“You happy, sugar?” he asked with his face tucked against the top of my head.
“The happiest,” I said.
“Is it okay that my bite is going to be different?” he asked. Inodded drowsily. My lust had banked as I cuddled him.
He moved my hair away from the side of my neck, the side still unclaimed by a bond mark, and he pressed a kiss there. “I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you, too,” I said, and then he bit. I gasped at the sharp pain, but it faded as quickly as it had each time before.
Lucas’s bond was as steady as he was, a deep connection that felt like a heartbeat, pulsing acceptance and comfort to me with each beat. His love was as sweet as his scent, uncomplicated and completely assured.
I sighed as tears pricked my eyes again. I could feel them all there, finally.
They knew exactly what I needed without having to speak. Someone turned off the lights while Lucas scooped me up and lay down with me on his chest. Soren climbed into bed next to us, placing a hand on my hip, then Ben claimed the other side. Lachlan curled behind him. I could feel them all around me and inside my chest. Their scents and my own mingled in perfect balance. And for the first time in months, I felt completely at peace.
Epilogue
Maggie
“Idon’t think I can do this,” I told Soren. “Can’t we tell her I got kidnapped again?”
I was fully using him as a human shield so I didn’t have to look at the conference room where a reporter fromAuramagazine was currently waiting to begin her day shadowing me on the job.
Coming back to work had been almost anticlimactic. Surprisingly, most of my fellow officers weren’t frothing at the mouth to attack me, especially since my scent had chilled out since I bonded with the pack. And while perps could be annoying, it didn’t seem like they were any more annoying than they’d been back when I was just a female Beta officer. I wasn’t allowed to patrol on my own anymore, but my partner, Officer Fraser, was becoming a good friend.
After a few months back on the job, Captain Harcourt approached me with an offer from the Commissioner’s office.
“Thepublic relationsdepartment,” she rolled her eyes at the absurdity of FPD needing such a thing, “has asked a reporter to show what being an Omega officer is like. If you agree, of course.”
“Why?” I asked warily. I’d already said no to a bunch of tabloids looking to exploit the story of Todd’s descent intoinsanity. There was already an unauthorized documentary in production. Kira and I would probably end up getting drunk and watching it, but the whole thing felt icky.
“Because you’re an inspiration, of course,” Harcourt said impatiently.
“Me? To who?!”
“To any woman, Omega or not, who wants to do something thatmentold them was impossible. I’ve done a few articles myself, first female Captain of the FPD, whatever, whatever.” Harcourt rolled her eyes again, then her expression softened just a bit. “You’re the first Omega officer on the force, Maggie. You’ve opened a door. So, if you want to help kick it open a bit more, this is an opportunity.”
I was surprised, but it did make sense. If I pretended it was someone other thanme, I could see how the story could be inspirational.
“Can I think about it?” I asked.
“Of course. There’s no rush. But have you still been studying?”
I nodded, my stomach twisting with nerves. I planned on taking the Detective exam in two weeks, and I was spending almost every moment not at work studying. Lachlan had made Ben promise not to bother me, but his distractions were very fun, so I didn’t mind too much. Lucas was making me too many coffees, and Soren was answering any questions he could about the test. Lachlan would just sit with me quietly, holding my hand or rubbing my back, and that’s when I seemed to focus the best.
Harcourt sighed, bringing my attention back to the present. “I’m proud of you for coming back after what happened. So is Rosie. Incidentally, she’s made me promise to invite you and your pack over for dinner, even though I’ve told her it’s incredibly inappropriate to have not one buttwoof my subordinates in my home…” She looked physically pained at the idea, and I held back a laugh. “But well, you know she always gets her way in the end.”
Eventually, I agreed to do the article. Because if Harcourt was proud of me, then I could be proud of me too. But the reality of having a reporter follow me around, asking questions, was a lot more intimidating in practice than in theory.
“You’ve got this, baby girl,” Soren rumbled and squeezed my shoulder. We had a strict no PDA policy at the precinct, but our bond meant I could feel his reassurance, love, and the ever-present desire to ravish me at all times. I could also feel the others, fainter because of the distance, bolstering me through our bonds.
I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, and marched into the conference room before I totally lost my nerve. No matter what happened, I knew they’d have my back.
