juno rubbed a closed fist across her sternum. “You up for a chat with everyone?” she asked with an inquisitive tilt of her head. “Things are a bit tense at the moment and my omega is not a happy camper about it.”

“That’s my fault.” Isaac’s mouth was set in a grim line as he raked a hand through his hair.

“It’s not your fault,” Juno corrected him instantly.

“Well, Julian made it quite clear it was — and I agree, frankly, and then he left. I don’t know if—”

Juno silenced him gently with a hand on his arm. “He came back. He was sleeping in his room when I checked this morning.”

“Good…that’s good,” he replied, a sliver of tension loosening from his shoulders. He leapt up, shedding blankets as he automatically switched back to his prime alpha mode. “I’ll gather everyone downstairs.”

A giddy little thrill of anticipation bubbled up. Juno smiled at Isaac. “Good timing. Everett’s almost home.”

Despite the powerful compulsion to settle the friction in her pack, she was still incredibly nervous when she glimpsed Miles and Julian talking quietly in the kitchen. She caught the tail end of their conversation and stayed hidden behind the door frame.

“…charged moment last night but please don’t talk to Isaac like that,” Miles said bluntly.

“I know.” Julian looked crushed. “I feel awful. I’m sorry I—”

“I get it,” Miles cut in. “But I’m not the one you should be apologising to.”

“I-I’ll make it right, I swear.”

Guilt wrapped its barbed tendrils around her heart as she watched the two of them.

“I am glad you came back, by the way,” Miles said, giving Julian a tentative little bump with his elbow. A peace offering between packmates.

Julian let out a relieved exhale. “Took a long walk to clear my head,” he replied as he grabbed two mugs from the cupboard and handed one to Miles. “At the end of the day, my place is wherever she is.”

There was suddenly a very hot lump in her throat. It was probably why she didn’t notice Everett sneak up on her until he already had her pulled against his chest. He kissed his bondmark at the same time as he sent a wave of lust at her through the bond. She melted instantly against his hard body. Slick dripped as her body decided it needed to be fucked immediately by her alpha.

“Up to some sneaky shit, trouble?” His warm breath rippling across the bare skin of her neck was not helping.

“You’re the sneaky shit, I literally just put on fresh underwear five minutes ago.” She stomped her foot indignantly.

“Really?” Everett waggled his eyebrows. “Can I see?”

She made a half-hearted effort to swat him away and he dodged it easily, sucking a lungful of her scent from her neck.

“That’s weird, you smell like you’ve been spooning Isaac,” he observed bemusedly.

“I have been spooning Isaac,” Juno replied matter-of-factly.

Everett had a weird look on his face, like he had several options for what to say next and was rapidly cycling through them to determine which was the least offensive.

“What?” she prompted him, feeling slightly miffed.

“Did you ever see that video going around of a kitten and lizard napping together?” was all he said.

“And which one am I in this scenario?” a velvety smooth voice cut in.

Isaac maintained his ability to have impeccable timing, even on two hours sleep. He was halfway down the stairs, a yawning sleep-mussed Ollie behind him.

“I think you know,” Everett hummed, unfazed by the appearance of his prime.

“Holy shit, you’re bonded.” Ollie jerked to a stop halfway down the steps, rubbing his eyes as he slid his glasses on. Blinking at her and Everett like a dumbfounded goldfish. Julian and Miles had now made their way over and she felt caught in a crossfire of emotions from all directions. Disbelief, shock and thankfully — joy.

Never one to let an audience stop him, Miles felt that was the appropriate time to give her a heated, all-consuming kiss. He slid his tongue into her mouth at the same time as he pressed her further back against Everett. It was too much, too foreshadowing, being caught between them like this.

“You’re stuck with us now.” Miles grinned when they broke apart, completely unrepentant over the way her scent had blossomed up, sweet with her arousal.

Ollie was next. Any apprehension over whether he would feel slighted that she’d bonded Everett first dissipated immediately when he pulled her into the biggest bear hug. He squeezed her so tight her feet lifted off the ground slightly and he laughed at her helpless little yelp.

“I love you,” he said brightly once he had put her back down. Juno made a choked sound, feeling somehow more exposed from this than Miles’ kiss.

“I love you too,” she said, before burying her face into his shoulder. He smelled so much like home, everything she loved. Ollie just kissed the top of her head and held her steady until her wobbles passed.

Then Julian, her sweet steadfast Julian, standing and waiting at the wings. Still too nervous to approach, unsure if he should or not. He stepped forward timidly towards her outstretched hand and clasped it between both of his.

“Where?” he asked shyly. Juno smiled and turned her wrist upward, revealing Everett’s bite. Julian traced it with a featherlight touch before bowing his head to kiss it. Power unfurled within her at his submission.

“I’m so happy for you.” He gazed up at her, soft dark eyes shining. “Your first true bond.”

Something shattered within her at his words. The poignant reminder that her previous bonds were not bonds at all but shackles and this time, this time, it was her choice that made everything real.

This pack. She had gradually handed them jagged pieces of herself and they continued to transform them into all the ways they loved her.

“There’s some things I need to say.” Juno took a deep breath, feeling the frayed threads of tension between them. Words said in anger lingering heavily in the air.

She turned to Isaac first. “The donation was a good thing. You’ll help so many omegas just like me. I’m grateful — still am — that you chose to give so generously to a cause so close to my heart.”

Isaac’s jaw tightened and he gave her a small nod.

Juno’s gaze swept around. “And the fundraiser…we had fun, didn’t we? It was nice to get dressed up and go out as a pack.” Wordless glances and tentative murmurs of agreement passed between them.

She looked at Julian. “We shouldn’t have to live our lives in fear because of them.”

Julian’s expression oscillated between panic, remorse and a tremulous sort of longing. He turned to Isaac, his voice breaking as he spoke. “I’m sorry for what I said last night. I was — am — terrified for Juno but also…” His words dwindled away and Juno’s ribs tightened at his crumpled expression.

He let Juno wrap her arms around him and Isaac laid a hand on his shoulder, having already forgiven him. Juno turned to the others. “I wasn’t the only one hurt by Pack Zhao,” she said, stroking Julian’s hair back from his ashen face. “Please don’t judge Julian by his reaction.”

“We don’t,” Isaac said, speaking for his pack. Juno felt the splintered rift between them knit back together and sighed with relief.

“Juno, you have to know that everyone feels the same way about your heat videos. Fuck them for violating you that way,” Everett bit out savagely.

“I’ve put failsafes in place if they attempt to use it to hurt you,” Isaac added.

No matter how much she believed in Isaac’s resourcefulness, there was an insidious sense of dread she was unable to shake. “Thank you,” was all she said.

The silence stretched out between them, awkwardness filling the space to a truly stifling degree.

Ollie piped up enthusiastically, popping the tension in an instant.

“Can we talk about how Everett smells like a peach now?”