Chapter 14: Forbidden: Part Two – Chapter 14

“Who the fuck does he think he is?”

Cam’s raised voice stopped me in my tracks. I hovered around the corner from the den, holding my breath to see if I could hear anything else.

It had taken a lot to convince the guys to leave me alone after we’d showered together, but I had eventually managed it, practically shoving them out of the bathroom. Doing my hair and putting on some makeup made me feel a bit more… normal. The peace and solidarity I’d felt when reading Donovan’s note last night still blanketed me. I was finally coming back to myself.

“I don’t think he meant anything by it. He just wanted to send Josie a gift. You said they both talked about the painting at the party, right, Theo?” Ben said.

“Yeah,” Theo responded, his voice grouchy.

“What, you, too?” Ben asked. I thought I could hear an edge of laughter in his voice.

“It’s bad form to give another pack’s omega a gift,” Cam growled. “Everybody knows that. And we haven’t gotten her nearly enough presents.”

“You two think she’s going to leave us for another pack because we haven’t gotten her enough courting gifts?” Ben asked incredulously.

There was silence and I could hear my heart beating in my ears.

“Oh my god. You really are upset about it,” Ben said with a chuckle. “Well, at least I’ve made her lots of food. That has to earn me points.”

“I’m ordering shit right now,” Cam grumbled. I heard angry typing and imagined him looming over his laptop, a scowl on his face.

“Me, too,” Theo said.

“Wait, Cam,” Ben said. “She needs those bath bombs.”

“Added.”

“Do you think she’s okay up there?” Theo asked. “Maybe one of us should check on her.”

“I set a timer,” Cam said. “If she’s not down in…” there was a slight pause. “Three minutes, one of us will go up.”

“She seemed better this morning,” Theo said, his voice hesitant. “She ate some breakfast.”

Guilt washed through me at how stressed out I must have made my alphas the past week. I knew they wanted to fix everything… fix me.

“Maybe we should watch that movie again for pointers on how to help her,” Theo added. “She said she always watches it when she’s sad.”

I crinkled my nose, unsure what movie he was talking about. Surely, he couldn’t mean…

“New Moon?” Ben asked with a snort.

My heart squeezed. My analytic Theo was so desperate to help me that he was willing to rewatch New Moon for pointers. That had to be true love.

“But the girl in that movie was sad because that sparkly dipshit left her. We’re not fucking leaving. Ever,” Cam growled.

“Hold on a minute. I think Theo has a point about the movie. Do you think our property is big enough for dirt bikes?” Ben asked. I could imagine his eyes sparkling with mischief.

“No!” Cam and Theo yelled in unison.

“Could you imagine her on a fucking bike?” Cam growled.

“She’s bad enough driving a car,” Theo said.

I giggled, remembering how panicked my alphas had been when I drove. My eyes widened and I covered my mouth when I realized I’d made a noise.

There was silence in the den. And then the sound of footsteps.

Ben’s head popped around the corner. He beamed, his eyes running over my body appreciatively. “You are so beautiful.”

He wrapped me in his arms and I relaxed into him, soaking up his warmth and cozy scent.

“Come get these alphas in line,” he whispered. “They are losing it.”

I giggled, pressing my body against his. “You going to get me a motorcycle?”

“Fuck no,” Ben said with a wink. “But they don’t have to know that.”

I snorted. “Well, at least take your shirt off and pretend to fix stuff for me.”

Ben’s heated gaze met my own, but I tugged him into the den before we got too sidetracked. My underwear was already damp with slick, and I craved sexy time with all three of my alphas. But first, we had to talk some things out.

I plopped down on the couch, squeezing between Cam and Theo. Ben huffed as he sat down in the chair across from us.

I eyed their laptops. Theo still had his open, and my omega wanted to see the presents he had picked out. The moment I had the thought, I steeled myself, waiting for the self-loathing to come over me, but it was more like a faint whisper than a tidal wave. I didn’t want to crush my omega’s instincts anymore… maybe I could accept her as part of me.

“Are you jealous of Donovan’s gift?” I asked, leaning into Cam’s body.

“No,” Cam said, glaring toward the foyer where the unwrapped painting sat.

“Convincing,” Ben said with a cough. Then he handed me a mini charcuterie board.

“How do you do this?” I asked, looking around. Where had he even been keeping it?

“I don’t know about these other alphas, but at least I’m excellent at providing for my omega,” Ben said, lounging back in his chair. I glared at him even as I popped a raspberry in my mouth. He was intentionally trying to rile Cam and Theo.

“I don’t need presents,” I said, but even I could hear the false ring to my words. Curse my omega for being a materialistic brat.

Theo’s look made it clear he saw straight through me.

“We haven’t gotten you nearly enough courting gifts,” he said, running his hand through his hair.

“Donovan’s present isn’t a courting gift,” I said, grabbing Theo’s hand.

“Better not be,” Cam muttered.

I studied Cam’s disgruntled expression and the way he had his arms crossed in front of him.

“Are you pouting?” I asked, my face breaking out into a huge grin.

“What?” Cam asked, outraged. “Not fucking pouting,” he continued in a voice that sounded suspiciously like a pout.

“We’ll be stepping things up,” Theo said. “There’s been a lot going on since you moved in, but that’s no excuse.” His expression was so serious I couldn’t help but giggle. My omega was practically doing the cha-cha. She was so thrilled at this show of care from our alphas.

“I can’t believe you two are jealous,” I said, trying to stifle further laughter. “Donovan is like three times my age.”

“Says the girl who was reading one of those age gap books the other day,” Ben said with a look that told me he was doing everything he could to hold in a cackle.

I shot him an exasperated look. I loved his teasing but was anxious that Theo and Cam would actually get upset.

Then something happened that I didn’t expect.

“That’s true. Age gap and daddy romances are very in right now,” Theo said, adjusting the collar of his shirt and opening up a new tab on his computer screen with a straight face.

I whipped my head around to look at him, my mouth open. Theo winked. My heart beat faster. Theo being playful and teasing might have been the hottest thing I’d ever experienced. I wanted to throw myself at him and kiss him all the way down his body.

“What?” Cam snarled, snapping me out of my dirty fantasy. He grabbed my hips as he slid me closer to him. I kept the charcuterie tray balanced on my lap.

“What what?” I asked in what I hoped was a convincingly innocent voice.

Ben snorted and Theo pressed a kiss to the back of my neck.

“Don’t be cute to get out of this. What have you been reading?” Cam growled.

I bit my lip to keep myself from laughing. “I didn’t realize you’d be jealous,” I said, widening my eyes. “Do you want me to call you daddy?”

Cam stared at me, his face frozen in shock. “What?” he finally sputtered.

“Oh, Cam, I didn’t realize that’s what you wanted,” I said, leaning in to kiss him. “You should have told me!”

Ben couldn’t hold in his laughter anymore, and his laughter set mine off.

“Brat,” Cam said, lowering his lips to my ear and wrapping his arm around my waist. “You’re in trouble, baby girl.”

I wiggled in his arms and leaned in for another kiss. A few days ago, I couldn’t have imagined I would feel this way again—happy, peaceful, loved.

“Wait, so where did we land on you calling Cam daddy?” Ben asked, wiping the tears from his eyes.

Cam rolled his eyes, but I swore there was the faintest hint of a blush on his cheeks.

“You seem to be feeling a lot better today, angel,” Theo said carefully, almost as if he was scared to break the spell.

“I am. Opening Donovan’s present…” I started before Cam’s disgruntled growl cut me off. I glared at him before continuing. “His gift reminded me that being an omega isn’t all bad. It doesn’t mean that I’m weak or useless.”

Theo squeezed my hand, and Cam tightened his grip on my thighs.

“I’ve also decided it’s time we take down the government. I’m tired of waiting. Omegas have to be more involved if we’re ever going to defeat them. We need to assemble the fleet!” I looked expectantly at each of my guys, but they weren’t reacting with the enthusiasm I thought they would.

“A fleet of… warships?” Theo asked, his brow furrowed.

“What? No, a fleet of omegas. Plus Clementine. Well, and Luc and his pack, and you three, of course… Okay, I need a better catchphrase. I’ll put out the bat signal because we’re going to take these fuckers down.” I hit my fist in my hand and hoped my face was as fierce and determined as I felt.

“You got all of that from a painting?” Ben asked.

“I found a hidden note,” I said, pushing myself off the couch to grab it. It was on the foyer floor where I’d dropped it after Cam went all caveman on me last night. I slid back into the den, my socked feet gliding along the floor.

“Here,” I said, holding the note out. Theo took it and read it out loud.

“What does that mean?” Ben asked.

“I think it means that most people, especially Glen and the rest of the government, underestimate omegas, which means they won’t see us coming.”

“Okaaay,” Ben said, nodding slowly as if deep in thought. Then a massive smile spread across his face. “So we’re taking them down. Together.”

“Yes!” I said, bouncing on the balls of my feet.

Ben jumped off the couch and wrapped his arms around me, twirling me around the room. I laughed, holding on to him for dear life.

“I’ll follow your ship into battle,” he said, letting my feet drop to the floor but keeping my body tight against his.

“That’s the enthusiasm I was looking for,” I said.

Ben placed his lips right by my ear, making me shiver with arousal, and murmured, “You’ve got your work cut out with those grumps. Just know I’m with you completely. I’ll follow you into battle wherever you lead me.”

My cheeks hurt from smiling as I pulled him in for another kiss.

“Alright, I’m off to do some baking,” he said with a wink, squeezing my ass before leaving me with my two scowling alphas.

I rounded on Cam and Theo.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, knowing their reactions had everything to do with their need to protect me.

“Don’t want you to get hurt,” Cam said, tugging me onto his lap. Theo grasped my hands between his.

“I know,” I said softly.

I rubbed my face against Cam’s cheek and neck, scent marking him. The tension melted from his body and he purred. This was the best part of being an omega—soaking up love from my alphas and comforting them in return. I pressed Theo’s hands to my chest so he could feel my own purr.

“The best way to keep me from getting hurt is stopping this government,” I said. “And I need to be a part of that.”

Theo took a deep breath as if trying to center himself. “What do you want to do?”

“I’m not sure what’s happened since Amirah went underground or what the Alliance is even doing now. We’re all too fragmented. We need to at least get all our Alliance friends together so we can share all the information we have and figure out the next steps together. I was thinking we could all meet at Jewel’s shop.”

I held my breath, looking between Cam and Theo to gauge their response. The two of them locked eyes as if they were having a silent conversation. I tried to be patient but finally huffed out a sigh when they still weren’t saying anything or looking at me.

They both smirked at my reaction.

“Alright,” Cam said. “Send out the… err… bat signal.”

“Really?” I gasped. Before they could change their minds, I threw my arms around them, squeezing them into an awkward hug before bouncing off Cam’s lap and rushing upstairs to get my phone. Time to put my plan in motion.