Page 27 of Pixel Perfect Pack
She shuffles from foot to foot as though she’s uncomfortable.
“You need your meds and coffee and feeding before we go anywhere.”
***
Jess is right, it’s the single most beautiful beach I’ve ever seen. We walked straight out her backdoor and down a small secluded hill, she limps most of the way. Now that her heat is over she’s starting to feel the effects of our few days of nonstop fucking. That mixed with her chronic illness and I have no doubt in my mind she’ll be floored for the next week. I just hope she’ll let us stick around and help her out, at least until she’s feeling better.
Anything to steal just a bit more time together.
Orion and Adair seem to feel the same way. Their heads are down and their hands are in their pockets, like they know the end is coming and they can smell it a mile away.
“It’s pretty, right?” She asks as we finally reach the beach. It’s a tiny harbour with just two or three fishing boats, surrounded by huge cliffs that are smoothed by the ocean to create interesting lines and shapes. The sand is pebbly, but it doesn’t stop Jess from throwing herself to the ground in a heap.
I rush to her side, terrified she’s collapsed or fainted or something until I realise she’s giggling. “I haven’t come here in ages.”
“It’s right out your back door,” Orion states the obvious, grunting as he takes a seat beside Jess. “Figured you’d be down here skinny dipping any chance you get.”
“Not a bad idea,” Jess replies, peeling her black jumper off and tossing it aside. She struggles to get to her feet but when she does, she kicks off her boots with revelry. Before long she’s in her underwear, a simple pair of pink panties and a black bra that immediately sends the blood rushing to my cock. When she runs, she runs fast. Feet stomping across the pebbly sand until she throws herself into the water head first.
The panic in Adair is the first thing I notice, he takes off after her without even shedding his clothes. It’s like she’s lost her mind but fuck what a beautiful thing to see.
Adair grabs her around the waist, hauling her out of the water and marching her back towards the shore.
“It’s not that cold,” she pouts. “Come on, just five minutes.”
“Five minutes could be hypothermia,” Orion argues as we both take off towards the water. I tug off my top and jeans, kicking my trainers to the side. Orion does the same before we get the first of the waves and come to a standstill.
I dip my toe in, testing the temperature. It’s fucking baltic.
“Don’t be such h,” Jess calls, still wrapped around a now smiling Adair. He’s infatuated by her, eyes locked on her face, watching her every micro expression.
Orion takes a dive, going headfirst into the water and coming up with a gasp. “It’s fucking freezing. Jesus, fuck, my balls are going to drop off.”
“Didn’t realise you had any,” I snap back.
Jess replies with, “Says the guy too scared to go more than ankle deep, come on! The water is fine!”
The second I dip my body beneath the gentle waves, it’s like my soul leaves and all that’s left is cold. The only thing that warms me is when I see the way Adair and Orion are holding Jess. Adair at her back with his arms around her chest and Orion at her front, hands splayed on her bare hips. They jump with each roll of a wave, avoiding getting sea water in their faces. There’s a child-like joy in each of their expressions, one that I want to commit to memory forever. I’ve never seen Adair look so carefree. I’ve never seen Orion without his usual scowl. They look younger. Happier.
And it’s all because of Jess.
“Okay, my turn,” I chuckle, throwing myself through the water and grabbing Jess by the waist. We collapse beneath the water, heads momentarily dipping beneath the lapping waves. I catch her face in mine and as we come up for air our bodies are intertwined, my lips on hers.
“This is the last place I ever felt like I was part of a family,” she says suddenly, using his arm to wipe droplets of salt water from her eyes. “We came here, mum, dad, me. The memory is a little foggy but I know we had a picnic right over there.” She points to the far corner of the beach, littered with sparse sand and abandoned driftwood washed in from the coast. “My mum got too sick after that and we couldn’t leave the house much. But I remember thinking wow, what a great family I have.”
Jess sniffles but it’s the only sign she’s crying, her face is lifted in a wild sort of smile. The kind that creases her eyes and flashes her slightly too-big front teeth. “I haven’t come back since dad died. I came down here to try and figure out my head, work out where it all went wrong. All I got in return was flashes of memories that at the time were too painful. Now, with you guys here… well, I just knew another good memory on this beach would make the whole place seem happier again.” I tighten my arms around her, using my fingers to run circles on her back and hip.
“I think we probably need to talk,” Jess says with a grimace as we separate. She glances at each of us individually. “We need to talk about what happens next.”
Eighteen
Adair
After walking all the way back up from the cove, we take turns showering and changing. Orion lights a fire in the fireplace in the living room as Jess clears up the remnants of her nest. I’m sad to see it go. The pile of pillows and blankets will forever remain in my memory as a favourite place and time for me. The place where I realised I could be myself again. The place I learned to love again. Although the gaming chair of Jess’s will also be a favourite place, the nest definitely holds a lot of sentimental value.
Jess’s words are playing heavily on all our minds as we busy ourselves around the house. The logistics of our situation aren’t exactly ideal. She has a boyfriend, a shitty one, yes. But a boyfriend all the same. The cottage isn’t big enough for all of us. Our lives are spread across Scotland, houses and jobs and other commitments we have outside of this bubble we’ve carefully crafted in the last week.
And becoming a pack? It’s the biggest commitment you can make. I know the boys are all on board but Jess has closed off a little since her heat came to an end. Maybe she isn’t ready to have three loud, burly alphas surrounding her 24/7. Long distance wouldn’t be an option, a pack living apart from each other is practically unheard of. Up until yesterday, I didn’t think I’d ever be ready to be a part of a pack. I’d always seen myself as a one omega type situation, somewhat traditional I guess. But the thought of being in a pack with my three best friends is the stuff that dreams are made of
