Page 31 of Scent of Sanctuary
His fingers move delicately, giving me what I need without taking too much. The soft words he whispers in my ear make my Omega preen with happiness. He tells me that I’m his perfect Omega, that I was made for him, that he couldn’t imagine being anywhere other than right here.
My body trembles in his hold, an orgasm moving towards me as I gush on his fingers, a little cry falling from my lips.
“You make the prettiest sounds, sweetheart. You’re going to be so beautiful during your heat, absolutely gorgeous and I can’t wait.”
I can’t form any words, something garbled coming from me as I sag in his hold, the familiar Omega weariness taking over as the pleasure thrums through my limbs. Once again, these men are proving that they’re not here to take or to ruin. They’re here to caress and to love.They’re not him,I remind myself one last time.They’re mine.
Callum
MypulsequickensasI stand in the kitchen, the dim light casting soft shadows over the newly painted walls, their deep charcoal a stark contrast to the bright white they were two days ago. It’s been chaos, transforming the house for Seraphina with blackout curtains on every window, lights dimmed to a warm glow, and furniture draped in darker fabrics to make this place feel safer. I never thought about moving but if a smaller place would make her feel more comfortable, I know we’d all do it in a heartbeat.
Yet she stays holed up in my room, her little nest of my clothes and a combination of our pillows a fortress she rarely leaves, except to scurry down for food. Even then, I’ve started bringing trays up, not wanting to pull her from her safety bubble, her Omega instincts still raw from everything that’s happened over the past week.
I glance up the stairs, listening for any signs of movement but am rewarded with nothing. She’s always so quiet, her steps soft as if she thinks she’s bothering us and my heart breaks just a little more for her.
Lyle leans against the counter, his jaw pulled tight. “She’s too quiet up there. I’m worried we’ve stressed her out by pushing her to settle in too fast.”
Ambrose drags a hand through his hair, chewing his lip as he always does. “Unfortunately, we didn’t really have many choices when it came for housing and a hotel was out of the question. However, she seeks us out, which is good. I think the house is just too much for her. It’s a lot to get used to.”
Guilt twists in my chest because he’s right. Even with Seraphina becoming more receptive to our touches and kisses, her little whines until I curled up against her, she’s still terrified of doing more. And I don’t know what’s going to help bring her out of her shell other than time. “She feels safe in my room so I’m not pushing. I just want her to know that everywhere here is safe.”
The worst part is that the police keep calling and demanding to talk to her. I’ve stalled as much as I can but they’ve set up an interview at two pm this afternoon. If I don’t find a way for her to show up at the station or pick up a video call, they’ll charge me with impeding an investigation. No amount of explanation that she’s not ready have worked.
“Who’s going to tell her?” Lyle jokes, but it comes out more bitter than as a tease. “Because it’s not going to be me.”
I’m about to answer when the muted scent of berries hits me. We all twist around to see Seraphina clutching a glass in her hand, her blue eyes wide with uncertainty. “I just wanted more,” she whispers, gesturing to the fridge. She swallows nervously, stepping closer.
“Sweetheart, you could have texted one of us and we’d have brought you another cup.”
She offers us a small smile, creeping a little closer. “I usually just use the sink upstairs but I wanted it cold.” Her eyes dart around the room, the usual skittishness absent as she realizes that it’s not as bright in here anymore. ”This is better.”
Lyle moves first, gently tugging her into his chest. “Jesus, baby. You don’t have to sneak around.”
Seraphina lets out a shuddering breath as Ambrose slips the glass from her hands. “Everything is just really big but I’m trying.”
“We know you are, sweet girl,” Ambrose muses as he hands a full glass back to her. “Is there something we can do to make it easier?” He drags a hand through her hair, purring as her scent sweetens just enough to have me on edge.
I discreetly reach down to adjust myself, Seraphina catching the movement anyway. Her cheeks pink in response as I try and fail to keep from laughing at how adorable she is.
“The curtains help,” she mumbles.
Lyle hums, peppering kisses along her forehead and cheeks and then her lips, drawing a soft giggle from her. It’s the first genuine sound like that I’ve heard since she came to our house and I’m here for it, my Alpha instincts purring to keep her safe, to keep that laughter alive.
Unfortunately, just as in tune as we are with her, she seems to read us just the same. She takes a small sip from her glass and then locks eyes with me, her brows furrowing slightly. “There’s something you’re keeping from me. Is it about my apartment?”
“Yeah,” I say, leaning back to sit on one of the barstools. “Fi, the police need to talk to you about the fire. I know you don’t want to, but it’s just a routine part of the investigation. I tried to give us as much time as possible but I can’t push the interview off any longer.”
Her giggles fade, her body tensing in Lyle’s arms. “I’m not going down to the station.”
“No, sweetheart. You don’t have to go anywhere.” I stand and make my way to her, pulling up to her side. She leans into my hand when I cup her cheek, her nose dragging along my palm. “We can do a video call but they want to close the case as an accident.”
“But it wasn’t!”
“I know which is why I need you to talk to them.”
If the police rule it an accident, then Seraphina will be on the hook for whatever the landlord tries to sue her for. And I’m not about to let that happen. I let our Omega mull over whatever’s going on in that head of hers before she offers me a small nod. “Can I do it from my nest?”
A smile tugs at my lips, relief softening my worry. “Of course. Why don’t you go get comfortable and I’ll bring a laptop up there, okay?”
