Bonding the Band

Melissa Huxley

Lexie Quinn

Copyright © 2024 by Melissa Huxley and Lexie Quinn

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or events is entirely coincidental.

All brand names and product names used in this book and on its cover are trade names, service marks, trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publishers and the book are not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. None of the companies referenced within the book have endorsed the book.

Contents

Content Notes

1.  Meadow

2.  Meadow

3.  Hendrix

4.  Meadow

5.  Beckett

6.  Meadow

7.  Hendrix

8.  Meadow

9.  Arlo

10.  Hendrix

11.  Phineas

12.  Meadow

13.  Arlo

14.  Meadow

15.  Hendrix

16.  Arlo

17.  Meadow

18.  Beckett

19.  Meadow

20.  Phineas

21.  Meadow

22.  Hendrix

23.  Hendrix

24.  Arlo

25.  Beckett

26.  Meadow

27.  Phineas

28.  Meadow

29.  Beckett

30.  Hendrix

31.  Arlo

32.  Meadow

33.  Hendrix

34.  Meadow

35.  Beckett

36.  Phineas

37.  Meadow

38.  Arlo

39.  Beckett

40.  Meadow

41.  Hendrix

42.  Phineas

43.  Arlo

44.  Meadow

45.  Meadow

46.  Beckett

47.  Phineas

Epilogue — Meadow

Also By Lexie

Also By Melissa

Acknowledgements

Content Notes

Bonding The Band is a separate omegaverse from anything either Melissa Huxley or Lexie Quinn have published and is part of its own universe.

Content warnings: pregnancy and related symptoms (nausea, general malaise, Meadow struggles in the early phases of her pregnancy), recreational drug use, coerced drug use, alcohol consumption

Chapter 1

Meadow

April, Seattle

Tuesday.

It was a goddamned Tuesday.

Tuesdays were meant for staying home, snuggling up in the nest, reading a good book, or maybe watching some gory true crime documentary—because nothing was cozier than serial killers.

The days between Sunday and Thursday were not meant for loud, over-the-top rock concerts.

What else could I expect from a band called Hard Knot Life?

“You’re lucky I like you,” I grumbled to Clover, wrapping my leather jacket around myself, trying to stay warm. My bestie was the only person I’d freeze my ass off for. I couldn’t let her go to this concert alone, no matter how much I’d thought about shackling her ankle to my nest so we could skip it. I’d shackle her to her own, but then we couldn’t watch documentaries together, because god only knew who the hell had been rolling around in hers. My nose couldn’t take it.

Clover liked alphas, though. She thrived on the attention and was a social butterfly. If it weren’t for her, I’d probably become a hermit. I found most alphas overwhelming. Fictional alphas were the only ones I was eager to get close to. One day, I’d like to have an alpha, or even a pack, if they were all chill humans. But that was a problem for future-Meadow, once I’d graduated and wasn’t up to my eyeballs in essays.

“C’mon, Meadow, it’s not that bad.” Clover snuggled up to me for warmth, her mini dress offering basically nothing in terms of protection from the near-freezing temperatures.

“Clover, I can’t feel my fingers! It’s obvious you’re cold,” I grumbled, looking pointedly at her chest.

“I’ll risk frostbite if it means I look this cute. Maybe these glorious nips will get the band’s attention. If I get any colder, they can see them from space. The band will have no choice but to rescue me from hypothermia, and I’ve heard the best way to do that is to strip naked and snuggle.”

“I am not going to naked snuggle you if you get frostbite.”

Clover dramatically pouted and gave me her best puppy eyes. “I thought you loved me.”

Clover knew full well she wouldn’t struggle to find someone to warm her up. She was a knockout at five feet eight inches, with curves for days, hair like sunshine, a megawatt smile that disarmed even the grumpiest of humans, and a sweet, fresh peony scent that was delicious to any designation. Between Clover’s peony and my white rose and lilac scent, we’d joked many times that our dorm could be mistaken for a florist.

“I do love you. I sure as hell wouldn’t drag my ass out of my nest for just anyone, especially after I had already showered and put on my comfiest pajamas.”

“It’ll be totally worth it. I couldn’t pass up VIP tickets—there’s a chance we could actually meet them!” She whispered the last part so only I could hear.

I wasn’t living under a rock, and while I did aspire to be a hermit, I hadn’t quite achieved that status yet. Even I knew the songs of Hard Knot Life. They had been topping the charts routinely for years—their music was everywhere; you couldn’t escape it. Malls, bathrooms, doctor’s offices, anywhere with a speaker played the PG-13 version of the songs. Clover played the explicit ones in our dorm and sang along—loudly—so a lyric or two had lodged in my brain over our time as roommates.

According to Clover, the lead singer, Apollo, was the most stereotypical sex, drugs, and rock and roll alpha you could imagine. With a name like Apollo, I wasn’t surprised.

Clover bounced up and down on the spot. “The line is moving!”

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the next several hours of loud, musical hell. “Okay, let’s do this.”

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Clover squeezed me into an enthusiastic hug.

“For you,” I said with a laugh. “I couldn’t see a thing behind the giants in front of us.” It actually hadn’t been the worst. As tempted as I’d been to pull out my phone to read, I’d focused on listening, knowing Clover would probably shove my phone down her titties if she caught me, or even throw it onto the stage…I’d have been escorted out by security trying to get it back, but I wouldn’t put it past her.

“Hey, the dude who lifted me onto his shoulders had a friend who was perfectly willing to hoist you up there too.”

“I am not putting my thighs on the shoulders of a strange alpha. Also, he smelled like cheese!” Despite standing next to such potent—and not in the good way—alphas, I’d caught hints of delicious woodsmoke and citrus but couldn’t find the source.

Clover sighed. “You have no sense of adventure. Clearly I haven’t rubbed off on you enough. Come on, I’m ready to meet my dream alphas.”

I followed her, begrudgingly, keeping a hold on the skinny strap of her purse so I didn’t get swept away in the crowd as we maneuvered to the backstage area. Security checked our tickets and ushered us through. That smoky citrus scent teased my nose again, but the source continued to elude me. I was pretty sure it was a person, but knowing my luck, it was probably a cleaning product.

Security led us to a bench where other VIP ticket holders were already sitting, and I sank down gratefully, relieved to have the weight off my feet. “I can’t believe you made me wear heels. I could’ve worn flats for all I got to see.”

Clover wiggled with excitement. “But you look so cute! Cute trumps comfort; it’s a known fact.”

A known fact in Clover-land, and not one I subscribed to, but I decided this wasn’t the hill to die on. I didn’t want to be subjected to a two-hour lecture on how heels made the ass look incredible. The one last week had been long enough.

Security opened a door to a room draped in velvet—what I assumed to be the meet-and-greet room, since there were men seated across a gigantic couch.

Clover’s breathing spiked, her whole body vibrating before she started pawing frantically at me. “That’s them! Oh my god! Do I look perfect? I think I’m gonna faint.”

“You always look perfect.”

“Excuse you, I had a pimple last week.”

I snorted and patted her shoulder. “It was basically invisible, practically a freckle.”

Clover was on her feet the second the burly security man gave the gaggle of women lining the hallway the go ahead. I had exactly zero desire to stand up again. My feet were still crying.

“Meadow, come on!”

“You go without me. I’ll just kill the vibe. I promise you can talk my ear off about every sordid detail later.”

She hesitated for about two seconds, which was longer than I expected, before dashing through the open door and into the space that was rapidly filling with women.

I settled comfortably against the wall, stretching my legs out to give my feet even more of a break, and scrolled through my library app in search of something to read while I waited. It wasn’t nearly as good as climbing into my nest with some tea, but it was better than being back out on the concert floor. The music had been decent, but being surrounded by the sounds of that much humanity packed into one room had also been overstimulating as hell.

The choice between a sexy billionaire pack romance and a dirty cowboy pack romance was occupying my mind when a weight dropped down next to me. Before I could even turn my head to see who it was—Clover was never that quiet when she crash-landed next to me—that absolutely sinful woodsmoke and citrus scent filled my nose. I turned slowly, taking in long, leather-clad legs, leading to a tight white T-shirt and hair like spun gold. Maybe my luck had finally turned because that was decidedly not a cleaning product sitting next to me.

Alpha.

My whole body thrummed with recognition.

“What’re you doing out here when everyone is in there, trying to meet the band?”

Fuck me, his voice was like velvet with a hint of rasp. Damn. It was the sort of voice I wouldn’t mind having growl in my ear a time or two. Did he work for the band? Or maybe the venue? I wasn’t really up on the list of jobs associated with pulling off events like these. He could be the lead singer’s ass-wiper, for all I knew. Regardless of what his job might be, he’d briefly caught my interest.

“Eh.” I shrugged. “I’m not really interested in meeting the band. I only came here so my friend wouldn’t be alone.”

He looked at me like I’d grown a second head. “You…got a VIP ticket and don’t care about meeting Hard Knot Life?”

“Technically, my friend got the ticket. I came along for the ride to make sure some weirdo doesn’t convince her into the back of a tour bus or something.”

He snorted. “A considerable risk.”

“Exactly. That’s why I’m here to supervise. Can’t be trusting rock stars, with a line of groupies a mile long, who are disappearing to another city every other day.”

“They’re not…No, never mind, they are.” He shifted to face me a bit more. “What’re you reading?”

I flipped my phone over to stop his snooping. He didn’t need to know my reading preferences when the smut started on page one. “Historical fiction,” I lied.

“Ooh, I read one of those. Pride and Prejudiced.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure that was the title?”

His forehead crinkled in confusion. “I think so.”

“You’re pretty close, but the last part is just Prejudice, no D.”

“If I were a little less mature, I’d say something about giving you the D. You’re lucky I’m a paragon of maturity.”

I burst out laughing, covering my mouth with my hand. “Oh my god.”

He beamed at me and my stomach did a little flip, that woodsmoke and citrus working its way deeper into my senses.

“Aren’t you melting?” I asked. “Those pants look like they’d be boiling.”

He leaned closer, his lips brushing my ear as he whispered conspiratorially, causing a shiver to roll up my spine. “They are. I’m dying.”

“I’d say you should take them off and cool down, but that might be a threat to your status as a paragon of maturity.”

His fingers brushed my throat as he smoothed my hair over my shoulder. “You’re looking a little flushed there, too, beautiful. You need to take something off to cool down?”

I poked his forehead and pushed him back, even though every instinct was singing and urging me to bring him closer. “I’m gonna give you a pass on that because you’re very pretty, and I’m sure you’re used to girls falling at your feet. Do you just hang around here and get the groupies the band doesn’t take back to their rooms?”

He gave a mock gasp and clapped his hand over his chest like I had wounded him. “That’s a vicious assessment. And no, I don’t get castoffs; I get first pick.”

“The ego on you is truly astounding.”

“That’s not the only thing I’ve got that will astound you.”

I pressed my hand against his mouth. “You’re terrible. I don’t even know your name, and you’re talking to me like that?”

He tugged my hand down and pressed a kiss against my palm, which had my stomach fluttering. “Hendrix.”

“That’s quite the name.”

Hendrix shrugged. “Named after the late great. My mom was a huge fan. I think you need to tell me your name now, too. It’s only fair.”

“Meadow.”

“Oh, so I’m the one with ‘quite the name’ while you’re walking around named after lush pasture?” His voice was full of teasing, and those gorgeous full lips drew into a smile.

“What can I say? We both had eccentric moms.”

“Could I interest you in someplace a little quieter?” There was so much heat in his eyes, I had to give myself a second to breathe before responding.

I shouldn’t leave Clover. “I’m waiting for my friend.”

“She’ll be fine. They’ve got at least an hour in there.”

I chewed my lip and pulled out my phone, typing out a quick message to her.

MEADOW:

I met a really cute staffer who wants to hang out while you’re in with the band

CLOVER:

GIRL, GO

Text me when you’re done “hanging out”

Her response almost made me want to refuse to go, but then Hendrix trailed his fingertips up my arm, making goose bumps erupt over my whole body.

I deserved a little fun…right?

What’s the worst that could happen?

Chapter 2

Meadow

“How do you have a key to the tour bus?”

Hendrix grinned. “I’m a man of many secrets.”

The door swung open and I stepped inside, nerves churning in my belly. His presence behind me was electric and heavy, tuning every nerve to him. The whole bus honestly smelled way better than I had expected for carting around a bunch of rock stars. Hints of apple cider, black tea and vanilla, and something earthy and fresh hung in the air, along with Hendrix’s smoky citrus.

“We’re not gonna get in trouble for being in here?”

“Nah, like I said, we’ve got at least an hour.” He sidled up against my back, and I had to fight the urge to lean into him, totally surrendering. Pretty sure the cloud of perfume I let off gave me away, though. “Want a drink?”

“Maybe one.”

Hendrix whipped open the mini fridge and pulled out a couple of cola cans, setting them on top before fishing out two mini bottles of rum from some hidden stash. “You can open your own,” he said, tossing me the miniature rum.

The gesture surprised me. I hadn’t expected him to think of that safety measure at all for me, but it gave me a bit more security as I cracked the seal and poured it into the bottom of the plastic cup, which he then topped up with a cola I watched him open.

“Let me make sure the bed isn’t nasty.”

“That’s quite presumptuous, sir.”

He popped his head out of the room at the back of the bus, giving me a wink. “Figured my odds were pretty good since you came to the bus to begin with.”

I barked a laugh. “You’re so bad.”

“Baby doll, you have no idea.”

I gulped down half my drink to ease my nerves, the alcohol sharp on my tongue but cut by the sweetness. If I were Clover, I probably wouldn’t be worried about this at all, but unfortunately, I was me, and I didn’t have that much experience with this kind of thing. At least, not without a few dates in front of it.

First time for everything.

“All good back there?” I asked, taking another sip.

“Better if you were back here with me.”

I set my drink aside and took a few daring steps toward the bedroom. Hendrix was missing his shirt but still wearing those ridiculous pants. “You took off the wrong half to cool down.”

Hendrix let out a low, delicious growl that had need spiraling through me, my perfume exploding around me. “Figured I would get your help with that part.”

After a quick mental pep talk, including a What Would Clover Do?, I crossed the remaining distance to him and tried not to embarrass myself with the moan I wanted to make when he put his hands on my waist. Hendrix pulled me close enough to lay a kiss beneath my collarbone, his tongue sweeping up and his hands tugging me down until he got his mouth on my throat, my knees going out from under me so I landed on his lap. My fingers curled into his hair as I lost my battle with that moan trapped in my throat. I was going to slick right through my panties if he kept that up.

Drowning on woodsmoke citrus, I let him manhandle me until I was stretched out on the bed with Hendrix staring down at me like some wicked god. With the recessed lights above him illuminating his golden hair, he looked like Apollo himself.

The desperate whine that leapt out of me made me want to bury my face in the blankets, but Hendrix seemed absolutely delighted by it.

“Beautiful, if I didn’t already have an ego, that sound would’ve given me one.”

I hoisted myself up, hooking my fingers in the waistband of his pants and lifting my face in a clear invitation. Hendrix accepted it, kissing me until I was dizzy, and carefully working my jacket off to toss it aside. My shirt came next, and then Hendrix was nudging me back and fighting with my boots like a man possessed. One of the heels cracked like thunder when he flung it at the wall and dropped down over me, like he couldn’t stand our mouths being parted for one second more. Deft fingers unhooked my bra, and his tongue sent me into a frenzy. My perfume was thick enough to choke me as we frantically stripped each other down until we were bare.

In a fit of boldness, I got him on his back and straddled his waist, tracing my fingertips down his chest and rocking my hips to tease his cock pressed against my ass cheeks.

“A view like that could give a man a heart attack.”

A blush infused my skin, heat snaking over me and butterflies dancing in my belly. Past partners hadn’t looked at me with the level of hunger Hendrix did now, didn’t use pretty words to make me feel like a goddess. A craving for him filled me down to the bone marrow.

“Feels like I might be a little close to that myself.” I let out a nervous laugh, and Hendrix curled both hands into my long hair, using it to tug me closer so his tongue could explore the recesses of my mouth while his hips moved restlessly beneath me.

“Haven’t given a girl a heart attack yet, but I did make one black out from a few too many orgasms.”

I wiggled and closed my fingers over his mouth. “I don’t want to hear a single word about anyone else you dragged back to this bus.”

“Sorry, baby doll. I’ll make you forget all about that.” His next movement flipped me, and a second later, he was caging me in, dragging that thick cock against my slick folds until I was whimpering and squirming beneath him.

“Condom?” I asked, voice tight. Between the sparks of pleasure he elicited and his heady alpha musk, thinking was an uphill battle.

He fished around in one of the drawers and got one on with lightning speed. “Wrapped and ready to tap.”

I barked a laugh. “The worst line ever.”

Hendrix grinned down at me. “Not the worst if it made you laugh. Now, let’s see how many other sounds I can get you to make.”

I nearly leaped out of my skin when he slid down my body and snared my thighs, burying his face between them. I quaked, lacing my fingers in his hair and holding tight until pleasure crashed over me like a tsunami and I was shakily stuttering out his name. I lost track of how many times he made me come like that. It felt like a game for him, seeing how close to delirium he could get me before he finally crawled back up and gave me a searing kiss.

Being half-feral for an alpha was a new experience for me, outside of heats. I was ready to ride Hendrix into the ground by the time he sank into me, both of us panting and shaking. Holy hell, my body was not used to alpha cock. The stretch of him was the most delectable burn, and I arched up like a bow, trying to catch my breath as it stoked all of my primal instincts to life.

“Don’t stop.” I whined and pressed against his ass with my heels, demanding more, even though I was pretty sure he was about to split me in half.

Hendrix withdrew slowly and snapped his hips back in, sending me over the edge when his teeth scraped over my throat. Desperation clawed at me, and with the way his hands gripped me, I could only assume I wasn’t alone in that. What right did this man have to taste so fucking good? I didn’t even like alphas, and here I was, writhing under one…and I loved it.

Sometimes being an omega sucked ass, but right now? It fucking rocked. My brain was a soup of hormones, my instincts preening over having attracted someone this beautiful.

Hendrix moaned, licking up my throat again. “You want my knot, beautiful?”

“Give iiiit.” God, that sounded pathetic. But not as bad as the whine I let out immediately after. Apparently, Hendrix made my dignity fall off a cliff…much like my clothing.

My eyes flew open at his next sharp thrust as he buried deep, his knot swelling to trap us together and setting off a cascade of sensation that had my whole body shaking, my scream muffled by the deliciousness of his mouth. When I could finally breathe, Hendrix snuck his fingers between us to stroke my clit, my pussy giving a surprised squeeze at the first brush.

“Fuck me,” he breathed, teasing me again.

I squirmed, but there was nowhere to go. Pleasure seared through me as he played my clit like a goddamned guitar until I broke for him with a strangled cry and a rush of slick.

“Baby doll, you. Smell. Like. Heaven.” He punctuated each word with a shift of his hips that made me gasp. “Feel like it, too.”

I couldn’t quite form words, between the pressure of his knot and the alpha musk unraveling my brain. Instead, I kneaded the muscles of his back like a contented cat, my purr filling the small space, his own rumbling in kind.

I naively thought Hendrix might be done with me after that knot, but I was sorely mistaken. The man was a machine. As soon as his knot calmed down, he was right back to riding me.

“Present for your alpha, beautiful.”

God help me, I followed that instruction. I’d always thought it was a tiny bit demeaning, but when I did it for him, nothing but desire washed over me, and the angle it created for his cock to drive into me had me falling apart all over again.

Time lost meaning while I was in his arms, and I came so many times, I was little more than a pile of overcooked noodles for how limp I felt.

When I woke the next morning, my head was full of fog, my muscles ached pleasantly, and my mouth was bone dry. Normally, I only felt that well-used and exhausted after a heat, all the hormones swimming around leaving me blissed and floaty. Maybe he’d just smelled so good, it triggered a spike off schedule. I rolled over, breathing in that woodsmoke and citrus scent that remained as intoxicating as my first whiff of it. Hendrix had one arm draped over my waist, and he was just as pretty in the daylight.

A quiet movement on the other side of him snapped my attention to the naked body of a blonde beta woman. When the hell had she shown up? I didn’t remember her at all. Oh god. Ohhhh god. It didn’t matter how beautiful Hendrix was, I clearly hadn’t been enough for him. I needed to get out of here before the icked-out sensation making my stomach turn actually made me throw up.

I gathered up what bits of my clothes I could find, tugged them on, and ran for the hills.

The venue was locked up, but the bus station wasn’t too far and I could get back to the university easily enough. Once I was safely on a bus, I pulled out my phone but found the battery drained. Clover was probably freaking out.

Anxiety kept me in a choke hold the whole ride back to the dorms. The farther I got from Hendrix, the more my body demanded I beg the bus driver to turn around. That was not fucking happening. I had already debased myself enough for a hit of that citrus scent and orgasms strong enough to make my eyes roll back. I was never going to crawl back to someone who got tired of me in the middle of the night and added another person without notice.

No one had come back to the tour bus to kick us out when we’d overslept into the morning, which was suspicious as hell, and the back of my brain was insisting I had to look into it.

One of the other riders let me use their charger cord and power bank to get a bit of juice. Once the phone pinged to life, I tapped Hard Knot Life into the search bar and went to images, immediately seeing that unfairly beautiful face staring back at me.

Son of a bitch!

I’d fucked the lead singer.

Great.

Loved that for me.

Clover could never know it was him. She’d never let me live it down.

Oh god…he’d probably fucked half the continent, and now I was just another notch in his proverbial bedpost. Stupid. Bad Meadow. Bad, bad, bad Meadow.

Clover burst awake the second I opened our door, even though I’d been trying to be quiet. “Meads!” Clover threw herself at me, instantly sobbing. “You’re alive!”

“I’m so sorry. My phone died.”

Clover wiped the tears off her cheeks, sniffling as she thrust me at arm’s length to inspect me and assure herself I was okay. I was…technically, just also embarrassed as hell.

Her eyes went wide and she yanked down my jacket, tipping my head to the side. “Meadow, is that a bond mark?!”

Oh, shit.

Chapter 3

Hendrix

“Wake up!” Arlo landed like a rocket on the bed, making me instantly regret consciousness. I had barely drunk last night, though the hit of whatever Gary, our manager, had given me to stay upright before I had gotten down and dirty probably wasn’t helping my headache. Fleeting dreams had chased me through the night, hints and teases of pleasure, the faint scent of lilac clinging to my sheets when I woke.

“Did you abandon the VIP section to fuck a groupie?”

I buried my face in the blankets, rooting around for more of that floral scent. “Fuck, Arlo. I don’t know. I usually do.”

“You missed so many cuties.”

I groaned and sat up, knowing he wasn’t going to leave me be. “I found my own. I think.”

“You think? Did you scramble your brain?”

With a sigh, I pulled one of the blankets over my head and wore it like a cape to muffle his voice a bit.

A soft moan from the floor drew our attention, and a perky blonde beta sat up, looking sleepy. Blonde felt wrong, but I couldn’t put my finger on why.

“Did you roll off the bed, darling?” Arlo asked.

“I guess so.” She got to her feet, staring between Arlo and me. “Could you sign my tits?”

I wanted to tell her to get out, so I could nurse my headache in peace. Instead, I pasted on a smile. “Sure thing. Got a Sharpie?”

She grinned and bent over, giving us a generous view of her ass while she rooted around in what I assumed was her purse on the floor before popping up and handing the marker to me. I scrawled my autograph across one tit before passing the marker to Arlo for him to do the same on the other.

“Thanks!”

“No problem.” Arlo passed her a couple twenties from his wallet. “Get home safe.”

Arlo was much better at politely telling her to get the fuck out.

The beta frowned, but pulled on her discarded clothing and tottered out of the tour bus on her sky-high heels.

Beta felt wrong too. The scent on my sheets whispered omega, but clearly the drugs had done a better job of fucking with my brain than I’d thought. With a sigh, I flopped back, but Arlo’s face invaded my vision again.

“Nope. Breakfast time. Phin tracked down the kick-assiest donut shop I’ve ever seen, and I need to consume.”

I groaned. Food would probably help, but the thought of sugar right now made me want to hurl. With any luck, there was a source of coffee nearby. And bacon. I was fucking wrung out. Why did it feel like I’d run a marathon? The shows were always intense, but I usually coped fine. Maybe that beta had been super freaky and I’d simply forgotten. What a waste…

Arlo snapped his fingers in front of my nose. “Let’s go. I’m starving.”

Begrudgingly, I dressed in fresh clothes. I’d kill for a shower right now but knew Arlo wouldn’t be that patient.

God. Why was the outside world so fucking bright? We were in Seattle. Where were the clouds? I was going to freckle at this rate.

We met the others in the hotel lobby, everyone dressed to blend in with plain clothing, baseball hats, and sunglasses. Sometimes that gave us away, but today it actually worked, with the blazing sky ball peeking through the clouds.

Phineas sidled up to me with a lazy grin. “Fun night?”

“I can only assume.”

Phin barked a laugh. “Shit, man, you’ve gotta try something lighter.”

“So everyone keeps telling me.”

“And we’ll keep doing that until you decide to listen.” Beckett kicked me in the ass, enough to make me stumble, but not enough to hurt.

“Becks, please. I’m fucking delicate right now.”

“You only get my sympathy when it’s not your own fault.”

I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest. They found me coffee on the way, and I sipped at it like it might bring me back to life. Security would be trailing behind us, unseen by the general population in case we were noticed, but otherwise, it was nice to have some space to breathe where it was only the four of us.

Arlo and Phin ate the donut shop out of house and home. I nursed a maple bacon concoction in the shade outside, Beckett standing sedately by my side while he polished off two donuts himself.

“You usually recover faster than this,” he commented. “You’re turning into an old man.”

Flashing my middle finger at him was the only outward acknowledgment I gave to the statement. Inwardly, it stirred up my anxiety. I had turned twenty-seven last month and couldn’t get it out of my head that I was going to join that long line of musicians and actors who had ended up six feet under when they hit that age. It was hard not to think about when I was already named after someone in that dreaded club.

Too many incredible lives snuffed out before their time. From the first second we had tasted fame, I had worried I would be one of them, and every day that I had marched closer to hitting twenty-seven had shoved me further down the slope, making me turn to anything and everything to tame the panic.

“Hey.” Beckett nudged me, his voice soft. “Talk to me.”

I shook my head, chugging my coffee instead. Talking wouldn’t make any difference. Beckett would be twenty-seven himself soon, but he wasn’t one to spiral over it.

He sighed and sipped his own drink. “Bottling shit up isn’t going to help you.”

“There’s plenty of room left in this bottle before it’s at risk of exploding. Don’t worry.”

“Have I told you lately that you’re infuriating?”

“You have! Yesterday, in fact. Feels like a new personal record for you to have waited a whole twenty-four hours before telling me again.”

Beckett snorted.

Arlo and Phineas slid out of the little shop with a box clutched to each of their chests.

“Road snacks!” Arlo announced.

Beckett forced a green smoothie on me before we made it back to the bus. I tried to strategically toss it in the trash, but Phin had his eye on me. I choked it down out of necessity, trying to keep control over my churning gut while I did so. I knew my body would appreciate the nutrients, but my tongue absolutely did not.

“Big baby.” Beckett tutted. “You’re gonna have to behave on the next leg of the tour.”

We were headed to Singapore in a few hours, and we’d have to make sure all our good shit stayed here. I was not going to risk going to prison over there. Gary would feed me into a wood chipper if that happened.

That man was a saint. He had discovered our band when we were still in high school. By happenstance, his mother lived across the street from my place, and he had been visiting her during one of our practices, saw the potential we had, and offered to represent us. I knew he was probably disappointed in the man I had become, much like I was sure my dad would be if he were still around to see it. I tried to make it up to Gary, at least. I attended every practice, gave 110 percent at every show, and personally paid for him to go visit his mom whenever he wanted. That probably wasn’t anywhere near enough, considering how much wrangling he had to do, but it was all I could give him right now, outside of the killer commission.

He was waiting for us when we arrived, tapping his foot impatiently. “You’re supposed to tell me when you disappear.”

“We had security with us,” Arlo pointed out.

“Not good enough. Pack up whatever you need from the bus. We’ll be heading to the airport in an hour.”

I clambered into the bus and went straight for the bedroom, falling face-first onto the sheets. Lilac and…rose? But not regular rose. It was lighter. I huffed in the scent and let out a squawk when Arlo landed on top of me.

“That does not look like packing.”

“Fuck off. I’m gathering my strength.”

The bus was a hive of activity, and I squirmed away from Arlo, rolling straight off the bed and landing with a thump. There was a little white sock on the floor by my head. That definitely didn’t fit any of us. The beta had probably left it, but when I moved it, I caught a hint of that floral scent again and brought it to my nose.

“Jesus.” Phineas laughed. “Did you develop a foot fetish overnight?”

I threw the sock back to the floor. “No.”

Can’t fucking do anything in peace on this goddamn bus. Okay, maybe sniffing abandoned socks was a little weird, but in my defense, it was a really good-smelling sock.

I packed up my things while my head throbbed and the caffeine worked its way through my system. I glanced over at Phin. “You gonna make it without all your devil’s lettuce?”

He laughed. “Fucking dork. It’s legal in Thailand now. I can survive for a while.”

Of course he would know that. None of the shit I did was legal anywhere. Beckett and Arlo only drank and smoked occasionally with Phin. Besides that, they were pretty goody-two-shoes about intoxicants, leaving me to fulfill the rock star stereotype all by myself.

It was a heavy burden to carry, but someone had to do it.

Chapter 4

Meadow

May, Seattle

The best place to buy chocolate wasn’t on campus.

It was a shame, because students deserved good chocolate. If I had a craving for anything outside of the bare essentials, then I had to traipse twenty minutes away to the big brand grocery store. Thankfully, it was open twenty-four hours to accommodate people who went goblin shopping like I did.

My body had decided it hated me. There was no other reason for me to be making the trek to get yet another weird food combo I needed at one in the morning.

Was it exactly safe to be walking off campus in the middle of a busy city so late at night? No. But if I didn’t get some high-quality chocolate and salty potato chips—specifically crinkle cut—so I could slather it all in strawberry syrup, I was going to lose my mind. I could have ordered the food, but it seemed almost wasteful for two items, and I would need more than chips and sauce to get me through the next few days. Besides, most of the time, my brain didn’t know what it wanted until I saw it, and that didn’t really work well with ordering.

My cravings had been out of control lately. There had been a bug going around campus, and I had caught it in a bad way—head stuck in the toilet every day for the last four weeks. All of the dining hall food had been impossible to keep down, and if cravings were the only thing that actually stayed in my stomach, I was going to indulge them to hell and back.

All my friends had gotten over the bug in a few days, but it was lingering for me. I chalked up the weird cravings to the severe lack of nutrients from being sick constantly, like how I’d eaten a bucket of ice chips when I’d had low iron as a kid.

Bright fluorescent lights hummed as I wandered through the aisles, taking in the sheer number of sugary treats on offer. Without thinking about it, I grabbed everything that looked good, and in no time, my basket was full of gummy worms, Pixy Stix, chocolate—three different kinds—and a variety of potato chips. I briefly entertained the produce section, but my stomach turned just looking at the healthier options.

I quietly thanked every god I could think of that the treats were nowhere near the seafood department, because I could not handle that right now. No one wanted to clean up after me next to the lobster tank.

Reaching for the spicy Doritos, I winced. The movement pushed my breasts against my bra. They had been unusually sore as well, so I had started avoiding bras whenever possible, but didn’t want to deal with weirdos staring at my nips, so I’d suffered putting one on for this venture.

Snacks in hand, I headed toward the checkouts, making a detour through the bath and body section to restock my favorite lotion.

A blue box caught my eye as I passed. Stopping, I took a second to look at it.

Pregnancy tests.

I had been sick for a while.

I was craving odd foods—though that could be because I was a weirdo.

And my boobs hurt.

Was it possible?

No.

Absolutely not.

I shook myself lightly before stalking forward.

The last thing I needed was a pregnancy test. What I needed was Funyuns.

I returned to the chip aisle, trying to ignore the nagging voice in the back of my head.

Hendrix was the only one I’d been with in ages. The rock star who had a plethora of women at his beck and call.

The rock star I had bonded.

It had been a few years since my omega health classes, but I remembered that newly bonded omegas tended to stick to their alphas’ sides like glue. Maybe that was why I’d been feeling so terrible?

Hendrix had spent the last few weeks gallivanting around Asia, and I was doing relatively okay.

I may have checked the tour stops once or twice in moments of needy, sex-deprived desperation before giving myself a mental slap.

He was the last thing I needed, no matter how delicious he smelled or how many orgasms he’d given me. Being tied to an alpha like that would be a nightmare. A homebody omega wouldn’t suit his lifestyle at all. If he ever bonded with someone, it would need to be an omega who craved adventure, loved to travel and party.

That most certainly wasn’t me.

I wasn’t going to pursue him, and even if I did, I wasn’t going to change my entire personality to suit his career. Hendrix wouldn’t want me for more than a night. That random beta in the bed had already proven that. I growled, picking up a bag of M&Ms and tossing them into the basket with way more force than necessary.

The bite mark on my neck hadn’t faded, and I had taken to covering it up with high necklines or scarves to avoid the questioning looks. At least we were heading into winter so people didn’t notice or care if I bundled up a bit.

As I placed the Funyuns in my basket, that nagging voice in the back of my head grew louder and louder.

With a huff, I stomped back to the family planning aisle, grabbed the box, and quickly threw it in my basket, trying to avoid people seeing.

I was only doing it to prove I was right—there was no possible way I was pregnant.

At least, I was fairly certain.

There had been that incident the week prior when I had walked past my favorite hot dog cart on campus, and the chili cheese dogs, which usually smelled like heaven to me, made me want to hurl into the nearest trash can. I had chalked it up to the flu.

But what flu lasted weeks?

The second I was home, before I even put the ice cream in the freezer, I grabbed the blue box and dashed to the bathroom. I didn’t bother reading the instructions; it was pretty self-explanatory. Pee on the test. Test tells you if you’re pregnant.

I had grabbed a digital test, so the answer would be clear. After washing my hands, I laid it on the counter, took a deep breath, and ran a hand through my hair.

I couldn’t be a mother. There was no way; I was just being overdramatic. Soon, I would be laughing at my momentary panic leading me to buy a pregnancy test.

While I waited, I kept myself busy, leaving the bathroom and putting my treats away. Clover would know something was wrong if she saw ice cream melting on the counter. My hands shook as I slotted everything into the fridge and freezer, so I tore into the Doritos to soothe myself. Nothing like the taste of artificial cheese and spices to calm down a panic.

Our freezer was packed to the brim with desserts—that was what happened when two omegas roomed together. We had a penchant for sweets and weren’t shy about it.

Crouching down, I started rearranging the bottom drawer to make space for my ice cream and tried not to think about the beautiful blond alpha who might or might not have ruined my life. I guess it was more Schrödinger’s life ruining, until I saw the test results. Taking out several boxes of Clover’s frozen macarons and moving them around, I contemplated stealing a few to make room. She’d eaten my frozen churros last week, so it was only fair. All was fair in love and desserts in this dorm.

“Meadow Marie Reed! Are you pregnant?!” a familiar voice called from the doorway. My stomach plummeted, and I whipped the chip bag onto the counter so I didn’t spill it. Clover stood in the bathroom doorway, wearing her pink pajamas covered in cartoon puppies, with her hair piled into a messy bun on the top of her head, and holding the pregnancy test in her hand. “Hey! Are you pilfering my macarons again?”

I hadn’t thought about her getting up in the middle of the night—Clover usually slept like the dead. She could sleep through earthquakes, for god’s sake!

“Am I?” I asked breathlessly, my voice wavering. “I haven’t looked at the test yet.”

Clover’s eyes widened as she looked between me crouching in front of the freezer and the test in her hand.

“Meadow, if you just peed on this—which, judging by the smell, you most certainly have—then you are, in fact, very much pregnant.”

Fuck.

Chapter 5

Beckett

May, Singapore

Something was wrong with Hendrix. The fucker hadn’t been right since Seattle, but he refused to admit it, even while he sat on the floor of the tour bus, his face tinged green as he tried to get himself up for band practice.

“Hen. Come on, man. You need to go see a doctor.” I reached out a hand to help him up.

“I’m fine!” he insisted, waving my hand away as he attempted—and failed—to get himself upright.

“Why are you so fucking stubborn?” I growled. “Did you catch something from one of the groupies?”

Hendrix gaped in horror. “My dick is perfect!”

I cocked my head. “It’s a little crooked. I’ve seen it far too many times. You need to get a sense of modesty, man.”

“You’re lying. You’re just pissed mine is nicer than yours.”

I sighed, rubbing my temples lightly. Why had the band sent me to deal with him? Just because I was the most pragmatic and sensible of us didn’t mean I was cut out for handling the giant man baby who was probably still high as a kite off last night’s drugs.

Why he loved that shit was beyond me. Occasionally, I would smoke one of Phin’s copious joints, but other than that, I didn’t feel the need to chase that high.

The only thing stopping me from driving Hendrix’s ass to the nearest rehab was our manager. Gary would have a fucking meltdown over any of us missing band activities.

Money before mental health—that was our Gary.

I held no loyalty to the fucker. Sure, he had been with us from the start, since we were a shitty high school band playing out of Hendrix’s garage, but over the years, he had started caring less about us and more about the money we could make him.

Hendrix still listened to every word the idiot said, sadly.

I looked up at the ceiling, pleading to an invisible deity to make this move faster. Hendrix could easily drag this out for hours, and we needed to be at practice. We were preparing a new set list for the next leg, and we couldn’t exactly do that without our lead singer.

Hendrix flopped back onto the floor, starfished out and staring bleakly at the sunroof.

“My chest hurts,” he whined.

Shit. Was he developing cardiac issues? It was only a matter of time until it happened, given he was practically snorting an entire pharmacy every other night.

The Asia leg of our tour had been a huge success publicly, but behind the scenes, Hendrix had been a mess. The adoring fans hadn’t noticed the nausea, the constant dizziness, or the general cantankerous attitude of our lead singer.

“Give it a few weeks and we get a vacation.” Sadly, a week wasn’t long enough to send Hendrix to rehab, but that was a distinct possibility after the tour was over.

His eyes brightened. “We can throw a party at the house!”

I sighed.

There was no changing him.

We only practiced in short bursts because we had the combined attention span of a fruit fly.

“Can we get coffee?” Hendrix asked as he moved the mic stand from hand to hand in a bored motion.

“You can have coffee once we get through the set list at least once,” Gary told him with a stern frown. “We can’t have you boys shitting the bed during your first show back home. You’ve got a considerable fan base in Salt Lake.”

“We’ve got a considerable fan base everywhere,” Arlo pointed out.

“Well, yes,” Gary spluttered. “But Salt Lake sales are always more than the status quo—so you need to get this set list hammered out. Start from the top!”

We took our places, and I grabbed my bass guitar, strumming a few chords while Phin settled behind the drums.

Less than three lines into Knotty Girl, the opening song, Hendrix made a garbled sound; lurched forward, clutching the nearest trash can; and promptly emptied his stomach into it.

Phineas groaned. “Dude, that’s vile.”

“I think I’ve got food poisoning,” Hendrix mumbled, clutching the trash can for dear life.

Food poisoning. Sure. That was totally the most likely culprit.

Not the drugs.

“Everything hurts,” Hendrix complained, slowly straightening and making his way back over to us with a self-pitying look on his face. “Even my chest hurts. I didn’t know nipples could be so sore!”

“Your titties hurt, bro?” Arlo laughed, lunging forward and landing a quick, precise punch to his pec.

Hendrix yelped like a stepped-on pup. “You fucker!” he whined, clutching his chest, glaring at Arlo.

“Calm down, children.” I sighed, fiddling with my guitar for something to do, tuning it despite the fact it was already perfect.

“Hendrix, you need to go see a doc. We can’t have you tossing your cookies during a concert. That’s not exactly the look we’re going for.” Gary frowned, his forehead creased and sweaty in the stage lights.

“I’m fiiine.” Hendrix extended the last word with a whining tone. He shoved both hands into his hair, scratching his scalp like he was trying to self-soothe through the nausea. Poor asshole curled up, resting his head on his knees with a whimper.

“Is this because of the party favors?” Gary cocked an eyebrow. “I can get a local doc to prescribe something to help reduce the aftereffects.”

“No,” I said, my voice firm. “If he has less consequences, he’ll be needing Narcan and a morgue, not a good night’s sleep and some sobriety.”

“Then make sure he can perform.” Gary shrugged, turning to Hendrix. “I can help you get something to make you feel a little better on stage.”

Gary was a cunt.

He was supposed to be managing us, not providing our lead singer with more drugs.

Hendrix looked up at Gary like the sun shone out his ass. “I’ll take anything to make it stop.”

“I’ll get my assistant to bring you something…after you get through this set list.”

Hendrix nodded, standing up straight, focusing on the mic. “Knotty Girl?” he asked, looking to me for confirmation like he hadn’t just been singing the opening line moments ago.

We didn’t even make it halfway through the set list before Hendrix was done. He staggered out of practice and promptly collapsed on the bed in the tour bus.

“I’ve got half a mind to ask Gary for our own tour bus,” I grumbled.

Ever since we got our first bus, we had rotated who slept in the main bedroom so we’d get at least one good night’s sleep every four days. Whoever wasn’t sleeping in the bed would sleep in the bunks. Switching wasn’t terrible, but the bunks weren’t exactly the lap of luxury.

Considering how much money we made, we probably could’ve afforded better beds. It wasn’t like we were a no-name band slumming it across the country like we had been several years ago.

Unfortunately, in recent days, Hendrix had taken over the bed. Between his manwhore antics and constantly being high or on a major downer, the bunks were actually looking rather appealing in comparison.

There had been one time, several weeks prior, when the bedroom had smelled amazing, and I’d almost insisted on taking my turn. A sweet floral scent clung to the room, and Hendrix insisted he had no idea who was the cause of that.

“He needs some serious fucking help.” While Hendrix was passed out, I sank onto the couch for our pack meeting, running a hand through my hair.

“You know Daddy Gary won’t go for that.” Arlo grimaced. “That man would prefer we work ourselves into an early grave—at least that way he can sell our stuff posthumously.”

“What do you think?” I asked Phin, who had lowered himself into a beanbag chair, twirling a drumstick in his hand.

“I know we said we were going to wait until after the tour to get him help, but he’s going downhill fast.”

“Are we sure it’s even the drugs?” Arlo asked, crossing his arms.

“I mean, what else could it be? Surely if it was food poisoning, it wouldn’t have lasted this long. He hasn’t been right in weeks.”

Arlo chewed his lip thoughtfully. “Is it a super-strong STI? I know he claims to always wrap it up, but I don’t have the greatest faith in him. If I took as many drugs as he does, I wouldn’t be able to see straight, let alone put a condom on.”

“Can STIs do that?” I asked.

“Syphilis can infect the brain and make a person act all screwy,” Arlo declared.

“So how do we help him?” Phin asked quietly.

“I guess the first thing would be to start easing him off that crap, maybe cut that shit down a bit, so he’s not constantly high.”

Arlo let out a low whistle. “Are you going to be the one to tell him that? Because I love the guy, but he will punch me if I so much as suggest he slows down on having fun.”

“He wouldn’t have had access to the same stuff in Asia,” I reminded them. “Maybe the switch to whatever he was getting there fucked him up more than usual?”

“Definite possibility. I can probably goad him into going to the gym again,” Phin said. “I’ll tell him the fans have been comparing our bodies and decided that his was nowhere near as good as mine.”

I snorted. Vanity would get him running on the treadmill, and maybe then he could sweat some of the drugs out of his system.

“I can make sure the bus is stocked with fruit and green juice and shit.” Arlo beamed. “With how often we’re on the move, it’s hard to get takeout, so he’ll have to eat the healthy crap we give him.”

I nodded, a plan forming. As much as Hendrix’s behavior got on my nerves, he was still one of my best friends, and I owed it to him not to give up on him yet.

Operation Healthy Hendrix was a go.

Chapter 6

Meadow

Past me was an idiot.

For many reasons. Mainly for staying up late with Clover, crying about potentially being pregnant, but also for sleeping with the stupidly hot rock star who caused my predicament in the first place.

When my alarm went off at seven in the morning for my classes, I just barely resisted the urge to throw my alarm clock out the window.

I hit snooze and was starting to drift off again when the smell of something delicious hit my nose. The entire apartment smelled like a breakfast buffet. Even in my sleep-addled state, I could tell there was bacon.

I fucking loved bacon.

I rolled out of bed and rubbed my eyes as I padded to the kitchen.

Clover stood, stirring something in a frying pan. Despite the early hour, she was already dressed in her favorite jeans and sweater, her hair in a tidy low bun, and her makeup impeccably done as always.

“What are you doing up so early?” I asked, my voice thick with sleep. “I thought you didn’t have classes until the afternoon today.”

“Morning!” she said, turning to me with a smile. “I don’t, and I know for a fact that you can afford to miss this morning’s class because you’re way ahead with the reading material. So I decided that today is the perfect time to finally go get you your blood test.”

“Clover!” I groaned.

She glared at me. “Don’t groan at me. You took that pregnancy test three days ago, and you haven’t booked a single doctor’s appointment yet. You need to get a blood test to confirm it. You also need prenatal care.”

“It was probably a false positive,” I rationalized. Please, god, let it be a false positive.

Clover raised her eyebrows. “We both know that’s not true. Here, drink this,” she instructed, handing me a bottle of water.

“Thanks,” I muttered, taking it. Omegas were caring individuals in general—what most people might dub maternal—so, ever since Clover had found the test, she had gone into a frenzy of care for me. I had never been so well-hydrated in my life.

“Are you going to tell me who the father is?” she asked, returning to the frying pan and dishing up two plates of bacon and eggs.

I had spent the last few days hiding in my nest, trying to avoid the topic.

Deep down, I knew I was most likely pregnant. I just didn’t want to admit it to myself. Admitting it meant I would have to face the reality of who got me pregnant, and that was something I was in no way ready to face.

What were my options? Adoption? Not for me. Abortion? Also not for me, but I loved people being able to make that choice for themselves. Being a single mother? Definitely not the most ideal, but I could do it. Or…the most awkward option: Go to a concert once Hard Knot Life returned stateside, sneak backstage, and say Hey, remember that one-night stand we had? Well, surprise! You’re going to be a daddy!

Fuck me. All these options kind of sucked. I wasn’t even supposed to be fertile outside of a heat. What sort of cosmic fuckery had gone on for this to happen?

I indulged in a quiet scream into my hands.

A rock star was a terrible choice for a baby daddy. What sort of influence would Hendrix be on a child’s life? Based on the articles I’d read about him, I could only assume he’d be a shit parent, and that was if he was even interested in being one at all. What rock star would want a baby cramping their style? Probably the best I could hope for was a few years of raising a child alone until his career tempered a bit, and maybe he’d have more interest in being a dad to someone out of diapers.

Then there was the issue of his pack…I guess technically they would be my pack if we’re bonded?

“You’ve got your overthinky face on again,” Clover pointed out. “I know you don’t want to talk about it, but that bite mark on your neck still hasn’t faded from the night of the concert. Maybe it’s time to get in touch with that roadie.”

A roadie would’ve been bad enough.

“I don’t even know how I’d do that.” I shrugged. “They’re traveling the world. They don’t have time for me.”

Maybe I shouldn’t have said that. If he had been a roadie, then he could still be local; there was no guarantee he’d have followed the band on the Asia leg of the tour. Clover was going to figure it out if I wasn’t careful.

“He should still know,” Clover insisted. “Maybe we could reach out to management? They’d probably be able to find out if we give them some info. What did he look like?”

“I really don’t want to deal with this right now. Can we please pretend everything’s normal for a bit longer? There’s no sense trying to do anything until the test confirms everything, anyway.”

Pain shot through my boob, and I clapped a hand over it with a yelp. “Motherfucker!”

Clover stared at me with wide eyes. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” I sucked in a sharp breath. “Sorry. I must have moved wrong.”

She gave me a knowing look. “Titties hurting?”

“Maybe,” I grumbled.

“All the more reason to book an appointment. It’s not like you have a missed period to give you a heads-up like betas do.”

I hated when she was right.

I let Clover lovingly bully me into going to the campus health clinic. I was eyeballs-deep in my English reading assignment when they called me in. Clover gave me a thumbs-up and a grin as I went back to one of the rooms. They had an omega-specific area back there, and I sank into the easy-clean beanbag, wrapping the offered blanket over my shoulders until the doctor came in.

“Hello there, Ms. Reed.” The doctor smiled and sat down on a stool in front of me. “What brings you in today?”

My lips stayed sealed shut. Why was saying it out loud so hard?

The doctor offered a sympathetic smile. “Oh dear, a face like that usually means it’s about sex. Related to heats, pregnancy, or STIs?”

“The second,” I squeaked out.

“All right. Are you looking for confirmation, or have you already had a test elsewhere?”

“I peed on a stick already.”

“Okay, we can run a blood panel and confirm that, as well as check all your levels. If you’d like to do that today, I can call in one of the nurses to take a sample.”

As much as I wanted to live in blissful ignorance, I couldn’t keep doing that. Better to know for certain if it was a false positive or not, so I could plan one way or the other. I nodded, unable to vocalize.

The doctor took a few notes, checked my blood pressure, and assured me that a nurse would be in soon to take my blood sample before rushing off to his next appointment.

Thankfully, I didn’t have too much time to stew in panic over my future possibly being altered beyond belief before the nurse bustled in with a tray in hand.

“Hello, my dear! I need to get a blood sample from you. Is that okay?”

I nodded. My stomach was churning, and I was concerned if I opened my mouth, I was going to vomit on the very nice nurse.

She chatted away as she prepared the syringe, talking casually about her son finishing high school as she tied a tourniquet around my upper arm and found a vein. Her incessant chatter was actually distracting enough that I hardly noticed when she pricked my skin.

“All done!” she declared happily.

“Is that it?” I asked, bewildered.

“Yep, that’s all I need. You’re free to go now, my dear, and we’ll call you in a few days with the results.”

I thanked her profusely as I gathered my bag and darted out from the clinic, thankful to be done with it. Clover took me out for some greasy fried food as a reward. Now, all I could do was wait.

Why did getting results from blood tests take so long?

Four days. I waited, spending every minute of those four days driving myself, and by extension, Clover, up the wall.

“The results will come when the results come,” Clover kept insisting.

Patience was not my strong suit. While the possibility of being pregnant was a pretty strong one, I still wanted that last final confirmation before I truly spiraled into panic.

“Why can’t I get the results now?” I whined as I lay down on the couch, throwing a pillow over my face as I grumbled.

“Because they don’t do the tests on campus and have to wait for the external lab to do everything. Gotta be patient.” Clover tucked her books into her bag. She had class soon, whereas I had an afternoon off.

Which meant I had more time to stare at the ceiling and contemplate my fate.

“Medical bureaucracy sucks,” I mumbled.

“I know it does.” Clover laughed, patting my leg. “Now, I’ve got to be at class in ten minutes, so you’re on your own. Try and eat something semi-healthy for dinner. I bought you some snap peas and dip. If you eat chips again, you are going to start looking like a potato.”

“But they’re so delicious.”

“They are, but you know what’s also delicious? Vegetables!”

Clover cackled as she ran out the doorway, narrowly avoiding the throw pillow I tossed in her direction. Vegetables? I liked vegetables as much as the next girl, but all I wanted was potato chips and strawberry milkshakes and Funyuns.

I sat up, grumbling to myself. I needed to study, but my focus was shot. Grabbing the TV remote, I flipped through the channels until I found a ridiculous reality show to watch. It was the type of TV that would rot your brain, but it was so entertaining you couldn’t look away: an omega being courted by several eligible alphas, and they were all vying for attention, doing weird and wacky things. One alpha was about to take her in a hot-air balloon, despite the fact that she had admitted she was afraid of heights. It was guaranteed to be a shitshow that would be hilarious to watch.

My phone buzzed.

I stilled, looking at the screen lighting up.

An unknown number was calling me.

Diving forward, I grabbed the phone, quickly pressing accept and holding it to my ear. “Hello?”

“Hi there, is this Meadow Reed?” a pleasant feminine voice asked from the other end.

“It is,” I confirmed.

“This is Nurse Donahue from the student clinic. I need to double-check your identity before I give you your test results.”

I gave her my birthday and student ID number, my knee bouncing with impatient nerves as I relayed the information.

“Excellent, thank you. Miss Reed, I wanted to give you a call regarding your blood test results. We can confirm that you are, indeed, pregnant. Congratulations! Or perhaps, commiserations? How are you feeling about the news? Is your pack excited?”

“Um…” It wasn’t really a congratulations kind of situation, at least not in the middle of my degree, but omegas were supposed to be jazzed about babies. That’s what was expected. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to them yet.”

She didn’t need to know I didn’t have a pack. No sense in checking if she was going to be a judgy bitch about a single omega mom.

“I’m sure they’ll be elated. Babies are such a blessing. Now, while I have you on the phone, we should book your prenatal appointments, unless you’d prefer to go to another clinic? We’re equipped on campus to accommodate all your needs. You’re certainly not the first omega pursuing a degree and a family at the same time. You should contact your primary care physician as well, so we can coordinate care as needed. Do you have any questions? ”

“No…” My voice was weak. “I’m…good?”

“Okay, then! If you think of anything, you’re welcome to give us a call and ask. Be sure to book your appointments. Have a good day,” she chirped before hanging up.

I stared at my phone screen for a moment, trying to process what she had said.

It was confirmed.

I was pregnant.

Fuck.

Chapter 7

Hendrix

June, Los Angeles

“You guys,” I pleaded, “I don’t have stashes on the bus. I swear.”

“Uh-huh.” Phin raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Well, you’ve been getting shit from somewhere. You’ve been a mess for weeks and we can’t do it anymore. If we can’t send you to rehab right now, then getting you off whatever you’re on is the next best thing.”

None of them believed me. I had hardly touched anything since I’d started waking every day feeling like I was going to hurl. Gary was eyeballing me, almost daring me to rat him out. I pressed my lips together while my bandmates searched every nook and cranny of the tour bus.

They’d find nothing.

I didn’t keep anything here, because everything I took came straight from Gary. At first, it had been products to calm me down when I got too anxious, but then it had transitioned to things to boost me up so I could perform at the level Gary expected. I wasn’t even sure what all I’d consumed over the years, trusting him to know what I needed to get through the day. He was usually right.

Or…at least he had been.

Maybe the quality had slipped in the last batch, or it had been laced with something else. Who the hell knew? He had to source things all over the world, and it was bound to get sketchy once in a while.

I had barely been functional the last few weeks, no matter what he gave me.

I didn’t blame the others for being worried about me. Hell, I was worried about me. Honestly, the symptoms were starting to freak me the fuck out way more than I was willing to admit out loud. Gary didn’t want me to take time off for a doctor’s appointment when I’d already wasted so much time being too ill to function.

They could all see me struggling. I knew they thought I was high as a kite on god knew what, and sure, sometimes…a lot of the time, I had been, but not this time.

My stomach turned as they lifted every cushion, tucked their fingers into every little gap, and moved everything not nailed down. Witnessing my bandmates’ distrust firsthand was humbling as shit.

Arlo rocket-launched himself onto the couch next to me, his fist connecting with my chest, sending pain shooting through my tender pec and making black spots dance in my vision. “Motherfucker!”

“Where are they?” Arlo demanded.

“I told you, I don’t have anything in here.” I whined, crossing my arms over my chest in case he decided to punch me again. “I’m sick, not high.”

Arlo chewed his lip, turning to the others for guidance.

“Come on, kid,” said Gary. “Let’s get you outside for some fresh air while the others finish their search.”

I snorted. I knew what fresh air meant.

I followed Gary out of the tour bus on unsteady legs and leaned against the side of it once we were out, watching as Gary closed the door so we wouldn’t be overheard.

“What the fuck is wrong with you? We have a show in four hours.”

“I told you. I’m sick.”

“We don’t have time for this bullshit. Come on.”

He was on his phone with one of the tour techs who had a steady hand with a needle, and I was herded into Gary’s car, where the tech was already hanging up a banana IV bag. I kicked the seat back and closed my eyes while my arm was sanitized and the IV needle was inserted. The tech was gentle, and I knew the fluids would help—they always did—but it was what happened when he’d leave me and Gary alone that I worried about.

The tech wandered off to finish setup, and Gary took out his own little stash of what the fuck ever he gave me and plunged a syringe of it into the fluids.

“There we go.” Gary grinned down at me. “You’ll be right as rain in time for the show.”

I never knew what it was, but I knew what it did. Whatever concoction he poured into me erased any exhaustion, and the fluids nuked any nausea. Between the two, they always got me in a state where I could go perform.

The problem this time was that it didn’t seem to matter how much of either was pumped into my body; the symptoms never went away entirely.

I stared at the steady drip. It was the only way I could avoid disappointing my fans, even though I really wanted to crawl under a rock and hibernate for a year. There was too much money floating around for me to do that. A canceled show would cost millions in the short term, and probably cost us fans. If I skipped shows as often as I wanted to, we’d have no fan base left, and I couldn’t do that to the guys. As much as I felt disgusting about it, I would let Gary give me whatever it took to keep our careers going.

“Don’t mope,” Gary ordered. “You’re a rock star. St—”

“Start acting like it, I know. It’s just getting harder.”

“Maybe it’s time to up your dose. You’ve probably habituated to what I give you.”

My heart was already racing as the first dose dripped into my bloodstream. I wasn’t sure what more would do, but Gary was already prepping another syringe.

“Please don’t. I’m fine.”

“Except you’re not. Don’t be a baby.”

I groaned at a wave of nausea, and while I was distracted by that, Gary launched a little more of whatever the drug was into the fluids bag.

“Deep breaths, kid. You signed up for this life, remember? It’s not your fault the others are so much stronger than you. If you weren’t such a little bitch, you wouldn’t need any of this to get by.” Gary sighed. “I know it’s not your fault. You’ve always been like this. You don’t have to worry, because I’m always going to be here to take care of you.”

I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing rather than responding. My head was swimming, but it would settle by the time the show started.

A knock on the windows scared the shit out of me, my eyes flying open to see the others standing there, looking sheepish. I held down the button to open the window.

“We didn’t find anything,” said Beckett.

“You’re either the hide-and-seek champion of drugs, or you’re telling the truth,” commented Phin.

“Are the fluids helping?” Arlo asked.

“Not yet,” I croaked out.

“Are you sure we can’t get him some medical attention before the show?” Beckett asked.

“He’ll be fine,” Gary insisted. “The fluids aren’t magic. At least let him get through the bag before you start panicking.”

The others frowned.

Phin leaned on the door. “Thanks for taking care of him.”

“Of course,” Gary said softly. “Someone has to.”

I almost burst out laughing. If any of them knew how Gary was taking care of me, they’d probably push him in front of a bus, but they would realize really fucking fast why he was doing what he was doing. Without Gary keeping me in line, I would fall apart in no time at all.

They had all worked so hard. Their careers didn’t deserve to suffer because I was a hot fucking mess. I just wished Gary had different answers sometimes. Too exhausted to perform? Drugs. Too overwhelmed and anxious for VIP visits? Drugs. Can’t sleep? Drugs.

It was fucking endless.

Sometimes I wanted to get off that goddamn hamster wheel. I couldn’t stop. If I did, I’d get flung off straight into the future I was already terrified of.

The 27 Club had an opening with my name on it. I didn’t want it.

I focused on breathing, even as my body started to react to whatever Gary had given me.

I had to stay.

I wanted to stay.

Didn’t I?

Chapter 8

Meadow

June, Seattle

Trying to write a comparative literary analysis on Chaucer stories would usually be a breeze. Except that I was working on it in the waiting room of the campus clinic, feeling like death warmed over. Finding out I was pregnant was stressful enough, but none of the baby-safe remedies I had tried were helping at all. So, back to the clinic I went, hoping they would have some magic cure I hadn’t thought of.

“Meadow Reed?” the nurse called out.

I closed my book and clutched it to my chest as I followed her back to one of the exam rooms.

“The doctor will be right with you.”

My PCP was too far to go to, and I wasn’t entirely sure how confidential it would be since both of my parents went there as well and it was a small town outside Seattle. Despite privacy regulations, no one kept anyone’s business to themselves in small towns. For now I would stick to the campus clinic for my own sanity.

I fidgeted while I waited, reading over the same sentence about twenty times before the doctor finally knocked and slipped into the room. “Hello there. I hear you’re having some struggles with your symptoms?”

“It’s miserable,” I confessed. “I’m exhausted and nauseated all the time. Nothing really helps, and I can’t keep powering through. I cannot start failing my classes.”

“We’ll get everything figured out. Let me ask a few questions so we can narrow down the issues. Have you been having regular contact with your pack?”

“Um…”

“Oh dear.” She gave me a concerned look. “Have you still not told them? Are there safety concerns?”

I huffed out a sigh. “It’s not that. As far as I know, the father’s not even in the country right now. I haven’t tried getting in contact yet.”

“Well, I can give you some medication that might help, but honestly, the best cure is going to be your pack. The hormones released when you’re in close proximity, specifically with the alpha who fathered the child, reduce most symptoms for omegas. I strongly encourage you to reach out to them and see if they’ll come back and take care of you.”

“I’ll just take the medicine, thanks.”

The doctor frowned, muttering something about how unusual I was for an omega. “Do you have any support system to aid you during your pregnancy?”

“My roommate’s been great,” I told her.

“At least you have someone. I do have to warn you, though, that it’s entirely possible your symptoms are worse because you’ve separated a recent bond. I cannot believe an alpha would be so irresponsible as to leave the country after bonding an omega.”

I held my tongue, refusing to give her any details about how I had slipped away while he was asleep, totally disgusted with myself that I had basically thrown myself at him. Hendrix was busy being Apollo, the lead singer of Hard Knot Life. Even if I did manage to tell him, there was no way he’d be interested in a baby. Probably the best I could hope for would be some ass-kicking child support so I didn’t have to rely on my parents to give this kid a good life.

Thinking about him made my nausea worse. Apparently, reminding my body that he existed made it pissed off he wasn’t here.

“Meadow, I truly don’t want to scare you, but I’m not confident any of your symptoms are going to improve without your alpha. If you can’t find him, or you’re not safe to do so, then I would recommend starting to look for another one.”

I froze at her words. I didn’t want any alphas right now, let alone multiple. These were supposed to be my years of independence, when I figured out my life.

“There’s no other option?”

“Well, we don’t like to overmedicate during pregnancy, and most omegas tend not to need much medication for this, so the options are limited compared to betas. A safe alpha is always what’s best for the pregnancy. Do you perhaps have a friend who could assist?”

I bit down on the urge to scoff. I didn’t have alpha friends. I had Clover. Plus, the odds of me finding any alpha who was happy to hop on board when I was pregnant by someone who already had a pack was pretty low. I had to pull on my big girl panties and reach out to Hendrix. Once I knew for certain he wanted nothing to do with me, then I could look at other opportunities, but for now, I was kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place.

“How much worse could it get?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. It’s difficult to separate the symptoms between what’s caused by the pregnancy and what’s caused by the bond separation. Only one responds to treatment, so I suppose we’ll find out soon enough. I should warn you that the medication can make you drowsy, so keep that in mind.”

She wrote me up a prescription after checking all my vitals to make sure there wasn’t anything immediately obvious going wrong. At least I had something to try, even if we weren’t confident it would do anything. Maybe the placebo effect would be extra strong and I could avoid the inevitable for a while longer.

I took my first dose in the bathroom at the clinic, scooping water with my hands to swallow the little pill. It was too much to hope for that it would magically fix all of my struggles, but I was disappointed anyway that there was no difference the second it touched my tongue.

I bought myself a ginger tea and took myself back to the dorm, determined to finish this paper, even though all I wanted to do was nap.

“Hey there, sleepyhead.”

I lifted my head that felt akin to a bowling ball, my cheek sticking to the pages of my book and my eyes bleary.

“You haven’t passed out that hard since finals last year. Feeling okay?”

I blinked up at Clover, rubbing my eyes and reaching for my tea, which was now stone cold. Fuck. Apparently the doctor had understated the medication’s drowsy effect. “I feel like ass.”

“What did the doctor say?”

I wrinkled my nose. “She gave me some meds that knocked me out but said I probably won’t get better because it’s pregnancy symptoms on top of bond separation. She wants me to find the father.”

“You say the word, and I am ready to go full Internet stalker on that man. He’s gotta have some social media I can snoop, so we can reach out.”

“Clover, he’s not going to want to.”

“You don’t know that. At least give it a chance. It’s not fair to you or him to assume he’s going to abandon you before he’s proven that one way or the other. If he’s going to be a dick, then you can haul his ass back to the country.”

“How the hell would I do that?”

“Well, it’s against most international laws for an alpha to leave the country without their omega if they’re newly bonded. Doubly so if the omega is pregnant.” Clover beamed. “We learned that in my family law class yesterday. You could sue his ass to kingdom come if he doesn’t step up.”

I was ninety-nine percent sure that would go terribly. If I dragged Hendrix off a world tour, I would probably nuke any chance of a future amicable relationship with him. “That seems a bit extreme.”

“What’s extreme is him not trying to find you after realizing you were bonded.”

“Maybe he didn’t notice.”

“How would a person not notice that? He should be tripping over himself trying to find you.”

“He doesn’t even know my last name.”

Clover rolled her eyes. “That’s not an excuse. How many Meadows can there be in Seattle?”

She did make a valid point, which only tipped the scales a little further into the probability of Hendrix wanting nothing to do with me. “We’ll talk about it later, okay? I really need to get this paper done.”

“All right, but if you need help hunting this guy down, let me know.”

“You know I will.”

“I’m supposed to meet some people for a study group. Are you gonna be okay? I can totally cancel.”

“I’ll be fine,” I insisted. “Go get your study on.”

Once Clover left, I chugged down my cold ginger tea and resolved to get to work. I was halfway through my reading when it felt like I had been struck by lightning, my heart and mind racing, my eyes flicking over the page and absorbing every word in rapid succession. The paper formed in my head, the arguments, the analysis, and I dragged my laptop over, fingers flying over the keys. I had no idea what was going on, but this was infinitely preferable to passing out on my book.

I finished one paper, and then another that was due two weeks later, then notes for two of my upcoming exams, before I finally got too restless sitting in one place and set about cleaning the dorm.

“Meads, I’m ba—” Clover stood frozen in the doorway while I was on my hands and knees, scrubbing baseboards. “Holy shit, girl.”

“Hey, Clo.”

“What are you doing? I thought you had a paper?”

“Finished it.”

“Why are your eyes so big?”

I shrugged, turning back to a pesky scuff I was determined to buff out of existence. “Dunno.”

“Girl, stop cleaning. The whole place is sparkling already.”

“But the scuff.”

“You can’t even see the scuff when you’re standing. It’s fine.” Clover herded me over to the couch and got me a glass of water, but I was still buzzing with energy.

I chugged down the water, sating my thirst and apparently triggering my hunger. My stomach growled loudly.

“How long have you been cleaning for?”

“Not sure. A while.” I felt twitchy and unsettled, a bit floaty, like my body was struggling to keep a hold on my brain. I clung to the couch arm, staring at Clover.

“Is this a weird reaction to your medication? You kinda look like you’re cracked out on caffeine. Should you call the clinic?”

“I’ll go back if I still feel like this tomorrow. Maybe I have zoomies because I had a really solid nap? I haven’t been sleeping well lately.”

Clover frowned. “I guess that’s possible. Do you want me to make you something to eat, or should we order something in?”

“Pizza?” I asked hopefully.

“Double pep, extra cheese?”

“Yes, please.”

Clover put in the order, and by the time it finally arrived, I was ravenous and pacing. Half the pizza disappeared before I realized I’d been inhaling it, and I ate the next slice at the speed of a reasonable human.

“That was a little scary,” Clover admitted. “I’ve never seen you eat that fast.”

“I was hungry.” I pouted.

“I see that.” Clover passed me another water. “Got to stay hydrated after all that sodium.”

It was past two a.m. when I finally crashed. I felt normal when I woke and fended off Clover trying to lovingly bully me into going back to the clinic.

“I promise I’ll go if the same thing happens when I take the medication again.”

“You’d better, or I will personally kick your ass.” She made kissy faces at me as she departed for her first class, and I dragged my ass all the way into consciousness with a hot shower and a package of Pop-Tarts. I added a banana, in the interest of at least pretending to be healthy.

I looked up Hard Knot Life because I apparently liked to torture myself, and stared at the band photos that had been posted since their concert last night. I watched clips of Hendrix rocking out on stage, closing my eyes and pretending like I was right there with him.

That was a stupid idea.

My body rebelled, hearing him, thinking he was close, and getting no relief. I lost my Pop-Tarts to the porcelain god and consoled myself with a bottle of water and a slice of leftover pizza as I dragged my ass to my first class.

It was just morning sickness. Absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I was bonded to a rock star and he was thousands of miles away, instead of tucked up in bed with me. This was so fucking unfair. Why wasn’t there a biological undo button?

I could get through this.

I had no choice.

Emailing the management for the band via the contact form on their website was degrading, but I was bordering on desperate. After hitting submit, I resolved to wait, albeit impatiently.

The universe didn’t make me wait long, though. By the next morning, there was a response in my inbox, but not the one I wanted.

I knew it.

I read over the message again, even though it made me both queasy and furious.

Unfortunately, due to the unverified nature of your claim, we are unable to put you in contact with any members of Hard Knot Life. Once the child in question is born, you may submit a formal request for a paternity test. Should that prove positive, we will take necessary steps.

– Sincerely, Gary Williams, Manager

I closed my eyes against the blur of tears. Had Hendrix personally rejected me, or had management decided I was one of god only knew how many women or omegas who had reached out with a similar claim? I wasn’t certain which one was worse.

I threw my phone down onto the bed and stumbled into the bathroom to toss my cookies.

A soft hand gathered my hair into a ponytail and rubbed my back.

“Cloveeer,” I whined.

“I know, babe.” She smoothed my sweaty hair off my forehead while I lay in misery on the bathroom floor.

“I need your help.”

“Absolutely. What can I do?”

“Can you get me backstage at Hard Knot Life’s Salt Lake concert?”

Clover brightened. “You’re going to try to find the roadie?”

“Yeah.” I closed my eyes, refusing to look at her as guilt snaked through me. I wasn’t sure what she would do if she knew who the father actually was. “I emailed the company, and they were no help.”

“Of course they weren’t.”

“I have a…small confession.”

“Oh?” Clover was staring at me with the excited intensity of a thousand suns when I finally looked at her. “You never have confessions. Gimme!”

“I may not have been entirely honest with you about who the father is.”

Clover’s mouth dropped into an O. “It’s not the roadie?”

I shook my head.

“Do you actually know who the dad is? Oh my god. Did you sleep with more than one someones? Is it a baby daddy mystery?”

I pressed my lips together.

“Meadow Marie Reed. You tell me who your baby daddy is right now if you know.”

“Um…” I sucked in a slow breath. “It might be a band member?”

“A what?!” Clover shrieked. “You slept with someone from Hard Knot Life? When? How? Who? I need every illicit detail you can scrounge out of that beautiful head of yours.”

“I didn’t know it was a band member when we met. I never bothered to look them up before we went ’cause it’s your thing, not mine. He was just really cute and smelled amaaazing. It was a weak moment, nothing more.”

Realization dawned in Clover’s eyes. “Oh my god. Apollo dipped out of the VIP early. MEADOW! IS APOLLO YOUR BABY DADDY?!”

I grimaced. “Unfortunately.”

“Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh. My. God. I think I might faint.” Clover snatched up one of our couch pillows and screamed into it. “My best friend is having a rock star’s baby! Holy shit. Meads, why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was mostly trying to live in blissful ignorance.”

“Girl, you’ve been hurling your guts out. This is the opposite of bliss. You have to tell him.”

“I tried. Management said I could reach out and ask for a paternity test once the baby is born, but otherwise, they’re not letting me contact him.”

“Those absolute fuckers. Do they know that you’re bonded?”

I shook my head. “It already felt vulnerable enough telling them I was pregnant.”

Clover got up to pace the room. “Okay. Their Salt Lake show is already sold out, but I bet you we can get some tickets from scalpers. Let me snoop.” She hauled her laptop out of her bag and got to work searching for tickets while I lay on the cool tile.

“What if he doesn’t want me?”

“Then Hard Knot Life is going to be down a lead singer.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, despite my misery. I would never ask her to, but it was sweet that Clover’s first response was to threaten homicide on my behalf.

“These assholes are trying to sell tickets for twelve hundred bucks. That’s obscene.”

“I can’t ask you to pay that. I can go by myself.”

“Absolutely not. I’m not letting you drive to Salt Lake City by yourself in this condition. We’re going on a besties road trip. I’ll use my emergency credit card.”

“And what about when your parents ask what it was for? They’re not going to think a concert is an emergency.”

“Don’t worry about them. My parents are my problem.”

Within the next fifteen minutes, Clover had negotiated purchasing tickets. No one was selling backstage passes right now, but if I could at least get into the building with them, maybe someone would take pity on me.

Hopefully I survived until then.

Chapter 9

Arlo

June, Los Angeles

“Gary won’t go for it,” I said, lounging back on the couch, an unopened can of beer in hand.

“I don’t give two fucks about what that dickhead wants,” Beckett growled as he angrily tapped at his phone. “Henny needs a doctor who can prescribe actual medicine, not Gary’s special pills.”

Hendrix was still doing terribly. It had been weeks of him vomiting, nearly keeling over during practices, and looking like a lightly animated corpse. Yet, right before we got on stage, Gary would give him something, and he would inexplicably perk up and be able to do the entire show with no issues.

Once or twice, we accepted it because we had contracts and fans we couldn’t disappoint, but it was starting to get ridiculous.

Beckett was calling a doctor. A real one.

“And if Hendrix doesn’t want to go?”

Beckett shrugged. “I’ll handcuff the fucker and make him go.” His eyes narrowed, shoulders squaring as he went to work getting Hen the help he obviously needed. Once Beckett looked like that, there was no dissuading him. Not that I would, since I agreed with him.

Beckett’s phone buzzed, and he huffed, reading the message. “Thank fuck. We’ve got someone for today.”

So many years in this industry, and I still wasn’t used to the fact that throwing money around would get us anything we wanted.

“How long until they get here?”

“Half an hour.”

“Do you remember when we used to have to wait, like, six weeks for a doctor’s appointment because they were always booked out?” I asked. The bigger we’d gotten, the easier it was for us to get what we needed. And a lot of things we definitely didn’t need, but wanted anyway.

“Back when we were no-names. You had that rash on your ass from poison ivy that just wouldn’t go away, and Gary had us grinding ourselves to the bone, so we couldn’t find time to get you an appointment.”

“At least I learned not to go streaking in the woods in Florida.” My ass still had a weird discolored patch from that. I laughed. It hurt like a bitch. Thankfully a few groupies had been more than willing to distract me and kiss it better.

Beckett sighed, rubbing his hand on his forehead. “It doesn’t make sense. The sickness is one thing, but have you noticed he hasn’t touched a single groupie in the last few weeks?”

I hummed. “Yeah, that is strange. Henny is the biggest manwhore out of all of us. Something’s gotta be seriously wrong for him to not be getting his dick wet.”

Beckett shoved his phone in his back pocket with a sigh. “I’ll go get Hen. He stayed late at sound check, sucking up to Gary.”

“Good luck!” I cried at his retreating form.

It didn’t take long for Beckett to grab him. By the time the doctor arrived, Hendrix was sitting on one of the tour bus couches, looking green around the gills.

“We have practice soon,” he grumbled.

“Yeah, but you haven’t been making it through a full practice lately,” Beckett said. “You look like death, and you’re not fooling anyone into thinking you’re actually the picture of health.”

“Gary won’t like it. He says I’m just run-down.”

I snorted. That was such bullshit. “Where’s your keeper?” I asked.

Beckett answered for him. “Gary is in a promotional meeting for the next hour, so he won’t be able to stop us.”

Hendrix was quiet, sullen. He probably didn’t even have the energy to fight the idea without Gary dosing him up.

There was a knock on the door of the tour bus, and before anyone could answer it, the door opened and Phin ambled in, followed closely by a middle-aged man in scrubs.

“Hello there, I’m Dr. Corbett. Who’s the patient?” he asked, looking between us.

“Mr. Nauseated over there,” I said, pointing at Hendrix.

The doctor turned and gave him a once-over, wincing. “You look like you’ve seen better days, young man.” He placed his medical bag on the counter and pulled out a blood-pressure cuff, attaching it to Hendrix’s arm. “Can you tell me a little more about how you’ve been feeling?”

“I always feel sick and dizzy, and my chest hurts.” Hendrix groaned, the sound transitioning to a whine as the cuff squeezed the shit out of his arm.

Dr. Corbett’s head whipped up from where he had been adjusting the heart monitor. “Chest pains? Those can be serious. Why didn’t you call me sooner?”

“They’re not like chest pain, chest pains. It’s more like…pectoral pain?” Hendrix frowned as he spoke, his fingers sliding over the muscles in question.

“His man boobs have been tender as fuck lately.” I laughed.

“Huh.” The doctor checked all of Hendrix’s vitals, detaching the blood-pressure cuff after noting the numbers. “How long have you been feeling unwell?”

“Since Seattle,” I answered for him. “It’s been a couple months now.”

“You’ve waited two months to seek treatment?”

Beckett grimaced. “Our manager keeps us busy.”

“And gives me vitamins to keep me standing,” Hendrix added.

I snorted. If what Gary was giving him was vitamins, then I was a fucking bunny living in Easter Land.

The doctor absorbed everything we told him, writing down notes to hopefully get a big picture of what was going on with Hen. “Would you mind if I did a few finger prick tests so I can check a few things?”

“I don’t like needles,” Hendrix grumbled.

I burst out laughing, as did everyone else on the bus. Even Beckett cracked a smile.

“What’s so funny?” he pouted.

“Hen…you’re covered in tats. How the hell can you dislike needles?” Phin chuckled.

“That’s different.”

“Do the blood test,” Beckett instructed the doctor. “Ignore the man baby.”

The doctor nodded, pulling more equipment out of his bag. “Your blood pressure is a little high. Let’s see what this shows, and then I’ll probably prescribe you something to help with that.”

Hendrix looked at the small finger prick needle in horror but held out his hand all the same.

The doctor’s eyes darted between the small screen and Hendrix. “Um…do you want to talk in private?”

“You can tell these fuckers anything.” Hendrix waved off his concern. “My dick isn’t going to fall off, is it?”

I snorted. Of course that was his worry.

The doctor cleared his throat. “Where’s your omega?”

Hendrix’s eyebrows rose. “My omega? In my dreams, that’s where the fair, busty maiden resides.”

“Well, you’ve definitely got an omega, because your hormone levels indicate that you’re bonded…pretty recently, in fact.” He turned the screen to us. It was just numbers, but they clearly meant something to the doc.

“No fucking way!” Hendrix cried, sitting bolt upright, and obviously immediately regretting moving that fast, with the way he cupped his face. “I would remember if someone bit me! Wouldn’t I?”

“There’s more…” The doctor grimaced. “You’re showing signs of bonding sickness. It’s a rare thing, since most alphas stick close to their omegas after they’ve bonded, but that’s clearly not the case here. Your symptoms are extreme, and very similar to a lot of pregnancy symptoms, which is leading me to believe that your omega is pregnant, in addition to being separated from you. You’re feeling all of their suffering, on top of your own, from being apart.”

I choked on thin air. What? Did he just say pregnant omega? Beckett looked shell-shocked, and Phin was looking almost as green as Hendrix.

Did Hendrix have a pregnant omega? He’d have told us…or maybe not. It didn’t sound like he had any idea who this omega was. Fuck.

Hendrix looked terrified, his eyes wide, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to find words.

I paused for a moment, waiting for the panic to set in, only it never came.

Because I was fucking elated.

If Hendrix had an omega, that meant we had an omega.

“Dude! Why didn’t you tell us?” I asked, unable to mask my excitement, jumping on the baffled-looking alpha and shaking him vigorously.

“I didn’t know!” he cried.

The doctor cleared his throat. “Well, you, uh…you need to look into that. I’ll prescribe something to help with the nausea, but if this is because you’ve got a pregnant omega, it won’t respond well to treatment. You need to find her as soon as possible because these symptoms won’t be going away anytime soon, and she’ll be feeling a lot worse than you.”

“Finding her will fix it?” Beckett asked.

“Theoretically, yes. Most of the symptoms should be alleviated by proximity. You’ll notice a difference immediately once you get close to her, but if he’s this bad, I’m worried about her. Do everything you can to reunite them.” He passed a prescription form to Hendrix. “I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.”

“This has been very helpful,” Phin insisted. “At least we have a direction now. Thanks for coming.”

Dr. Corbett nodded, offering a small smile before quickly packing up his things and darting out of the tour bus, like he could sense it was about to descend into chaos and wanted out.

“I don’t have a bite mark on me!” Hendrix ripped off his shirt and tried to angle his head to see his neck, which was both impossible and hilarious to watch. “I would have a bond bite if I was bonded.”

I looked at my pack mate, my eyebrows raised. A bonding mark could technically be anywhere on his body—the throat was just the most common.

“Well, there’s only one way to be sure.” I hopped to my feet, facing him with a grin. “Time to get naked.”

Hendrix’s face fell. “What? No…”

“Come on. You’re choosing now to be shy? We’ve seen your cock more times than we can count.”

“Do it, Hen,” Beckett commanded.

“Do it, or I’ll do it for you,” I declared, grabbing the scissors out of the knife block in the minuscule bus kitchen we never used. “How much were those fancy designer jeans?” I asked, cocking my head to the side.

Hendrix paled. “Okay, okay, I’ll do it. I don’t trust you near my junk with those things.”

A smart move on his part, really. While I might have good hand-eye coordination with a guitar, I made no guarantees when it came to scissors.

Undoing his belt, he avoided eye contact with us as he pushed the jeans down.

Naturally, the fucker went commando, so I was gifted with the sight of his soft cock.

“Look! No bite marks.” Hendrix threw his arms out and spun in a circle, like this was some fucked-up fashion show.

“Uh…Hen?” It was Phin who spoke from behind Hendrix.

“What?”

“You’ve got a bite mark on your ass,” Phin declared at the same moment Hendrix turned to face him, presenting me with a clear view of his butt and the small, defined bite mark on the bottom half of his left cheek.

“We’ve got an omega!” I clapped my hands, bouncing on the spot.

Hendrix let out a strangled, panicked sound, dashing to the far wall where there was a small mirror, tripping over the jeans around his ankles in his haste to see the bite mark.

“Who?” Beckett asked as Hendrix twisted and turned to get a good look.

“I don’t know,” he admitted.

“You haven’t fucked anyone since Seattle,” Phin pointed out.

“Oh, yeah!” I cried. “You had that blonde in your bed, the one who fell out of the bed when I came to get you…but she was a beta, not an omega.”

Hendrix looked into the distance, his eyes losing focus. “The rose and lilac…That wasn’t a beta scent.” He dragged his hands over his face. “Come on, brain. Fucking work. Seattle. Omega.”

“I remember the scent,” Phin added. “Almost fought you for the bed that night so I could roll around in it.”

“Okay, that’s progress,” Beckett muttered. “White rose and lilac. I remember it too. Shit. Are we going to have to do a weird Cinderella thing to find this omega?”

“Would the venue have a list of the attendees?” Phin asked. “Probably too much to ask for a list of their designations. Hen, what do you remember about the omega? Anything besides scent?”

Hendrix looked at us with pleading eyes.

Beckett stood up taller, realization filling his eyes. “Hen left the VIP meet and greet early. It was probably someone from there.”

“Fuck, yeah.” I beamed. “That’s a way shorter list than everyone at the concert.”

Was our omega pretty? Hendrix tended to have good taste, but then again, I had seen him make some poor decisions while high. Most of the women who ended up in our beds were objectively pretty, though.

Would she vibe with us?

Did she have a nice personality?

What if she was vegan? I shuddered at the thought.

No, Hendrix wouldn’t have been that dumb. We all loved meat too much…including our own.

Chapter 10

Hendrix

The whole pack was on a fucking mission. I couldn’t quite decide if having a mystery bonded pregnant omega I had no memory of floating out in the world without me was better or worse than worrying I was dying. Beckett had immediately done a deep dive into bonding sickness, and sure enough, it matched the very particular hell I’d been living in since we’d left Seattle.

How had I managed to forget her? That was a brain betrayal of the highest order, and I knew the guys were probably hardcore judging me. Hell, I was judging myself. We had to find her. There was no way I could let my omega and my baby keep living their lives without me, even if I didn’t know a damn thing about her.

I flipped through the document that had all of our staff and their contact information, searching for someone who would be able to connect me with the security team at our Seattle venue. I started with our venue coordinator, Maxine.

“Hey, Maxi, what are the odds of me getting the security footage from outside the VIP room in Seattle?”

“Good morning to you, too, Hendrix. Odds are pretty high if you give me a reason.”

“We’re looking for someone I met that night, but I lost their contact info.” A lie, but she didn’t need to know that. “Trying to reverse engineer a little bit.”

“I’ll look into it. Do you want one of my team to go through the footage, or do you want me to forward it to you?”

“Forward to me, please. I ducked out of VIP early.” Or so the guys had told me. “It shouldn’t be too hard to find the right timestamps.”

“All right. I’ll be in touch.”

“You’re the best. Buy yourself a spa package and send me the invoice.”

I flopped facefirst onto the tour bus couch after the call ended, feeling a little less directionless, but still steeped in fucking misery with the bonding sickness. This was bullshit.

“I see you’re working hard to find the omega.” Phin swept up the bus stairs and parked himself next to me.

I spared enough energy to flip him off. “Fuck off. I did a task.”

“I talked to the makeup artists who were with us in Seattle.”

Perking up at that, I lifted my head to look over at him. “Any luck?”

“Carly said she remembered seeing you sitting with a brunette while she was packing up. At least that narrows down hair color.”

A brunette omega? I usually aimed for blondes, and now I was even more curious what it was about her that had drawn me in to begin with.

Phin huffed. “I wish we’d figured shit out earlier. We could’ve caught her on the bus cam.”

That would’ve been way too helpful. The exterior cam only kept footage for about a week for insurance, in case we got into an accident or someone tried to break in. I was desperate to see her face, even if it was in grainy security footage.

“I guess she wouldn’t be in any of the pictures from that night,” Phin said with a sigh. “I still don’t understand why she would’ve gotten a VIP ticket and not used it to see us.”

Half-formed memories poked my brain like a pin. “I don’t think she likes us.”

“What the fuck do you mean she doesn’t like us? She bought a VIP ticket.”

I rubbed my forehead with my fingertips, trying to encourage the memory to surface. Something something friend…Jane Austen…that didn’t make any fucking sense. Um, book? Did we talk about books? Why would I talk about books at our concert? I let out a frustrated growl.

“Hey,” Phin said softly, laying his hand on my shoulder. “We’re going to find her. We’ll convince her to hang around for a while, and you’ll get better. We’ve got a lot of resources, so between the four of us, it’s only a matter of time.”

It had already been months since Seattle. I knew how long it took babies to grow, I knew we had time, but it seemed like every second that passed was a sand grain racing out of the hourglass. If I was feeling like shit, then she had to be feeling worse. I didn’t know what the fuck was going to happen, but doing anything other than finding her immediately and fixing however much I could right this moment would be the ultimate dick move.

“Am I a terrible person?” I asked quietly, already convinced of the answer.

It took Phin a half second too long to say no and something inside me shriveled. I was such a fuckup. I tried so damn hard and just kept screwing everything up. Now I’d involved someone else…and a fucking baby. What the hell was wrong with me?

“I don’t know what to do.”

“One step at a time, Henny. First we find her, and then we figure out what to do next. No sense freaking yourself out before that happens.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’ve known me since high school. I think we both know that not freaking out is not one of my specialties.”

“Truth.” Phin offered me a smile. “Listen, there are way worse people on this planet. On the scale of shitty humans, I don’t think you’re anywhere near irredeemable. You don’t actively try to hurt anyone, right?”

“Right.” I swallowed hard.

“Then you’re miles above the worst of humanity. Your priorities are just a little fucked up.”

“How do I fix that?”

Phin shrugged. “I don’t think I’m in any position to give you advice about that. Besides, you’re getting ahead of yourself again. Right now, we’re only worried about finding the omega and making sure neither of you keels over from your little fuck-and-run.”

“And if she’s pregnant like the doctor thinks?”

Phin looked at me for a long moment. “I assumed you wouldn’t be interested in that part.”

I wasn’t. Was I? A kid was an even bigger wrench in my plans than a mate.

“The look on your face is giving panic vibes. Once again, we have to find her first. Do I need to get you some edibles to chill out?”

It probably wasn’t a bad idea. I was going to stress myself into a whole fucking collapse at this rate. I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.

Phin pulled one package from the fridge, where he stashed them so they wouldn’t melt, and passed me a rock-hard gummy. I gnawed it into submission and stretched out to wait for the magic effects.

“It’s all going to be okay, Hen,” Phin assured me.

It sure didn’t feel like it.

Chapter 11

Phineas

“What are you looking at?”

Hendrix was hunched over his laptop like Gollum clutching the One Ring. He slapped it shut, whipping his head up and staring at me with wide eyes.

“You’re not watching porn on the bus, are you? That’s a private activity, dude.”

His shoulders sagged. “Not porn.”

I waited expectantly for some further explanation, and when it didn’t come, I sauntered my way over to the mini fridge to mislead him before snatching the laptop out of his hands and taking a flying leap into the back bedroom with it. Before he could react, I kicked the door closed with my foot and slid to the floor to brace my body against it while I opened the laptop.

Hendrix’s body hit the door with a thump, the vibrations ricocheting through me. “Give it back.”

“In a minute.”

Security footage wasn’t what I had been expecting. I recognized the backstage at the Seattle venue. Hendrix sat with a pretty brunette, the grin on his face so different from how he usually looked. Curious. I couldn’t zoom in very well to get a decent view of the person with him. “Hen, is this the omega?”

He was quiet for a long moment before the barely audible words “I think so” came floating through the door.

I stared at the footage, rewinding the moments of their laughter—unfortunately silent, since the video had no sound—and watching her get up to follow Hendrix a dozen times before I finally wiggled away from the door so he could come inside. Hendrix looked sheepish as hell.

“When were you going to show us?” I asked.

“After I finished watching.”

I climbed onto the bed, stretching out onto my stomach and patting the bed next to me. Hendrix lay down, the laptop in front of us as I drew the footage back to when she first appeared on it. This omega was a mystery. She’d come back with someone and then had simply sat on the bench on her phone while her friend came in to see us.

“What did you guys talk about?”

Hendrix groaned and dropped his face to the blankets. “I wish I fucking knew.”

“Your brain really must be scrambled if you don’t remember anything about her. She’s cute as fuck, from what I can see. You look so happy talking to her.”

I wasn’t oblivious to how much Hendrix struggled with being a rock star. Sure, he ate up the attention, but I had known him a hell of a long time and was well aware that fame brought as much as it took away for him. He had always been an anxious perfectionist, and the easy access to drugs and casual partners wasn’t a cure for that. They might bury it for a time, but the high always wore off. The Hendrix of our high school days wouldn’t recognize the man next to me now. I was pretty sure our fans wouldn’t recognize him like this, either, considering what they expected of him on stage.

“It would be so much easier to find her if we could trust no one would go after her.” I sighed, my gaze following the omega across the screen. “The simplest thing would be to put out a post and actually Cinderella this shit up, get her to come to us. I’m pretty sure if we announced that we were looking for a brunette omega, the entire audience would show up with brown hair.”

Hendrix snorted. “You’re not wrong. Not to mention, we’d probably cause a riot if it got out that we invited the VIPs from a single concert to a secondary event.”

“Did seeing her jog any memories?”

“No.” He pouted, resting his chin on his crossed arms. “But I’m still pretty sure she doesn’t like the band.”

“Us as people or our music?”

He shrugged. “I’d like to be able to say it’s just our music, since the fans don’t really know us, even when they think they do.”

I mused silently to myself and backtracked the footage to see the person she had come in with. The perky blonde was much more Hendrix’s usual speed. I paused the video where most of the blonde’s face was visible and took a photo of the screen, too lazy to screenshot and send it to myself.

Hendrix frowned. “What are you doing?”

“Turning Internet stalker.”

Searching for tagged images of our Seattle VIP experience led me to hundreds of photos. I scrolled through them slowly, comparing the face of every single blonde with the woman who had accompanied Hendrix’s mystery omega.

I sat up sharply when I found one photo of a smiling, bubbly blonde that was as close to a dead ringer as you could get with grainy video. I turned my phone to Hendrix. “Does this look like the friend?”

He squinted, eyes flicking between the two screens. “Could be. Why?”

“Well, we know the friend likes us. If we can find her, maybe she has some tagged photos with your omega. If she does, we can reach out. If she doesn’t, we reach out to the friend.”

“Pretty sure she’s gonna think we are a scam account if we do that. There’s probably a thousand people pretending to be us floating around out there. Plus, you know the kind of shit celebrities get into when they go DMing fans.”

“Do you want to find her or not?”

“Yes.” Hendrix pulled out his own phone. “Let me help you stalk. We need to be one hundred percent sure before we reach out.”

We spent the next hour staring at photos until my eyes blurred and Beckett and Arlo had returned from their equipment check.

“You’re going to hurt your eyes looking at your phone that close,” Beckett admonished when he found us.

“Okay, Grandpa.”

Beckett huffed. “Don’t blame me when you develop myopia.”

“I thought that was a myth?” Arlo added.

“Argue with the studies, not with me,” Beckett replied.

I rolled over and held my phone out. “We have a lead on the omega.”

Both of them froze before racing toward the back room, getting comically trapped in the doorway that wasn’t quite big enough for both of them to barrel through. Beckett snatched up the phone, bringing it just as close to his face as we had been looking at them before.

“How do you know this is her?”

“We don’t. We’re still snooping. Most of the VIP girls were blonde and all in these tiny dresses, so using an outfit to figure out identity isn’t as easy as I’d hoped. They’re also very prolific posters, so we have hundreds of photos for each of them to go through to see if we can find someone who matches the girl in the video.”

“Video?” Arlo perked up. “What video? You caught our princess on camera?”

I hauled myself to sitting and returned the footage to where the omega first showed up, so Arlo and Beckett could see as much of her as we had.

“These angles are terrible,” Beckett complained. “What if we were trying to catch a criminal? Not a single one of these faces is clear enough for an ID.”

“Welcome to our personal hell,” I said with a grin. “It’s the closest we’ve gotten. Feel free to park your ass and scroll through accounts with us.”

So that was what we did for the god-awful ten-hour drive from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City.

Chapter 12

Meadow

July, Salt Lake City

“We’re finally here!” I declared excitedly, looking out of the window at the large Welcome to Salt Lake City sign as it passed.

Clover let out a chuckle. “We would have been here sooner without the fifty bathroom breaks.”

“I’m sorry. The baby required snacks and breaks.” I shrugged. Every half an hour or so, like clockwork, my body insisted on going to the bathroom, or an unholy craving would take over and I would be desperate for gas station potato chips or hot dogs.

The hot dogs were a loss because the last gas station we stopped at had looked somewhat questionable, so I had resolved myself to wait until I was at the concert. Hopefully they would have better options there.

“You’re lucky I love you, bitch.”

“I know I am. Not many friends would drive twelve hours to go to a concert on the off chance we can find my baby daddy.” I grimaced. I wasn’t sure what I thought of the term baby daddy.

“He’s not just the father of your child,” Clover reminded me. “He’s your mate.”

I winced.

That was possibly worse.

“Do you want to go to the hotel first or straight to the concert? We’re running late, so if we go to the hotel first, we’ll need to book it.”

I thought about it for a moment. As much as I would appreciate some time to decompress, I knew we couldn’t afford it right now. “We should probably go straight there. As long as they have some food at the venue, I’ll be happy. I think we could both do with a shower, but it’s not like I’m trying to impress anyone.”

“Speak for yourself. Once we get you and your little pack situation settled, I may go on the hunt for some fun.”

I snorted. “Sure, okay.”

“I’m happy to go straight to the concert, though. The earlier we get there, the more of a chance we have of seeing your…of seeing Apollo.”

“I suppose so. You know, there’s a good chance we may not see him at all? Security at these things is kind of insane. Don’t you remember all the bouncers they had at the last concert?”

Clover pursed her lips. “I’ve got a few ideas of how we can ensure you get some face time with your sexy alpha. Just trust me.”

We made our way to the concert, the traffic slowly getting more and more congested the closer we got. I knew we were near when I noticed several women wearing Hard Knot Life shirts, all walking in the same general direction.

As I looked down at myself, at the worn sweater and leggings I had opted to wear for the road trip, doubt started to creep into my mind.

“We’ll make a quick stop at a gas station so you can change,” Clover said, noticing me looking at the state of my clothing. There was no need for me to make myself look good to see him again. At the end of the day, we were bonded, whether we liked it or not. Still, I wanted to put in a little effort—he was a famous rock star after all, and I was…not.

I needed him to like me enough to be willing to stay in my presence to make sure I started to feel better.

I didn’t know anything about this guy.

“What are you thinking about?” Clover asked, glancing between me and the road.

“I don’t know…What if he’s a complete tool?”

“He’s a rock star. There’s a damn good chance he could be. Hopefully he’ll do the right thing, though.”

“Just thinking about it is giving me a tummy ache.” I groaned, rubbing my stomach.

“That’ll be the gas station snacks, though the stress won’t help.” She sighed. “Usually, I would offer you a shot to calm your nerves, but that isn’t an option right now.”

“That would just make the tummy ache worse.” I laughed.

“That’s true. Oh! I forgot to mention it, but I managed to book some parking. Naturally, all the parking spaces at the venue itself were booked, but I found a place about a five-minute walk away. Is that okay? Do you feel up to that? I could always drop you off at the door, then go park.”

I nodded. A five-minute walk was nothing, and considering how this show was sold out, we were lucky to find any parking so near. “Sounds good.”

“In that case, let’s give you a quick little polish so you don’t look like you’re about to faint.” Clover dug out the blush and brushes from her bag in the back seat, wielding them with a grin. “You’re gonna look so fucking cute, Apollo won’t know what hit him.”

The concert was packed, the throngs of people overwhelming. The air smelled thick with pheromones and sweat as Clover and I pushed our way toward the front, and I did my best to ignore all the scents clashing together, making my stomach churn.

Despite our best efforts, we couldn’t get to the very front, but we were close enough that we would have a clear view of the band.

“This will have to do!” I shouted over the din of voices. Clover leaned toward me to hear better, nodding. The opening act was already on; we had arrived just in time.

“They’ll be able to see us from here!” Clover confirmed.

Part of me questioned why they needed to see us. It wasn’t like Hendrix would recognize me. He had probably bedded a slew of omegas since me. I had a much better chance of trying to find him after the show.

My heart rate skyrocketed as I craned my neck to watch the opening act. It was a band I had never heard of, but their music was a similar style to Hard Knot Life’s.

“How much longer until they’re on?” I asked Clover, my voice cracking with the volume.

“Shouldn’t be long. We’re pretty late—you have no idea how lucky we are to get so close!” Clover shouted, wrapping an arm around me as we turned to the stage.

We didn’t have to wait long at all, which was a relief because the greasy food I had devoured on the way into the concert was sloshing around in my stomach uncomfortably. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but I was seriously starting to regret it. There were so many people in my space, and it was making my anxiety spiral.

The supporting act finished their song, bid their goodbyes, and waved as they slipped offstage.

The room darkened, and the crowd started to roar, a thunderous scream I felt down to my bones.

“Hello, Salt Lake City! Are you guys ready?” came the obnoxiously loud intro through the speakers.

Resisting the urge to cover my ears, I did my best to identify the band members as they entered the stage through the smoke.

Without a word, they went straight into the opening song, “Heat Beats.” Hendrix was front and center. His blond locks glowed under the spotlight, the black leather clinging to his body making him look ungodly levels of hot. So fucking rude of the universe to make him look like that. The huge screens displaying close-ups focused on those gorgeous blue eyes that had sucked me in when I’d seen them.

I racked my memory for the others. Phineas was on the drums, his sandy brown hair looking carelessly tousled over bright hazel eyes. Thank god for those screens zoomed in on them, or I’d have missed every detail in the chaos. Beckett was on bass, in the same snug black leather as Hendrix, his shaggy brown hair covering the glimpse of honey-brown eyes I’d caught before he focused on his instrument. I definitely did not get distracted by the cording of his forearm muscles as he navigated the notes. The last was…Arlo? He was on guitar, gliding around the stage like he owned it, his forearms just as distracting as Beckett’s as he launched into a riff.

“You’re staring,” Clover teased lovingly.

How could I not? I was caught in their gravity, frozen in place as everyone around me screamed and waved their arms, demanding attention, while I quietly prayed they wouldn’t notice me. I needed them to, but nerves were clawing their way up my throat and had a stranglehold on me.

Arlo’s gaze caught mine, and panicked heat raced through me.

“I’ve got to get out of here!” I shouted in Clover’s direction and pressed my fingers to my lips as a wave of nausea overwhelmed me.

She turned to me, her eyes widening as she realized I was close to hurling. “There’s an exit over there!” she shouted, pointing toward the left of the stage, past many, many partying concertgoers.

“Wait here! I just need some fresh air!”

I didn’t wait for a response. I put my head down and started physically shoving my way out of the room.

My vision tilted, and if not for the sheer volume of people sardined into the small space, I would have tilted over.

The first gasp of cool air as I left the main hall was heavenly. I staggered a few steps and found myself standing in a random, dingy hallway.

Using one hand on the wall for balance, I bowed my head, closed my eyes, and took several deep breaths in an attempt to settle my stomach. I wanted to avoid the embarrassment of hurling in public at all costs.

I was so focused on my breathing, I didn’t hear the commotion coming from the concert behind me.

“Princess?” a smooth, excited voice said behind me.

Whirling around, I was met with an alpha who towered over me. I stared at him, recognition poking me as his features came into focus, one by one. Dark, spiked hair, warm brown eyes bright with delight, and an easy smile that instantly lowered my defenses. Why was he here? He was supposed to be on stage…

Why the fuck was one of the members of Hard Knot Life in a sketchy-ass hallway with me right now?!

A grin slowly spread across Arlo’s face as he took me in. “We’ve been looking for you!”

Chapter 13

Arlo

It was her. There was no doubt about it.

We had just taken to the stage, excited to be back with an American audience, and before we even made it halfway through the first song, I noticed her.

The scent hit me first. It was muted because with so many people crammed into such a small place, dancing, and screaming, naturally the room quickly developed an odor.

Underneath the stench of bad decisions and sweat, though, was something sweet, like rose or lilac. It had my heart pounding. Shaking my head, I convinced myself I must have been hallucinating, because it was the scent I had gotten a noseful of the morning I had woken Hendrix up and he’d had a beta in his bed, but the scent was undoubtedly omega.

Glancing up from my guitar, I noticed Hendrix. His shoulders were tensed up, and he was usually the most relaxed when performing. Had he also caught her scent? I glanced around at my bandmates. Despite the rigid posture, Hendrix looked good. He had color in his face, and his foot movements were quick, less sluggish than before.

It had to be her. She was here, and we couldn’t miss her.

My eyes roamed over the crowd. She had to be near the front if we were able to catch a whiff of her.

Turned out, she was hard to miss.

In a crowd of excited revelers, two women weren’t dancing, the brunette of the pair staring at the other guys with enormous eyes.

It could have been the girl from the footage, but the grainy image was hard to compare to the beauty in the crowd.

Her face was pinched, unhappy. I glanced between my pack mates. Phineas frowned at me, mouthing something that I think was everything all right? But I couldn’t be sure.

It was her; something about her just felt right. It wasn’t logical, but it made sense to me. Hendrix was clueless to our glances. He was in his own world, belting out lyrics and gyrating with a little extra pizzazz.

My eyes drifted back to the omega. To our soft, beautiful omega. As soon as the show was finished, I was going to scoop her up and say hello. From what I could see in the dim lights, Hendrix had good taste.

I wanted to bury my nose in her hair and get a lungful of that scent. Both Phineas and Beckett were glancing between the front of the crowd and me. We all knew something was up, but Hendrix was blissfully unaware despite the tension in the air. He was in his own little drug-induced world. He probably felt amazing because his omega was in the room and he didn’t even realize.

Turning back to the crowd, I made brief, glorious eye contact with our omega, and awareness of her rocked me down to my toes, every nerve lighting up in acknowledgment of her presence. She tore her gaze away, turned to her friend, and bolted, pushing her way through the crowds toward the east exit.

Where was she going? We couldn’t let her vanish.

Beckett raised his eyebrows at me, subtly shaking his head, like he could tell what I was thinking. He gave me a stern look, but I was already putting down my guitar and heading toward the front of the stage.

There was no way in hell I was going to let her go.

Hendrix, in his doped-up state, barely even registered me as I dove off the front of the stage, straight into the crowd.

It probably wasn’t the smartest idea, but it made sense in the moment.

Plus, it wasn’t like the other guys could rush off the stage with me gone. They’d have to keep going or ruin the concert, so that meant I could potentially get a little one-on-one time with our omega.

Hands reached out to grab me as the audience crowed in delight at my appearance, and security had them funnel me to the side so I could get my feet on the ground and barrel toward the exit my omega had just left through. Thankfully, there was security near the door, so I simply nodded at them and they got the message not to let any of the fans through.

The cold air in the dingy corridor hit me in the face as soon as I left the concert space.

It didn’t take much to find the omega. She had her hand against the wall and was bowed over at the waist, breathing deeply.

“Princess?” The pet name fell out of my mouth with ease.

Her eyes flew open and she gaped at me.

“We’ve been looking for you!” I declared excitedly, taking a few steps toward her.

“Oh, u-uh, you have?” Her nervous stammer was so fucking cute.

I nodded. “We didn’t know how to reach out to you, but we saw you on CCTV from the concert in Seattle. I must say, I was rather delighted when I found out you bit Hendrix on the ass. It’s the perfect place for a bonding mark, really.”

“I don’t remember biting him,” she admitted in a small voice.

“You look a little pale. Are you okay? Is the baby causing problems?”

Her eyes widened. “H-how do you know about that?”

“Henny boy has been sick. Serves him right for being a dick. I’ve waited years for an omega, and he goes ahead and bites a stunner like you, then promptly forgets! Inconsiderate, if you ask me,” I said, shaking my head.

“I—uh…”

“Oh, shit! What’s your name? We hadn’t gotten close enough to finding you to figure it out. I’m Arlo, by the way, just in case that wasn’t clear.”

“Meadow…”

“That’s so pretty. Suits you perfectly.” She was petite, kinda delicate, with her long brown hair in sweet waves, and those gorgeous eyes were bright green, just like I imagined a meadow to be. Had I never been in one? Where the fuck did someone even find a meadow…Not important. I had the only Meadow that mattered in front of me.

She went to move off the wall and tilted ever so slightly.

I cursed, lunging forward to steady her. “You need to sit down.” If I could sneak her outside right now, I could get her to the tour bus, give her some space and quiet, and offer access to both a bed and a snack fridge. “Our tour bus is outside those doors. Could I take you there, and we can wait for the others?”

There was a commotion behind us, and a sweaty, tall, blonde omega who smelled of peonies burst through the doors and toward us. “Meadow!”

My omega peeked past me and opened her arms to the blonde for a hug so tight, I heard her bones pop. “I’m okay.”

“You freaked me out!” The blonde turned to me and froze like a bunny coming up against a wolf. “Oh, shit.”

“Uh, hi.” I gave her a little wave.

“Clover,” said Meadow, “you kinda know Arlo. Arlo, this is my best friend, Clover.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Clover asked, turning back to Meadow.

“I was going to take her back to the tour bus to rest away from the crowds,” I told Clover.

Her gaze surveyed me as she clutched Meadow. “That sounds great.” She said that part out loud, but then mouthed, If you hurt her, I will kill you. And her eyes shot daggers at me like she meant it. Threats aside, I was glad my omega had someone who’d been looking out for her while we were away.

“Come on. We’ve got water and snacks on the bus.”

“Are you going back onstage?” Clover asked.

“They can handle it. I’ve got an omega to take care of.”

That answer seemed to relax Clover, and she nodded decisively. “All right. Are you comfortable going with Arlo, or do you want me to come too?”

“You might as well enjoy the rest of the show,” replied Meadow, though she made no move to extract herself from Clover’s embrace. “I promise I’ll text if I need you.”

Clover gave her another squeeze before thrusting her to arm’s length. “You’d fucking better. Arlo’s going to take the best care of you.” She shot me more of those eyeball daggers, and I couldn’t help grinning.

Meadow worried her lip for a moment before speaking. “Okay. I’ve already been bonded and knocked up in that bus. What’s the worst that can happen if I go back a second time?”

Chapter 14

Meadow

The only thing I truly registered was that, with every second that passed in the presence of Arlo’s apple cider scent, my nausea was disappearing and being incrementally replaced with a swell of lust that stole my breath. Fucking scent matches. What kind of witchcraft was this?

All of my past months of suffering crashed over me in an instant, and I threw myself into his arms, deeply gratified when they locked around me and his scent exploded like plumes of smoke out of a volcano. Apple cider infused every breath. I didn’t know exactly how all of it worked. I should have needed Hendrix to eliminate the bonding sickness, but Arlo was part of his pack—my pack?—so maybe some of the magic transferred to him. Curls of desire slipped down my limbs, my fingers clenching in the back of his shirt. He was all sweaty, and normally that would ick me out, but right now, I wanted to rub myself all over him. I swiped my cheek along his jaw, and we both froze.

“Did you just scent mark me?” he asked.

“Um…”

“That’s so fucking hot. Do it again.”

I only got halfway through the second scent mark before his mouth was on mine and I was drowning, my brain melting out my ears at the taste of him. Fruit and floral waged a war for dominance as Arlo tumbled backward onto the couch, drawing me onto his lap in the tour bus that had changed my life.

What the fuck am I doing? I was here to find Hendrix, not hook up with his pack. The thought lasted for about half a second before Arlo’s hands on my hips blitzed it straight out of my head. I didn’t even recognize myself as I whimpered against his mouth and ground my hips down. My brain might not know what was going on, but my body certainly did. Every ounce of misery since I had hopped out of Hendrix’s bed vanished under the touch and taste of his pack mate. What gave him the right to taste so fucking good?

His hands snaked under the hem of my shirt, and I whined at the contact of skin on skin, his fingers digging into me, his thumbs stroking over the barely there swell of my belly.

That brought reality careening back. I pushed away from him, staring down at him while my chest heaved and I tried desperately to gain a foothold in rationality. All I wanted to do was tell him to take me to the bedroom and ruin me, so I could bask in feeling this fucking amazing for a little while longer.

“Wait.”

Arlo blinked up at me. “For what?”

“I don’t—I don’t even know you.”

“You’re pack.” He said it like it changed everything, and maybe he was right.

Was I really pack? “That shouldn’t count. I don’t know Hendrix, either.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Arlo insisted. “You’re ours.”

It was absolutely ridiculous how much those words made me preen. My omega traits had never made me this pitiful before. I was a strong, confident, rational woman. Most of the time. Apparently, all it took was two words from this alpha to unravel all of that.

“If you want me to stop, I’ll stop,” he promised. “I was just hoping to get to know you now that you’re part of the pack. Hen was totally hogging you.”

“This is ridiculous,” I lamented. “Hendrix was a one-night stand.”

“Is he still just that?” Arlo tilted his head like a pup, examining me.

It was really fucking hard to think when I could feel his cock pressing against me while I straddled his lap. “I mean, he’s the father of my baby, but I don’t know him.”

“Do you want to?” Arlo asked. “We all want to know you.”

Why was he so cute? His stubble was the perfect amount of grown in, his hair all spiked up and styled, and his brown eyes plaintive while still burning with desire. My resolve was crumbling, even as I tried to shove the bricks of it back into place.

I didn’t need to sleep with him to feel better, but I hadn’t felt this good in months. The pain being gone was like a natural high, and I was pretty sure I didn’t have the willpower to turn away from it right now. I’d been avoiding thinking about it too hard, but since Hendrix had a pack, that meant they would all be the fathers of our child in some capacity, even if they weren’t in my life. It was probably in all our best interests if I grabbed on to the chances they offered me, despite my practicality screaming at the idea.

I moved before I could mentally talk myself out of it, putting my mouth back on his and groaning at the burst of scent, slick pooling between my thighs at the jump of his cock. Arlo cupped my ass cheeks and rocked me over his hard cock, making me dizzy with want until I was peeling off my shirt and tearing at his, desperate to get closer.

His laugh was like music when he scooped me up and kicked in the door to the bedroom where Hendrix had taken me that first time. Arlo laid me out on the bed, pulling away just long enough to whip his shirt off before dropping forward to cage me in with his arms. I couldn’t quite catch my breath with him all around me. Arlo made quick work of my bra and sucked my nipple into his mouth, the swipe of his tongue and the groan that followed almost enough to undo me right there. I squirmed beneath him, fingers clutched in his hair, the most pathetic mewls slipping from my lips.

“The show,” I mumbled, half remembering that the concert was far from over.

“They can handle it.” His voice was muffled against my skin as he switched from one breast to the other, his fingers curling into the waistband of my leggings to peel them down. “The real question is, can you handle me, princess?”

I honestly wasn’t sure if I could. Sweat pricked at my skin, my core temperature rising. I had never been this desperate for anyone before, but apparently the universe wanted me to get acquainted with that feeling.

“Arlo,” I whined.

His moan echoed in the small space. “Fuck. Me. I’ve been waiting to know what my name on your lips would sound like. The fantasy of it can’t even compare. Say it again.”

Before I could draw breath to speak, he slipped his fingers into my panties, gliding through the slick there.

His low growl rose every hair on my body. I struggled with the intensity of the eye contact when he withdrew and dragged two fingers over his tongue. A shudder rolled through me, and I rocked my hips in silent invitation.

“Arlo, please.”

“Goddamn. You begging me is even sweeter. I hadn’t planned on getting my hands on you this quickly, but I’m very glad you want me as much as I want you. Did you know—” He spread my thighs and rocked himself between them. “—that we almost had a couple fights break out because your scent was in here and Hendrix was trying to hog it? They’re all going to lose it when they discover how much better it smells from the source.”

“Hendrix already found that out.”

“Yeah, but whatever he was on wiped anything useful about you from his brain.” He buried his face against my throat, inhaling dramatically. “You smell so fucking good. You want me to taste you, princess?”

What kind of question was that? Of course I wanted him to. My pussy was practically weeping, waiting for him to get to that. “Yes.”

Apparently I was just going to throw caution to the wind today, but it was so hard to regret when he tugged off my panties and buried his face between my thighs. I arched off the bed like a cat, pleasure zinging up my spine.

Arlo matched my feral whine with a moan. His tongue snaked over my heated skin, lapping up my slick while I squirmed, his hands locking over my thighs to spread me out. Arlo rubbed his stubble over my inner thighs, nipping softly. “I’m going to eat this pussy every fucking day if you let me.”

Oh god.

I locked my fingers into his hair. I couldn’t think about anything after this moment, or I was going to tumble headlong into panic. “Please.”

“Please what, princess?”

“Don’t make me think. Please.”

Arlo took the request to heart and went back to work on my clit, effectively flicking off the switch of my brain. I squirmed and shuddered, caught in the waves of bliss that seemed so much more potent compared to how shitty I had felt when I had been staring at the band members onstage. When I broke apart, he lifted his self-satisfied smile to me, his grin turning manic, his eyes light.

“Should I stop here, or are you going to let me fuck you?”

Well, fuck. In for a penny, in for a pound. I reached one grabby hand toward him, and Arlo was on me in a second. The weight of him and the overwhelming surge of apple cider scent had my head swimming. I wanted every bit of him right this second. With my body still thrumming from my orgasm, I wrestled his pants open and used my toes to help push them farther down when they slipped beyond the reach of my fingers.

Arlo laughed against my skin, kissing his way up my shoulder and throat. “Haven’t seen that move before. Ten points for creative use of toes.”

Every instinct sang to have him this close to me, and my pussy throbbed, a silent demand that I do something about it immediately. “Condom?”

He pulled away to look down at me, gaze flicking from my face to my stomach, and I bit down on the whine that crawled up my throat. “You can’t get more pregnant.”

My cheeks warmed. “No, but…”

“Ah, one second.” He snatched one of the frames on the wall and held it up proudly for me to see. It took me a hot second to realize what it was…An STI panel.

“You framed it?”

“Some of us are proud to be in the clean peen club. We all are, by the way. After we figured out Hen had bonded someone, we all got tested to make sure you could be safely railed any way you might like. It was easy. We just stopped at a private clinic between tour stops.”

“Oh. My. God. What the hell have I bonded into?” Embarrassment clashed with desire. It was thoughtful, if a bit weird.

“Chaos,” Arlo replied. “But you’ll get used to it.”

I sat up to watch him replace the frame on the wall while trying not to think about how many people had probably been defiled in this bed.

A glint of light caught my attention, and my eyes were drawn to the delicate metal hoop pierced through the tip of his cock.

My mouth went dry. “Is that a…”

Arlo glanced down and then beamed at me. “A Prince Albert piercing? You bet that gorgeous ass it is. Want to touch it?”

No.

Yes?

The mere idea of it had sparks igniting in my brain. I swallowed hard. “Maybe?”

I reached out tentative fingers and was rewarded with his low, delighted groan when I made contact. Toying with the metal had Arlo dripping pre-cum, a shudder rolling through him. Of course, now that I was this close, I noticed something else that even the piercing couldn’t distract me from. A tattoo between the vee of his hips that read Choking Hazard. Good fucking god. If I weren’t feeling so incredible right now, that tattoo would have had me laughing all the way out the door.

I wasn’t able to play long before my hindbrain kicked up a fucking fuss, screaming I get as close as possible to this alpha.

Arlo was wicked fast, pressing me back into the bed, and I was locking every limb around him. My instincts never rode me this hard. I was pretty certain if we stopped now, I would simply perish.

“Ready for me, princess?”

“Yes,” I gasped out.

My brain blanked out, pleasure going off like a rocket as Arlo’s cock stretched me out. A purr erupted, and I couldn’t tell if it was his or mine or both as he adjusted carefully before fucking into me so hard I had to reach up to brace myself on the headboard.

“That’s my good little omega. Hold on tight.”

Before I could even wonder what that meant, he showed me. Arlo fucked like he was ravenous for me, his body driving into me and setting off fireworks with every impact of our hips. I didn’t recognize the sounds I made. I could hardly get a full breath as every thrust forced some new gasp or moan from my lips.

Arlo braced his hands on the headboard, adjusted his hips incrementally, and sent me over the fucking edge. My vision flared white, pleasure like molten lava in every cell. The world faded out until Arlo’s lips were gentle against mine, coaxing me back.

“Holy fuck,” I whispered.

Arlo chuckled, nipping my bottom lip. “You’re welcome.”

Chapter 15

Hendrix

Torture. That’s what this fucking was. Panic and euphoria roared through me like a train, and it took everything I had to finish out the show. I wasn’t 100% certain what was going on, but Arlo had disappeared, and not too long after, pleasure had flooded the bond. At least I knew what that was now. It was a far cry from all of the suffering it had been delivering the last few months. I was covered in goose bumps, and my cock was trying its best to break out of my leather pants.

Gary blocked all of us when we bolted offstage after the last song. “Where the hell are you going? You have the VIP meeting.”

“We have to skip,” Beckett insisted.

“Tell them we’ll refund, reschedule,” added Phin. “Move.”

The two of them slipped by, but I wasn’t so lucky. Gary grabbed me by the scruff of my neck. “You have the VIP meetup. You’re not skipping again.”

Seriously? I felt her. She was so close, and Gary wanted me to go get fawned over? Granted, I usually loved getting fawned over, but right now, all I wanted was to find Arlo. Find her.

“I can’t,” I said, trying to wriggle away.

“Like hell, you can’t. At least one of you is going to do this. What the fuck is going on? The press wants to know why Arlo left the stage.”

Shit. He wouldn’t react well to the truth. “Bad shrimp?”

Gary narrowed his eyes. “When did you have shrimp?”

“Uh…lunch?”

I could already tell he didn’t believe me, but it was as good an excuse as any to have the entire band fuck off.

He shoved me around the corner and in front of a reporter, and I did my best to school my features so I didn’t look high or panicked, though I was definitely both.

“Apollo,” the reporter greeted. “Arlo Cook left the stage rather abruptly in the middle of the concert, and fans are concerned. Would you care to comment?”

Fucking hell. Beckett was so much better at these. “Uh, yeah, bit of food poisoning, unfortunately. Not that the place we ordered from did anything wrong. Totally our fault.”

“Your fault how?”

Come on. I dragged my stray thoughts together, trying to construct a convincing lie. “Arlo’s a chatterbox, the tour bus got hot, and we got distracted.” Yeah, that was good. People would believe that, right? “Must’ve been past the safe limit by the time we got around to eating.”

“Is that why Beckett Campbell and Phineas Hall ran out a few moments ago?”

Oh, yeah. “Yep. They didn’t eat as much as Arlo, but it caught up to them.”

“And you’re well?”

“So far, so good,” I replied, hoping that would be the end of it.

“Will any of the band require medical attention?”

“If they do, we’ve got an excellent medical team on staff,” Gary added for me as he sidled up. “Our performers are very well taken care of. No need for the fans to worry. I’m sure Arlo will be feeling fit as a fiddle and back onstage for the next show.”

After a bit more chatter, I was finally free. Well, free from the reporter, anyway, because Gary was not going to let me off the hook.

“Get to the fucking VIP room. Now. I’ll go after the others, and I expect you to be there when I return.”

“No!” I grabbed his arm. “They’re actually sick. They held out as long as they could. Arlo had a double portion; that’s why he bolted early. I’ll go to VIP. Just let them rest.”

Gary sighed deeply. “You boys are the reason I have gray hair.”

I didn’t point out that Gary’d had gray hair since the day we met. “Sorry.”

I allowed him to herd me to where the fans would be waiting in a few moments.

Get it together. If my omega was actually here and Gary found out, he was going to freak the fuck out, maybe even drive her away, and I couldn’t allow that to happen. He didn’t like when we were distracted, and a pregnant omega was about the biggest distraction that could be dropped in our laps right now.

I knew how to handle fans. Sometimes it was easy when I found the ones I could form a genuine connection with, but a lot of the people who came to these events and paid extra to see us didn’t care which one of us they got to spend time with—or make out with or fuck. They wanted a story to tell. Screwing someone from Hard Knot Life made a good story. I didn’t blame them, not really. Being famous attracted all sorts, and just because they’d be as happy with me as they would with any of the others didn’t mean I had to hate our time together. I simply tried not to think about being interchangeable.

I slipped into the room, guzzling a bottle of water and shoveling half a protein bar into my face before chugging another bottle of water. We usually drank at least a little alcohol at these things, but I had to keep my head in the game right now.

The doors opened, and I flicked that little switch in my head that changed me from Hendrix to Apollo. That was who they were expecting, and I wasn’t going to disappoint.

I swung my arms wide, plastering a bright smile on my face. “Ladies! Welcome to VIP. It’s just me tonight, I’m afraid.”

A few of them pouted.

“I know, I know. Suck those beautiful lips back in. The others aren’t feeling well, so I get you all to myself.”

Our bartender emerged, getting drinks for everyone, and I took a soda for myself, sitting down on the couch, where I was instantly surrounded. The ventilation system wasn’t doing nearly a good enough job, the cacophony of scents making me dizzy. Or maybe that was whatever Gary had given me starting to wear off. Either way, I was miserable.

I used every ounce of brainpower to keep a smile on my face, to be charming but a little aloof, to be exactly who they thought they knew. I answered questions, redirected wandering hands at a rate that would usually have given me flutters of excitement but today only made my stomach turn.

The temptation to ask for something stronger from the bartender was ever present, but my omega was waiting. None of the others had come back, and it took a lot for my bandmates to skip their obligations, especially with paying fans.

The bartender waved me over, and I slipped away. He handed me a stack of red cups, a case of beer, and a package of Ping-Pong balls. “Something to occupy the masses, since you’re holding down the fort yourself.”

“You are a fucking angel. Thank you.” I snatched up the cups and spun around, holding them a loft. “Who wants to play beer pong with Apollo?”

The chorus of screams was exactly the reaction I had hoped for. At least if we had a game, no one would feel left out. The fans made quick work out of setting up everything, arranging the cups on a folding table while others emptied the cans into them. This definitely had the potential to backfire, but I was fucking awesome at beer pong.

We bent the rules to include more of those present, playing with teams of five and letting everyone else crowd around to watch. It was fun enough, the room full of raucous joy with every ball that landed in a cup. I lost track of how many pictures were taken, how many times my ass was groped, and how many women grabbed my face for a kiss when they sank a Ping-Pong ball. Whoever my omega was, she was not going to appreciate this many scents on me. I wasn’t appreciating it, either. The back of my mind kept reminding me that all of these were wrong. Not a single one of them was anything like the white rose and lilac I craved, even though I couldn’t remember the omega it belonged to.

Exhaustion sank into my bones. I didn’t fucking want to be here anymore. I hadn’t wanted to be here to begin with, but it didn’t matter. Even with fame and money, sometimes we were forced to play by rules we didn’t like. I knew why Gary was so insistent. These people paid good money for this experience, and if word started getting around that we weren’t fulfilling our end of the bargain, it was only a matter of time before we lost fans. I would suffer through a lot to stop that from happening.

“Apollo? Apollo!”

I jolted, turning to the brunette beta at my side. “Sorry. Yes?”

“It’s your turn.”

It was on the tip of my tongue to ask if they would mind if I dipped out early, but I knew what the answer would be. I would do it for my pack. I set a mental timer, willing to give them twenty more minutes before I succumbed to the siren pull of my omega being nearby.

The others were probably with her right now. How fucking unfair was that? She was my bond mate, but everyone else got to run off and see her before I did.

I whipped the Ping-Pong ball and sank it into one of the few remaining cups, the women around me cheering. The rest of the game was a test of patience, and I felt myself losing it with every second that passed.

Glancing at the clock, I finally raised my arms. “Ladies, thank you for an incredible evening. I would love to spend hours more with you, but I’ve had a very long day. Please feel free to stick around, enjoy some drinks, and thank you so much for coming to our concert.”

I blew the room a kiss and spun on my heel, practically sprinting out the back door.

There. I had done my fucking duty. Now it was time to meet my omega.

Chapter 16

Arlo

Meadow laid her head on my chest as we tried to catch our breaths. Both our bodies were covered in a thin sheen of sweat, but I liked that. Her sweet lilac and white rose scent filled the room, and every time I took a breath, I could have sworn I could taste her in the air.

“Oh…my,” my beautiful omega said breathlessly. “That was amazing.”

“That was fucking glorious,” I panted, gently grabbing her chin and tilting her head so I could kiss her. Despite the mind-blowing orgasm she had just given me, my cock was already starting to stir again.

I would never have enough of Meadow.

Thank fuck she was mine.

Well, ours, if you counted my pack mates, but in the tour bus bedroom, there was just us, so for the moment, mine.

As my lips molded to hers, I vaguely recognized the sound of the bus door opening, but I chose to ignore it. Much more important things required my attention. Namely, a beautiful naked omega of mine.

As I pulled her toward me, she swung her leg over me, her damp pussy pressed against my abdomen, and my cock was immediately back to full mast. Meadow was doing wonderful things for my recovery time.

Only, I really should have been paying attention to what was happening outside the bedroom, but who could blame me when Meadow’s glorious tits were dangling in front of me, just begging to be played with?

“Arlo, what the fuck was—shit!” Beckett’s thundering tone was cut off as he opened the door to the bedroom, finding a very naked omega sitting on top of me. He stood in the doorway, his mouth agape, looking at Meadow. Phin stood behind him, a dopey grin plastered on his face.

A panicked squeak escaped Meadow’s chest as she dove off me with impressive speed. If her intention was to land next to me on the bed, she failed miserably. She fell clean off the bed in a tangle of limbs, onto the floor, concealing herself from my—our—pack mates’ views.

When she poked her head up, she glanced between all of us with wide, horrified eyes as she clutched her chest, hiding those beautiful tits from me.

“Meet the rest of our pack, princess,” I declared happily, sitting up without a care that everyone could see my cock, still rock hard and glistening with her juices.

“Is this her?” Phin asked, despite the scent making it obvious, as Meadow scrambled to pull the blanket off the bed and wrap it around herself without exposing any more of her beautiful skin.

Why was she hiding? She was a knockout.

“We’ll…uhh, give you a few minutes to get dressed,” Beckett said, looking pointedly away. Stupid gentleman.

“Take him with you,” she growled, jerking her head toward me.

“What did I do? Other than rock your world?” I asked with a pout, sitting up straighter.

“You fucking dickmatized me! Let me get dressed in peace. Shoo!” She waved her hand in a dismissive motion. I wanted to refuse to move like a petulant child, but her scent was starting to turn burnt with stress.

“Fine.” I huffed. “Don’t take too long, or I’m coming to get you.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.” She frowned at me, but a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

Standing up, I didn’t bother to grab any of my clothes as I sauntered toward the door past my two pack mates into the main body of the tour bus. Meadow would have a perfect view of my ass, and I flexed a bit to emphasize it. I knew I had a damn good rear; there had been magazine articles published, praising the curve of my derriere.

Beckett and Phineas followed me as I threw myself onto the couch near the entrance to the tour bus.

“Dude, you should really put some pants on,” Beckett said, grabbing shorts and throwing them at me.

“I like the freedom, but I’ll do it for you.” I grinned at him and tugged the shorts over my ass. “Why’d you interrupt us? I was having fun getting to know our omega.” Of course they were eager to meet her, but I’d been enjoying myself and was feeling a little petulant.

“So it is her?” Beckett asked.

I nodded enthusiastically. “She’s actually really cool. As much as I hate to admit it, Hendrix has good taste. Her taste is somewhat questionable, considering she chose to sleep with our Henny Boy, but still, I can overlook her poor judgment because it brought us together!”

Beckett was looking at me like I had grown a third head. “You sound like you’ve lost the plot. She’s been sick, Arlo. She needed care, not a tour bus fuck!”

“Considering the situation you found us in, we know for a fact that she’s not opposed to a little tour bus fuck.”

“Arlo…” He sighed, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. “We need to make her feel comfortable, not…whatever it is you’ve been doing!”

“I can assure you she’s been very comfortable. In fact—”

My words were cut off when the door to the bedroom opened and Meadow stepped out in her leggings, but instead of the shirt I had torn off her earlier, which was still on the floor by our couch, she was wearing a large graphic black tee. I was pretty sure it belonged to Beckett, though his eyes widening to saucers was my biggest clue.

She looked far too good in my pack mate’s clothing. Maybe we needed to burn all her own clothing and insist she only wear our stuff? That seemed like a good idea.

Then again, those leggings clung to her ass in a way that made me want to get on my knees and worship.

They could stay.

“I…uh…I couldn’t find my shirt,” she admitted, worrying her lip. “So I just grabbed the first one I could find. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize!” Beckett rushed to say, his eyes still wide. I suppressed my laughter. The fucker was getting a hard-on seeing the pretty omega in his clothing. She hadn’t noticed, but everyone else on the bus had. “I’m Beckett and this is Phin.” He gestured between them. “I know you’ve met Hendrix and Arlo.”

“We would have been even better acquainted if someone hadn’t disturbed us.” I pouted, crossing my arms.

Meadow’s face turned a delightful shade of pink at my words, her scent intensifying.

“Stop that,” Beckett scolded me, before turning back to Meadow and gesturing to the empty couch opposite me. “Why don’t you take a seat? I imagine we have a lot to discuss…”

Meadow nodded, going out of her way to take the path to the couch that avoided us the most. Beckett was an idiot for suggesting that sofa. My omega needed to be with me.

Standing up, I went to move toward her, intending to pull her into my arms. The conversations we needed to have could easily happen with her sitting in my lap.

Meadow’s eyes widened, and she scooched back. “No! You stay over there. We need to talk without you guys doing any of that mind-messing matey touchy stuff. It makes my brain turn to mush, and I don’t want that right now.”

My chest puffed up. I made her brain melty!

“Fiiine.” I drew out the word as I held my hands up in surrender, returning to my seat with a grin. I could have a grown-up conversation…for a few minutes.

Then all bets were off.

Phin sat down next to me, his eyes never leaving her. Beckett remained standing, hands on his hips like a disapproving mother.

“So…tell us a bit about yourself?” Beckett asked, his tone unsure.

What was one supposed to ask their omega whom they had never met but who was bonded into the pack?

Meadow groaned, resting her head in her hands. “This situation is so fucked.”

I agreed with her there, but I was happily along for the ride.

“It’s…unconventional,” Phin said. “I’m Phin, as Beck said. I’m the drummer. Out of all of us, I’m the most relaxed and clearly most handsome.” He beamed at Meadow, and it did the trick. She cracked a smile at him. “What do you do?”

“I’m a student…getting my master’s in journalism. I’ve only got one more year and I’m done.”

Smart girl.

“Are you from Seattle, or were you just there for the concert?” Phin asked. For a stoner, he really did ask all the important questions.

“I’ve lived there my whole life.”

I glanced over at Beckett, who was frowning slightly. Seattle was a long way from our home base in LA. Given the situation, living apart wasn’t exactly an option. If she had been feeling the distance anything like Hendrix was, staying away from her would be downright cruel.

“Where do you guys live?” she asked after we didn’t reply.

“LA,” Beckett admitted.

Her eyes widened as she nodded, probably calculating the miles in her head.

Would she be willing to abandon her studies, at least temporarily?

“And you guys have been a pack for how long?” she asked, her voice wobbling slightly.

“Years. We all grew up together, and we were a pack long before the idea of becoming a band was a thing,” I replied. “I mean, who can blame these fuckers for forming a pack with me? I’m fucking amazing!”

Meadow snorted but didn’t respond.

“How are you? I mean, with the baby and everything?” I asked, confirming for the others that we’d been right about the pregnancy.

“It hasn’t exactly been easy. The nausea has been brutal.”

Beckett headed over to the fridge for a moment and came back with one of the veggie trays that only he ever ate and a bottle of water. Placing them on the table next to her, he nodded toward the food, an invitation to eat.

Gingerly she picked up a stalk of celery and nibbled on it, her nose wrinkling. “Clover keeps making me eat veggies too.”

Beckett was probably resisting the urge to beat his chest with pride over the fact he provided our omega with food, even if she didn’t seem all that fond of it.

Alpha instincts were awesome. Feed omega, fuck omega, protect omega, and cuddle omega.

“The, uh…distance made all my symptoms worse,” Meadow added. “Hence, me coming here.”

Beckett cleared his throat. “So, the baby is Hendrix’s?”

Meadow stilled, turning to face him with fire in her eyes.

Oh, the fucker had just stepped in it.

It was a valid question, I supposed, but you couldn’t go questioning paternity with a pregnant, hormonal, cranky omega.

“Who else’s could it be?” Meadow asked in a tight voice laced with anger.

Beckett didn’t hesitate. “You could have already been pregnant with another alpha’s baby when you bonded Hendrix. How far along are you?”

I could have sworn I saw Meadow’s eye twitch before she grabbed the pot of ranch that came with the veggie tray and hurled it with impressive strength right at Beckett’s head.

“You really think I would be here if the baby wasn’t Hendrix’s?” she snarled, standing up and advancing on Beckett, who looked shell-shocked, even though the projectile missed him, making a mess on the wall of the tour bus.

“Well…I…I mean,” he stuttered, “it wouldn’t be the first time in history someone tried to pass off someone else’s baby for a celebrity’s.”

Meadow hissed. “Go fuck yourself, you absolute fucking ass!”

I strode over to her and picked her up from behind with ease—I loved hauling my sweet little spitfire omega around.

Life was fucking good.

“Come on, princess. Beckett is being an ass, I know, but let’s keep the maiming to a minimum, okay?” I nuzzled her hair. “I believe it’s Henny’s baby.”

She grumbled in my arms but made no move to break out of my grip as I sat down again, keeping her firmly in my lap. She could probably feel my boner through the shorts, but I didn’t care, and judging by the way her ass wiggled against me, neither did she.

“I’m sorry!” Beckett held his hands up in surrender. “I had to ask.”

“Even if it wasn’t his baby, which it is, it’s his fucking bond mark on my throat.” Meadow growled in my lap, and I hugged her closer to me, humming happily. “And I’m fifteen weeks along.”

“Have you seen a doctor?” Phin asked.

Meadow nodded. “Yeah. They recommended I find Hendrix, and I wasn’t too keen on the idea.”

“Why weren’t you keen?” I asked, kissing the top of her head.

“Because when I woke up, there was a random woman in the bed with us who wasn’t there when I fell asleep.”

“Oh, I remember her from the morning,” I told her. “I wonder if she broke into the bus. Hen’s definitely had more than one person in that bed with him before, but he’s never added someone out of nowhere, and we’ve definitely had groupies break into the bus before.”

“Certainly preferable to the alternative.” She sighed. “It’s all so shitty. One little mistake and I’m bonded to him!”

“He’s a good guy,” Beckett assured her.

“If it makes you feel better, I don’t think he’s touched another woman since you,” Phin added. “The bond has been fucking him up.”

Meadow nodded. “Okay…well, we have to get to know each other no matter what now. He’s been sick as well?”

“As a dog!” I declared happily. “His own fault! We’ve got so much catching up to do…”

She was sweet as a button. I wanted to keep her.

As she told us about the last few weeks, I listened intently, trying to commit every word she said to memory and learn as much about her as I could.

The tour bus door opened again after a while, and everyone turned to look at Hendrix as he ambled up the stairs into the bus. He was breathing deeply, like he had literally run from the VIP meet and greet. A strong cloud of sweat and scent followed him.

“There you guys are. What the fu—” He cut off when his eyes landed on Meadow. “Hey.”

She stared at him, eyes wide.

I wanted to snort with disbelief. Hendrix was finally meeting the omega he had banged, bonded, and made a baby with, and the most he could say was hey?

Meadow, on the other hand, looked nauseated.

“Why the fuck do you smell like other omegas?” she growled, jumping to her feet and leveling Hendrix with a glare.

“I…uh…” He opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to find the words and failing miserably.

I probably should have helped him, but what dumbass would come meet his bonded omega after having a bunch of women crawling all over him in the VIP room?

Chapter 17

Meadow

Wrong. Everything was so, so wrong. He was mine. My vision tinged black on the edges as I lost my grip on reality and lunged at him, taking us both to the floor, my fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt and yanking with all my strength.

“Get them off!” I hissed.

Tears flooded down my cheeks, and I knew it was irrational as hell, but I couldn’t stop them. He was covered in omega scents, and my brain kept screaming, That’s why he abandoned you. And he hadn’t. I was the one who ran out without leaving any contact information. I knew that, but the screaming in my head was so loud.

“Shit,” Hendrix whispered. “I’m sorry. So, so fucking sorry. I meant to shower before coming out, but I didn’t know you were on the bus, and I was just trying to get away before someone else needed something.”

He whipped his shirt off and tossed it away, but those scents had sunk down to his skin, which was an absolute no for my instincts. I growled, following the compulsion to lean forward and plaster myself against him, swiping my cheek over his jaw and anywhere else I could reach until enough of those scents had been covered with mine that I could draw breath again.

I sat up, my head spinning and my chest heaving, fingers digging into him while he lay frozen beneath me, staring at me with blown pupils and his cock tenting his pants between my thighs.

“You okay there, sweets?” Phineas asked. “Is it safe to approach?”

As the instinctual freakout receded, embarrassing clarity took its place. “Oh god. That was…”

“Hot as hell?” Arlo suggested.

Beckett passed me a bottle of water, and I took a few sips, still immobile above Hendrix, my body unwilling to move, and he seemed unwilling to make a peep, in case I threw myself at him again.

“I’m so sorry,” I eventually said to Hendrix, not quite able to make myself look at him.

“Don’t even worry about it,” Beckett replied for him. “Between the omega instincts, the pregnancy hormones, and Hendrix coming in smelling like a bunch of groupies, I’m surprised you didn’t bite the shit out of him. He’d have deserved it.”

“Need help up, princess?” Arlo asked. “Or would you rather sit on Henny for a while?”

I sucked back a pout and reached my arms out to him, letting Arlo and Phin get me back to my feet while Beckett offered a hand to Hendrix. Awkwardness swept over me, so strong I couldn’t even raise my eyes from the floor. My instincts had never driven me to do that before. Beckett was probably right—the combination of factors was simply more than I could handle—but that didn’t make me feel any better. Right mind or not, I had gone feral on my bond-mate baby daddy.

I curled myself against Arlo, burying my face against his chest, and his arm immediately came around my shoulders. “I hate this.”

His kiss on the top of my head relaxed me a little, but not enough to chance looking at Hendrix.

“Hen, go shower,” Beckett ordered. “I’ll grab you some fresh clothes.”

Arlo held me closer while Hendrix sidled past. It kept me from catching a whiff of any scents still stuck to him, but my shoulders were tight up against my ears, tension making my muscles burn. Arlo’s purr rumbled to life, and that sweet primal sound worked overtime to dissolve my anxiety.

“Want me to burn his shirt?” Phin asked.

I did, but it felt so silly to say that out loud.

“She got super tense again,” Arlo told him. “Torch that sucker.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Phin collect a lighter, a mini bottle of vodka, and Hendrix’s shirt from the floor before taking it outside to flambé it.

“This is so dumb,” I whined against Arlo’s chest.

“Not dumb if it makes you happy,” he insisted.

It didn’t exactly make me happy, but it did eliminate a source of stress, so that was close enough, I supposed.

Phin returned with a smile on his face. “You should drink more water. Stress is dehydrating.”

“I already have to pee a hundred times a day.”

“Well, let’s make it a hundred and one.”

I begrudgingly accepted the water and sipped at it. I didn’t make a single move away from Arlo, because even though it was weird to be snuggled up with a stranger I had very recently fucked, his scent was soothing, and it had the added benefit of me not having to look at anybody else.

“You’re so fucking cute right now,” Arlo told me. “Why don’t we sit down and wait for Hendrix?”

“Okay,” I said quietly. Arlo settled me on the couch and Phin sat on my other side, Beckett across from us.

“Would you like us to leave, so the two of you can talk for a while?” Beckett asked.

“Um, I don’t know how rational I’m going to be with him, so it’s probably best if you guys stick around.”

Beckett nodded. “Have you eaten recently? We could order something.”

“I could eat. Maybe some soup?”

“You don’t want something more substantial, princess?”

“Oh, I guess I could. I’m so used to accommodating the nausea, but that’s mostly gone right now.”

Arlo beamed at me.

“We can order soup as a backup,” Beckett told me. “What would you eat if you weren’t worried about nausea?”

“Kind of craving pineapple and fried rice, oh, and meatballs.”

“Do those even go together?” Beckett asked.

“Fuck yeah, they do,” Phin replied. “Find a Thai restaurant to order the beef fried rice with pineapple. Maybe have them take out the chilies, though.”

My phone buzzed and I checked the message.

CLOVER:

How’s it going?

Do you need backup?

MEADOW:

OK at the moment

Mostly

CLOVER:

MOSTLY???

MEADOW:

I’ll explain later, but I promise I’m fine

“Is that your scary friend?” Arlo asked.

“I wouldn’t call her scary, but since she’s the only person in my life you’ve ever met and it can’t be anyone else, yes, that’s her.”

“I like her. Even if she gave me the shovel talk equivalent just by looking at me.”

I barked a laugh. “That sounds like Clover.”

I froze when I heard the water turn off and a bunch of rustling around that led to Hendrix emerging with a towel wrapped around his waist, his golden hair in delicate waves that dripped down his chest, gliding over every defined ridge of his torso. Sweet mother…He looked just as edible as the last time I had been in this bus with him.

Arlo dipped his nose and inhaled deeply, brushing it along the column of my throat. “You’re perfuming, princess.”

The declaration probably would’ve immediately halted said perfuming out of embarrassment, if not for the fact that he groaned in my ear and nipped the lobe before sitting up again.

Every single one of them was staring at me like they wanted to eat me for a snack, and that only made the perfuming worse. “All of you, stop looking at me right now.”

They all adorably averted their gazes, and Hendrix disappeared briefly into the bedroom, returning fully dressed in black sweatpants and a matching tank top that showed off all the lean muscles in his arms.

“Is it safe for me to come closer?” Hendrix asked.

“No urge to pounce,” I promised.

He still moved carefully, settling down across from Arlo, Phin, and me. “Hi.” His voice was so fucking soft, such a far cry from the alpha I remembered taking me to bed.

“Hi,” I squeaked back.

“So,” Arlo piped up, “what the fuck do we do now?”

Chapter 18

Beckett

Meadow was gorgeous.

Hendrix had bonded with a beautiful omega, and given the few conversations we’d had, it seemed like she was quite intelligent as well.

Except Arlo had hit the nail on the head: What now?

“We can’t stop the tour, even if we wanted to,” Phin said. “We’ve got tons of staff members who rely on this tour to feed their families. We can’t screw them over by canceling.”

Some of our crew had been with us since we started out. The last thing any of us wanted was to put them in a bad situation. Hell, we spent more time with these people than we did our own families.

“No, we can’t,” Hendrix agreed.

“What’s your schedule like for the next few weeks?” Meadow asked, and then turned hopefully to Hendrix. “Could we spend a day or two together to make us feel a bit less crappy?”

“We could try,” he offered. “We’re in Minneapolis next. We have one show booked there, then Chicago for four nights and Boston for three.”

“Of course, they’re nowhere near Seattle,” Meadow lamented, looking off into the distance, deep in thought.

“We could fly you out if you wanted,” I suggested. “At least, until it’s not safe for you to fly anymore.”

“Can you come with us?” Hendrix asked.

Meadow was chewing on her lip, her sweet scent turning slightly sour as she thought. It wasn’t an ideal situation, having a mate who was busy with university and unable to accommodate our schedule. “I can ask my professors about taking my classes online for a few weeks, but I’ll have to be there for my final project.”

“You can come live on the bus with us!” Arlo beamed at her. “It’ll be an awesome long-term sleepover! You can have the bedroom. Won’t that be amazing, princess?”

“I mean…sure, but I’ll need to go home first. I didn’t bring much of anything with me.”

“You don’t need anything. We can buy whatever you need,” Hendrix insisted. “We have money. It’s the least we can do.”

Instead of jumping on the offer, like I would expect most women to, she frowned at him. “I would much rather have my own things, my own nesting supplies. Thanks to the little nugget I’m growing, I’ve become even more attached to my creature comforts.”

“We can hire someone to go get your things,” I offered, desperately trying to figure out a way for her to get her things without leaving us and fucking over Hendrix’s health. He was already looking so much better with her around. If the pair of them separated again so quickly, it could be a nightmare.

“No!” she rushed to say. “I appreciate the thought, but the idea of anyone else handling my things makes me want to hurl.” She shuddered. “If I had strangers touching my nest, I’d have to burn my stuff, and I love my nest.”

Ah. Yeah. We would need to facilitate her nesting.

I was fairly certain that the nesting instinct got worse during pregnancy as well. “We’ll do everything we can to deep clean the bedroom, so you can use it as a nest.”

Phin laughed. “Should probably burn that whole mattress and the sheets.”

“But we christened those!” Arlo whined.

“Yeah, and probably two dozen other women got christened on them too. I can’t have them near my nest.” Meadow hummed. “I would probably need some extra pillows to fill in the space so the bedroom feels cozier. The pregnancy has made me hate open spaces, and I’ve basically constructed myself a blanket fort between the bed and the wall.”

We could do that.

“Is a tour bus really the best place to have a nest?” Phin asked. “We’ll be in a different city every week. Is that too much disruption?”

“I think it should be okay?” Meadow replied. “The bus is the one constant in all of that, and as long as the nest is perfect, I should be fine. Obviously, I would prefer to stay home, but I can’t be apart from Hendrix without feeling like something a cat threw up. And I refuse to be the reason that a bunch of people lose their jobs because you guys changed the tour.”

“That means you’re staying with us, then,” Arlo declared happily, sweeping Meadow up into a hug.

“Are we sure Gary won’t throw a fit at her being here?” I asked. “Not that I care about his opinions, but I just want us to be ready if that’s going to be the case.”

Hendrix shook his head. “Gary won’t say a word. I’ll make sure of it.”

I nodded, hoping like hell he was right. The last thing we needed was Gary upsetting Meadow. Then again, with Meadow around, Hendrix would have a little extra pep in his step, and he could hopefully rely on that instead of drugs.

Mentally, I started making a list of everything we would need to keep Meadow on the bus. The Internet offered some very helpful articles on the comfort of pregnant omegas.

“Do we have time to go get her stuff?” Phin asked. “The tour bus leaves tonight for the next stop.”

I thought for a moment, running a few calculations in my mind.

“We can all go. If we pay our backup driver to come with us too so they can switch off, we should be able to make it in time for the next show.”

“I have to go with Clover,” said Meadow. “She drove me all the way here. We could meet you in Seattle? We can move a bit quicker in the car than a bus can, and by the time you arrive, I should have everything I need packed.”

“That takes you away from Hendrix, though,” I pointed out. “He looks healthy for the first time in ages. Could he go with you, and we could follow in the bus?”

“Yeah, that should work. I’ll double-check with Clover.” Meadow yawned. “Okay, if we’re doing this, we need to do it in the morning because it’s getting late. Clo and I can get a cheap hotel for the night. We saw one on the way in.”

All four alphas in the room raised their eyebrows in perfect sync. “Absolutely not.”

I had a feeling I knew which hotel she was talking about, and it was far from a decent place to stay. It was one of those rundown, roadside hotels that was probably infested with bed bugs and roaches. There was no way in hell we were going to allow our omega to stay there.

Meadow glared at me. “Since when do you get to decide where I stay?”

“Let us get you two a hotel room for the night,” I said, pulling out my phone and finding the website for a local five-star hotel. “It’s the least we can do, and we want you safe.”

Our girl would be sleeping in style.

Chapter 19

Meadow

“Meadow Marie Reed!” Clover hissed. “Are you fucking serious? I can’t have a rock star in my car. It hasn’t been cleaned since I bought it.”

“I don’t think he’s going to care.”

“But I care. It’s bad enough you got bonded and knocked up by my celebrity crush, but now I have to be in a car with him for twelve hours? This is cruel.”

“We can both be in hell together,” I said with a laugh. “I’m the one stuck with a one-night stand turned baby daddy and bond mate.”

Clover let out a huff. “Do you think he’ll spring for road trip snacks? We could get actual name-brand shit.”

That was a perk I hadn’t thought of. “Let me ask. I guess it’s not like he can really go into a grocery store and get stuff himself, so we need to pick things up before we leave.”

Clover nodded sagely. “Can’t leave him in the car while we go in. Not allowed with dogs, babies, or rock stars.”

MEADOW:

What should we do for road trip snacks?

HENDRIX:

Give me a list of anything you want, and I’ll have the team pick it up

Clover snatched the phone out of my hands and typed back an exorbitant list.

HENDRIX:

I forwarded it

Are you and your friend picking me up from the hotel, or should I arrange a ride to you?

MEADOW:

We’ll come get you

Clover and I took turns packing and showering, trying to make ourselves presentable, even though we were going to be sweaty travel goblins by the end of the trip, anyway. I blow-dried my hair while Clover sang her heart out in the shower, and I changed into comfy leggings, slip-on shoes, and a slouchy boat-neck top.

After we checked out, we went straight to the hotel where Hard Knot Life was staying. Anxiety grew the closer we got, and we had to maneuver through a sea of paparazzi. Luckily, they had no idea who we were, and unluckily, neither did the hotel staff, who tried to push us out of the lobby almost as soon as we entered.

“Hey!” Hendrix’s voice snapped through the air, and the hotel staff paused, turning to him. “They’re with us. Let them in.”

He trotted over, looking like a snack in dark jeans and a snug black tee, but paused awkwardly in front of me, like he wasn’t quite sure what to do. Arlo didn’t have the same issue, sprinting across the lobby to scoop me up in a spinning hug.

“Hey there, princess. Any room on that road trip for me? Hardly fair that Hendrix gets to hog you.”

Clover looked like she was about to faint at the suggestion.

“Clover’s car is little,” I explained. “We were already pretty squished with just the two of us. Hendrix is going to be a sardine in the back seat.”

Arlo pouted. “I guess that’s fair. We’ll see you soon in Seattle, though.”

Heat rolled through me. How the fuck was this my life? “Yep,” I squeaked out.

“Don’t have too much fun without me.” He drew me into a kiss that had my toes curling, and Hendrix strategically moved in front of us to block the view from the paparazzi before smacking Arlo in the arm.

“Do you want the paps to be up her ass? Don’t kiss her when anyone can see.”

“Sorry.” Arlo had the grace to look sheepish.

Beckett and Phineas joined us, and Clover got that much closer to actually fainting.

“Bring the vehicle to the underground parking garage.” Beckett handed Clover a hotel parking pass. “This will get you in and out. Make sure Hendrix ducks down when you’re leaving.”

“On it.” Clover took the pass from him and disappeared back outside, leaving me alone with the band.

“You’re absolutely sure we can’t fly you back to Seattle and hire a car to pick you up from the airport?” Beckett asked.

“I’m sure. Clover drove all this way with me, and it would be a dick move if I made her do that whole drive back alone.”

Beckett pursed his lips. “All right, but please check in. And you—” He turned to Hendrix. “—behave.”

“I’m insulted you think I wouldn’t.”

Phin snorted, covering his laugh with his hand.

“I’ll be fine for as long as it takes you all to get to Seattle. Calm down, Daddy Beckett.”

Phin and Arlo laughed, but Beckett only frowned.

“I’ll keep an eye on him,” I promised.

Beckett sighed and stepped forward, cupping the back of my head to draw me in so he could kiss my forehead. “Be safe.”

I clamped my lips together to stop a little whine from sneaking out. Apparently I was a sucker for gentle affection. “I will. Clover is a little wild, but she’s a great driver.”

Phin kissed my cheek, and they all hugged Hendrix before ushering us away to meet Clover in the underground parking lot. One of their staffers met us, loading one bag of dry snacks and a cooler of drinks and healthy alternatives, as well as a stockpile of sunscreen, spare phone chargers, and a tablet with one of those fancy little sticks that let you have Internet everywhere.

Once Hendrix was crammed into the back seat and I was buckled in, we set off. Hendrix burrowed under a blanket as we left the hotel, and once we hit the edge of Salt Lake City and the end of potential red lights, he whipped off the blanket and his shoes, getting as comfortable as he could with the limited space.

“Are you okay back there?” Clover asked.

“It reminds me of the old days. We had about this much room, maybe a bit less, when we were starting out.” He let out a happy sigh. “Honestly, I’m fine with anything as long as Meadow is nearby.”

Those words had my perfume erupting, and Clover gave me a sidelong glance. Hendrix’s own scent bloomed in response.

“Okay, you two are going to have to get a handle on that, or I’m going to suffocate on this trip,” Clover admonished with a little smile. She used her driver buttons to open up all the windows a crack, but that only made Hendrix lean closer, resting his forearms on the back of my seat, his chin on his elbow.

“Sorry,” he said quietly. “New to the whole bond mate thing.”

I shifted in my seat, his presence at my back making all of my little hairs stand at attention.

“Okay, it’s time for Clover asks invasive questions to kill the mood.” She beamed at us. “Apollo, wh—”

“Hendrix,” he interrupted. “Only fans call me Apollo. You’re basically family in a roundabout way now, so it feels weird.”

Clover danced in her seat. “Okay, Hendrix, what’s your most embarrassing childhood moment?”

“Probably the time Arlo dyed a bucket of water yellow and dumped it in the pool behind me when I wasn’t paying attention. My friends called me Pee Pool Henny for two years after that.”

Clover let out a cackle. “Incredible. Your turn, Meads.”

“Oh god. Okay, in sixth grade, I had a wicked crush on our teacher, and he had a policy that if anyone was caught passing notes, they would be read at the front of the class. One of my frenemies wrote a note asking if I was still planning on asking him to marry me and to tell her what he said. She made this big dramatic show of trying to pass it to me, which of course, caught his attention. I think he might’ve been just as embarrassed as I was that day.”

Clover had heard the story before, but she laughed anyway, and Hendrix did too.

“On the bright side, he did get rid of his reading-notes-out-loud policy.”

A lot of the trip was like that, with all of us speedrunning getting to know each other. Sometimes Hendrix was hesitant to share, and then one of us went first to coax it out of him. We played driving games and stopped for drive-thru meals, where Hendrix had to hide and I had to dash inside to pee. By the halfway point, when he was finally relaxing, Clover took a chance and put on some Hard Knot Life songs.

I didn’t know any of the lyrics, but hearing his voice echo behind me as he sang along had goose bumps dancing across my skin.

“I don’t know why I’m surprised that you actually sound that good in person,” Clover said when the song finished.

“I’ve gotten better.” His cheeks were hot pink. “Took a lot of training.”

I turned in my seat to look at him when there was nothing but highway in front of us. “I assume the answer is yes, since you’re still doing it, but do you actually like being a rock star? It seems both fun and really stressful.”

Hendrix lapsed into silence for a few seconds before sighing. “I like most of it. The guys are the best part, and seeing the fans happy never gets old.”

I ruminated on his answer. There was a lot of good that could come from money and fame, but I knew it wasn’t all sunshine and roses.

“So, what made you pick Meadow?” Clover asked and Hendrix froze. “Don’t get me wrong, I love the shit out of her, and she’s gorgeous, but I know for a fact she only came to that concert because of me.”

I whacked her shoulder.

“I’m just curious. Wouldn’t it be easier to date someone in the industry, or at the very least, someone who likes your music?”

Hendrix let out a bitter laugh. “You would think that, but no. Honestly…I think the fact that she didn’t like us made me want her. And granted, I don’t remember much about that night, but I do know if I don’t have someone’s approval, I get a little desperate to earn it. Which, now that I think about it, made this career choice a terrible idea.”

“Oh god, yeah,” Clover agreed. “I feel like being famous is the epitome of can’t please everyone.”

“It is.”

“I’m still a little offended you don’t remember me,” I confessed.

“I would be, too, in your shoes,” Hendrix replied. “I watched the security footage outside the VIP room a million times, trying to jog my memory. I’m pretty sure if you had gotten excited when we met, I wouldn’t have thought twice about you, and no offense, because I agree with Clover, but that’s the response I get from everyone at these shows. You being there and not giving a shit made you stand out.”

“So, the secret to finding a rock-star boyfriend is to find one I know absolutely nothing about?” Clover asked.

“She’s kidding,” I insisted, worried he might think Clover was some sort of star stalker, desperate to date one. “She’s just trying to be funny.”

“She’s not really wrong, though. A lot of companies won’t even let you apply to work for them if you indicate that you’re a fan in any way. A lot of people who get on become fans, but I think most places are pretty wary of anyone starting out that way, with all the stalking issues and info leaks.”

“Oh shit,” Clover said. “That makes so much sense. I promise I’m not a stalker. I might know a lot about you guys, but I am one hundred percent Team Meadow.”

“Me too.” He said it so quietly, I almost didn’t hear it.

In that moment, I didn’t care that he didn’t have a choice but to be on Team Meadow. That nearly silent sentiment, expressed like he was afraid to acknowledge it, untangled one of the many knots of anxiety that had taken up permanent residence in my chest. I didn’t know any of the band, but I had already mentally committed to giving us a chance. Even outside of needing proximity to Hendrix to not feel like absolute shit, I was curious about all of them as people, eager to learn what kind of partners and parents they could be if things went permanently down that route.

It was a life full of complications, but when Hendrix reached between the seats for my hand, the tenderness unraveling another anxiety knot, I couldn’t help but think that all of the chaos might be worth it one day.

Chapter 20

Phineas

July, Salt Lake City to Seattle

“Are you fucking serious?”

Arlo stuck his head out of the window of the absolutely massive double-decker RV. “Of course I’m serious. We need it.”

“We already have a bus,” Beckett said with a sigh.

“Meadow deserves a proper nest on the road. You know we couldn’t get all of the scents out of the bedroom.”

“Let me in.” I kicked the door, and Arlo hit a button that had it whooshing open. The inside was immaculate, with a full kitchen and living space and bunks twice the size we were used to. I sprinted up the stairs and found a bed big enough for all five of us to sleep comfortably.

Arlo appeared behind me. “Check out what I had them add.” He pushed a button on the wall, and the middle portion whirred, a machine pulling the sheets forward in that section.

“What’s it for?”

“So Meadow doesn’t get stuck when she’s super full of baby. There’s a remote too. There’s a slide-y underlayer that’s also waterproof. All she has to do is get in the middle, and it’ll pull her to the end so she can stand up. ”

“Shit.” I laughed. “That’s fucking brilliant.”

Arlo grinned. “I know.”

“How did you even find this on such short notice?”

“The snowbirds made it easy. All those old people coming down south to spend winters where it’s warm meant there was a lot to choose from. The winch works for them, too, so it was perfect and in stock.”

“I love it. I bet Meadow is going to need a lot of nesting stuff to fill in the space. We should message Hen and get him to have her put in an order we can pick up tomorrow.”

“Not to be a downer,” said Beckett, “but how are we going to hide all of this from Gary?”

Arlo squinted. “Okay, brain wave. I drove this thing here, so I could drive it to Seattle. We could have our regular driver take our old bus to Minneapolis. Gary doesn’t need to know we’re not on it.”

“Counterpoint,” I said, “it’s, like, an all-day drive from Seattle to Minneapolis. You can’t drive that entire route.”

Beckett nodded. “It’s eighteen hours from here to Minneapolis. The drivers are going to have to trade off. We can’t take them with us.”

“Okay,” said Arlo. “Double counterpoint, there’s a lot of highway between us and our destinations. I can do all the city stuff, you guys can trade off driving on the interstates, and just pull over before you get to anything complicated.”

I raised one eyebrow at him. “You want us to drive this gigantic fucking death machine with our pregnant omega on board?”

“Let me reach out to some of our Seattle contacts,” said Beckett. “They probably have someone who can help us.”

Arlo pouted. “It’s not scary driving in basically a straight line. If it comes down to it, I will sit on a lap and be a copilot. Come on, if people so old they shouldn’t be on the road anymore can learn to drive these things, so can you guys. It’s not like they have a training course for RVs.”

“I’m pretty sure they do,” replied Beckett. “Just not that we can take advantage of in time.”

I sighed. Usually on these long trips, I would take a couple of edibles and chill as long as I could. If I was going to have to drive, I couldn’t do that. Though, now that I thought about it, I should probably spend a little extra time totally sober in case Meadow needed me. Not that I expected her to, with Hendrix being her bond mate, Arlo already having shared her bed, and Beckett being the most practical of us. I was probably the last of the four of us she would turn to for anything, but I wanted to be ready in case she did.

Even being hypothetically needed had my dormant alpha instincts waking up. A mate and baby. In a few short months, life was going to look very different. While I anticipated it being a good different, we wouldn’t know for sure until it happened.

“I will give you one hour of test drive,” I told Arlo. “If I don’t feel confident in my abilities at that point, I’m going to side with Beckett on hiring someone. We’ll have to keep moving the entire time if we’re going to make it to Minneapolis early enough before the show that Gary won’t tan all of our hides.”

Arlo grinned at me. “I am an excellent teacher. Go grab what you need from the old bus, and let’s get on the road.”

We all scrambled to collect our essentials, and then Arlo was navigating us out of Salt Lake City and onto the interstate. He wasn’t a bad driver, by any means, but it was still nerve-racking as hell to be sitting up front, watching him drive this behemoth. After about an hour, he pulled over and we traded spots.

“You’ve totally got this. It’s just like the moving truck after you got your license.”

Oh god. “I backed into a sign with that.”

“No signs to back into here. It’s basically a straight line down I-84 for hours. I’ll be right here.”

“If we die, I’m so going to haunt your ass.”

Arlo only laughed and buckled himself in while Beckett appeared to be praying behind us.

“You’re so fucking funny, Becks,” I growled.

“Please don’t kill us.”

“O ye of little faith,” Arlo said with a laugh. “Phin is going to do great.”

I actually did, to everyone’s surprise. Arlo might be a chaos goblin, but he wanted us all to get there safely, and he was a ruthless dictator with navigating. Every little bend in the road was accounted for well in advance so I was prepared. He fed me snacks, held my water bottle for me to sip, and chattered away to keep me focused and relaxed.

“You’re doing fucking awesome,” Arlo praised. “That’s, like, five hours down. We’ll be coming up on Boise city limits in about twenty minutes. If you want to pull over whenever you feel safe to do so, we can swap. I’ll get us through, and then Beckett is gonna take a turn.”

“God help us all,” Beckett muttered.

“You’ll be just fine,” Arlo promised him. “The second you feel unsafe, I’ll take over.”

Beckett was a nervous wreck when it came to his turn, and even though he had a white-knuckle grip for the two hours he drove, he didn’t make a peep of complaint.

By the time we finally got close to Seattle, Arlo was rocking out while he drove, Beckett was passed out for a nap, and I was stuffing my face with fruit snacks. We hadn’t wanted to risk stopping, so we relied exclusively on what we had brought over from the old bus, which wasn’t much. I messaged Hendrix.

PHIN:

Order us some road snacks

We’re going to be cleared out by the time we get there

HEN:

On it

PHIN:

How was your road trip?

By my calculations, he, Meadow, and Clover had been in Seattle for at least a couple of hours already, unless they had made significant stops.

HEN:

Pretty good??

I think…

She didn’t hit me when I held her hand, so I’m taking it as a win

I snorted. Compared to how she’d reacted before, that was definitely a win.

PHIN:

Feeling better being that close?

HEN:

YES

HOLY SHIT

I forgot what it feels like to not want to hurl my guts out

“Meadow is working her magic on Hen,” I told the others.

“Sexually, or…?” Arlo asked with a smirk.

“Medicinally,” I clarified. “Thank fucking god being around her is making him feel better.”

“Hard agree,” Beckett replied. “I’m glad the fix is this simple and he’s not actually dying.”

“Not going to lie,” Arlo said, “being around her made me feel pretty fucking awesome too. Is that some kind of omega witchcraft?”

Beckett shrugged. “It would make sense we’d all get a boost being around her if she’s a scent match. Nothing like Hendrix having the bond, though.”

“I am about ready to handcuff the two of them together if it means he can get high off a bond mate instead of whatever the fuck he’s taking.” I stretched out on my seat, lacing my fingers together over my chest, tapping my thumbs as I considered. His mysterious illness might be taken care of, but his drug problem wasn’t, at least not yet. If nothing else, Meadow might be able to help us keep Hendrix well enough until the end of the tour when we could send him to rehab.

We had brought it up in passing countless times, but that was before an omega and a baby were in the picture. Surely he’d want to be sober when there was a newborn?

Shit. What were we going to do with a newborn in this career? Meadow was only halfway through her master’s degree, and she wasn’t going to want to follow us around forever. The likelihood of her wanting to move to LA was also probably pretty slim, not that we had discussed that with her yet.

“Should we buy a house in Seattle?”

“Isn’t that jumping the gun a little bit?” Beckett asked.

Arlo barked out a laugh. “Beck, she’s knocked up and bonded. I think the gun was jumped a while ago.”

“I guess that’s fair.” He tapped away on his tablet. “Seattle has some pretty nice real estate. I prefer sun, but that’s a small sacrifice to make.”

“I don’t know if this has escaped you,” I said with a roll of my eyes, “but we can afford more than one house. Plus, the flight is only a couple hours, isn’t it?”

“A bit under three,” replied Beckett. “Pretty doable.”

“I think we’re getting close,” said Arlo.

“Fucking finally.” I switched over to the passenger seat, buckling myself in. “Let’s go get our omega.”

Chapter 21

Meadow

July, Seattle to Minneapolis

There was a sadness to packing my things. I loved my home nest, but it was for the best. I didn’t have boxes or plastic bins to put my nesting materials in, so I had to make do with trash bags and old luggage.

“Here, let me take that,” Hendrix said, taking a small purple suitcase full of blankets out of my hand.

“How far away are the others?” I asked. They had left an hour after we did, and I had been packing for almost two hours, so they should have arrived already.

“According to my location app, they’re only a few minutes away,” he said, checking his phone.

“You track everyone’s location? Aren’t you always together?”

“Most of the time, but we like to keep tabs on each other for safety. Can we add you to the group?”

“Uh, sure, if you want to.”

“I don’t like the idea of letting you out of my sight anytime soon, but I know I can’t keep you around every second of the day.” His smile was small and tentative, a lingering sweetness I hadn’t expected from him. I passed over my phone, watching as he got everything set up and added me to their location group.

“Maybe not every second—” I stuck my tongue out. “—but I’ll be around for most. You’re not the only one who doesn’t want to trigger the bonding sickness again. How long do you think this will last?”

“Beck did a bunch of research on it, and it sounds like, as long as we stick close until the baby is born, it should settle down. The pregnancy makes it a million times worse, apparently. It’s not ideal,” he said with a sigh. “I’m sorry I couldn’t find you sooner so this could’ve ended before we hit the point of wanting to hurl our guts out constantly from being apart.”

I groaned. “Avoiding it would’ve been great. I should’ve tried a bit harder to get in contact, but it was all so fucking weird and I didn’t know what to do.”

Hendrix put the suitcase down on my bed and pulled me into a hug. I breathed in his woodsmoke and citrus scent, letting it loosen the knots of tension in my shoulders. It was genuinely unfair how perfect being in his arms felt, when I knew absolutely nothing about our lifestyles was remotely compatible.

“We’ll make this work,” he promised, kissing the top of my head lightly as I melted into the embrace, nuzzling his chest.

We stayed there for a moment, simply enjoying the feel of being in each other’s arms. The world had felt off balance for weeks, and it was finally right again, even if it would only last a short time.

“As much as I want to stay here, I think we’d better get moving.” I sighed. “It’s time for me to become a tour girl.”

Hendrix smiled that stupidly perfect smile down at me. “Best tour girl ever. I’ll take this outside to meet the guys.” The look he gave me as he made his way out of the room was so full of longing it made my breath catch.

Turning back to what was left of my nest, I rested my hands on my hip and started plotting. I didn’t have that many bags, so I couldn’t pack everything and needed to be somewhat frugal in my choices.

I was deliberating whether I wanted to bring the lavender throw pillows I’d bought last month when Hendrix came back into the room, eyes wide.

“What’s wrong?”

“So, the guys are here, and it seems they brought the tour bus to us.”

“I thought they were coming in cars?”

Hendrix nodded. “I thought so, too, but a giant, two-level tour bus I’ve never seen before just pulled up outside, and Arlo is driving it.”

I burst into laughter. “This, I have to see.”

I grabbed Hendrix’s hand as I swept past him and led him out of my place to the sidewalk outside where, sure enough, a gargantuan RV was parked with Arlo waving excitedly at the sight of me.

Beckett and Phineas tumbled out the door when it opened, Arlo bounding after them to pull me in for a bruising kiss.

“What’s this?”

“Our new home! At least, for now. Do you like it? It’s got an awesome nesting space.”

“What happened to our old tour bus?” Hendrix asked. “That thing was less than a year old.”

“There was no way we could clean it well enough. Too many lingering scents, so I decided it was easier to get something new. Burn it down!”

“You didn’t actually burn the old tour bus, did you?”

Arlo pouted. “No, we sent it ahead to Minneapolis so Gary wouldn’t notice we were missing.”

“This way, you can get all your things straight into your new nest,” Beckett said. “We don’t have much time if we’re going to make it to Minneapolis in time for the show. I don’t want to rush you, but…”

“No, it makes sense. The tour schedule is tight. Can you guys help me strip the nest? We can throw everything in the new nest, and I can organize it while we’re on the road.”

Arlo nuzzled my hair. “Sounds like a plan!”

It was amazing how quickly most of my worldly possessions could be moved when six pairs of hands were on the job.

I strictly handled the underwear myself, despite Arlo’s best efforts to “help,” and Clover stocked the mini fridge and cabinets with all of the food Hendrix had ordered earlier so we wouldn’t starve on the road.

“Now, make sure you text me every day,” Clover insisted as she hugged me goodbye on the sidewalk outside the dorms. “If I don’t hear from you for twenty-four hours, I will send out a search party, okay?”

“I will. I promise!”

“I’m going to be worrying about you and my little niece in there.”

“Or nephew.”

“But girls are so much better than boys,” she pouted, a smile in her eyes. “You can’t be eternally outnumbered by dicks!”

I snorted. Pack life in general usually meant there was an excess of testosterone around.

Clover pulled back, turning to Arlo with a sickening smile. “Remember our talk? It still applies.”

Arlo nodded, a shit-eating grin on his face. “I’ll keep our girl safe! I promise you.”

“Don’t you forget it!” Clover gave me an extra-tight squeeze and kissed my cheek. “Don’t let those boys push you around. And let me know when and where you want me to fly out to, so we can hang if you get lonely.”

“Come on,” Beckett said softly. “We have thirty-six hours of driving ahead of us, at least.”

Arlo went in first, settling into the driver’s seat. “Everyone, buckle up. I’ll get us as far as Missoula, and then we’ll have flat enough road that the rest of you can handle it. No stops until then, except for gas, but we’ve got road trip snacks and an onboard bathroom. Let’s rock!”

I waved goodbye to Clover as we pulled away. Arlo had insisted I sit up front with him until we were at least out of Seattle, and the others were buckled in behind us. The guys didn’t give me time to dwell on the sadness of leaving my best friend. Arlo made me give them a tour of my home city on the way out of town while there was still daylight. It was a shame it would be dark through the mountains, but it couldn’t be helped.

They played my favorite music without having to ask what it was, and when I raised my eyebrow in question, Phin told me, “Hen sent us the songs you put on during your road trip, and we downloaded all the albums.”

“That’s surprisingly sweet.”

Hendrix shrugged, his cheeks flushed. “It’s a long drive. I wanted you to enjoy yourself.”

“Thank you.”

“Do you want to organize the nest?” he asked. “I could come help?”

I chewed on my lip for a moment. “I think I want to do this alone. Is that okay?”

“Of course it is, sweets.” Phin gave me an easy smile. “We should get some rest, anyway, so we can take over for Arlo with the driving.”

I went up to the nest, relieved that it looked perfect to snuggle into and everything smelled brand new. There were no lingering scents, which meant that once I started assembling my nest, the only scents would be my own, my new pack members’, and a hint of Clover’s to remind me of home.

Left to my own devices, I quickly started rearranging all the blankets and pillows I had brought with me. The nesting space was larger than what I had back in the dormitory, so it felt a bit sparser than I was used to. My preference was to have at least ten inches of various squishy items to cushion me when I jumped into the pile.

Maybe they’d take me to buy more nesting materials…

As I arranged and rearranged the items, making a perfect little semicircle space to nestle into, I became lost in my own world where time was irrelevant. The pack scents slowly drifted up to the nest as the hours passed and I drifted in and out of sleep, curled up around my pillows.

I woke to woodsmoke and citrus, and Hendrix tapping my ankle. “Hey, dream girl.”

I raised a questioning eyebrow. “Dream girl?”

“I mean, that’s kind of what you are. Disappeared when I woke up, half remembered, no matter how much you want to recall it.”

“I’m sorry I bailed,” I muttered. “The random beta woman freaked me out.”

“I don’t blame you for running off.” Hendrix sighed. “It was fucked all around. I only have multiple people in my bed if they all agree to be there from the start. I wouldn’t add someone after the fact, I swear.”

Climbing across the nest, I pressed my hand to his mouth. “I don’t ever want to hear about anyone else you’ve had in your bed, even in passing. So, shush. I believe you, it’s over with, and we’re both here now.”

Relief shone in his eyes, and he tugged my hand down. “We’re going to stop to pick up some real dinner. Are burgers okay for you? If that doesn’t sound good, we can get something else. There’s just not many options this late.”

Before I could answer, my stomach growled. I hadn’t eaten much all day, other than snacks. “Burgers sound perfect.”

“What’s your order?”

“Double bacon cheeseburger with extra pickles, fries, strawberry shake, and a cola, too, please.”

“Big appetite. Good, you’re growing a whole-ass human.” He smiled and added everything to the order on his phone. “Okay, submitted. We’ll have some real food for you in about ten minutes. How are you liking the nest?”

“Good enough to sleep in,” I replied, “but I definitely need to get some more things to fill it out.”

“We have a couple of days off when we’re in Massachusetts. I’ll take you shopping, if you want. Or you can order online and have it shipped to the venue for pickup.”

“That sounds perfect, thank you.”

His smile would’ve taken me out at the knees if I weren’t already sitting down. “Your nest is looking great, even if you think it needs some extra plush.”

My entire body tingled with that praise. An alpha complimenting an omega on the state of her nest was almost pornographic in a way. At least, that was how my body was reacting to it.

Stupid pregnancy hormones.

Hendrix helped me up and got me to the main level of the RV, ensuring I was safely buckled in before putting on his own seat belt.

Arlo carefully navigated us into a nearly empty lot and groaned when he could finally stand. “One of you, come with me. It’s too much for just me to carry.”

“I’ll go,” said Beckett, leaving me with Phin and Hendrix.

I shot Phin a smile. “How are you guys finding the new tour bus?”

“I like it,” Phin declared. “The bunks are way better than in the last one.”

“I’m glad. You guys should be comfortable when you travel so much.”

Hendrix snorted. “When we first started out, we only had a van, and it was a nightmare. We were two to a bunk. I got free chiropractic every night from Phin shoving his fucking knee into my spine, but we were just so happy to be touring that we didn’t complain.”

Phin grimaced. “Those were interesting days. We would go up to a week without a shower, and with four young alphas, the van reeked.”

I wrinkled my nose at that idea.

“You don’t have to worry, though, dream girl.” Hendrix laughed. “This place is fitted out with a fully working shower, and we shower a lot more often. No ripe alphas in your vicinity.”

Considering how I reacted to their scents normally, I could only imagine what my body would do if they were even more potent. Sweaty bond-mate alpha would probably be an aphrodisiac to me.

I had no intention of finding out if that was the case.

The tour bus door opened and Arlo skipped in, Beckett trailing behind them, both of them carrying brown take-out bags and cupholders laden with drinks.

My mouth watered at the smell of greasy, delicious burgers and fries.

“We have food!” Arlo declared, placing the bags on the kitchenette counter. He took his sweet time pulling items out, and I was seconds away from snapping at him to hurry up when he passed me a foil-wrapped burger.

The pregnancy hangries were no joke.

I dove right in like a feral raccoon who hadn’t eaten in weeks, not waiting an extra second for the others to get started, and moaned at the first bite of greasy deliciousness.

“Princess, you can’t be moaning like that and expect me to leave you alone.” Arlo chuckled, a fry halfway to his mouth.

My face heated, and I avoided his gaze, embarrassed.

“Ignore the dumbass.” Hendrix growled at his—our—pack mate.

“Let’s change the subject,” Beckett said, piercing the lid of his drink with a straw and taking a deep swig. “Meadow, let me know what sort of healthy snacks you like. The fridge won’t stay stocked for long, so if there’s anything you end up disliking or want to add, let me know…We don’t have any ranch, though.”

I snorted. Was the lack of ranch intentional? “Add the ranch.” I smirked around a mouthful of cheeseburger. “It’s one of my favorites.”

His cheeks reddened, and he bit his lip, shaking his head ever so slightly.

“I promise I won’t throw it at you if you promise not to do anything to deserve it.”

“Why would she throw it at you?” Hendrix asked with a frown.

Beckett sighed. “I was an ass. She acted accordingly.”

Dinner passed with ease. It was late, and we could only stop for a short while before getting on the road again, Phin offering to take the next driving shift.

“I can’t wait until we can show you our real home,” Arlo said, crumpling up his burger wrapper.

“We have a tour break in a few weeks. We could go home, or maybe back to Seattle, if that’s what you want?” Phin asked.

It would be nice to see Clover, but then again, I was curious about the life these alphas led when they weren’t on tour. We were going to have a baby sooner rather than later, and seeing their daily life felt important.

Would the baby and I live with them in LA? I imagined an omega and newborn would probably put a dampener on their rock-star lifestyle.

Then again, they seemed eager for me to be part of their lives. Getting a new tour bus that wouldn’t offend my hypersensitive pregnant omega nose had been a sweet, and probably costly, gesture.

Phin took his spot in the driver’s seat and we set off.

“Wake me up as soon as you start getting tired, and I’ll take over, okay?” Beckett said, stretching his arms overhead. “I’ll grab a few hours of sleep now.”

“I’ll be up for a bit longer, so I can keep Phin company,” Hendrix said.

With a yawn, I stood up, rubbing my eyes. “I should also sleep. Something more substantial than a nap, anyway. Are you going to want me to drive?”

“No driving for you,” Arlo replied. “At least, not until it’s daylight and I’m awake enough to co-pilot while you get comfortable.”

“Fair enough,” I said with a nod.

“Good night.” Beckett yawned and disappeared in the direction of the bunks.

I ventured back up to my nest to change into a simple shirt and shorts sleep set before taking over the bathroom for my nightly routine. While I was throwing my hair into a loose braid to avoid it getting tangled throughout the night, the bus started moving under me, a gentle, constant sway that only made me sleepier.

When I finished, I waved to Hendrix before ascending the stairs and clambering into my nest. My nest space was dimly lit by a small lamp built into the wall. Nestling into the blankets, I lay on my side, one of the soft, fluffy cushions clutched in my arms. I was skirting the edge of sleep when I felt the mattress under me give way as someone entered the nest. Apple cider hit my nose as Arlo slid behind me, his arm wrapping around my midsection. Grumbling, I went to turn over, but the arm around me tightened, his body molding against my back.

“Sleep, princess,” he whispered sleepily. “If you’re good, I’ll wake you up with my tongue.”

Desire curled through me. “I wouldn’t be opposed to that,” I admitted in a sleepy mumble, just as my exhaustion started to take over, pulling me under. Even in my half-asleep state, I could feel his hardness pressing against my ass.

“I’ll remember that.” He chuckled lightly, kissing the top of my head.

I shifted, heat snaking through my body. My dreams were a mess of half-formed images flowing through a mental movie of Arlo fucking me into the mattress.

A whimper escaped me as pleasure coiled tight, my fingers curling into the sheets. I burst awake as electricity arced from between my thighs, and I cried out, sensation washing over me in a wave, the source of the pleasure never ceasing. Apple cider filled every breath, and I lifted heavy-lidded eyes to see Arlo’s dark hair tucked between my thighs.

“Oh, fuck.”

Arlo nipped the tender skin on my lower belly. “That’s the idea, princess.”

I whined sharply as he went right back to my clit, tucking a finger into me and curling it until I saw stars, rocking my hips against his mouth with growing desperation.

I had never been woken like this, but fuck me if this wasn’t the best way to start the day. Even though I had already had him, and knew a little bit of what to expect, his voraciousness was still surprising as he tongue-fucked me through another rise and carried right on.

“Arlo, please.” I squirmed, locking my fingers into his hair as I chased my pleasure.

His purr slipped into my consciousness, a soothing delight, even as he unraveled me. The faint vibration in his tongue as he purred for me sent me over the edge again, and this time, I tugged him away by his hair, panting and shivering.

“Too much.”

Arlo crawled up the nest to lie next to me, drawing me into a delicious kiss, my lilac and white rose tangled with his apple cider. “It’s not too much, but we’ll work you up to more.”

“I didn’t think you were serious about waking me up like that.”

“You’ll learn very quickly not to give me permission for things you don’t actually want me to do.”

I laughed, my body still twitching from the aftershocks of my orgasm. “Noted.”

“We have all day on the road. You going to spend it in your nest?”

“Probably.”

“Can I hang out here, too, when I’m not driving?”

His cheeks and chin still glistened from my wake-up call, and my whole body pulsed with desire. “I’d be okay with that, but we need to actually rest.”

“So little trust.”

I rolled my eyes and snuggled back into my pillows. I spent almost all of that day tucked away, reading, emerging to acquire food and use the bathroom. The others greeted me warmly but mostly left me to my own devices whenever I retreated. Arlo was the only one brave enough to follow, and I made a mental note that, if I wanted to spend time with the rest of them, I’d probably have to be the one to reach out. There was plenty of time for that, and I wasn’t in a huge rush. Arlo was about all I could handle for now.

Especially when he woke me from a nap the same way he had that morning.

He grinned up at me from between my thighs. “We’re here, by the way.”

“In Minneapolis?”

“Yep. You should probably get dressed sooner rather than later because I don’t imagine Gary is going to be pleased with us. Don’t want him barging in here and seeing you looking freshly fucked.”

I flushed head to toe, my skin warming. “Also noted. I’ll be down in a minute.”

Arlo kissed me again before crawling off the nest. “Don’t take too long, or I’ll start to miss you.”

I chucked a pillow at him and immediately dug through my suitcase to find something appropriate to wear for the day. What did one wear to accommodate a manager on a rampage?

Chapter 22

Hendrix

“Well, that can’t be good.”

Gary stomped up to the RV as we pulled into the lot, looking about a half second away from a full-on conniption. His muffled screaming came through the windows, and when Arlo hit the button to open the door, he marched right on and slapped us both upside the head. “What the fuck is wrong with all of you? Fucking empty tour bus showing up and not a single fucking one of you answering your phones?”

“We had to pick something up,” said Arlo, who had shrunk in his seat away from Gary.

Our manager growled, shoving a hand through his thinning hair. “Don’t be a fucking idiot, Arlo. There is nothing on this goddamn planet that could have been important enough for you to pull this shit.”

A soft squeak sounded from the loft, and Gary turned wide eyes toward Meadow, where she was peeking down.

“Who the fuck is that? Is that why you were late?”

“She’s our—” Arlo began.

“New assistant!” I burst out.

Everyone stared at me in varying states of shock and confusion. I wasn’t sure why I said it, instead of just being honest, but some alarm bell in my head kept ringing, and I didn’t want Gary to know who Meadow was to us right now.

Beckett, bless him, didn’t ask questions and simply pushed on with my charade. “Arlo wanted an upgraded tour bus, and you know how impulsive he is. We decided to pick up the new assistant we hired on the way here.”

“You four are going to put me into an early fucking grave,” Gary snapped. “Any new hires should be going through me. New purchases too. Jesus, I thought we were over bullshit like this, but apparently you’re all still fucking children who can’t be trusted with anything.”

I wilted under the barrage. Gary’s approval had always been something I strove for, and I hated making him think poorly of us. He wouldn’t think any better of us if he found out that Meadow was pregnant with my baby and had my bond mark on her throat. Thinking we were ridiculously impulsive with a purchase and a new hire was easier to take than the truth of the situation.

Meadow crept down the stairs in her soft leggings and a blue cardigan, matching slippers on her feet. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea I would be a surprise.”

“I should fire you right now to teach the lot of you a lesson.” Gary looked her up and down, and I fought the compulsion to step between them. “You’d better be a damn good assistant after the stress you all put me through.”

Meadow glanced toward me but simply nodded.

“Get your asses in there for sound check. Now.”

Gary stalked off the bus, and I turned immediately to a glaring Meadow.

“What the fuck, Hendrix?”

“It was stupid, I know. I panicked.”

Meadow’s low growl had goose bumps rising on my skin. “I’m not your assistant. I’m your fucking mate.”

“You could be both,” Phin bravely suggested. “We can get you on payroll, and none of us are going to ask you to do anything.”

Meadow didn’t look remotely impressed by the suggestion. “Why didn’t you just tell him who I was?”

“Gary is…”

“A miserable tight-ass?” Arlo offered.

“Yeah, that. I figured an assistant would piss him off less than a pregnant bond mate.”

Our sweet little omega looked ready to explode. “I don’t care if he’s pissed off about me. He’s the one who told me to fuck off until the baby was born.”

A sensation like ice water poured down my spine. “What?”

“I emailed weeks ago, trying to get in contact, so I could tell you guys about the baby.”

Darkness encroached on the edges of my vision.

“Whoa, Hen, you okay?” Arlo was up and out of his seat, guiding me down to the floor.

“He knew?” I asked softly, bracing my palms on the floor to anchor myself against the wave of dizziness.

Meadow passed me her phone, where the email sat clear as day. He had brushed her off like it was nothing.

“Oh god.”

Phin looked over my shoulder. “Shit. What an ass.”

“Did he actually tell me to fuck off without mentioning a single thing to any of you?” Meadow asked.

I nodded. “We had no idea. We could’ve found you ages ago if he had told us.”

“Do you think he would’ve told us if we had said something about suspecting we had a pregnant bond mate?” Beckett asked.

I shrugged. Honestly, I had no idea anymore. I would have liked to think that Gary would’ve seen my suffering and made the connection to the most obvious solution, but I genuinely didn’t know.

Meadow got onto her knees next to me, the burnt edges to her scent melting away as she reached out, white roses and lilac infusing each breath and pushing away my dizziness. “I didn’t come all this way to let you pass out on a bus. Come here.”

I didn’t protest as she yanked me closer, tucking my head into the curve of her throat, her purr erasing my worries. I gathered her onto my lap and held her like my life depended on it. “I’m sorry. I’ll tell him eventually. He was just so mad, and I didn’t want him to say something about our situation that we would all regret.”

“Hush.”

Meadow indulged me for a couple more minutes, before the others started to get antsy.

“He’s coming back out,” Beckett warned. “Meadow, you should probably stay on the bus, and we’ll come get you after sound check.”

He and Phin helped Meadow to her feet, and we scrambled out, running straight past him so he didn’t have a chance to yell.

I felt the impact of being separated from Meadow immediately, like my body had gotten a proper taste of what it was like to have her close, and now it was going to punish me for not being stuck to her. I couldn’t have her by my side on stage, though. Keeping her away from the press, away from the fans knowing who she was, would be in all of our best interests. We all knew how relentless they could be, but Meadow hadn’t signed up for any of that.

We got through sound check without any incidents, and Gary seemed a lot more relaxed by the end.

“Why isn’t your assistant here, assisting you?”

“We told her to get settled in,” Phin replied.

Gary raised an eyebrow. “She’s staying on the tour bus with you?”

“That was the plan, yeah,” Arlo said.

“I see. So, less assistant, more prostitute.”

My spine snapped straight. The tone he used turned my stomach. There wasn’t a damn thing wrong with sex work or the people who did it, but it wasn’t fair for him to apply an incorrect label to my mate. “That’s not what she is.”

“Uh-huh.” Gary rolled his eyes. “Then tell me why Arlo smelled like pussy when he came off that bus.”

I bit down on a growl. I didn’t want Gary talking about Meadow in any context, let alone in a way that he clearly thought was insulting. “Mind your business, Gary.”

Gary’s jaw dropped. I had never actually spoken to him with anything but respect before. “Excuse me?”

“What she and Arlo do has no bearing on her job with us, and it’s not your business to comment on.”

He marched over, grabbing me by the neck of my T-shirt and yanking me down to his height. “Everything about you four is my fucking business. Don’t you forget that, just because there’s a pretty set of holes living in your tour bus now.”

My fist connected with his face before I even processed the movement. Gary tumbled backward, clutching his nose, blood streaming down his chin.

“Fuck. Shit, Gary, I didn’t mean to. I got—”

“I don’t wanna hear it. I could sue your punk ass into the ground for this.”

My stomach dropped.

“If this bitch is going to cause problems, I’m going to fire her, no matter what you four say. Get your shit together or she’s gone. Medic!” Gary tottered off, and the nurse on staff took him aside to tend to his nose.

I stared down at my shaking hands, and a moment later, the others were around me.

“He deserved that,” Arlo insisted. “That’s no way to talk about anyone.”

“I still shouldn’t have done it. He’s never going to get on board with her now.”

“Then maybe we need a new manager,” Beckett suggested.

Maybe…The thought lasted for a half second before the guilt nearly swallowed me whole. “We can’t. He’s been there since we were nothing. It wouldn’t be fair.”

“Fuck fair,” Arlo grumbled. “He’d better get on board.”

Footsteps caught all of our attention, and I turned to see Meadow crossing the stage toward us. A few things crossed my mind upon seeing her: 1) thank god she was here, 2) please don’t let Gary see her, and 3) our security was shit, since they clearly let her in without any proof she was with us.

“What the hell happened?” she asked. “Why did you punch him? You can’t do that. I can’t have a baby around someone violent.”

“Gary was talking shit about you,” Phin told her. “Not an excuse, but Hen isn’t exactly stable yet.”

Meadow frowned.

I was already a disappointment to her. Not that I expected I was anything else, or probably would be anything else. If I didn’t get my shit together, Meadow wasn’t going to want anything to do with me. As unprepared for matehood and fatherhood as I was, the idea that either would be taken away from me made me queasy.

“I’ll do better,” I promised.

Her expression softened. “Okay.”

Chapter 23

Hendrix

August, Chicago

“Ihave a confession.”

Gary rolled his eyes before settling into a glare. “What now? What fuckup do I have to fix?”

I flinched at his words. “There’s nothing to fix this time.”

“Uh-huh. Kid, just tell me. I don’t have all day.”

We had given him until the next day to cool down, getting through the Minneapolis show just fine and moving on to Chicago for the first of three shows spread over four nights. I felt guilty over the black eye he was sporting, but there were only so many ways I could react when someone talked about my mate the way he had, even if he hadn’t known who she was.

“Meadow isn’t our assistant. I mean, we’d like to get her on payroll for that, but that’s not why she’s here.”

“I already know the four of you picked up a little toy. Why are you bringing her up again?”

I bit down on a growl. “She’s not that, either.”

“Well, spit it out.”

“She’s my mate.”

Gary went slack-jawed, staring at me like I had lost my fucking mind. “Your what?”

“She’s pregnant, too,” I said, going for broke. “And we bonded.”

“You said there was nothing to fix. Hendrix, this is a big fucking problem. Your whole goddamn brand is about being available.”

“Then we change the brand.”

“No one wants a rock star with a baby. Jesus, way to blow up the entire illusion. So, why is she around? Is she threatening to sue you for child support? You know that’s the only reason girls like that fuck rock stars. They want a payday.”

“No! Being apart from her is the reason I felt like shit.”

Gary’s expression shifted, like a lightbulb was turning on in his head. “Okay. This makes way more sense now. We use her until the bond settles down, and then we go back to normal after we pay her off, right?”

I stared at him like I had never seen him before. “No. She stays as long as she wants to.”

Gary sighed. “You really love to make everyone’s lives more difficult, don’t you? It’s bad enough you bonded her, but you want to expose a kid to you too? What did that baby ever do to make you think it deserved a parent that fucks up as much as you?”

His words were like glass shards, cutting to the quick and made all the worse because they were things I had thought about myself already. “I’m not allowed to try?”

“Hendrix, I say this with all the love in the world: you can try all you want, but you’re not going to succeed here. We both know you’re too selfish to give up your life to play house.”

We were both silent and staring at each other, my heart crumbling as I realized the truth of his words. Maybe not the selfish part, but giving up this life meant the guys would suffer, and being in Meadow’s life meant getting to see just how terrible of a parent I’d be.

“But,” Gary eventually said, “if you’re committed to keeping her around, we’ll make it work until she gets tired of all this.”

I didn’t want her to get tired of this, but there was nothing I could do to stop it. “Thanks.”

I left the conversation as quickly as I could, desperate not to start crying as every fucking choice I had ever made crashed me into a brick wall.

I made my way back to the bus, heading straight to the mini fridge and combining a tiny bottle of rum with one of the colas.

“You okay?” Meadow emerged from her nest, peeking around at me. She was dressed in microscopic sleep shorts and a snug tank top that emphasized the delicate curve of her belly.

Desire rocked me down to my toes.

“Yeah, just a rough conversation.” I held up my cup. “Want one?”

Arlo looked up from his spot on the couch, where he was sprawled out, playing a video game. “Dude, she’s pregnant. She can’t drink.”

“Shit, sorry. Force of habit.”

Beckett and Phin popped their heads out of their bunks.

“Speaking of not being able to drink,” said Beckett, “maybe we should all go sober since Meadow can’t take anything.”

“I’m sorry, do you want me to be a giant ball of anxiety?” Phin asked. “Weed is how I relax.”

“I relax with a mouthful of omega pussy,” replied Arlo, a ridiculous grin on his face.

Both Phin and Meadow flushed hot pink, and Phin growled. “Not all of us have that on the menu, asshole.”

“Okay, well, I’ve hit my upper limit of awkward for the day, so I’m gonna go back up to my nest,” Meadow announced. “Hendrix, can you come with me?”

I didn’t question why she wanted me; I just set down my drink and immediately followed.

Once upstairs, she sat down on the edge of her bed and turned to me. “What’s wrong?”

“Noth—”

“Bullshit. I could feel you freaking out through the bond.”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “Just a conversation with Gary that put me on edge.”

Meadow frowned. “He doesn’t like me.”

“In his defense, he doesn’t like most people. Can I sit?”

Meadow patted the space next to her.

The moment I was that close to her, with all of her white rose and lilac scent filling the air, not only from her proximity but also from the nest, all of my anxiety began to slide away.

“Your stress is my stress,” Meadow said quietly. “I propose a cuddle, so we don’t stress the baby.”

Fuck yeah. I’d been aching to commit the feel of her to memory since I’d failed so spectacularly the last time I’d been in a bed with her. “Definitely don’t want baby stress.”

Meadow climbed into the nest, and I kicked off my shoes to follow her, stretching out in the mountains of pillows. I couldn’t help but notice pieces of our clothing tucked here and there among the pillows and blankets. She must have raided our bunks. Once she was settled, she opened her arms to me, and I wedged myself against her, face tucked against her throat as she held me close. I was already in heaven, but when her purr started to rumble, I truly ascended.

Everything about her was warm and soft, safe in a way I was pretty sure I had never experienced before.

Meadow held me long after my stress melted away. She made absolutely no move to scoot away, simply continuing to purr while her perfume turned my brain into soup. I kept my hips angled away so she wouldn’t feel that I was rock hard, but then she shifted, looping her leg over my hips, and I froze, heart hammering.

“You’re playing a very dangerous game, omega.”

“Shh. Instincts. I’m needy.”

“I’m going to need some explicit permission if you want me to do something about that.”

Meadow growled. “Shut up and kiss me, Hendrix.”

I didn’t need to be told twice. The taste of her unlocked buried memories, flickers of taking her apart filling my brain, teasing me with whispers of what was to come. Meadow kissed me like she was on a mission, her leg thrown over me, pressing me closer.

I didn’t need that little bottle of rum when I could get drunk on her. Her perfume was so thick in the air, I probably could have tasted it just sticking my tongue out. I’d rather get it from the source. She whined against my lips when I swept my hands down her body to cup her ass and pull her closer.

Meadow nipped my lip and pulled back, breathing heavily. “Have you really not touched anyone since Seattle?”

I shook my head. “I think my libido knew I was bonded, even if my brain didn’t.”

“Good. Now I want you to fuck me, so we can make you some new memories.”

I dove back into the kiss and wrestled away her barely there shorts and panties.

She helpfully lifted her hips and dug her fingers into my butt cheeks.

“You have to let me get undressed.”

“You can’t stop touching me,” she insisted. Her wide green eyes were so plaintive, I couldn’t help but do my best to fulfill her request. With a little creativity, I managed to wriggle out of my clothing. Meanwhile, she was sprawled in the nest in full Winnie the Pooh mode, with her bare pussy calling me and the rest of her firmly ensconced in clothing. I traced every available inch of her skin, learning each dip and curve and how she reacted to those touches. A needy omega wasn’t difficult to please, but I had a reputation to uphold, and I was not going to make her regret inviting me into her bed.

The bite of her nails on my ass when she found the bond mark sent a zing of pleasure up my spine, and I lowered automatically to sweep my tongue over the mark I had left on her throat. It was strange how familiar and yet how new everything was with her. Each of her reactions was like an echo, triggering the recesses of my memories without fully bringing them to the surface.

I sank into everything she offered, drowning in her sweetness, plastering myself against the warmth of her skin. Stripping her down slowly, I sampled the fresh expanse of skin offered up. Every bit of her was a feast. When she arched again, I sucked her nipple between my lips, stroking it with my tongue, digging my fingers into her hips, and grinding against her.

Once she was a mess of slick and bucking impatiently against me, I finally slid into her. The snug heat of her was like coming home, and I devoured every delicious sound that she made as our hips moved together. Her nails dug into my back, tiny streaks of pain dancing over me as my omega pawed at me, demanding more and more. The strangled sound she made with every hard fuck into her was music, a siren call I was helpless to ignore.

“Why do you taste so fucking good?” I moaned. “It’s not fair. You really just expect me to go about my day when I know we could be in here, doing this?”

Meadow responded by hooking her arm around my neck and drawing me in to silence my words with her lips. Her ankles locked behind my back as she shattered, breaking our kiss to pant.

Being in the nest with her was like surround sound, all of those delicious noises bouncing off the walls and ceiling, making it feel like she was everywhere at once.

The squeeze of her pussy almost took me over the edge, but I held still, focusing on my breathing until those ripples calmed. My sweet Meadow was still so keyed up that she started to twitch when I moved again, her breathing already shifting to tell me she was climbing that peak once more.

“Knot?” she asked breathlessly.

“Anything for you, beautiful.”

I lifted away from her just enough to get the angle I wanted, bucking hard while she gave a soft cry at each impact of our hips.

“Hendriiix,” she whined. “Knot!”

More than willing to obey, I fucked her to a quick ending for both of us, my fingers diving between us to stroke her clit until she dragged me over the peak with her, my knot swelling to trap us together and setting her off once more.

Her little nails were as locked into my shoulders as my knot was into her pussy. “Holy fuck.”

I rolled us over, draping her on my chest and looping my arms over her back. It took a while for her breathing to even out, and when it did, she rubbed her cheek along my jaw to scent mark me.

“You’d better remember me this time.”

I laughed softly. “I will, I promise.”

Meadow was a dream, one I fully intended to keep for as long as I could.

Chapter 24

Arlo

That lucky fucker.

When Hendrix came crawling out of the nest, he wasn’t drunk off the mini-bar booze. He was drunk off glorious omega mate pussy. He practically strutted out of the nest, a smug grin on his face, wearing nothing but a pair of boxers.

Even though I was greedy as hell and wanted to keep Meadow close, her getting freaky with my pack mates was promising for our future. Banging Hendrix had gotten her into this situation, but it also created some delightful possibilities for the rest of us if she was interested.

Maybe, next time, they’d let me watch?

I did love a good show.

“I see that look on your face.” Hendrix smirked at me, heading over to the fridge to get himself a bottle of water. “Jealous?”

“Hardly. You should put some clothing on, though. My eyeballs don’t need to be subjected to that much of you.” I pouted, throwing my phone to the side and standing up to join him.

“Nah, my skin smells like Meadow. I’m not covering that up. Also, I’m going back in there for however long she lets me stay, so no omega cuddles for you tonight.”

“Fuck off!” I growled, but it was playful. Kind of. I was possessive of my omega cuddles. I launched forward, landing a quick jab to Hendrix’s chest. Sore pregnancy titties made for easy targets, and it was a good punishment when he was being an ass. It had the desired effect—he bent over in pain, clutching his chest and grumbling.

“Ow!” Meadow’s shout came from her nest. Had my pretty girl fallen over?

“Are you okay, princess?” I headed in the direction of the nest, but before I could enter, she stumbled out, clutching her own chest, a frown on her face. She was wearing one of Hendrix’s T-shirts and looked deliciously rumpled and sexed up.

“My boob just hurt. It’s happened a few times now, and it really stings. I know pregnancy is weird, but sudden boob pain? Surely biology isn’t that mean?” She stamped her foot like a petulant child and turned to Hendrix, her grumbling halting when she noticed he was also clutching his chest. “Did you feel that pain as well?”

I looked between her and Hendrix with wide eyes. “Uh…princess, I may have just punched him in the chest because he was being an ass. Are you telling me you felt that?”

My stomach sank. Had I been hurting my omega while torturing Hendrix with titty twisters? That was the last thing I wanted.

Meadow’s eyes narrowed at me. “Have you been punching him in the chest this whole time?” Her voice was carefully measured with an undertone of anger.

“Um…kind of?” I admitted.

“So, let me get this straight, because on top of all the nasty pregnancy symptoms I’ve been having, the random stabbing chest pain is because you’ve been punching Hendrix?”

“I didn’t know you could feel it too!” I said, trying to pull her into my arms.

“You ass!” She launched forward and nailed me right in the nip with her fist, sending a little lightning bolt of agony zinging through me.

“Motherfuckity fuck!” I clutched my chest and dodged when she went for the other one. “I’m sorry! I won’t do it again.”

Then again…an angry omega could be potentially amazing in bed. Who didn’t love a little angry sex?

“You know the reason it hurts him is because I’m pregnant?” Meadow growled. “Sore breasts are part of pregnancy!”

“I’m so sorry, princess,” I cooed, using her proximity to wrap my arms around her and crush her to my chest so she couldn’t use those wicked knuckles on me again. She tried to wriggle out of my grip, but she had all the strength of a cranky kitten. It was adorable. She was absolutely covered in Hendrix’s scent, and instead of making me unhappy, it made my already stiffening cock go rock hard.

I slid down to my knees without letting go until I was eye-level with her glorious chest. Cupping those gorgeous titties, I spoke directly to them. “I am so sorry, you beautiful, precious, amazing boobies. I swear, I will forever use my powers for good and protect your jiggly mounds!”

A smile tugged on the corners of Meadow’s mouth as she desperately tried to remain serious. “You’re ridiculous.”

The effort was futile. No one could resist my charm for long.

“And you love it.”

“No more titty punching!” She poked my forehead and grumbled as I righted myself, pulling her back into a crushing hug.

“Never again!” I declared loudly, before adding an amendment. “Well, never again while you’re pregnant. Once you’re not all hormonally linked so much and Hendrix can take a titty punch like he deserves, I will exercise my right as pack mate and bandmate and titty tap away!”

“You’re a truly insufferable alpha, you know that?” she mumbled into my chest.

“I know, but I’m your insufferable alpha.”

“Maybe so, but you still have to tone it down while I’m trying to sleep.” She turned to Hendrix. “You better have a good reason for leaving the nest while I slept.”

He held up his water bottle in defense. “Just getting us a drink. I was coming right back.”

“Can I join?” I asked.

“Titty punchers lose cuddle privileges,” Meadow replied. “Maybe tomorrow.”

I let Hendrix scoop her out of my arms. I could respect a boundary, even if I didn’t like it very much. He was already looking a million times better just having Meadow around, and now he was practically fucking glowing after all that nest time with her. I could sacrifice for the greater good if it meant one of my best friends was living his best life.

They couldn’t stay in there all day when we had a show tonight, but hopefully by the time that was over, Meadow would restore nest privileges.

My phone buzzed, and I made the mistake of checking it.

Fucking Gary.

GARY:

You’re needed in sound check. One of your guitars got dinged during transit and you need to check it and the backup.

Now.

I wanted to ignore the text, but a potentially damaged instrument was a serious thing. With a groan, I dragged my ass inside.

“About fucking time.” Gary was already waiting and directed me to the stage where the instruments were laid out. “I need to fire the transport guys.”

“It was probably just a mistake. Shit happens,” I countered, picking up my guitar to look it over. There was a pretty hefty scuff, but the sound was still smooth.

“Things around here are getting lax. You guys are too focused on your new piece of ass to think straight,” he grumbled.

My entire body stilled. The overwhelming urge to punch Gary was all I could think about. What ego trip was this asshole on?

“Don’t call her a piece of ass.” I slowly turned and advanced on Gary.

He immediately realized his mistake when faced with a pissed-off alpha who could throw him through a window without breaking a sweat. Holding his hands up in surrender, he rushed to speak. “Hey, you can do what you want. The tour just has to come first.”

“Listen, Gary.” My usual friendliness evaporated, and I let every ounce of my alpha energy seep into my voice, letting him know who was in charge. “Meadow is our mate. I know a limp-dick little beta like you who doesn’t possess the instincts to fight their way out of a paper bag wouldn’t understand, but she is ours. If you keep talking about her that way, I will happily give you a broken nose to match those black eyes Hendrix gave you. Do you understand?”

Our manager shrank backward, his eyes bulging in fear. “S-she’s a distraction!”

I laughed. “Gary, if you don’t shut the fuck up and stop calling our mate a distraction, I will take her and leave. Fuck the tour, fuck the albums, fuck the fucking press. And you know if I walk away, my pack will follow. I don’t give a fuck if you took a chance on us when we were kids; that doesn’t give you the right to mistreat a member of our pack,” I snarled, my voice low and dangerous.

Without giving Gary a chance to reply, I turned and stalked out of the room.

That fucker needed to do some soul searching, or I was going to be searching for a lake to “accidentally” throw him into.

Chapter 25

Beckett

August, Boston

Hendrix and Arlo were not discreet men. Those two were head over heels for Meadow and pawing at her at every chance they got. Hendrix had a pep in his step, and I had caught him smiling like a loon on several occasions.

The dude was happy. It had been so long since we had seen him like that, it felt downright bizarre.

As I had rested in my bunk the previous night, the entire bus could hear what Meadow and Hendrix were up to in the nest.

I had done my best to roll over and ignore it, but those sweet, breathy moans of Meadow’s carried, and before I could think, my cock was in my hand and I was sneakily rubbing one out to the sounds they were making. It was torture to be so close to Meadow and have no clue how to bridge that gap. I’d never had difficulty pulling women, but this woman was way too fucking important, and I couldn’t afford to fuck it up.

It was our second night in Massachusetts, so there wasn’t much preparation to do. I loved when we had multi-day stops and could just vibe between shows and take some time to breathe. Besides a brief scare with the instruments, things had been remarkably smooth, and today we had most of the day to ourselves, other than an early-morning sound check.

That was easy enough, though. I sat on one of those uncomfortable wooden stools while I worked on my instrument, strumming until it sounded just right.

“What should we do with our free time?” I asked as I idly tuned my bass.

“We owe Meadow a shopping trip,” Hendrix said from where he stood next to the mic. “She needs some more nesting supplies. There’s a big box store not far from here that we can use.”

Arlo nodded. “That sounds like a plan! We can even take her for a nice lunch. Wine and dine her…without the wine, because she’s growing our progeny.”

Gary turned to us, a frown plastered on his face. “Hendrix! You’re needed to sign some vinyls. You can’t be going out. What if someone sees you with the omega?”

Hendrix shrugged. “If someone sees us, we’ll just say she’s our assistant. We want her to be comfortable with us. We’re going. Vinyl signings can wait.”

Gary’s face turned red as he spluttered at the simple brush-off. Hendrix had been growing quite the spine with Gary, especially where Meadow was concerned.

“Cool beans. I’ll grab a snack and meet you at the bus?” Phin asked, putting his drumsticks down.

“Sure.’’ I shrugged, packing up my guitar and hightailing it out of the practice room before the others, making a beeline for the bus. I could hear Gary behind me, attempting to chew Hendrix out, but I got the distinct impression that Hendrix didn’t care anymore.

I found Meadow on the bus, sitting on the couch with her laptop in front of her, typing away.

Several of her nesting items had left the nest and made their way onto the couch. None of us complained, though. It was comfortable and smelled like her.

“Have you got much more to do?” I asked.

She shook her head, closing the laptop and placing it on the couch next to her. “I just had a few emails to send. Why?”

“How do you feel about having some outside time today? Hendrix did say we needed to take you to get the soft and comfy things.”

Meadow sat up a little straighter, her eyes lighting up. “Are you sure you have time?” she asked, chewing lightly on her lip.

“Of course. I wouldn’t offer it if I didn’t! Hendrix and Arlo are just finishing up at the venue sound check, and Phin is around here somewhere. Once they’re done, we can have a little pack outing and maybe even grab some lunch. What’s your current craving?”

“Thai food?” she asked.

“I think we can find a Thai place easily enough. Why don’t you get dressed, and we’ll go get the guys?”

Meadow’s nose crinkled with distaste. “Won’t your manager be at the sound check? He clearly hates me, and I don’t want to cause any problems.”

“The guys are on their way here, so you don’t have to see Gary at all.”

Meadow sighed. “Thank you. I’ve got enough going on without dealing with him.” She placed her hand on her belly. “This nugget is growing fast, and my body is aching.”

“When was your last checkup?” I asked.

“A few weeks ago now. I’m supposed to have another one next week, but that’s in Seattle, and we’ll be on the other side of the country.”

“We’ll have to find you a doctor so you can keep getting checkups.”

“I would appreciate that. I guess it would be wishful thinking to get someone who could travel with us on the road?”

“Not necessarily. I’ll let the guys and management know you’re interested in that, and it’ll get worked out sooner or later.”

“Really? That would be awesome. Thank you.” She got up and padded over to me, standing on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek and give me a blinding smile. “I better go get dressed!” she declared excitedly before scampering off in the general direction of her nest.

An omega in a nesting store was like a child at Christmas.

“Too many choices. I don’t know what to pick,” she whined, looking at the rows upon rows of blankets and pillows and all things squishy and comfortable.

“Just grab anything that takes your fancy,” Arlo said as he rummaged through a pile of throw pillows bigger than he was. “Next week, we’ll be at our house in LA. We don’t have any nesting materials there, either, so think of it like you’re shopping for two nests. The tour bus and the California house.”

I had been in a nesting store once or twice over the years, but it was a very new experience to take an omega to one. Every surface was piled high with things that I didn’t even know existed for nests: voice-activated fairy lights, more fabrics than I knew what to do with, and over a hundred types of mattresses.

“I can’t let you guys buy me two nests!” she hissed, turning to Arlo with wide eyes.

“Why not?” He shrugged.

“Because that’ll be expensive!”

“You do recall what we do for a job, right?” Hendrix asked with a chuckle, lightly gripping Meadow’s upper arms. “I want you and the nugget to be comfortable…Do it for me?”

He was doing his best to look her in the eye, but like the rest of us, he was wearing incognito clothing. We all wore some type of sunglasses and a beanie or baseball cap to do our best to hide our appearances from any fans who may have seen us.

Our goal was simply to look like your normal, run-of-the-mill pack going shopping for some nesting supplies. Alphas spoiling their omegas was definitely not an uncommon sight, so we hoped we blended in.

Who was I kidding? My pack could never truly fly under the radar. Arlo had jumped into a pile of blankets the moment we entered the store and attempted to drag Meadow in with him.

“But…” Meadow trailed off, eyeing a blanket display near her.

“Go wild, darling,” I said.

Meadow turned to me, a grin on her face, her cheeks turning pink at the term of endearment that fell easily from my lips.

“See? If Mr. Sensible is telling you to go wild, you have to! Come on,” Arlo whined, leaning forward and plucking the blanket off the wall and handing it to Meadow, who was chewing her lip. “Feel how soft this is!”

One touch of the blanket, and Meadow folded. With a sigh, she gave Arlo a long-suffering look before throwing the blanket into one of the two carts we had grabbed on the way in. Once she started, it was like the floodgates opened and both carts were quickly filled. She was clearly going for a green theme.

I turned to Phin. “Why don’t we go talk to the staff about getting some items shipped to the LA house?”

“Sounds like a plan,” he said, so we left the others with Meadow as she made her way slowly though the store, buying whatever made her happy.

It turned out the staff was used to omegas buying for multiple nests. Mere seconds after I asked the question, the staff member had pressed a small tablet into my hand and instructed me to simply list all of the items on their app. It would be as simple as checking out and putting in the new delivery address.

Phin and I trailed through the store, taking our time to get back to Meadow. Several times, we paused to look at items and added them to our list. After the first few items, we realized we could use the camera on the tablet to scan barcodes, making the whole process seamless.

I was prepared to spend thousands in the store with how easy it was, and I wasn’t even an omega.

“Look at this green throw pillow!” Phin declared excitedly, holding it up. “It’s shaped like a leaf! Add it to the list.”

I chuckled and did just that.

We added all the items to the list that Meadow had already picked out, plus some fun things that we liked. If she wasn’t a fan of them when she got to the California house, she could easily discard them. Most likely, one of us would end up using them.

A small section caught my eye as we passed.

“Hey,” I called out, stopping Phin, who was wandering a few steps ahead of me, enamored with a set of doorway beads that were sparkling every color imaginable.

“Yeah?” he asked, turning on his heel.

“Wanna look through there?” I asked, jerking my head in the direction I had just been looking.

The nursery section.

We were going to have a baby soon, and a baby needed a lot of things.

Phin’s face broke into a grin. “Hell, yeah! Meadow will be distracted for a while, so we’ve got time.”

Chapter 26

Meadow

August, Kansas City

I’d thought following around a pack of rock stars would be exhausting, but as we moved from city to city, it was actually pretty nice and weirdly…easy? Watching the scenery stream by through the small windows in my nest was kind of like being on a tour, and I got to see parts of the country I’d never been to before.

Sure, the guys were busy with their shows and the prep for it, but they made time for me. We went to the Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, dressed down and looking as little like rock stars as possible to indulge in the gorgeous flowers, and went on a river cruise in Cincinnati. I was pretty sure they liked having the excuse to get out and explore a bit more, even if we had to be careful about them getting spotted.

They weren’t all that enthusiastic about me touring alone, so they flew out Clover for a weekend to keep me company when we got to Kansas City, their final stop before a weeklong break we’d spend in LA.

“It feels like it’s been a million years since I saw you!” Clover dragged me into a hug before thrusting me to arm’s length. “Look at you! Glowing and growing! Your bump has finally started bumping.”

“We’ve been on video calls every day,” I reminded her.

“It’s not the same!”

They’d paid for a hotel for her as well, and it was weird to think about staying with her overnight, when I’d become so quickly accustomed to the alphas being there at all hours.

“What’s your face doing?” Clover asked.

“I dunno. What’s it doing? You’re the one looking at it.”

“What were you thinking about just now?”

“I think I’m going to miss them tonight. That’s all.”

Clover cupped my cheeks. “Meadow, you are so fucking cute! You have to tell me every single detail.”

“I can do that.”

We opted for the zoo and aquarium to fill our day, and as we wandered past the exhibits and adorable animals, I told her all about my new nest, getting extra close with Arlo and Hendrix, and how sweet they’d all generally been with me.

“I’m glad they don’t suck.” Clover took a loud swig of her slushie. “That would have been disappointing on multiple levels, and I’d have to commit a few homicides. They def earned some points springing for this mini vacay.”

“Right? I wasn’t expecting them to offer.”

“I appreciate any bribery attempts to make me like them.” Clover beamed. “So, if your nest is on the bus, how’s that going to work for LA? You’re flying back there, aren’t you?”

My stomach flipped. “Oh, I hadn’t thought about that.”

“Okay, well, no sweat. Pick your favorite things and make each of them transport a few pieces for you. It’s only a week, and you’ve been on vacation without your nest before.”

“True, but I wasn’t pregnant then.”

“You also didn’t have four gorgeous alphas at your beck and call. I bet they’d make any place cozy, even if you’re down a few nesting supplies for a bit.”

I chewed my lip, considering. They’d been so good about everything so far, and I was pretty sure they wouldn’t suddenly become assholes about nesting after they’d taken me shopping to stock up.

“Are you excited to stay at their pack house?” Clover asked.

“More curious than excited. I’m still getting used to them, and at least right now, they’re pretty occupied with their shows. What am I supposed to do with myself when it’s just the five of us with no obligations?”

“Get laid multiple times a day?”

I choked on my water. “Clover!”

“What? That’s what I would do.”

“We are not the same person.”

“But you can’t deny the wisdom in my suggestion. Omegas thrive when they get railed regularly. You already look like a whole new person with that sweet, sweet alpha loving.”

My cheeks were so hot, I was surprised it didn’t immediately melt her slushie. “I’ve only slept with two of them.”

“Girl, I bet if you gave the other ones the go-ahead, they would be up in your bed before you could blink. I am pleasantly surprised that they haven’t pushed the issue, though. Ten points to respectful alphas. I was not expecting that from rock stars.”

I chewed my lip. I had been so distracted by Arlo and Hendrix that I probably hadn’t been giving Phin and Beckett the attention I should, both in person and in personal consideration. From the start, Hendrix had been the only one I was worried about, since he was the father of my child, but then Arlo had immediately hopped on board the Meadow train, so maybe Clover was right.

“I love your thinky face. Are you thinking about fucking Beckett and Phin?”

It shouldn’t have been physically possible for my cheeks to get any warmer, and yet somehow they managed.

“There is zero shame in thinking spicy thoughts about your alphas,” Clover insisted.

“I know that. It’s still weird, though. They’re basically strangers.”

“Scent-matched strangers.”

“I never told you they were scent matches.”

“Meadow Marie Reed, you didn’t have to. I have known you for long enough to know that very little, other than fate, would have gotten you to jump into bed with someone you just met. You did that twice, and you bonded someone the first time. Plus, you got knocked up outside of a heat, which is basically unheard of. You want to tell me there wasn’t some biological mystic fuckery going on with that?”

I couldn’t disagree with the statement. “I hadn’t really thought about it.”

“That’s why you have me.” Clover grinned and hauled me over to look at the tigers. “I’ve thought about little else since all of these shenanigans went down.”

“Why didn’t any of the doctors pick up on that?”

Clover shrugged. “Did you tell any of them you got pregnant outside of a heat?”

“I—no, I guess I didn’t.”

“There you go, then. It was probably just one of those things where they heard hoofbeats and they all thought horses, not zebras. Speaking of, let’s go look at those bitches. We can hang out with your kindred spirits for a while.”

“You’re such a dork.”

“I think you mean I’m a delight, though I do wear my dork crown proudly, so I’ll let it slide this time. On one condition, though.”

“What’s that?”

“I need you to confirm the rumors about those boys being pierced. Inquiring minds want to know.”

“Clover!”

“Okay, fine, you don’t have to tell me.”

“Arlo is,” I squeaked out. “I don’t know about Beckett and Phin.”

“Yet,” Clover amended. “You know, I’m not surprised at all that Arlo has a piercing in his special places. That boy is a freak on the stage.”

My cheeks burned again.

“I’m going to choose to believe that neon blush means he’s also a freak in the sheets, and that’s why you’ve been absolutely glowing today.”

“I feel like all the embarrassment is melting my brain cells. I need those for my degree.”

“I’ll try to restrain myself,” Clover promised. “How’s the baby growing going?”

I swept my hand over the delicate curve of my stomach. “So far, so good. I feel a million times better being around them, so it’s not really scary anymore.”

“Good.” Clover scooped my hand in hers, and we wandered over to the zebra enclosure. “You had me really freaked out for a while there. I think that’s another tick on the scent match list.”

“Yeah?”

“Did you need Hendrix to feel better, or did you start to feel better when you ran into Arlo?”

“Oh. I did feel way better with Arlo. Hendrix still has the maximum fixing magic, I think, but my body is happy being around all of them.”

“Sometimes fate is really fucking weird about these things, and biology even weirder, but it’s still pretty cool.”

After we finished with the zoo, we spent a few hours meandering through the aquarium until the guys messaged to let us know they were done with all of the prep work for tonight.

“The car will be here to pick us up in fifteen minutes,” I told Clover.

“Sweet. I’m starving. Are we grabbing food with the guys or separately?”

“They usually order food in and chill at the venue.”

“Cool beans.” Clover passed along her order, and we added our food to what the guys were getting for dinner. Half an hour later, we were being shuttled into the green room.

Hendrix scooped me right up and shoved his nose against my throat, inhaling deeply. “You were gone way too long.”

“I’m going to be gone all night,” I reminded him.

“Yeah, and I’m going to hate it.” Instead of putting me back on my feet, Hendrix hoisted me bridal style and sat down on one of the couches with me in his lap. “I have to restock.”

I laughed. “Restock on what?”

“You.”

It was ridiculous, but sweet too, and he obviously knew what both of us needed because the longer I spent in his arms, the better I felt, my fatigue and aches from the day disappearing.

Clover chattered away, surprisingly not asking too many invasive questions to their faces. I knew she was curious, along with millions of their fans, but I was really glad she could be chill with them in person, so they might want her around.

We had worked our way through a giant order of Thai food, and I curled up in as much of a ball as I could manage on Hendrix’s lap, falling into a cozy doze until Gary arrived to blitz all of the relaxation from the room.

“Showtime,” he announced.

Reluctantly, we all parted, the guys to backstage and Clover and me to the nearest seats we could get that still had chairs. Hendrix might have witchcraft stored in his scent, but my feet were pretty well done for the day, after marching through the entirety of the zoo and aquarium.

It was still weird watching them perform. They looked like they were having the time of their lives up on that stage, and the audience loved it. Clover sang along to every song, and while I still didn’t know all the lyrics, or even the names of most of their songs, I was pleased to note that I recognized a few more lines every show.

I got more than my fair share of hugs once the show ended, and I went back to Clover’s hotel with her to complete our girls’ weekend. My instincts were definitely wavering being separated from them, but I was so happy to spend time with Clover. We watched a movie, did face masks, painted each other’s toenails, and gossiped all night as she kept me apprised of the lives of her many acquaintances.

Sleep was blessedly not too difficult to attain with Clover attached to me like a barnacle, her purr rumbling through the night, but even so, morning came too early.

We were stuffing our faces at the hotel breakfast buffet when the guys messaged they were there to pick us up.

Clover stole a couple more slices of bacon for each of us, and we walked out to the glistening black SUV, still chewing. Beckett was up and out of the vehicle to open the door for us, and he loaded Clover’s suitcase into the already jam-packed cargo space.

“Did you two have fun?” Phin asked.

“Absolutely.” Clover grinned. “I’ve been missing my Meadow. You guys better be extra nice to her this week, or I’m going to steal her back.”

“She won’t even know what to do with how nice we’re going to be,” Arlo told her.

“I look forward to the updates.” Clover laughed and gave me a conspiratorial wink.

Hendrix made sure I was safely buckled, adjusting the seat belt carefully to nestle under the curve of my belly before catching me in a kiss that had my perfume filling the car. “God, you taste like my two favorite things in the world: bacon and bond mate.”

“My dude, I do not need a lungful of turned-on Meadow.” Clover cackled. “Keep that tongue in your mouth until you’re on your fancy-ass private jet.”

Hendrix grinned at her when he pulled away. “Yes, ma’am.”

We parted at the airport with multiple hugs and a few tears, Clover to her commercial flight, and the rest of us to the private jet the band had chartered.

“Do you like it?” Phin asked as we stepped on board.

“It looks just like the movies.” I ran my fingertips over the buttery leather and settled onto one of the couches, Hendrix and Arlo practically tripping over one another to claim the spots on either side of me.

“Well, if you like this, princess,” Arlo said, running his nose up my throat, “just wait until you see the pack house.”

Chapter 27

Phineas

August, Los Angeles

“Damn, this place is swanky.” Meadow stood in our driveway, her gaze flicking over our pack house in Los Angeles. It wasn’t the biggest or fanciest house in the city, and, in fact, by comparison, it was downright modest, but it had enough space for all of us to have our own room, with an untouched omega suite and additional bedrooms for guests, plus a pool, which Meadow would probably appreciate as the baby grew.

“We’re going to have to buy a lot of stuff to fill up your room here,” I told her. “You have an entire suite with a nest inside.”

“How do I already have a room?”

“Wishful thinking?” I replied.

Her cheeks turned sweetly pink, though that could’ve been from the heat and not from my words.

Hendrix and Arlo flanked her on both sides. Arlo grinned at her. “Ready to go in?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

The entire place was cleaned top to bottom while we were on tour, and our housekeeper had come by that morning to make sure everything was fresh and aired out. We only had a week here, but I was pretty sure we all intended to make the absolute most of it and get in our Meadow time while the opportunity was there. We would still look at purchasing a property in Seattle, so she could be close to home if she wanted to, but for right now, our house in LA was a much more comfortable alternative to the bus.

“You’ve already had so many chances to hog our omega,” I argued. “Let Beckett and me give her the tour. You two can get our luggage from the bus.”

They both pouted, but when Meadow didn’t say anything to negate my request, they traded off places with Beckett and me.

I looped my arm with hers. “Let’s go, sweets. Once you see everything, I want you to buy whatever you think we need. This place is more house than home with how often we’re on the road, so it probably needs some cozying up.”

Meadow nodded, like she was taking the duty seriously. Her head swiveled as we walked, marveling at the high ceilings in the foyer with the marble floors, taking in the beautiful granite kitchen we basically never touched, our giant living room with a projector screen covering most of the wall, the sparkling pool in our backyard, and the multitude of bedrooms we kept upstairs.

“Feel free to snoop,” I told her.

“Which ones are yours?” she asked.

“I’m at the end of the hall on the right,” answered Beckett.

“I’m across from him.”

Meadow trotted excitedly down the hall and peeked into Beckett’s room. “It’s like something out of a magazine.”

“We hired a designer,” he replied. “None of us are particularly decoratively inclined.”

“The green is really nice. Like a classy forest.” She crossed the hall to look into mine. “Whoa.”

“Nice, right?” My room was beach themed, with sand-colored walls, blue fabrics, and a display of seashells I’d been collecting for the last several years.

“I love themed rooms. Feels like I’m right by the ocean.”

“We can do up the omega suite the same way, if you want,” I offered.

“Let me see it first before I go deciding on changes.”

We took her to the opposite end of the pack house and opened up the room we hadn’t touched since moving in. The walls were a bright cream, the windows letting the natural light stream in.

“Holy sunlight, Batman! Did the designer know this was an omega suite?”

“We thought of that.” Beckett reached out to flick a set of switches by the door. Blackout blinds slid down over the windows, plunging the room into darkness.

“That’s so efficient. Definitely needs a lot more soft things in here, but being able to darken it helps.”

“This room has its own air-conditioning system,” Beckett told her. “We didn’t want any future omega to melt when they were snuggled in.”

“That’s a good plan. We do get a little bit toasty.” Her head turned, and she caught sight of the en suite bathroom and let out a squeal of delight before racing over to it. “Oh my god, this bathtub is fucking huge! And the shower!”

It was unfair how cute she was, checking out every nook and cranny of her new space. We wanted her to be excited to stay here, however temporary our time in LA would actually be. A lot of discussions needed to happen about the future, but I was half-certain Meadow wouldn’t be that comfortable with those conversations until we had sorted out our pack relationships.

She had gotten close to Arlo, and closer to Hendrix, but Beckett and I hadn’t yet had the opportunity to try building something with her. She might stay if only those two were involved, and we could be a support system, but after spending time with her, I was eager to see what we could be. Beckett hadn’t said anything out loud, but I could tell by the way he looked at her that he was curious too. Hendrix and Arlo were both completely besotted, and the more that I watched, the more I could see how easy it would be to fall for her.

Meadow bounded over to me, throwing her arms around my chest with a happy squeak. “I’ve never been in a bathroom that fancy in my entire life. I love it!”

I held her like the treasure she was, breathing in her sweet floral scent.

“We can have the room painted,” said Beckett. “Whatever you want done, we can arrange it for while we’re gone, and our housekeeper can make sure all of it gets finished by the time we get back.”

“I am not very designer-y either. Could I just pick a few colors and let them go to town?”

“Of course you can.” Beckett was already on his phone, scrolling away before turning the screen to her. “These are the best omega specialty designers in the city. Why don’t you have a look and see if they have anything you like?”

Meadow scooped up his phone and plunked herself down on the bed, curling up while she searched through the plethora of options. Beckett simply stared after her, like he hadn’t been expecting her to snatch the device and look immediately. I whacked him on the butt and went to go sit down next to her, the impact prompting him to join us.

“What’s your favorite color?” I asked.

“Green,” replied Meadow.

“That basically goes with everything.”

Her whole face brightened when she scrolled past a design I could only describe as goth spring, with dark green walls, pops of delicate white florals, innumerable plants, and gold accents. “Oh god, that price tag.”

I laughed and bent down to kiss her cheek. “Sweets, I don’t think it’s escaped your notice that you bonded into a pack of millionaires. Whatever you want, we’re going to get for you.”

She looked up at me with shiny eyes. “It’s too much.”

Beckett tsked. “Nothing is too much for our omega.”

That got the fine line of tears along her lashes to spill over, and Beckett’s eyes widened.

“Fuck, I’m sorry. Please don’t cry.”

Meadow swiped at her cheeks, and I pulled her onto my lap, purring for her.

“It’s the pregnancy hormones. I got overwhelmed by you guys being sweet.”

“You’re going to have to hydrate extra because we’re not going to tone that down. Make sure you look at what you want for a nursery too,” I insisted. We had already bought several nursery items, but we still wanted her to choose some for herself.

“Is it bad if I say I almost forgot about that part?”

“There’s been a lot going on.” Beckett shrugged. “The baby won’t notice if the nursery is a little incomplete.”

“But I’ll notice.”

“We’ll make sure it’s finished in time,” I promised. “Now, could I tempt you with some ice cream, or would you prefer to settle in for a while?”

Meadow perked up. “Ice cream is my weakness.”

“Then I guess we’d better get you some. If you tell Beck your favorites, he’ll make sure the freezer is stocked.”

“Rocky road and brownie fudge swirl. With extra chocolate chips, and chocolate syrup, and strawberry syrup. Oooh, maybe some caramel syrup, too.”

“That’s the most omega ice cream order I’ve ever heard.”

He might have made quiet fun of her ice cream preferences, but I saw him add all of those to a grocery cart, anyway.

We led Meadow out to our ratty-ass station wagon that I’d bought as my first car. The thing had already been old as fuck when I’d bought it, but it had served us well.

“Um…” Meadow turned to me for some explanation.

“It lets us travel incognito.”

“Oh, that makes sense.”

With the bench seating, we were all able to sit up front, and Meadow was safely tucked between Beckett and me while I told her about this incredible little hole-in-the-wall gelateria that made the best gelato outside of Italy. I knew, because the nonna who ran it told me every time, and I’ve eaten a lot of gelato in my day.

“I know it’s not traditional ice cream,” I said, “but I need it to grace your tongue.”

“If it’s delicious, I’m more than happy to put it in my mouth,” Meadow promised.

Beckett’s oakmoss and new leaves scent filled the car, setting off Meadow’s florals. I took my time looking at her when we stopped at a red light. She took what I’m sure she hoped was an inconspicuous deep breath, but it made her pupils dilate and she wiggled in her seat. She had never commented on my scent before, or Beckett’s, but they were probably constantly overshadowed by Arlo and Hendrix being in her face at all hours. Did she like ours?

“Camping,” she said quietly.

Beckett tilted his head, examining her. “Camping?”

“That’s what your scents remind me of. My mom was a tea drinker growing up, never coffee, and when you wake up in the misty forest to the scent of freshly brewed tea staying warm near the fire, it’s just perfect. That’s what the two of you remind me of.”

“I guess Hen fits into that, too,” I added, “since he’s woodsmoke. Not sure how the citrus fits in, though.”

“Vanilla Earl Grey,” she replied. “That’s what I always brought when I got old enough to make my own treat choices. You haven’t lived until you’ve made a London Fog fireside. Hmm, Arlo still fits, too. When I was younger, I was an apple cider packet girly.”

“That’s sweet. Not the sexiest comparison for a rock band,” Beckett said with an amused smile, “but I’ll take it.”

He slipped his fingers into Meadow’s, and she held on, giving him a tentative smile in return. At times like this, I wished I was comfortable using only one hand to drive. I wanted to hold her hand, too, but it would have to wait.

Once we arrived, we hustled her inside, where Nonna Russo waved to us. “I was beginning to think you had been kidnapped.”

“Just on tour,” I replied, delivering an air kiss to each of her cheeks.

“You brought a friend?”

Beckett lifted a finger to his lips and Nonna nodded, her eyes gleaming.

“Nonna, this is Meadow. Meadow, this is Nonna Russo, gelato goddess. Can I please get a scoop of hazelnut and a scoop of dark chocolate?”

Nonna nodded and got it ready before turning to Beckett. “For you?”

“Nocciola and amarena, please.”

“And your secret friend?”

“What should I get?” she asked me.

“Definitely stracciatella and the chocolate.”

Nonna dished us up accordingly, and we sat tucked away in her tiny gelateria, inhaling our treats. We talked about nothing of consequence, learning little facts about one another: Beckett loved videos of dogs singing (which I knew but didn’t realize how often he watched them); I had a secret food blog, detailing the best spots everywhere we traveled; and Meadow once accidentally drank something questionable at a college party and tried to convince Clover that fairies were real.

Every time Meadow mentioned loving something, Beckett discreetly added it to a list on his phone.

By the time we got back to the pack house, Meadow was exhausted and climbed into bed with Hendrix and Arlo. Part of me had hoped she might stay with me tonight, but I understood wanting to sleep with more familiarity around her. Besides, Beckett and I had work to do with all of the things he’d stealth ordered to the pack house. Come morning, Meadow would know exactly how serious we were about her.

Chapter 28

Meadow

California was far too hot for my Seattle-loving self. Between my rapidly changing body and the insane temperature, I was struggling. I had sweat in places a person should never sweat.

It didn’t help that I was sleeping next to two hulking alphas who gave off enough body heat to run a small generator.

Rolling over, I clambered out of bed, being careful to avoid disturbing Hendrix. I loved a good cuddle, but despite the late hour, I wasn’t able to sleep, thanks to the heat. They’d promised me extra AC vents when the omega suite was finished, but Hendrix’s room didn’t have that, so I was forced to toast.

Arlo, I wasn’t worried about waking while I climbed out of bed. I had straight-up kicked him in my sleep—accidentally, of course—and he hadn’t even stirred. He slept like a very good-looking corpse.

I needed to cool down, and on the odd day Seattle had gotten too toasty for me, I’d turned to ice chips. Hopefully they had something in their freezer, or I could always take a meat mallet to some ice cubes. As far as treats went, it wasn’t the weirdest, so I padded toward the kitchen and found their fancy ice machine chugging away.

Being famous really did come with perks, like perfectly shaped nugget ice on demand.

The house was silent, given that it was nearly three a.m. I stood by the kitchen island, happily chomping on my ice for a moment, looking through the fridge for other potential late-night snacks.

Whoever stocked the fridge had done an excellent job, even if there was a lot more green than my tongue was currently craving. The pantry was full of chips, gummy candy, and chocolates—not the generic kind, either. They were fancy ones with multiple flavors. Rummaging through, I grabbed a few raspberry chocolates and took them with me as I ventured back to the bedroom.

Halfway there, I heard a string of curses coming from a room down the hall, the light gleaming beneath the door.

“It’s motherfucking defective!” an angry voice hissed.

Frowning, I turned on my heel and headed toward the voice, popping the chocolate into my mouth as I did so. Curious, I opened the door and stuck my head in to find Phin and Beckett sitting on the floor, pieces of furniture scattered around them as they stared forlornly at the wordless instructions.

It was a nursery! There was a crib against the far wall, and the entire room had been freshly painted—judging by the smell and the swipes of paint on their clothes and skin—a rich green with soft yellow flowers.

They were building me a nursery in the middle of the night. My heart stuttered as an overwhelming feeling of happiness came over me.

“What on earth are you two doing?”

Both of their faces whipped toward me.

“Um…aiming for a surprise?” Phin said.

“Did we wake you?” Beckett asked with a frown, clearly unhappy with the idea he could have disturbed my sleep.

I shook my head. “I was roasting and wanted some ice to munch on.” I held up my cup of ice with a grin. “You’re up so late.”

Beckett sighed, running his hand through his hair. “We were trying to get the nursery set up for you, but I think we’ve been bested.” He looked so dejected.

I reached out, resting my hand on his shoulder and cocking my head as I looked over the pieces of furniture they were trying to fit together. Hmmm…

I grabbed the instructions, reading over them and glancing at the pieces awaiting assembly, and then nudged one oddly angled piece with my toes. “You put half of this upside down.”

Beckett groaned. “Son of a bitch.”

Without another word, the pair of them rearranged the bits of furniture and tried to pull them all together into one cohesive piece.

They slotted together perfectly.

I stood back and watched them with a smile, happily chewing on my ice and chocolates as they tightened the last few screws.

When they were finished, we all took a step back. Beckett looked at the completed changing table with wide eyes before bursting into loud laughter, bent at the waist, unable to contain himself. “Goddamn! We spent the last hour trying to put that thing together, and you’re telling me that all we needed to do was turn a hunk of wood around?”

Phin shook his head. “We really aren’t builders, are we?”

“You are,” I said. “Look at everything you did in here! It’s beautiful.”

Beckett dropped an arm over my shoulders. “You really like it?”

“I love it.”

“You’re welcome to change it in any way you want. I just wanted you to have a good base to work off.” He hummed, kissing the top of my head in a gesture that made my brain go mushy.

“You have to check out the closet! It’s fully stocked.” Phin bounced in place, and the second I made a move toward the closet doors, he leapt across the space to swing them open for me. “All the onesies with little instruments on them were my doing!” he declared happily. “We found way too many cute baby things and couldn’t resist.”

Beckett was back right at my side as I poked through the clothing, and I leaned into his embrace.

“This baby is going to learn to play an instrument before they can even write with a family like this.” I chuckled.

Phin beamed. “You laugh, sweets, but we’ve already been looking at miniature instruments for the little nugget! They’re going to take the world by storm with their skills if we have anything to say about it.”

Beckett hummed. “Imagine a toddler on tour with us with a mini guitar. I can’t think of anything more adorable.”

“Wouldn’t a baby on tour cramp your style?” I asked, raising a brow.

“Never!” Phin said. “Though we’ll have to talk to Gary about what to do once the baby’s born. I don’t know about the others, but I don’t think I’m going to want to be away for longer than a day or two.”

“I agree. We can focus on albums for a while, only local shows, and save the tours for later,” Beckett said, before tapping my shoulder. “Are you hungry?”

“It’s, like, three in the morning,”

He shrugged. “So? I’m starved, and I make a mean grilled cheese.”

At the mention of grilled cheese, my stomach let out a loud gurgle, making the guys burst out into laughter.

“Let’s go feed you, sweets.”

I sat on the kitchen island while Beckett made grilled cheese sandwiches and Phin sliced the cheese, feeding me little pieces of it.

Cheese to a pregnant woman was like rain to a shrub. I needed it.

“Another?” Phin asked, holding out a small cube.

Grinning, I opened my mouth. He popped the delicious snack onto my tongue and watched me with a different type of hunger while I swallowed.

“Get back to work, Phin.” Beckett laughed, flipping a sandwich.

“But it’s so much more fun feeding her,” Phin whined, his smile never slipping.

This close, I couldn’t help but admire his face. His smile was basically ever-present and gave him a touch of a baby face, even with his sharp jawline and gorgeous hazel eyes. I didn’t know if it was the late hour, but something made me feel bold. Leaning forward, I placed a quick kiss on his lips, so soft it was almost a whisper, before leaning back, suddenly shy and finding it difficult to meet his eye.

My gaze was firmly on my lap when a hand lightly cupped the side of my neck. Phin turned me to face him, stepping forward so he was between my legs. He smiled down at me, leaning in for a much longer, almost lazy kiss. His vanilla and black tea taste made my entire body hum with happiness and desire.

Curling my fingers into his shirt, I pulled myself flush with him, surrendering to the kiss. Instinctually, my legs wrapped around his waist, and there was no missing the feel of his hardness through my thin sleep shorts. Though Phin moved slowly with the kiss, it was deep and thorough, melting my brain and forcing a long, low moan past my lips as he swept his thumb down the column of my throat. God, if he fucked anything like he kissed, he was going to ruin me.

The sound of the frying pan had stopped as Beckett paused what he was doing to watch us. That should have embarrassed me, but something about the prospect of being watched made my neediness ramp up.

“I think I need a better taste,” Phin muttered against my lips.

“You’re getting a pretty good one right now.”

He cocked an eyebrow and smirked at me. “That’s not what I mean, sweets.” He leaned down to kiss the spot under my ear that made me squirm, nipping the lobe and whispering roughly. “I’m talking about that sweet slick I can smell dripping from your pussy.”

My brain short-circuited as I gaped at him. He turned that easy smile on me again, his eyes glittering with lust. It was one thing to let him kiss me in front of his pack member, but was I going to let him do that?

Who was I kidding? Of course I was.

“What do you say?” Phin kissed my neck again when I took too long to answer. “Can I have a taste?”

My eyes met Beckett’s. He was watching us hungrily, and my core clenched, goose bumps rising on my skin at the heat in his honey-brown eyes.

Did I want this?

Hell fucking yes, I did.

“Please!” The word came out strangled with need, but it got the point across.

Phin pulled back, beaming at me as he helped me to my feet so he could tug down my sleep shorts and panties before lifting me onto the counter again. As my folds were exposed to the cool air, my perfume exploded around us. Beckett moved closer, and while not close enough to touch, I could clearly see the way his nostrils flared.

“She smells delicious,” Phin crooned as he sank to his knees. Every nerve ending in my body was on edge, and I was going to explode if he didn’t do something soon. Even though he only made me wait a moment, it felt like a moment too long.

Thankfully, before I could cry out and plead with him, he dove in and ate me out like a man starved.

And holy fuck, could that man eat.

My hand clenched in his hair as he methodically lapped at my folds. He had only just started, but already my legs were trembling. Looking around the room desperately, my eyes landed once again on Beckett, who was watching us with rapt attention, the front of his sweatpants tenting.

I wanted to taste him.

All in good time.

“How does she taste?” Beckett asked.

“Fucking perfect,” Phin muttered from between my legs, nipping the inside of my thigh. “Sweet and floral. I think I’ve found my new favorite snack!”

I threw my head back with a desperate moan as he sucked on my clit with enough force to send sparks running through my limbs. “Phin…fuck.”

“How does he feel, darling?” Beckett was closer this time, his proximity sending a shiver through me. I turned toward him with a plaintive whine, and he finally stepped close enough for me to reach out and touch. I grabbed the front of his shirt and roughly pulled him in. His hands caught the counter so he didn’t trip over Phin, and then his mouth was on mine in a demanding kiss.

Normally, I would have been more self-conscious, concerned he would reject me, but in that moment, with Phin’s tongue doing magical things to me, all I wanted was more.

Only, I wasn’t in control for long after instigating the kiss. Beckett easily took over, his hand tangling in the hair at the nape of my neck, holding me firmly in place while his tongue ravaged my mouth.

“What do you want?” he asked, his voice low and gravelly, his grip on my neck never wavering.

“You,” I answered simply. “Both of you.”

Beckett’s eyebrows rose as a smile spread across his face while Phin continued to wind my body closer and closer to release. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” I moaned, my focus slipping. My core clenched as Phin slid two fingers in, finding my G-spot and rubbing hard.

I came impossibly hard, clutching on to Beckett while my vision blurred and I shouted in release.

“Good girl,” Beckett cooed as I came down.

I was already overly sensitive; I couldn’t deal with praise on top of that.

Chapter 29

Beckett

She was perfection. Watching her fall apart on Phin’s tongue only made me want her more. I craved unraveling her until she was so blissed-out she couldn’t remember her own name. With the way she was shuddering, my pack mate’s face between her thighs, I was pretty sure she wouldn’t be opposed to the idea.

If good girl was going to drench her, then I would use that weapon. Our omega obviously liked praise. I was eager to find out if she would like a firm, guiding hand as well.

“Trade spots with Phin,” I ordered quietly, both of them turning to me with blown pupils and scents out of control.

“Beck?” Phin raised an eyebrow.

“She’s going to take care of you while I give her exactly what she wants.”

Meadow let out a squeak, the flush of her cheeks gliding down her neck and beneath the collar of her shirt.

“We don’t have all night, darling. Be a good girl for me.”

Meadow practically melted off the counter, and Phin hopped up after shucking his pants. She stared, wide-eyed, at the ladder of piercings along the underside of his cock.

“Holy shit,” she murmured.

I nuzzled her cheek, tongue gliding along the shell of her ear. “Tell him what you think of those piercings.”

“Oh god. I like them; I’m just a little worried for my lady bits, between those and how big he is.”

“No need to worry,” I assured her. “You were made to take all he can give you. Once I’m finished, you’re going to find out exactly how incredible he can make you feel.”

Meadow let out the most delicious whimper that had my blood simmering.

“If you want to stop at any time, give Phin’s thigh three taps or say red. Repeat that back to me, so I can make sure you were paying attention instead of getting distracted staring at Phin’s cock.”

She swallowed hard. “Tap three times or say red to stop.”

My purr rumbled to life as I threaded my fingers into her hair and lowered her head down to Phin’s waiting cock. Her eyes were impossibly wide, and slick dripped down her thighs as she swept her tongue along the length of him.

Phin hissed, and when he reached toward her, I stopped his hand with a soft tsk. Phin’s eyes searched mine and relaxed when I swept his hair back from his face, settling both hands on the counter and leaning comfortably so he could watch Meadow work while I guided her movements. Phin and I had played in proximity before, but not together like this. I knew from the lazy smile on his lips, and the way his eyes hooded, that he was more than comfortable letting me take control right now.

I pulled Meadow free just long enough to strip off her shirt, leaving her completely bare to us. Her moan as I pushed her to descend again had my cock aching. Rearranging myself, I tucked my still-clothed hips against her ass and carefully braided her long hair so I could easily grab it with one hand.

She whined around Phin’s cock when I rocked my hips, and Phin groaned at the clench of her nails against his skin.

“Have a little patience, darling. I’m just getting you ready first.”

She accepted one finger, and then another. I pumped slowly, never giving her as much as I knew she’d be craving. When the glide was totally smooth and my hand was drenched, it took only a quick adjustment to free my cock and rock it through her slick. I held her braid like a leash, leaning over her so I could make sure she kept up her rhythm on Phin before I angled my hips and notched the tip. Meadow panted around Phin, rolling her hips impatiently against me. I tapped her ass cheek and she squeaked. Out of a sense of safety for Phin’s cock and the teeth so near it, I made sure the tap wasn’t enough to hurt or give her too much of a shock.

“You’ll get my cock when I want to give it to you and not a second sooner. You’re not getting any more than this until you make Phin come, so you might as well work a little harder.”

Meadow added her hands to the mix, teasing Phin until his eyes rolled back while I worked only the tip in and out of her dripping pussy. Every so often, she whined and tried to encourage me deeper, which earned her a firmer spank on each occasion. I pulled her off Phin before each impact, but after the sixth time, I was beginning to suspect she was doing it on purpose. Her ass cheeks were a gorgeous pink, and her slick had dripped down to her knees.

“Darling, if you want me to spank you, you just have to ask.”

Meadow squirmed, her scent growing even stronger.

I lifted her head so she could answer. “Is that what you want?”

She nodded shyly.

“Use your words, sweets,” Phin added, his voice breathless. “He’ll keep us both on the edge forever if you don’t do what he asks.”

“Please,” she whispered. “I like how it feels.”

“Good girl,” I crooned. “Hurry up and get Phin off, so I can fuck you like you deserve.”

Phin yelped as she went full steam ahead, plunging her head down and stroking him with her hands, her cheeks hollowed. “Holy fuck.”

He didn’t last long with Meadow trying her best to undo him, and I pressed her down the moment his sounds shifted. Phin poured himself down her throat while she shivered head to toe. The second he was finished, I hoisted her up, shifted us both forward so she could use Phin for balance, and fucked into her tight little cunt.

Meadow let out a string of curses, her words dissolving into a moan, her pussy clenching around me. I gave her no time to settle, snaring both of her hips in a firm grip, drawing out and fucking back in. Her scent was so thick in the air that nothing else existed but her. Phin devoured her mouth, muffling every perfect moan and whimper as I rode our omega.

I kept her close to the edge, her pussy pulsing, and all it took was a few sharp taps against her clit to send her tumbling off the peak. Meadow clung desperately to Phin as I kept moving, riding her through one rise and into the next.

“One more, darling, and then we’ll trade off. Phin will be ready for you by then.”

“Kn-knot?”

“I would rather watch you take Phin’s. I want to see the look on your beautiful face while you’ve got your mouth on my cock as he’s fucking you.”

The words set her off like a firework, and she cried out, the rhythmic squeeze almost sending me over the edge with her. I pulled out and Meadow made a whine of protest.

“Phin, fuck our omega.”

We transferred to the couch, where I stretched out at one end and Meadow got on her hands and knees between my legs.

“Present,” Phin growled.

Meadow did exactly as she was told, raising her hips. Phin drove into her carefully, letting her adapt to each of the piercings as he descended. Watching her shiver while Phin ruined her was practically a cinematic experience.

As soon as he fell into a smooth rhythm, I slid my fingers back into her hair and guided her to my cock. The warmth of her mouth was electric. Meadow stared up at me, eyes hazy with lust as I fucked those perfect lips.

Having her now hauled every memory of longing to the surface, every time I had dreamed of our perfect omega. She was exquisite and soft, open to fulfilling all of our desires, so long as we fulfilled hers in return.

Each movement between us tightened her muscles a little more, eyes darkening farther, her perfume so thick I could choke on it.

Phin fucked in hard with a growl and Meadow’s eyes rolled back. It was easy enough to tell when his knot swelled, locking the two of them together, and that was when I let go. Meadow sucked me down, her nose brushing my stomach, her throat contracting around my length as I emptied every drop.

By the time I let her free, her face was bright pink and she sucked in a grateful breath, letting her cheek rest on my thigh. I toyed with stray strands of her hair, smoothing them over and over until her eyelids drooped.

We stayed like that until Phin’s knot went down and I carried our exhausted omega up to my room, Phin at my heels.

“They’re going to be so pissed we stole her in the middle of the night,” Phin said with a laugh.

I chuckled softly and laid Meadow out in the middle of my bed, sliding in on one side of her while Phin joined on the other. “Tough. She’s ours now, too, and they need to get used to sharing.”

Chapter 30

Hendrix

Ishuffled down the hall, half-asleep. I’d woken up at some point in the night to a boner that wouldn’t quit. Whatever fun Meadow had been having was coursing through the bond. I could only assume she was with Phin or Beckett, since Arlo was passed out face down in my bed. Taking care of it next to him was too awkward to comprehend.

It was good she was getting closer to the pack, since I fully intended to keep her for as long as I could. I’d never seen a future before. From the moment we tasted fame, everything after twenty-seven had become nebulous and unattainable, and it still was, but at least now I was hopeful I’d get to see my kid first. The pack would take care of Meadow and the baby; they’d love them. I could already see it happening.

Anxiety twisted in my chest, climbing up my throat to choke me, tears burning my eyes as the ice of panic rushed through my veins. Before I could drown, Meadow emerged from Beckett’s room wrapped in a sheet, her eyes wide before she locked her arms around me.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, squeezing even harder.

“Nothing,” I lied.

“Don’t do that. I felt it.” Her eyes were so sweet and wide when she looked up at me, shiny from unshed tears.

“That’s just…how it gets in my head when I’m not properly distracted.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

I never wanted to, but if she was going to feel those spirals, I might as well give her a bit of insight. She dragged me to the kitchen and put on the kettle for some tea, and she looked so fucking perfect maneuvering around the space in nothing but a bedsheet that it stole my breath.

So, while we sipped some chamomile that had probably been in our cabinets for the last five years, I told her about my fixation with the 27 Club and the certainty that I was destined to join it. Meadow absorbed all of the information and climbed onto my lap, taking my hand and pressing it against her belly.

“The 27 Club can’t have you. We’ve already called dibs.”

It shouldn’t have shaken me so deeply, but it did. I knew that dibs wouldn’t save me, but it was something to grab on to, nonetheless.

“Have you talked to a professional about this?” she asked after a few moments of silence.

“With what time?”

“Hendrix, this is something you have to make time for. You owe it to yourself, to all of us, to take care of yourself. I barely even know you, but I still know I want you to stick around.”

“I’ll find someone when the tour is over. Is that okay?”

Meadow lifted a pouting mouth to me, and before she could speak, I lowered to kiss her, stealing all of that soft sweetness for myself.

“I know sooner is better. But also better late than never?”

Her lip pouted once more, as if it was committed to giving me the distraction I needed, and I gave in again, sliding my arms around her.

“You can’t just keep kissing me to avoid the conversation,” she insisted, eventually pushing me away.

“You make it so easy.”

Meadow pressed her lips into a thin line, but after a second, I could see the curve on the sides. “You’re ridiculous.”

“That’s all part of my charm. So, which of the pack is responsible for your very stylish ensemble?”

Meadow stared down at the sheet, as if she’d just remembered that was the only thing she was wearing. Her cheeks flushed hot pink.

“Phin or Beckett?” I asked.

“Both.”

That answer caught me off guard, and I burst out laughing while her lip dropped into another of those delectable pouts. “I’m sorry for laughing. I just wasn’t expecting that. Both at once is quite the choice. I didn’t think you had it in you.”

She glared adorably. “Do not question my life choices when you were one of them.”

That only made me laugh again. “I love your choices, dream girl. My greedy little omega claiming every alpha in the house.”

Her cheeks puffed up like an angry chipmunk.

“It’s a good thing,” I promised. “I’m glad you’re getting along with the pack.”

She snuggled against me even harder, tucking her head under my chin. “I’m not talking to you right now.”

If she wanted to sit in silence, I was completely fine with that. I was just glad she wanted to do that right where she was. I held her tighter, breathing in her floral scent and letting it push back the edges of my anxiety. It wasn’t a real fix, especially since I couldn’t have her stuck to me at all hours, but it was nice to have a reprieve, however temporary it might be. Meadow’s purr was like a buzz saw, the soft rumbling vibrating my chest and untangling the knots of insecurity, thread by thread.

It had been beyond stupid of me to bond Meadow, but it was really hard to feel regret when I was holding her in my arms.

“Do you want to come back to Beckett’s room?” she asked.

“Pretty sure it’ll be crowded with four of us in there.”

“That’s why we snuggle to conserve space,” Meadow insisted.

“And what about Arlo?”

“Either we wake him up now and bring him with us, or he’ll find us when he wakes up. I don’t want things to be weird with Phin and Beckett if they wake up and I’m gone.”

“Yeah,” I said slowly. “I could see how that would fuck up a person. Sleeping with the most gorgeous omega in existence and waking up to find your bed empty? The height of cruelty.”

Meadow lightly whacked my chest. “Not my fault you guys have shit security on your bus. It’s not like it felt good to leave.”

“I’m just teasing.” I kissed the top of her head and scooped her up bridal style, carrying her off to Beckett’s room. The two of them were still out cold when Meadow climbed between them, dragging me with her until I was wedged between her and Beckett.

“You’re not an omega,” Beckett grumbled, only half-awake.

“I’m here under her orders.”

That seemed to appease him, and he fell back asleep almost instantly. I slipped under, inhaling Meadow with every breath.

The next time I awoke, Meadow was upright and staring at my ass. I followed the direction of her gaze, seeing the top of my tattoo peeking out where my sleep shorts had ridden down.

“See something you like, beautiful?”

Meadow blinked like I’d broken her out of a trance. “Hmm?”

“I know my butt looks amazing, but you’re gonna make me self-conscious.”

“What does your tattoo say?”

I tugged the waistband down, revealing the words Bite Me scrawled across my ass cheek. I’d gotten it at the same time Phin and Arlo had gotten pierced. Beckett had a tattoo of Arlo’s name in a heart on his ass. That had been a very stupid and very wild day. I hadn’t been brave enough to get a needle shoved through my dick, which meant Arlo and Phin got to choose our tattoos, but I had managed to get through it well enough.

“It all makes so much sense now.”

Arlo rolled over with a yawn and sat up. He must have joined us at some point. “What makes sense, princess?”

“Why I bit Hendrix where I did.” She tapped her bite mark just below the words. “I was just following instructions.”

Arlo let out a loud belly laugh, setting me off in turn, the two of us absolutely fucking losing it over how cute this woman was. Following instructions. That was the best excuse I had ever heard.

Our laughter woke Phin and Beckett, and when they asked what was so funny, they lost it too at Arlo’s explanation. Meadow’s face was beet red as she sat between all of us, the blankets pooled at her waist, exposing her gorgeous tits and the slope of her stomach.

“It’s not that funny,” she insisted.

“It absolutely is,” replied Arlo. “Makes me want to go out and get a new tattoo right now.”

“Do I want to know what you would have it say?” Meadow asked.

“The options are endless.” Arlo grinned. “Bite me, kiss me, ride me into the mattress.”

“Oh my god. I’m leaving.” Meadow climbed out of the bed, giving all of us an exquisite view of her naked body as she vacated the room.

“Should we go after her?” Phin asked.

“She’ll be back.” I stretched and carefully made my way to the edge of the bed. “She was amused as fuck in the bond.”

I took my time picking out clothing for the day in my own room.

Meadow did indeed return, hovering in my doorway, fully clothed this time, unfortunately. “Are you feeling any better?”

I opened my arms, and she slipped inside, tucking herself into them. “You knocked out the spiral. I’ll be fine until the next one.”

“How were you dealing with them before we reunited?”

“Mostly with questionable consumption.”

Meadow pursed her lips. “I wonder how much of that I felt.”

“More than I’d like. I’m going to try getting off what I’ve been taking. I don’t want you feeling that.”

“Shouldn’t that be handled by professionals too?”

“Yes…but that’ll have to happen af—”

“After the tour?” Her frown creased little lines into her face.

“I don’t have much choice about that. I’d be disappointing a lot of people and hurting careers if I hopped off to rehab mid-tour.”

“They would understand.” Meadow nuzzled her cheek against my shirt, scent marking it.

“Just because they would understand doesn’t mean it wouldn’t do damage. I’m just trying to do what’s best for everyone.”

Her fingers curled in the fabric of my shirt, and she pulled me down. “What about what’s best for you?”

How was I supposed to make her understand that there was no best for me in this life? My options were to suck it up or destroy careers. I’d been sucking it up for so long I didn’t even know how to function in a way that put my own well-being first.

“I don’t know,” I confessed.

“You have a baby on the way,” Meadow said firmly. “Figure it out.”

Chapter 31

Arlo

Everyone was preparing for the baby, and I wanted to help. Beckett and Phin had set up the nursery at the house, and Hendrix had contributed DNA. I wanted to do something for the baby that would be useful and that Meadow would appreciate.

While Hendrix was out with Meadow on a cute little date, I went into the city to wander around until I found a gift that would work.

I needed something that screamed can we keep you? But maybe not quite as creepy as that.

After hours of no success, and the deadline to meet for our pack dinner approaching quickly, I stumbled across a small craft store and had the amazing idea to make something for my omega.

“Are you looking for anything in particular?” an older brunette beta who smelled like strawberries and wore a polo shirt with the store logo on it asked me after I had spent a good twenty minutes looking at all the various kinds of yarn.

“I want to make something for my omega with this stuff!” I said, pointing eagerly at the wall of yarn.

The brunette sales assistant gave me an indulgent smile. “Do you have a color in mind?”

I nodded. “She loves green, so different shades of that.”

“Okay, in that case I would recommend this yarn.” She crouched down and picked up a gigantic ball of yarn, bigger than a lot of the other ones in the store. “This is a chunky yarn, and it’s really, really soft. I’ve had quite a lot of omegas make items for their nests with this. Here, have a feel.”

I took the ball from her, running my fingers over it and humming in agreement. It was ridiculously soft and Meadow loved soft things.

It was perfect!

“I’ll take it,” I declared, hugging the ball of yarn to my chest.

The sales assistant cocked her head. “What are you planning on making? You can’t make much with just one ball.”

“A throw blanket. Possibly a baby blanket? I’m not entirely sure.”

“In that case, you’ll need several balls.”

I looked at the wall of yarn and all the various shades of green. “Okay, give me everything you’ve got in green tones in this yarn!”

“A-are you sure? We have probably over a hundred balls…”

“That’ll make an extra big blanket, then!” I beamed. “Now, what is this?” I asked, holding up what looked like a knitting needle, but there was only one and it had a hook on it.

The woman bit her lip, trying to conceal her laughter. “That’s a crochet hook. Have you ever done anything with yarn?”

I shook my head. “Nope.”

She sighed, shaking her head with a small laugh. “Why don’t I show you our books for beginners?”

“Perfect!” I bounded after her as she moved toward a different section of the store.

How hard could making a blanket be?

It turned out that making a blanket was extremely difficult.

After three hours of trying to make the yarn resemble something akin to a piece of fabric, I was convinced that crochet was officially a form of witchcraft. There was no other explanation.

All I had to show for my several hours of work was piles of knotted yarn, a hand cramp, and a bad mood. I stared at the offending bits of yarn while I did the stretches I’d learned so I didn’t develop a claw hand from playing guitar.

“We’re back!” Meadow called down the hall, and I heard the pitter-patter of her feet as she stopped in front of my half-open door. “What are you…”

Meadow stopped dead, taking in the explosion of yarn all over my room.

I sighed. “It wasn’t supposed to look like this when you got home.”

“What on earth are you doing?”

“I was trying to make something for you and for the baby, but apparently, the yarn decided it didn’t like me and needed to fight back. I didn’t think it would be this hard.”

Meadow pressed her fingers to her lips as she surveyed the mess and the tangled masses of yarn. “Arlo, this is so sweet.”

“But I couldn’t even make one line of your blanket,” I protested.

“The sweetness comes from the effort. Would you like some help cleaning up the yarn?”

“I can’t have failed at your present and make you help me clean up on top of that.”

“There’s plenty of time for you to learn before the baby gets here.” She smoothed her hand over her stomach. I fucking loved when she did that; it was cute as hell. “Crochet isn’t a one-day skill, but you can practice. Start with something a little smaller, and once you’ve got the hang of it, you can move to something bigger.”

“I guess if you want to be all logical about it.”

Meadow laughed and started to collect the balls of yarn I hadn’t already unraveled. “Give yourself a break. You didn’t learn guitar overnight, did you?”

“No,” I said with a frown, “but if I take that long to learn crochet, the kid’s gonna be starting kindergarten before they get their baby blanket.”

I started winding up some of the yarn, looping the soft strand around my hand over and over. It almost looked like a cuff when I was finished. “Hey, princess?”

“Yeah?”

“Have you ever been tied up to get freaky before?”

“Um, nope. That sounds a little bit claustrophobic.”

“What about tying someone else up?”

“Haven’t done that, either, but it sounds less panic-inducing. Why?”

I held up the loops of yarn. “Want to make me feel better about fucking up your present?”

A blush burst onto her cheeks and flared all the way down her neck, disappearing under the neckline of her shirt at the same time her scent exploded.

I was off the bed in an instant, pulling her in for a devouring kiss. “Fuck, you can’t react like that, or I’m going to eat you up.”

Her answering moan had me filling my hands with the lush curves of her ass. She was so fucking hot, even when she wasn’t doing a thing.

“Tie me up and play with me, princess.”

“Well, when you asked so nicely, how can I refuse? Do you have scissors, in case I fuck up the knots?”

“I do! The nice lady at the store sent me home with some.” I wrestled them out of the package and set them on the bedside table. “Do you want me upright or lying down while you have your wicked way with me?”

Meadow tossed one of the yarn balls at my head, and I caught it easily. “Sit down.”

“Yes, ma’am.” I winked at her just so I could enjoy the fresh rush of pink into her cheeks.

I whipped off my shirt so it wouldn’t get in the way, and then Meadow very carefully wound the chunky yarn around my wrists, her tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth in concentration. Watching her work was a treat, and it didn’t hurt that every time she glanced up and caught my gaze, she blushed all over again, her perfume so thick in the air by the time she was finished with just my wrists, my cock was rock hard and my body aching to touch her.

“Lie back,” she ordered.

I flung myself backward and scooted up on the bed. Meadow climbed up and carefully straddled my chest while she secured the makeshift cuffs to my headboard. I was pretty sure she was wiggling her hips on purpose, and when her ass cheeks brushed over my cock, I was absolutely certain.

“I wasn’t expecting you to look this good tied up.”

“I feel like I should be offended.” I stuck out my tongue. “I look incredible all the time.”

She laughed and gently trailed her nails down my chest. “I should make you a gag out of the yarn, too, if you’re going to get sassy with me.”

“I have an actual gag if you want.”

That fucking blush of hers was never going to get old. “That might be a bit above my knowledge grade.”

“It’s not scary. Just give me an easy way to indicate I want out.”

Meadow chewed her lip, considering carefully how far she wanted to push our play today. “Okay.”

“It’s in the bottom drawer of the left bedside table.”

She rifled around and came up with the wiffle gag I hadn’t played with in ages, carefully attaching it to me before stripping off her bright red panties from beneath her dress and tucking them into my hand. “Let go of those if you want me to cut you free.”

I nodded, now unable to speak properly, watching her with heat coursing through my body as she wrestled my pants off and climbed right back on top, spreading the skirt of her dress out and over me so I couldn’t see, but I could absolutely feel my cock tucked against the curve of her ass cheeks.

Meadow laughed, fanning herself with her hand. “Holy hell. If we could bottle the look in your eyes right now, you could set off heats for every omega in a thousand-mile radius.”

The gag stopped me from replying that the only omega I wanted to send into heat was her, but I thought it really hard in her direction anyway.

“I should tie your legs up too.” Meadow set about doing just that, winding the chunky yarn around my ankles and securing each one to the footboard. Her eyes gleamed when she turned back to me before bending down and plucking my wallet out of my pants pocket with a grin. “Okay, have fun.”

She retreated to the door, wallet in hand while I blinked after her. When she whipped open the door, Hendrix was there, his hand poised to knock, his eyes wide as he realized what was happening in here.

“Should I come back later?” he asked.

“Nah. I was just showing Arlo the perils of letting people tie him up.” She held up the wallet, and Hendrix burst out laughing.

“That’s one way to teach a lesson. You know what would be even more fun?”

“What?”

He whispered something in her ear, and she glanced back at me with a mischievous smile. I tugged against the yarn but found myself secured. I could probably break out of it, but I was eager to see what the plan was.

Meadow trotted back over with Hendrix on her heels. It wasn’t the first time he had seen me naked, and considering we were sharing an omega, it definitely wouldn’t be the last. Hendrix tipped her forward, and Meadow caught her hands next to my hips, her warm breath ghosting over my skin. She gasped when he dropped down, sliding his hands up her legs to disappear beneath her dress. That was unfair as hell. I wanted to watch her get taken apart.

I smiled as best I could around the gag and gave her a thumbs-up when she looked over at me to make sure I was cool with what was happening. Seeing her lips part and her eyes slide shut had my whole body thrumming.

She was so beautiful and I couldn’t even tell her. Hopefully my panting breath and cock at attention would get that idea across.

Meadow groaned, resting her forehead on my thigh while Hendrix did whatever the fuck he was doing.

He rose up slowly and leaned over her bent form. “You look so fucking gorgeous, dream girl. Why don’t you tell Arlo what the plan is?”

She shuddered. “I can’t touch you until Hendrix makes me come three times, then I have to try to get you off before he finishes.”

Hot damn. That was a plan I could get behind.

“Good girl.” Hendrix wrapped one arm around her waist and dipped his other hand between her thighs. “So fucking wet. Is this for him or me?”

“Both,” she whined.

“That’s the right answer.” He kissed just below her ear, and she tipped her head sideways. “I want to see you dripping and desperate for this entire pack.”

Yes, fucking please.

The next best thing to Meadow coming on my cock was her coming for any of the pack.

Her little nails dug into my thigh while Hendrix worked her at a brutal pace. He scooped up one of her legs, propping her knee on the bed to give himself better access, and I assumed, from the way her eyes rolled back, he’d gotten a few fingers into that sweet pussy.

Her whispered fuck was cute as hell, and I was pretty sure my cock was ready to burst if she so much as breathed on it.

Hendrix let her have a hot second to recover from the first rise before he carefully readjusted her, propping both knees up on the bed and situating her so her perfect breasts brushed against me.

“That’s my perfect omega,” Hendrix crooned. “You can take three this time, right?”

Meadow whimpered but nodded. Her heaving breaths as Hendrix pressed back into her had all her creamy skin teasing me. She wasn’t going to have any trouble getting me off before Hendrix at this rate. I did everything I could to hold back and almost lost the war when Meadow clutched my thigh as Hendrix made her come again.

“Do you think we should take some pity on Arlo?” Hendrix asked with a devilish smirk.

I nodded frantically. I wanted to come inside Meadow, and I couldn’t do that if I came all over myself like a randy teenager.

We both got a bit of a break while Hendrix stripped Meadow out of her dress. She was all lush curves and softness. He unclipped her bra and tossed it aside, leaving the most immaculate titties in history bare for me to enjoy. Her panties were already in my hand, and I was holding on to them for dear life.

Hendrix got her back to standing, moving her to the end of the bed. He started slow, kissing the column of her throat, cupping the fullness of her breasts and rolling those nipples between his fingers while Meadow squirmed.

This was the most exquisite torture.

“As soon as you come,” Hendrix said, “you’re going to take him in your mouth and I’m going to fuck this tight little pussy until you fall apart.”

“Yes,” Meadow breathed.

“Good girl.”

Meadow looked like she was about to come on the spot when he pressed his fingers between her thighs and bit down on the bond mark on her throat. Her ragged cry was fucking delicious, and it hadn’t even finished before Hendrix pushed her forward and her mouth swallowed me up. Her nails dug in sharply at his first thrust, her moan a soft vibration around my cock. Hendrix rode her with a ferocity I had never seen in him before. My sweet omega did her best to keep up, stroking and sucking, but Hendrix set her off first, and she pulled off to cry out.

“Hurry up, dream girl. My knot is ready for you.”

Meadow doubled her effort, tension building through my body, desire coursing in my veins, until I went off like a firework, my vision turning white as I spilled hotly down her throat.

By the time I recovered enough to see again, Hendrix was bent over Meadow, our omega panting and looking extremely well fucked. He unraveled the knots holding my ankles in place, and I eased myself upward to free my wrists. The two of them awkwardly transitioned to lying on the bed, Meadow tucked flush against his body to accommodate his knot fusing them together.

She reached out, unbuckling the gag and setting it aside. I drew her in for a kiss, wanting to say a thousand things at once. Instead, I settled on, “That was the hottest thing I’ve ever experienced. Best omega ever.”

Chapter 32

Meadow

September, St. Louis

Flying to our next stop, rather than driving in the tour bus, meant I had to be frugal about what things to bring to add to my travel nest. I was excited to get back on the road, even though I’d loved the break at the pack house. Each one of the alphas had bits of nesting supplies crammed into their suitcases for me. That way, we could take more and they would smell like them because I had stolen a few unwashed items, which was a pretty big bonus, in my opinion. I was eager to get it all unloaded and settle in.

“You know what? It’s been far too long. I think we need to re-christen the bus!” Arlo declared as he unloaded all of the nesting supplies he’d packed for me and set them on the couch before closing up his suitcase and stashing it under one of the bunks.

I wasn’t opposed to that idea. Especially now that I had been with all the pack members. Only, now my mind kept wandering to what they would be like all at once. I had enjoyed two at once, but could I handle four? Did I even want to handle four?

Of course, I wanted to. They were all stupidly hot in their own rights. Together may well be the death of me, but it would be a pretty amazing way to go.

Death by multiple orgasms.

The jubilant mood that we had getting back onto the bus was quickly dimmed when the familiar, disgusting scent of funky damp laundry reached my nose and Gary walked onto the bus, wearing his usual expensive suit that was too tight around his beer belly. Following him was a younger blonde woman with her hair back in a neat bun, wearing dark leggings and a black polo shirt.

“Hello, everyone!” Gary greeted us warmly, even stopping to look and smile at me.

In my few weeks of knowing him, Gary had hardly spared me a look, let alone given me a smile. The gesture was eerie, and it immediately set me on edge.

“Hey, Gary,” Hendrix said with a nod. The rest of the guys also voiced some sort of hello, but none of them were that enthusiastic.

Clearly at least some of my men had good taste because they could tell that Gary was not the best.

“This here is Ellie. She’s the doula you requested, Hendrix,” he declared happily, gesturing to the perky blonde, who was beaming at us.

“Doula?” I turned to Hendrix with a questioning look. No one had spoken to me about a doula.

“I thought it would be good to have someone who knew a little more about pregnancy on tour with us,” Hendrix explained. “Just in case you had any questions or concerns. You mentioned a while ago that it would be nice to have someone around, since you couldn’t consistently get to your appointments.”

His face was open and honest as he spoke, and I believed every word he said. That didn’t mean I liked the fact that the doula was a tiny, perfect, blonde woman.

I’d been coping pretty well with my changing body, but standing next to her had insecurities I didn’t even know I’d had rearing their heads. None of the guys looked at her with any visible desire, but my brain was quietly screaming about how new things were with them, how fragile fresh relationships could be, and now doula Barbie was prancing around with her too-white smile and batting eyelashes.

“Oh…okay.” His intentions were good, after all. I couldn’t fault him for that. My emotions were just somewhat…aggressive. Omegas’ instincts could already be a little territorial, but adding in the pregnancy and only having a bond with one of my alphas meant they were going to be supercharged. Why couldn’t the doula be a kindly eighty-year-old grandmother instead of a preppy coed?

“It’s so nice to finally meet you, Meadow.” Ellie gave me a beaming smile, but it felt oddly fake.

Breathe. I had to be fucking chill. Hendrix was trying to help me have a safer pregnancy, and I couldn’t get mad about that. I could test out Ellie for a while, and if we didn’t vibe after I’d adjusted to her presence, then I would ask for someone new.

“How far along are you? I was told you’re only five months along, but looking at you, you look closer to full term!” Ellie laughed as she spoke, like she was telling the funniest joke in the world.

Fuck you, Ellie.

“Where will Ellie be staying?” I asked through gritted teeth. Despite being on the other side of the bus to her, her scent was potent. It was hard to nail down, but it was overly sweet, like those perfumes some betas wore in an attempt to smell like an omega.

“On another one of the tour buses, I assume.” Beckett’s response was quick.

“Well, wait a second,” Gary said. “She could always stay on here in one of the bunks. The couch converts to a bed too. It would be useful to have someone with her knowledge so close by as Meadow gets further along.”

I was about to open my mouth and say a vehement fuck no, but Arlo beat me to it.

“Gary, we’re a newly bonded pack. Do you really think we want anyone who’s not a pack member on this bus?” Arlo crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows at their manager.

Gary’s face went red as he tried to find the right words. “Ah…I suppose not,” he conceded. “I just wanted you guys to meet Ellie, either way. She’s highly qualified and comes with amazing references. I’ll take her to your old bus and get her set up while you guys settle back onto your…bus.” He looked around at our monstrosity of a tour bus with a thinly veiled sneer on his face.

It seemed he didn’t approve of Arlo’s purchase.

Luckily, his opinion meant nothing.

Ellie scooped up my hands, and I checked the urge to leap away. “I’ll stop by in the morning for breakfast. Even if I’m not staying here, I should be around to ensure you’re taking care of yourself. We’ll go through some questions tomorrow, and I’ll work on a meal plan for you.”

“Oh, uh, sure.”

She dropped my hands like a hot potato and turned to Hendrix. “I’ll also be taking care of Hendrix. Thanks to your bond, you two are very closely linked, so the health of both parents is paramount at this point.” The look she gave him could only be described as adoring.

Ew.

I wanted to drag her out of the tour bus by her hair, and I’d only met her five minutes ago.

Either she was bad news, or my pregnancy hormones were making me downright vicious.

Hendrix cleared his throat, not meeting Ellie’s eye. “Meadow is the priority here. She’s the reason we hired you. I’m a big boy and can take care of myself.”

“I’m sure you can,” she said in a simpering tone. “I just want to make sure you’re getting all the proper nutrients and minerals that you need in your diet for Meadow to thrive.”

Hendrix nodded, but he didn’t look happy, though he conceded, anyway. “I suppose that’s okay.”

I could have sworn I felt my blood pressure rise. No one else would be taking care of my alpha. Was she suggesting I wasn’t doing a good enough job?

Okay, so he was having to care for me more than I cared for him, but I was pregnant, for god’s sake!

“Okay, Gary, it’s late,” Beckett declared. “We’d like to go to bed. It was nice to meet you, Ellie.” He gestured toward the door of the tour bus, clearly showing them the way out. Beckett was being polite but not friendly. That pleased me. Instinctively, I took a step closer to him, grabbing his hand. He gave me a squeeze but kept his gaze firmly on the interlopers.

“Good night. If you need me for anything, don’t hesitate to call. Any time, night or day.” She took a business card out of her back pocket and handed it to Hendrix, giving him a moment of prolonged eye contact.

How obvious could this woman be?

The moment she and Gary were out of the tour bus, we all looked at one another.

“You didn’t think of swinging the doula idea by me?” I asked incredulously.

Hendrix reached out, but I sidestepped him, pressing closer to Beckett.

“I intended to,” Hendrix said, “but then we ended up going back to California and got busy. Beckett said you told him you wanted someone with medical training to be on tour for the pregnancy, so I told Gary. I didn’t know he was going to hire someone without telling me. I’m not sure what to make of her.”

Arlo frowned as he spoke. “Aren’t doulas supposed to be elderly women who’ve had lots of experience with childbirth? She looks like she’s just left childhood herself.”

“Gary gave me a ton of applications to look through, but I got overwhelmed. I vaguely remember an Ellie and that she was the most qualified,” Hendrix said.

“If she doesn’t get annoyingly in the way, I’ll deal with it.” I sighed. The prospect of having someone hovering over me during my entire pregnancy wasn’t appealing. I could get on board with one of my pack mates, but a stranger? Still…if it was what was best for the nugget, then I would do it.

But why did she have to be so pretty?

Phin draped his arm over my shoulders. “When she gets on your nerves, just let us know, and we’ll get rid of her. She’s supposed to be here to help you, and stressing you out will do the opposite of that.”

“It sure will,” I agreed. “Now who’s going to join me in the nest for some snuggles? I don’t think we can all fit in there.”

It had been hard enough trying to fit Hendrix and Arlo in there with me before we went to California.

“Dibs!” Arlo shouted obnoxiously.

“You can’t call dibs!” Phin punched his shoulder. “It’s omega’s choice, or we should have a vote.”

Beckett sighed. “Just take turns until you piss off Meadow and she bans you from the nest.” He gave Arlo a pointed look.

“You’ll never ban me from the nest. Will you, princess?”

“I meeean, I already did last time we were on the bus and never restored your nest privileges.”

Arlo looked horrified, as if he’d conveniently forgotten that fact. “What can I do to earn it back?”

I shrugged. “Prove you can be patient while I take Phin and Beckett upstairs?”

The two alphas in question looked fucking elated.

“But…” Arlo pouted, giving me prime puppy-dog eyes.

“Patience.” I tapped his nose. “You’ll have Hendrix to keep you company.”

That got my bond mate pouting too. “Why do I have to stay out of the nest?”

“You’ve already got your bite on me. I’m trying to be fair. Now, both of you zip those gorgeous lips while I get my cuddle on.”

Beckett and Phin practically tripped over themselves to follow me upstairs. I couldn’t lie, it was both a power trip and weirdly soothing to my anxieties that they were all so excited to spend time with me. Take that, doula Barbie.

Chapter 33

Hendrix

September, Baltimore

“Good morning, sunshines.”

I lifted a groggy head to see Ellie at the entrance of the nest, Meadow stiffening in my arms. “Go back downstairs.”

Ellie pouted. “I have your breakfast smoothies ready, though. They’re going to melt if you don’t drink them right away. It’s important to start the day right for the baby.”

Meadow grumbled, burrowing her face against my chest.

“We’ll be down in a minute,” I told Ellie. “Don’t come into the nest.”

With her lips painted bright red, it was impossible to not notice her frown. “Five minutes, and then I’m coming back. Meadow needs to be on a strict schedule if she’s going to thrive.”

Once Ellie was gone, I traced my fingers down Meadow’s spine. “Come on, dream girl. I know you’re comfy, but I would feel much better knowing you’ve got some nutrients in you before we have to head out for the day.”

“I don’t like her being in here.” Meadow pouted, but hers was a million times cuter than Ellie’s, and I loved seeing it on her face. I kissed her perfect lips until she was purring.

“I know. We can look for someone else. Do you want me to get the applications from Gary, so you can look through them?”

“Please.”

“You’ve got it. Want me to pick out some clothes for the day for you, or was there something specific you wanted to wear?”

“Any of the dresses are fine. I’ll have to pick up a few maternity items soon. My leggings are stretchy, but they only have so much give.”

“Buy yourself a whole wardrobe, my treat.” I picked out a little summer dress for her with a stretchy bodice and flowy skirt to easily contain her changing body. Pregnant Meadow in a sundress might be a new favorite. The baby still had a lot of growing to do, but I was pretty confident Meadow was going to look cute as hell through the entire process.

She wiggled her way into a bra and panties, lifting her arms for me to pull the dress over her head. I kissed her again when her face emerged, delighted when she hooked her arms behind my neck to keep me close until she was finished with me.

“You keep kissing me like that, and I’m gonna take you right back to bed.”

“What a tragedy.” Meadow giggled and kissed me again.

“Smoothies!” Ellie yelled up the stairs.

“What a cockblock,” I muttered.

Meadow laughed again. “Don’t blame me. You’re the one who wanted a doula. Any cockblocking that happens is your own damn fault.”

I took her downstairs, and Ellie cheerfully handed us each a bright green smoothie. It was surprisingly good, considering how it looked. Meadow wrinkled her nose and seemed to choke it back as quickly as she could, making displeased whimpers as she drank. It tasted like pineapple and banana, but maybe Meadow didn’t like that combo.

Ellie grinned. “We’re getting you lots of folate for the baby.”

“Can’t I just take a prenatal vitamin?”

Ellie waved her off. “We’re getting you all of the nutrients with none of the fillers.”

“Why don’t you two go shopping today?” I offered.

If looks could kill, Meadow’s would have lit me on fire. I only suggested it because I didn’t want her out and about by herself in an unfamiliar city, and we had obligations this morning we couldn’t get out of to take her shopping for some new, comfortable clothing.

“I would love to! We’ll get you some things to accommodate all of this…growth.” Ellie reached out to pat Meadow’s belly, and I snatched her wrist before she could make contact.

“No touching the omega without her permission.” Meadow gave me a look of relief, and Ellie’s eyes were wide as she stared at where I was touching her. I dropped her wrist and focused on Meadow. “Let us know if you need anything today. We can’t get away much, but we’ll do our best.”

“I’ll be fine. I’m just going to try and get through some coursework, so I can stay ahead of the game. I probably won’t even leave the nest.”

“Except for meals,” Ellie added. “You can’t spend all day in there. You need fresh air. Why don’t we go see the art museum?”

“No, thank you,” said Meadow firmly. “I have work to do.”

It didn’t seem very fair that Meadow was getting to go to all of these cities and not actually see anything. If she preferred staying in, that was okay—a lot of omegas did—but I didn’t want her to miss out. Maybe we should think about flying Clover in for another visit. Atlanta would probably be a good choice for that, since they’d had so much fun at the aquarium in Kansas City.

“You’re coming to the show tonight?”

“I’ll be there with bells on,” Meadow promised.

“Me too!” Ellie added.

I didn’t really care one way or the other if Ellie was there, but she seemed excited, and it was no difficulty to get her into the venue with Meadow if she wanted to see us play.

A knock at the tour bus door had me turning, and Gary slipped inside. “Let’s go.”

The pack and I bid Meadow goodbye and headed out for an interview at one of the local radio stations. We had done probably a thousand of these at this point, but it was still fun. They usually hosted a giveaway for tickets to that night’s show to fans who could correctly answer trivia, and they always got wildly excited about it. It reminded me of the early days of our career, when everything was still so bright and shiny. I knew it was important to hold on to those things so I would always appreciate the people who made our careers possible.

Even so, the day passed in a blur. Before we headed into a sound check, Gary pulled me aside. “Come on. I’ve got your dose in my car.”

“No.” I pulled away from him. “I can’t take anything. Meadow feels it through the bond.”

Gary’s mouth twitched. “Kid, don’t be stupid. You can’t just quit cold turkey. How are you going to get through the rest of the tour?”

“I’ll figure it out.”

“This is ridiculous. She felt everything this entire time, and she survived. It’s not like she’s the one taking something.”

I had to protect Meadow. Even if she wasn’t the one consuming whatever the hell Gary gave me, it couldn’t be good for her body to feel the effects. “I’m not doing it. Drop it.”

“You know, I have been really fucking generous with you, not pressing charges for your assault, but I can’t sit by and watch you tank your career.”

“There’s no other option. I can get by just fine if Meadow is on hand.”

“Hendrix, be reasonable. Do you really think she’s going to stick around? This is no life for a woman with a newborn. You can’t raise your kid on that bus, letting her do everything all day while your pack rolls up for the fun shit. I don’t even know her, and I know she’s not going to tolerate that. Are you actually going to give up your entire career for her?”

There had to be a way to do both. Plenty of people in the spotlight had partners and families. We just hadn’t figured out how it would work for us yet.

“Can we not talk about this right now? Let’s just get through the show.”

Gary sighed, but he didn’t press the issue further. I made it through sound check, and once the venue started filling, my nerves began to get the best of me. Meadow was escorted into the green room about half an hour before we were due on stage, Ellie on her heels. I scooped Meadow straight into my arms, letting her sweet floral scent wrap around me and soothe my anxieties.

“You okay?” she asked quietly.

“Just a little stressed. I’m always like this before a show.”

Phin and Arlo sat down on either side of me when I gathered Meadow onto my lap on the couch and Beckett passed her a bottle of water.

“Could you scent mark my shirt for me?” I asked.

“You bet.” Meadow swiped her cheeks over the fabric, lacing her fingers together behind my head and sweeping her wrists along the neckline and my jaw. “Double dose. Is that going to help you onstage?”

“I guess we’ll find out. Hopefully it’ll be enough.”

It wasn’t, not really. At every opportunity, I got a fresh hit of Meadow to get me through the entirety of the show. I couldn’t exactly go out there with her koala clinging to me, but maybe we could figure out something a little bit more potent than scent marking my clothes.

By the time we were ready for the meet and greet, I was dead on my feet. Even with Meadow’s scent, my anxiety had been unruly, draining my energy stores and depleting my mental battery. All I wanted to do was climb into the nest with her.

“You can go, if you want,” offered Phin. “We can handle the VIP.”

“That wouldn’t be fair,” I protested.

“Dude, that’s literally how you got with Meadow to begin with. Just take the out. I’m sure Meadow could use a break too.”

Our omega looked like she was ready to fall asleep standing up. Before I could get to her, Ellie was trotting up to me, a giant smile on her face as she squealed with excitement.

“That was incredible! I haven’t seen you live for years. You were so amazing!”

She was a fan? Gary should have asked that before hiring her. She hadn’t been too weird about it, though, so maybe it was fine.

“Thanks,” I said as I sidestepped her. I didn’t miss the flash of hurt in her eyes, but Meadow was my priority. “Hey there, beautiful. Let’s get you some rest.”

She smiled gratefully, letting me loop my arm around her shoulders and guide her back to the green room. The venue and everywhere around it would be crawling with fans and paparazzi, so it wasn’t safe to go straight to Meadow’s nest, but hopefully she would be comfortable enough in the green room for now.

I got her situated on my lap so I could support her back on the plush couch, my purr triggering with the proximity.

“Where are the others?”

“At the VIP meet and greet. They shouldn’t be more than an hour. You’re stuck with just me for now.”

Meadow let out a laugh and snuggled against me. “What a hardship.”

I cuddled her close, breathing in as much of her scent as I could. White rose and lilac unraveled my nerves, applying a cool balm to my anxiety. The show had gone well, and I had survived it without a drop of what Gary wanted me to take. I was twice as exhausted afterward, but I could cope with that if this was possible each time.

“You hungry, dream girl?”

“Starving. I need something super duper greasy.”

“Any particular preference?”

“Double cheese quesadillas? I’ll get veggies and chicken added in, so Ellie isn’t up my butt about not having appropriate nutrients.”

I kissed her hair and borrowed her phone to put in the order, adding a bunch of options for the others and sending one of the staff to collect the order from the back door.

By the time the food arrived, the rest of the pack was walking into the green room.

“Fucking finally.” Arlo grinned. “I smell my omega and tacos, officially the two best scents in the world.”

Meadow laughed and accepted a kiss from each of them. Even with all of the chaos going on outside those doors, it was oddly peaceful to be tucked away back here with all of them. Meadow inhaled her quesadilla, slathering each bite in liberal servings of sour cream and salsa. I ate my weight in buffalo chicken taquitos, sucking back an unhealthy amount of cola to accompany it.

Our omega was purring up a storm once her stomach was finally full. She picked at a chocolate cinnamon brownie, nibbling the confection until everyone was well-fed and security informed us we were safe to return to the bus.

We would be moving on to Richmond overnight, and hopefully the movement would rock us to sleep.

“I feel like an old lady,” Meadow said as we ascended the stairs to her nest. “My feet hurt from standing, and I was ready for bed five hours ago.”

“You’re growing a whole human,” Arlo pointed out. “That sounds exhausting.”

“It is. I just wanna nap all the time.”

“Luckily you have a mobile nest. You can nap whenever you want.” Beckett helped her out of her dress, and Phin brushed her hair for her before she finally succumbed to her exhaustion.

“Decide between yourselves who’s in here tonight.”

Arlo and I locked eyes, both yelling, “Dibs!”

“That’s not fair,” Phin lamented.

“Should’ve been faster.” Arlo was already stripping down and crawling into the nest with her.

“Better luck next time.” I waved to Phin and Beckett, discarding my clothes and sliding in along Meadow’s back, snuggling as close as I could possibly get.

Heaven had a location, and it was right fucking here.

Chapter 34

Meadow

September, Richmond

“Hendrix said you don’t like Ellie?” Gary asked, cornering me on the bus while my pack was occupied.

“Um, I just wanted to have a look at the other applications, see if there was someone else I might be more comfortable with.”

Gary narrowed his eyes. “That’s fucking inconsiderate of you. Ellie put aside her whole life to be here to help you. How many medical professionals do you think are available to drop everything at a moment’s notice to go on tour to babysit you because you insist on being here, instead of at home, where you could get regular care?”

“I…I guess not many.” I bit my lip to keep it from wobbling.

“Exactly. You’re already making everything more difficult for everyone. Don’t be pulling the diva act because you want your doula to be your best friend. Be realistic, and maybe try being grateful we’ve all been this accommodating so far.” He stared me down. “Do you still want to see the other applications, or are you going to be a reasonable adult?”

I swallowed hard. “I’m fine, thanks.”

“Good.” He left me alone, and I booked it straight to the nest, so I didn’t start crying in the middle of the bus.

I heard Ellie come in to make me lunch, but I didn’t acknowledge her. Instead, I dialed Clover immediately, pouring it all out to her while I was curled around one of my numerous pillows.

“I always thought I was easygoing, but I swear, Clo, Gary and Ellie are testing my self-restraint,” I grumbled.

Ellie called up that my salad would be ready soon.

A salad. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t opposed to the occasional salad. Salads could be amazing when they contained proteins and veggies and croutons and all of the amazing things, like dressing.

Ellie’s salads were bland and tasted like the produce was still coated in dirt from the ground. There were no toppings, no dressing, and no joy. The baby didn’t want me to eat leaves. The baby wanted carbs. And meat. And deep-fried treats.

“Order a burger!” Clover said. She was standing in our dorm room, rummaging through a pile of laundry. “Hell, I’ll order it for you.”

“I tried that before! She took it away, saying there were too many processed fats in it!” I growled.

Clover put down the shirt she was folding to look at me incredulously through the screen. “And your guys let her do that?”

“They were at sound check and press interviews, just like they are today.” I sighed, rolling onto my side in an attempt to get comfortable. The nugget didn’t make that very easy. “I hate this! It feels like my body isn’t my own. Nothing fits me anymore, and I have doula Barbie on my bus, making me eat like a rabbit.” Tears welled in my eyes, and I quickly wiped them away.

“Do you want me to fly out?”

“You’ve got tons to do for school. I know you’ve got papers due soon, and I don’t want to be a distraction.”

“You’re never a distraction!” she insisted loudly. “Did you hear back from the school about taking a hiatus?”

“I only emailed them last night.”

“They could’ve been extra fast. Either way, they’re super accommodating to omegas starting families, so I can’t imagine there’ll be an issue.”

As if on cue, a reply email came through. I read it to Clover. I was struggling to keep up with my workload on the road, and they’d given me an immediate one-year hiatus, no questions asked, with the option to extend until the baby was a year old, if I felt I needed more time.

“See!” Clover laughed. “You’re golden.”

“Seems that way,” I agreed.

“I can’t wait for a break, too. I want to come see you more than anything.”

“At least we’ll see each other over your Thanksgiving break. That’s not too far away. Give it a few weeks, at least until there’s a small gap in classes. I’ll put up with Ellie. Maybe I’ll sneak out and get some fries.”

“Fries are delicious. Do you remember that place we found our first night out freshman year? I’m so sad they closed down!”

I groaned. “My mouth just filled with saliva at the memory of that place. Maybe we need to open a French fry shop?”

“That sounds glorious. We’ll abandon ship on our degrees and become French fry magnates! Though we would probably eat all the stock and go belly-up within a month.”

“Drat.” I sighed. “Another amazing plan foiled.”

“That’s a bummer.”

Clover laughed, folding a pair of jeans as I heard the door of the tour bus opening.

“I think my guys are back!” I said, sitting up. “They’re early.”

“That’s awesome! Go spend time with your hunky rock star boys. Just make sure to remind them that if they have any rich, good-looking friends to slide me their numbers. I could do with some good sex and a vacation.”

I snorted. “Just make sure you use birth control, or you’ll end up the size of a house with stretch marks in places you didn’t know stretch marks could go! Byyye!”

“Later, Meads!”

“Princess! Are you up there?” came Arlo’s voice.

“Yep,” I called back, preparing to crawl out of the nest. My body felt heavy with exhaustion, and movement was slow at the best of times. It didn’t help that I was constantly adding to the nest, so the moment I lay down, I sank so deeply into the multiple layers of squishy glory that it nearly swallowed me whole.

The nest jostled as Arlo launched himself into the space next to me, rolling until he was on his side, beaming at me. He had a brown paper bag in his hand. “I got you a present!” he declared, his voice laced with excitement as he held out the bag to me.

“What is it?” I asked, sitting up—which took considerable effort.

With Arlo, a present had the potential to be anything from a sex toy to something cute and adorable; it was hard to tell with him. “Well, open it and see!”

In the brown bag was a small, crochet…

“Is this a bell pepper?” I asked, my brow furrowed in confusion, despite the smile on my face.

“It is!” He nodded happily. “Do you love it? It’s made by hand.”

“Wait, did you actually make this?” I asked incredulously, turning over the adorable bell pepper with stitched-on eyes and a smile in my hands.

Arlo snorted. “Unfortunately, no. It seems my magical hands are only good for playing the guitar and making my omega come.” He sighed dramatically. I laughed at his confidence, resisting the temptation to ask him to prove that last part.

I would be a willing test subject, of course.

Slowly, I looked over the gift, trying to understand it. “Okay…you’re going to have to explain your logic, because while the crocheted pepper is very cute, I feel like there’s some context missing.”

“Our little nugget is the size of a bell pepper right now, so I hired someone to make one!”

I took a sharp breath, looking down at the bell pepper, my heart stuttering. Now that he’d explained it, the gift was so thoughtful I had to resist the urge to cry.

“I love it,” I whispered, leaning down to kiss him. “I can’t believe Nugget is that big!”

“I know! I thought they would be bigger, given the size of your bump, but that’s all the other stuff that it takes to grow a baby, isn’t it?”

I nodded. “It is.”

“They’re going to be so little when they’re born!”

I grimaced. “They probably won’t feel little to me as they’re evicted from my body.”

“We’ll be there every step of the way, holding your hand. I’m not sure how much use I’ll be, but I’ll be your bitch the entire time. You want ice chips? I’ll be an excellent ice chip procurer!”

“I’ll be sure to put you to work.”

“Are you hogging our omega?” Phin asked, poking his head into the nest.

“If you’d run here like me, then you could’ve hogged her with me.”

“Dude, you’re like a fucking gazelle. I can’t keep up with you.”

“I’ll trade off with you,” Arlo said. “I have a mission I need to complete.”

“Mission?” I asked.

“You’ll find out soon, princess. Be patient.”

Phin climbed into the nest as Arlo vacated, nuzzling my cheek with a quiet purr.

“Are you all by yourself?” I asked. “Where are Hendrix and Beckett?”

“They got stolen for some press thing. Arlo and I were too fast.”

“You guys are ridiculous.”

“That just makes life interesting.” Phin tugged me to lie back down, curling around me, his purr ramping up until I was drowsy.

“I’d just finally worked up enough energy to think about getting up. You’re undoing all of that.”

“My omega needs rest.” He somehow managed to snuggle even closer, his vanilla and black tea scent a sweet cloud around me.

The ache in my hips eased, and I rooted around, pressing my nose to his throat to get a more direct hit. “You smell way too good.”

The quick praise only made his scent stronger, making me giggle.

“How are you feeling for tonight’s show?” Phin asked.

“I had a nap earlier, so I should be okay to stay awake through it. If I need to, I can always go back to the green room.”

Phin trailed his fingertips over my cheek, drawing me in for a sweet, lazy kiss that woke the embers of my desire slowly until my scent was a floral fog around us. Every single one of them had this effect on me. It didn’t matter if I was exhausted or stressed; all I needed was a few minutes of their indulgence and my instincts flared to life, urging me to take everything my alphas could offer.

“I don’t suppose I could interest you in a quickie before I have to head to sound check?”

“Do you really think I’m going to say no to that?”

Phin shrugged, an easy smile on his face. “I don’t have any expectations, sweets. I’ve only had you once. Maybe I did a shitty job of it and you don’t want me again.”

“There’s no universe in which I wouldn’t want you again,” I promised.

“Let’s make this time just for you. I want to watch your beautiful face while I make you come.”

Heat rolled through me. “What an offer.”

His fingers traced down my body, goose bumps following his touch, and I opened my legs to him the moment he got close. He slipped his hand into my panties at the same instant he reclaimed my mouth. I had only just started to get wet, but the second he stroked my clit, I felt the rush of slick. Phin groaned against my lips and carefully eased his fingers into me. He pulled back to watch my expression, finding the exact spot that made me see stars and proceeding to destroy me with it. He collected both of my hands overhead and held them there, never ceasing in those pounding beats against my G-spot.

“Ph-Phin. Fuck. P-please, I’m gonna—” I broke off with a cry, my body convulsing and liquid gushing between my thighs. I rode the wave of ecstasy, pleasure ricocheting through every cell, my body moving in an undulous wave as he kept me pinned.

By the time the sensations eased and he pulled away, I was torn between laughing and panting. “Holy shit, Phin.”

He grinned down at me. “Good thing those sheets are waterproof.”

I twitched as he slid free, teasing my clit on the way out. “I don’t think I can walk now.”

“Then I suppose it’s a good thing you’re already tucked into the nest.”

The door to the bus opened, and we both froze, relaxing again when we heard Hendrix. “Why does it smell like a Meadow sex bomb went off?”

“Just taking care of our omega while you were busy,” Phin called back.

Part of me wanted to be embarrassed, but most of me was too fucking satisfied to care. Hendrix made his way up the stairs, taking in me sprawled out in the nest with my soaked pajama shorts and Phin stretched out next to me with a self-satisfied smirk on his face.

“How am I not supposed to take advantage of this immaculate display?” Hendrix asked.

“I wasn’t asking you not to,” I replied.

His eyes gleamed. “Let me grab what I’m wearing tonight before I eat you out like you deserve.”

Oh god. I was already turned on to high heaven, and he was not helping. Hendrix returned a moment later, wearing a Hard Knot Life T-shirt.

“Aren’t you gonna get that dirty?”

“Beautiful, I need to huff you like paint to get through my night. Since I can’t have you out on stage, and a scent mark wasn’t enough, I intend to get absolutely filthy with you.”

A shiver of desire washed over me. Hendrix quickly removed my pajama shorts, not seeming to mind one bit that Phin was there, watching him. I nearly leapt out of my skin when his hot mouth descended on me, tongue voraciously flicking my clit between lapping sweeps. I locked one hand in the fabric of Phin’s shirt and the other in Hendrix’s hair.

Phin captured my mouth, drinking down every desperate sound I made while Hendrix did his absolute best to ruin me. I was already keyed up from Phin’s attention, so it took Hendrix no time at all to push me over the edge again. Hendrix wasn’t satisfied, sucking hard on my clit and spreading my thighs wide, as Phin continued to consume all of my whines.

“Do you want my knot, dream girl?”

I nodded frantically. Hendrix slid all the way up, dragging his shirt against my wet pussy before kissing me until my toes curled. Hendrix made quick work of his pants and eased his cock into me. Even being as wet as I was, alphas were still a lot. Phin laced his fingers with mine, holding my trembling hand as Hendrix moved carefully until the glide was smooth and easy. The second it was, he poured all of his energy into fucking me.

Phin claimed my mouth once more, his touch snaking down my body to tend to my clit. Pleasure cascaded over me. I lost track of how many times I tipped over the edge until Hendrix’s knot finally swelled, setting me off one more time as the pressure had my brain short-circuiting.

When I eventually regained the ability to focus, I stared at Phin, his hazel eyes bright with want. “Someday very soon, when we have more time, I’m going to take you every way a person can be taken.”

The only response I could formulate was grabbing the collar of his shirt and dragging him closer for a kiss that would have melted my panties off if they hadn’t already been on the floor.

“You could try out one of those ways right now,” Hendrix said. “If Meadow’s into it, of course. I can roll over, and our perfect omega can sit in my lap, stuck on my knot.”

Phin adjusted my hair, brushing the sweaty strands off my forehead. “What do you think about that, sweets?”

“I think you deserve a little treat after making me come so hard.”

Hendrix rolled us over, situating me comfortably in his lap while Phin stripped and presented his glorious pierced cock to me. My pussy clenched on Hendrix’s knot, prompting a low moan from him. Phin seemed in no hurry as I ran my thumb over each of the piercings before replacing my hand with my mouth. The metal was smooth on my tongue, and the ragged sound Phin made had my omega instincts preening.

Playing with him felt luxurious, like there was no rush in the world. I took my time tasting every bit of him, loving the feel of the piercings. I toyed with him until we were both out of breath, running my hands down the firm muscles of his thighs, every so often diverting my touch to Hendrix, so he didn’t feel forgotten. His grip on my hips gave me a clue as to how much he was enjoying the show.

I looked up at Phin, taking in the tight pinch of his brows while I sucked on the tip. “Do you want to fuck me a little harder?”

“Sweets, that’s a dangerous question.”

“Show me how much you want me, Phin. I’m not that delicate. I promise, omega throats are sturdy.”

Giving him permission unleashed him. He cupped the back of my head and fucked in deep. My eyes watered, but I quickly adapted, moaning around him as he took his pleasure. Hendrix’s hands shifted, his thumbs stroking my clit while Phin fucked my face. Between the two of them, there was nothing to do but surrender, and I had played with Phin long enough that it didn’t take him much time to give in. Hot cum shot down my throat, setting me off again, my pussy squeezing the life out of Hendrix’s knot.

The three of us lay together, breathless, Hendrix sliding free when his knot went down enough. I carefully scent marked Hendrix’s shirt everywhere my slick hadn’t touched.

Phin’s phone went off. “That’s our alarm to go in. I set it about ten minutes before Gary likes to barge in.”

As much as I wanted to keep all of them in the nest, I knew I couldn’t do that.

Before we had even finished getting dressed, the tour bus door opened again. “Princess, mission successful!”

I poked my head out of the nest, looking down to the main level of the bus, where Arlo and Beckett stood, a massive bag in each of their hands.

“I was wondering where you were,” I said to Beckett.

“Arlo recruited me before I got back to the bus.”

“What do you guys have?”

“Clover picked out a fuck-ton of maternity wear for you and ordered me to the store to pick it up, so you could have it right away,” Arlo explained. “Once you try all of it on, we’ll wash what you want to keep, and then you should be good to go for a while.”

Tears pricked my eyes. Clover knew exactly what I needed, and my pack was happy to help her get it to me. “You guys are amazing.”

Arlo opened his arms, and I tossed myself into them. “Of course we are. We have to be worthy of the best omega in the world, after all.”

Chapter 35

Beckett

October, Charlotte

It felt good to be back on tour. The last three weeks of shows had flown by, and as much as I missed our time at home with Meadow, there was something electric about getting to play music and spend time with our omega. It was a dream come true for us.

For Meadow, I was starting to worry that the reality of the situation was more difficult. She always greeted us with a smile, but something felt…different.

Standing in the wings, waiting to go onstage for our show in New Orleans, I turned to Phin. The others were behind me, out of earshot, fucking with something on their phones.

“Does Meadow seem off to you?” I asked.

He cocked his head in thought. “Maybe? She’s been more tired lately, but I assumed that was because the baby is growing and causing havoc with her body.”

“Yeah, I assumed that at first, but her face looks a little thin. Shouldn’t she be gaining a decent amount of weight this far in? Maybe we should be feeding her more.”

“We could talk to Ellie about increasing the calories in those smoothies she’s been making Meadow?” Phin suggested, his tone unsure.

Since she’d been hired, Ellie had been up the asses of both Meadow and Hendrix, always fussing about something. Meadow tolerated it for the sake of the baby, but it wasn’t hard to see she didn’t love it.

“Possibly. Then again, she’s the professional. Shouldn’t she know what Meadow needs?” I asked.

“Hen and Gary did say she came with glowing references.”

“She’s too young to have that many glowing references,” I grumbled. Ellie genuinely did seem to know what she was doing and was very attentive, bordering on obnoxious, but we’d just chalked it up to her being eager to do a good job. A celebrity reference could get her a ton of new clientele, if she played her cards right.

Phin clapped his hand on my shoulder. “How about we take Meadow for ice cream after the show if she’s up for it? You know she won’t say no to ice cream.”

“That sounds like a plan. Do you think we should find a grocery store and pick up some of those premade protein shakes? She’d probably like the cookies and cream one.”

“She’ll love them,” Phin agreed, turning to the stage where the speakers were starting to blare our intro.

“That’s our cue,” I shouted over the rising music.

Hendrix bounced anxiously before he flipped that performer switch in his brain and transitioned to Apollo, all of us running out onto the stage in unison as the smoke machines started to billow.

Another night, another show.

Before we were even halfway through the show, Hendrix was lagging. His recent energy boosts seemed to have been completely depleted. He was still jumping up and down, interacting with the crowd, but it wasn’t the same as usual. His movements were sluggish. To the untrained eye, it wasn’t noticeable, but to his pack mates and fellow band members, it was glaringly obvious that he wasn’t feeling completely normal, either.

He was sober, so he wasn’t coming down from anything. The only possible cause I could see for his behavior was Meadow being unwell and impacting him through the bond.

If Meadow was ever willing to give us more children, we were definitely going to plan it at a time when we wouldn’t be touring. Touring and pregnancy were obviously not a good mix, even though I felt like we had done a good job at making it as stress-free as possible for her.

That morning, we had asked her if she wanted to watch the show, and she had eagerly agreed; only when the time came, she wasn’t feeling well and retreated to the nest for her third nap of the day.

We needed to have a real pack meeting and discuss the next few months. We were still scheduled to be touring throughout America when Meadow was due to give birth. There was no way in hell a single one of us would be working when Meadow was dealing with a newborn. Gary hadn’t told us his plans yet, but I suspected he either wanted Meadow to have the baby and live somewhere else while we toured or have the newborn on one of the buses. Neither option was ideal.

An omega’s hormones would be extra crazy post-birth. Their bodies went through so many changes, and there was so much going on, that they struggled to regulate. Meadow would need a stable environment for her postpartum time, and she’d need the support of all of us to make sure she felt safe.

Ideally, that would happen in our California house, with us there right by her side. She would need us. The more hands, the better. Meadow shouldn’t have to lift a finger, other than to spend time with our child. Our job would be to do everything around her to make her life easier.

If there was anything we were unsure whether we could do, we could hire someone. I had a distinct feeling that Clover would be making an appearance at some point, and our families.

No matter what, we would ensure Meadow was looked after.

We were all exhausted by the time we came offstage. The outdoor venue didn’t have air-conditioning, so my T-shirt stuck to my back, thanks to the copious sweat.

If Meadow wanted post-show snuggles, I desperately needed a shower first. I attempted to make a beeline for the tour bus to go check on my omega, but Gary stepped into our paths, grinning.

“Great show, guys! Now, we’ve got a few people who have paid for meet and greets—”

“There aren’t supposed to be any VIP experiences at this show!” Arlo growled.

Gary held his hands up in surrender. “I know that was the plan, but they just now offered to pay double, and I wasn’t going to let them down like that.”

Money. That’s all that fucker cared about.

As I was about to take a step forward and let him know exactly how I felt about him springing a meet and greet on us, Ellie approached us.

“Hey, guys!” She beamed at Hendrix. “I just checked on Meadow. She’s fast asleep, so if you guys need to work a bit longer, that’s fine. She needs her rest, poor thing!”

Gary nodded enthusiastically at Ellie’s words. “See? You need to do meet and greets now, because your fans will be bummed when they find out Apollo is bonded with a baby on the way. She’s asleep, anyway.”

He was worried about the fans being disappointed? That was bullshit. He only cared about the cash, and he used that excuse, knowing Hendrix would fall for it because he cared deeply about the fans.

I resisted the urge to growl at the douchebag of a manager. Where the fuck had the nice guy who gave us a chance all those years ago gone?

Phin sighed. “Let’s get it over with. An hour. Then we’re going back to the bus.”

“That’s all the time we need.” Gary grinned like the cat that got the cream.

“An hour, my fucking ass,” I growled, stalking out of the venue, my bandmates hot on my heels.

Arlo frowned. “You know Gary. If there’s money in keeping us at the meet and greet longer, he’s going to fucking do it.”

“I’m showering first. I need some goddamned omega snuggles, and I refuse to enter the nest smelling like sweat and a rock concert.” I climbed into the bus, finding the entryway to the nest dark, so Meadow was probably still asleep.

Before any of my pack mates could complain, I hurried to the bathroom. The fuckers knew better than to test me when I was in a bad mood, and thanks to the surprise Gary had sprung on us, I was downright belligerent. If they wanted to shower sooner rather than later, they could go use the bathrooms in the venue. I preferred to get clean in my own space.

The bathroom light was on, and a small smile crept onto my face. Meadow was terrible at turning the bathroom light off. I pushed the door open and stopped in my tracks when I saw Meadow sitting on the floor.

Her head was resting back against the wall as she hugged her knees, her eyes closed.

“Meadow! Are you okay?” I asked the dumb question, because usually when a person was sitting on the floor of a bathroom, the odds were that they weren’t doing too well.

“Just nausea,” she said in a weak voice, opening her eyes and turning her head to me. “How was the show? I’m sorry I missed it.”

“Having you at the shows is a privilege for us, not an expectation,” I said as I kneeled next to her, gently feeling her forehead. She didn’t feel warm. “Is this regular sick or pregnancy sick, do you think?”

“Maybe it’s motion sickness from all the travel? I’m used to the ground being more stable.” She chuckled weakly. She smelled slightly off, like she had been worshiping the porcelain gods for a while. That wasn’t unusual on a tour—people got run down and more susceptible to illness—but something about it put me on edge.

“What can I do to help?” I asked.

“Can you carry me to my nest? The nausea died down like an hour ago, but I’m so freaking tired, even the idea of getting off this floor is too much for me to handle.”

“Of course I can, darling.” I paused, considering. “Ellie told us you were asleep. How long have you been down here?”

“I dunno.” Meadow shrugged. “Two, maybe three hours?”

I pursed my lips. Why had Ellie lied to us about checking on her? Maybe she’d gone to Gary first and he told her to keep us in the dark so we wouldn’t skip the meet and greet. Whoever was behind it, there was going to be hell to pay after Meadow was feeling better.

“Do you want me to jump in the shower first? I’m sweaty from the show.”

“Don’t you dare shower,” she grumbled. “I want sweaty alpha in the nest with me. If I regret my decision in the morning, we can wash the sheets.” She gave me a weak smile.

“Do you want a sniff test?”

“Come here.” She made an adorable grabby-hand motion, and I presented my neck to her. Without hesitation, she buried her nose into the crook, inhaling deeply. “Sweaty, manly, earthy alpha. I like. Now, take me to the nest!”

“As you wish.” I chuckled, sliding my arms under her and picking her up bridal style.

Making my way out the bathroom, I ran into a concerned-looking Arlo. His eyes widened when he saw Meadow.

“Shit, princess, you okay?” he asked before looking at me. “I saw she wasn’t in the nest and Hendrix was feeling like shit, so I came to find you while Phin dragged him into a bunk.”

“I’m taking her to the nest to get some rest,” I said. “Can you grab her a bottle of water and crackers?”

“Sure thing!” Arlo said, bounding off to the kitchenette as I continued to the nest.

My intention had been to put the sleepy omega down and then grab a quick shower. Even though she claimed to like my scent, I was still coated in smoke and other icky substances from the concert.

Only, when I tried to pull away, she moaned in displeasure, her hands fisting in my shirt.

“Hey, darling. Why don’t I get these smoky clothes off, then you can have naked sweaty cuddles?” I asked.

She hummed in delight, her fists unclenching as she lightly pushed me. “Get naked,” she mumbled.

It looked like I was in the nest for the night. Taking a step back, I quickly removed all my clothing, ridding me of the worst of the stink. Throwing them far out of the nest, I crawled back toward Meadow. Lying down next to her, I pulled her into my arms, making her hum in contentment as she wiggled slightly, getting comfortable. One of my hands rested on her belly, and after a few seconds of peace, I felt movement.

I froze as I recognized what I was feeling.

The baby was kicking.

That was my baby.

Our baby.

They were saying hello.

Fuck concerts. Fuck Gary. Fuck our careers.

Everything that mattered was on this bus. My pack, my omega, and our baby.

Chapter 36

Phineas

October, Nashville

“All of you, quit hogging. Meadow is all mine today.” I tugged our beauty off the couch, earning a round of frowns from the others. “Don’t look at me like that. I asked for my date and I got it.”

Meadow was in a sweet red dress that highlighted all of her growing curves, white leggings, and sturdy, matching shoes. Beckett had helped her braid her hair, and she fiddled nervously with the end.

“You ready?” I asked.

“You’re sure it’s safe for us to go out like this?”

I gestured to my outfit: red flannel shirt, jeans, and cowboy boots. “Pretty sure not a fucking soul is going to recognize me in this.”

She slipped her hand into mine and let me pull her off the bus. There was no one anywhere nearby, and we wandered over to one of the hop-on-hop-off bus stops. I had purchased the tickets for us last night. Meadow had been missing out on so much sightseeing, but we had gotten to Nashville a day before our concert, and I refused to waste it. We could reconnect with the others later tonight, but during the day, she was all mine. The others were so fucking good at weaseling time with her, and the only way I’d ever get attention myself was if I staked my claim. I learned that much being the youngest child in my family. Squeaky wheel gets the grease, and all that.

“You look cute as hell in that dress.”

Meadow blushed. “Thanks. It’s one of the ones Clover picked out for me.”

“She has good taste on how to enhance how gorgeous you are.”

“Phin, I’m already pregnant. You don’t need to woo me.”

I laughed, swinging my arm over her shoulders. “Sweets, you’re gonna have to get used to me wooing you until the day we die.”

She snuggled against me, her scent bright and content.

“You have to keep me apprised of how you’re doing, okay? We can take as many breaks as you need. It’s not my first time in Nashville, so today is all about you having a good time. Promise?”

“Pinky promise.” She held up her pinky finger for me to hook mine around. Obviously, I made that promise.

When the bus came around, Meadow claimed us a spot up top at the front. It was a bit chilly in the breeze, but I had doubled up on my layers specifically so I could take the outer one off and let Meadow use it as a blanket while she snuggled against my side.

“I like riding the full loop and seeing what looks interesting on the way,” I told her. “It’s a good way to orient yourself in a new city.”

“Oh, that’s smart.”

She was so fucking cute as we drove. I watched her little head swivel, taking in every detail, making a list on my phone whenever she saw something to come back to later.

“You seem pretty chipper today.”

“I’ll tell you why if you promise not to rat me out.”

I raised a curious eyebrow. “I would never rat you out.”

“I poured my smoothie down the sink when Ellie was distracted.”

That got a laugh out of me. “Do they really taste as bad as they look?”

Meadow wrinkled her nose. “Worse.”

“Well, your secret is safe with me. I’ll be sure to feed you anything you want today.”

“Chocolate cupcakes?” she asked, eyes hopeful.

“I said anything. Let me find a good place to go.” I searched on my phone, finding a little boutique bakery and cake shop one stop from where our route had started. “Target acquired. We’ll get you fueled up there before we start working through your list.”

Meadow let out a happy squeak, clutched both of my cheeks, and dragged me in for a kiss. Her mouth tasted all the sweeter when it was graced by a smile she couldn’t contain. Meadow bounced in her seat until it was time to get off the bus. She swung our joined hands as we walked, happy as a little clam. The bakery was a bit busy, but Meadow seemed perfectly content to stand in line with me.

“Why don’t we get a dozen of the mini ones?” I suggested. “We can eat them while we walk.”

“Sounds perfect.”

With a tray of fresh cupcakes in hand, a coffee for me, and a cinnamon steamed milk for her, we set about wandering. Meadow alternated feeding me cupcakes and feeding herself, and I couldn’t fucking stop smiling. I hadn’t realized how much I wanted to be out with her like this, like we were a normal couple, like I wasn’t part of a world-famous band, and she hadn’t gotten knocked up by my best friend during a one-night stand. I was totally at peace with both of those things, but it was nice to strip away the complications and simply be an alpha and omega out in the world together.

“God, those were so good,” she groaned as we polished off the last of the treats. “Ellie is going to feed me into a wood chipper for consuming that much sugar.”

“She’s kind of a tyrant for healthy food, huh?”

Meadow pouted. “She really fucking is. The baby doesn’t want lettuce. Nugget wants hamburgers, and French fries, and cupcakes.”

“Hamburgers have lettuce on them,” I pointed out.

“I tried to use that argument. She didn’t go for it.”

“I am a big fan of intuitive eating. Plus, I feel like if you don’t indulge a pregnant omega’s cravings, you’re asking to be stabbed.”

Meadow snorted. “Believe me, I’ve thought about it a few times.”

We spent the next couple of hours going through the Musicians Hall of Fame. Meadow dutifully read every plaque and relayed the most interesting information to me. She stopped to rest every so often, and I sat by her side, sometimes massaging her little socked feet, sometimes her shoulders.

She was reading a particularly lengthy music history plaque when I pressed up against her back, laced my fingers beneath the swell of her stomach, and gently lifted. Her fingers latched onto my arms, a practically orgasmic sound sliding from her lips.

“Holy shit. I hadn’t even realized how heavy Nugget was getting. You’re obligated to hold them like this forever now.”

I chuckled, kissing her cheek. “If I could, I would. I have heard about some witchcraft they do with taping bellies to relieve some of the pressure. We could look into that if you want.”

“I’m probably okay for a little while longer. Once I get deeper into the third trimester, I’d be down for that, though.”

“I’ll make sure we have some in stock, then. You’re gonna grow so fast.”

“It’s weird to think about. Nugget is totally person-shaped in there now. Just gotta pack on the little baby pounds to get ready for their debut.”

“Remind me when the actual due date is?”

“Around Christmas, if Nugget stays put the entire time.”

“You’re not going to give the baby a Christmas name, are you? I’ll totally support you if you do, but I can practically hear the bullying already.”

Meadow leaned against me, purring happily. “I haven’t thought about it too hard. Everything that floats through my head feels wrong. I think I need to pick when I have a little face to look at.”

“Totally fair. That’s what my mom did. She had a list of top contenders that she completely threw out the window the second they put me in her arms.”

“I’m really eager to meet Nugget, but I’m also scared shitless about it.”

I got my purr going, nuzzling her cheek with mine. “Pretty sure it’s normal to be scared about this. You don’t have to do any of it alone, though. We can all be scared shitless together.”

Meadow drew me into a soft kiss, and then pulled me along to the museum gift shop, where she picked out a magnet for the bus fridge, a stuffed music note for the nugget, and a postcard to send Clover. She filled it out on the spot, and the staff popped it in the mail for her.

“Ready for some more fuel?” I asked.

“Always.”

We settled on some Nashville hot chicken. Meadow nibbled the corner of mine before deciding it was too spicy, and instead she ate all of my fries. We passed the whole day like that, with frequent cuddle and food stops, until she was finally exhausted enough I needed to take her back. If I had my way, I would have hogged her all to myself until I had to leave for the show the next day, but I knew the others would be anxious, and they deserved time with our omega too.

We met the pack at a barbecue restaurant to end our evening. Beckett had rented out the space way in advance, and it was a stop we usually made when we came here. The staff was blessedly chill, which made the experience one we were always happy to repeat. Meadow picked off all of our plates, so she could try the most new things, but she was still full of treats from the day.

When we finally got back to her nest for the night, I helped her strip down and shower off the day. I couldn’t be too luxurious with the minimal water supply, but I made the time last extra by turning off the water while I scrubbed her down, keeping her warm with my body. Once we were both squeaky clean, it was time to get in the nest.

“I really think we should try and cram all of us in there,” said Arlo. “I’m all needy for omega time.”

“We can move a few things,” Meadow conceded, “but none of you are allowed to starfish.”

“I’m pretty sure we all intend to be as close to you as possible,” said Hendrix.

“Okay, but I reserve the right to kick anyone out.”

“You’ve got it, sweets,” I told her. “The nest is your domain.”

“Phin and Hendrix on the inside,” Meadow announced. “We can trade spots tomorrow.”

Beckett frowned, and Arlo full-on pouted, but Meadow was already making her way up to the nest, all of us on her heels.

Today had been the best fucking day. I wanted a thousand more of them, tens of thousands more. I wanted to watch Meadow experience the world and bask in every small joy she could grab, and when the nugget made their outside debut, I knew, without a doubt, that I wanted the same for them. I snuggled around Meadow, Beckett at my back, all of our purrs filling the quiet. This was a perfection I had never experienced before and wanted to savor forever.

Nothing was going to ruin this.

Chapter 37

Meadow

“You haven’t finished your smoothie,” Hendrix admonished as he placed my discarded drink on the table in front of me.

I looked at the green monstrosity with a thinly veiled sneer. “I don’t want to. It tastes like grass clippings.”

“They’re not that bad. They’re quite sweet, actually,” Hendrix said as he lifted his own glass of green goop to his mouth.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Swap,” I demanded, pushing my cup toward him and stealing his out of his hand before he could complain.

“Sure.” Hendrix shrugged. “Ellie said they’re exactly the same.”

I raised my eyebrows in disbelief. Something told me that Ellie wouldn’t be feeding Hendrix a drink quite as vile as the one she gave me.

I took a cautious sip of Hendrix’s drink, and my eyes widened as sweetness burst across my tongue. My drink wasn’t sweet at all. Mine tasted like earth. Had she added sugar or honey to his? Maybe it had extra fruit.

“This tastes nothing like mine!” I whined.

Hendrix shook his head with a small laugh. “The grass is greener in the other cup?” He smiled, leaning down to kiss me.

I accepted his affection but was still annoyed. “If you’re so sure the drinks are identical, then you wouldn’t mind swapping, would you?”

“Not at all,” he said, picking up my cup and taking a long drink through the glass straws I had become so fond of. His bravado only lasted a few seconds before his brow furrowed and he frowned at the cup. “That’s a…unique flavor.” He grimaced. “There’s even an aftertaste.”

“I told you they were different!”

“I’m sorry, beautiful. Maybe Ellie put a few more supplements in your drink for the baby?”

I glowered at him, crossing my arms. Supplements weren’t enough to make a drink go from sweet and fresh to lawn clippings.

Still, I kept my grip on Hendrix’s cup, refusing to swap back. After a few sips, I spoke. “I’m really not fond of Ellie. I get the impression that she doesn’t like me very much.”

Hendrix cocked his head. “I’m sure she adores you. She’s been doing everything she can to make sure that our baby comes into the world healthy and happy.”

“Yet these smoothies don’t seem to be helping. I’m feeling worse by the day, and so are you.”

“Maybe it will just take a bit of time to start working. She’s a professional; she must know what she’s doing. She seems so eager to help.”

I snorted. She certainly seemed eager, but not to help. She seemed keener on hanging off of Hendrix’s every word like a fangirl.

Just another reason I disliked her.

“Have you seen her qualifications?”

Hendrix nodded. “Of course. Gary showed me all her papers. There’s no way I would let anyone near you without confirming that they had the proper background.”

My stomach turned uncomfortably. Gary made his distaste for me so blatantly obvious that Hendrix’s assurances did nothing to assuage my nerves. Did I trust Hendrix when he said he had seen the qualifications? Yes. Did I trust Gary having any part in the process?

Not at all.

“Something just doesn’t feel right.”

“Ellie said it’s completely normal for your emotions to be a little off as your pregnancy progresses. It probably doesn’t help that I’ve stopped taking any sort of drugs. My body’s gotta be in some sort of withdrawal, and you’re probably going to be feeling that.” He frowned. “I hate that it’s causing problems for you and for the baby. I feel so guilty.”

“You’re doing your best,” I assured him.

He shook his head. “I can’t shake the feeling that I could be doing better. All those weeks you were pregnant, and I had no idea. I was partying around Asia and America. I was a shit alpha, making you feel worse.”

“You didn’t know my name, let alone that I was pregnant. Heck, I didn’t even know I was pregnant for the longest time. I can’t exactly judge you for living your life as you always have. What matters now is how we go forward. We’re going to do everything we can to give this little nugget the best life.”

Hendrix nodded, pulling me in for a hug, his woodsmoke and citrus scent soothing me. “I want to be better, for you guys. Who would have thought that getting drunk on our first tour and getting Bite Me tattooed on my ass would have led to so many amazing things?”

“You should consider yourself lucky. I’m not usually that inclined to follow instructions, but you do have a pretty nice ass, so I probably couldn’t resist.”

“I can’t blame you. I have seen my ass a few times, and it’s damn good.”

“And now it’s my ass.” I beamed up at him, giving it a little squeeze.

“That, it is.” His smile was warm, his gaze sentimental and sweet. “I want the best for you, Meadow.”

“I know.” I fully believed that. Hendrix, despite his reputation, had turned out to be an incredibly sweet, honest person. He was one of the best people I’d ever had the pleasure of being around, and I knew I was lucky to be one of the people he wanted to protect.

“Try and play nice with Ellie. I know it might not be fun, but it’s for the nugget.”

I glowered, the sweet, happy bubble of the moment bursting. “I’ve been putting up with her for weeks now. I’m only doing that for Nugget. Though I will be drinking your smoothies from now on. I refuse to drink grass clippings.”

“Meadow…”

“It upsets Nugget!” I declared. “The smell and flavor make me want to hurl. There’s no way that could be good for the baby, is there?”

“I suppose not.”

“And do you know what Nugget really wants right now?” I continued. “Ice cream!”

Hendrix snorted. “Why is that not a surprise? I thought Ellie mentioned watching your sugar intake while pregnant?”

“She can get stuffed. Would you really deprive a poor, pregnant omega her ice cream while traveling?” I asked with a pout.

He burst into laughter, tugging me closer for a kiss that made me feel like he was finally listening. “Well, when you put it like that, there’s no way I can say no.”

Chapter 38

Arlo

November, Atlanta

Tonight was a good night. We were all feeling damn fine. Meadow had a pep in her step and had asked to come watch us play. Wearing a pair of leggings and one of Hendrix’s oversized T-shirts, she looked undeniably ours. Her hair was thrown up into one of those buns that looked messy but put together.

Clover had flown in earlier in the day and had immediately dragged Meadow off for some girl time. I had expected her to come back exhausted, because Clover was a whirlwind, but she was excited and raring to go to the show.

I welcomed any opportunity to show off my skills, especially in front of our omega.

“Break a leg,” Meadow told me backstage, planting a quick peck on my cheek. Unsatisfied with such meager affection, I grabbed her waist and pulled her in for a much deeper kiss, reveling in her sweet taste.

She met my movements with glee, her hands fisting in my hair as she pressed against me.

“You guys will have to wait until after the show to fuck.” Phin laughed as he threw his drumsticks in the air and caught them with ease as Clover shook her head.

I pouted. “Well, that’s a damn shame.”

“Don’t worry. As soon as the show is over, we can retreat to the nest,” Meadow assured me, biting her plump bottom lip, tempting me further.

I chuckled. “I don’t know how you think I can make it all the way back to the nest. I’m going to have to drag you into a quiet corner and have my way with you.”

“Ewww!” Clover whined. “You guys have moved into brother territory in my brain, and I don’t need to hear about that. I’m going to go annoy the techs while you do…that.” She shuddered dramatically, stalking away.

“Oh, no…” Meadow grinned up at me, sounding adorably eager.

Would there really be any harm in us being a few minutes late to the show?

“Don’t even think about it!” Beckett said, grabbing me by the back of the neck and pulling me away from Meadow as she laughed, leaning over to kiss Hendrix now that I was no longer within reach.

He smelled like Meadow pussy, and my whole body took notice.

Lucky fucker. I wanted to smell like Meadow pussy.

At least eating her out before a show seemed to be doing wonders for both of them. Her scent was ten times more potent clinging to his skin while he was on stage, and Meadow was satisfied, at least for a little while. She always seemed ready for any of us, and that made it a million times harder to keep my hands to myself.

“I’ll be finding you after the show, princess!” I shouted over the crowd, waiting for her to nod before running onto the stage.

She stood just offstage, clapping as Hendrix hyped up the crowd. Her beaming smile made me excited—if our omega wanted a show, then I was going to give her a show!

The first three songs went off without a hitch, the atmosphere was amazing, and we were all feeling excited. Despite sleeping half the day away, Hendrix was in his element. My eyes kept wandering over to our omega, who was dancing happily in place, watching us with a look I could only describe as adoring.

How the fuck had we gotten so lucky?

“This next song is a little number called Knotty Girl. Have you heard of it?” Hendrix shouted, and the crowds went wild, screaming and shouting at the top of their lungs as we started one of our most popular songs.

From my vantage point, I could only see the back of Hendrix’s head as he moved around, leaning forward and singing to the crowd, putting on one hell of a show.

As he started to sing the second verse, his body swayed, and before I could glance at my bandmates to figure out what was going on, he stilled entirely, stopping singing as his head whipped to the side of the stage for a split second before he dropped the mic like it was on fire and ran offstage.

My head whipped around to see where he had run off to. Did he suddenly have the shits?

He was crouching at the side of the stage, next to Meadow…who was on the floor.

“Meadow!” I shouted, loud enough for my confused bandmates to hear, quickly removing my guitar and practically throwing it down on the stage in my haste to get to her. “What the hell happened?” I asked, kneeling next to Hendrix, who had pulled Meadow into his arms.

Peony reached my nose as Clover dashed over to us, dropping down next to her friend with impressive speed.

“The fuck happened? Meadow? Talk to me, girl,” she said, gently touching her friend’s cheek, subtly checking her breathing.

“I don’t know! One second, she was fine, and the next, she hit the ground like a sack of potatoes! Fuck, Meadow, can you hear me?” Hendrix shook her lightly. Her face was pale, her hand cold to the touch.

“Let’s get her out of here. The smoke machines can’t be good for her right now,” I said.

“I agree,” Clover said, looking between us and her friend with thinly veiled panic on her face.

“Call a fucking ambulance!” Hendrix growled, clutching Meadow to his chest.

“On it,” Beckett replied.

I reached out to feel her pulse through her wrist. “Her heart rate is absolutely insane. We definitely need to get her to a hospital.”

Ellie ran up to us, a frown on her face, settling on her knees. “Let me help.”

Gary was hot on her heels, and he didn’t look happy. “She probably just got dizzy.”

The crowds were shouting in displeasure, chanting Hard Knot Life over and over again, demanding we come back and play. All they knew was that the entire band had left the stage, nothing else.

“You guys need to get back out there immediately,” Gary told us, looking back at the stage entrance.

“Are you fucking kidding?” I snarled. Meadow wasn’t even conscious, and he wanted us to fucking go back onstage and act like everything was normal?

“You guys are overreacting,” Ellie insisted. “I know what I’m doing. It’s just exhaustion. She probably needs more protein in her diet. Leave her with me and do your job.”

Needs more protein?

“I’ll feed you something full of protein in a minute,” Clover grumbled, her eyes never leaving Meadow.

I had never wanted to throttle a woman the way I wanted to throttle Ellie. What sort of professional simply suggested a change in diet when the person who they were meant to be taking care of was passed out on the floor?

“Listen to her,” Gary demanded.

“Shut the fuck up, you geriatric old asshole,” Clover snarled.

Gary spluttered in shock, astounded at Clover’s balls.

I really needed to buy her something shiny for fiercely protecting our omega.

Meadow stirred in Hendrix’s arms, and all our attention was on her, the whole pack hovering close by.

The venue medic jogged over, checking Meadow’s vitals while we waited for the ambulance. Her temperature was elevated, and her heart was still going a mile a minute.

“I don’t know why she’s taken such a bad turn,” said Phin. “She’s been feeling great the last few days, ever since she started drinking Hendrix’s shakes.”

Ellie’s face went white as a sheet. “Y-you’ve been swapping shakes?”

Her fearful tone put every nerve ending in my body on high alert.

Hendrix nodded. He was too absorbed with stroking Meadow’s hair out of her face to realize Ellie’s reactions. “My shakes tasted so much better. You told us they were the same, so I just let Meadow drink mine.”

“Those shakes were for you,” Ellie said weakly, her frantic gaze flicking between Hendrix and Gary.

By the time the medic was done checking her over, the ambulance had arrived, getting a report from the medic and loading her onto a gurney. Meadow stirred, coming to ever so slightly, but she seemed sluggish.

“We’re taking her to Nashville General,” one of the paramedics told us. “One of you can come in the ambulance, if you want. The others will have to meet us there.”

“I’ll go with her.” Hendrix took Meadow’s hand, kissing her knuckles.

As much as I wanted to be the one to go with her, Hendrix was her bond mate, and we’d all be there soon. We all wanted what was best for Meadow and the baby.

Dear lord, please let the baby be okay.

“I’ll follow you in one of the roadies’ cars,” Clover said.

“You’re coming with us. We’ll be following in one of the SUVs,” I said, and I saw her nod out of the corner of my eye.

Gary had no problem voicing his disagreement, though. “You can’t just leave. You’re in the middle of a concert! Ellie can go with her.”

There was no way in hell we were going to let that happen.

“Not happening,” Phin snapped.

“If you so much as put that woman in the same vehicle as Meadow, she’s the one who will be needing an ambulance!” Clover snarled, shooting daggers at our belligerent manager.

Gary made the mistake of stepping in Hendrix’s path as he started following the paramedics. “I can’t let you go!”

“Move. Or I will fucking move you,” Hendrix snarled as Meadow whimpered.

“I don’t feel good.” She whined softly, closing her eyes.

“Your guys are going to take you to the hospital, babe,” Clover assured her in a calm voice.

“Gary—” Beckett’s voice was deadly. “—cancel the fucking show, and if you don’t get out of our way right now, you’re going to need the hospital too.”

Gary’s eyes widened. It was clear as day we weren’t fucking around. We didn’t know if what Meadow was experiencing was merely exhaustion or something more severe, but every second that Gary and Ellie stopped us from leaving was just another second I wanted to beat the ever-loving shit out of the both of them.

Looking like he was sucking a lemon, Gary stood aside. “You’re fucking paying for this.”

“We have insurance,” I growled.

At least, I thought we did. I didn’t care if Gary wanted to charge us the cost of the entire fucking event—we had money.

Nothing was more important than caring for our omega.

“I’ve got the keys to the SUV,” Beckett said as we went out into the cool night air, completely ignoring Gary rambling behind us.

Would I really get in that much trouble if I give him one good, hard punch to the nose?

Hendrix and Meadow disappeared into the ambulance, rushing away to the hospital while the rest of us piled into the SUV to follow. Beckett slid into the driver’s seat, and the moment the doors were closed, he peeled out of the parking lot.

I knew pregnancy was an insane process, but something about this felt deeply wrong.

Chapter 39

Beckett

“Can you tell me what your omega has taken?” The nurse who had taken all our information when we came in asked, standing in front of me with a disapproving look.

“W-what?” I stammered.

“What drug did she take to cause this?”

“She doesn’t take drugs. She’s got a doula who does all her prenatal stuff, but that’s it.”

We were still standing in the waiting room at the hospital. When we had arrived, hot on the heels of the ambulance, they had refused to allow us in the room with Meadow, leaving us, Clover, and Hendrix pacing the waiting room, desperately waiting for any news.

We were still in our concert clothes, and the people milling around the room kept glancing our way. At one point, I heard Hard Knot Life muttered under someone’s breath.

Wonderful.

There were times, like now, I really disliked fame. Couldn’t even have a crisis in peace.

We paced the waiting room for twenty-seven agonizing minutes, desperately anticipating even the smallest fragment of information on the state of our omega, before a nurse finally stormed toward us from the triage bay.

What if something was wrong with the baby? That was something I couldn’t allow my mind to linger on.

The others jumped out of their chairs, rushing over to hear the news.

Only, she wasn’t giving me news.

“You’re not being honest with me,” the nurse growled, her hands on her hips. “We’ve ruled out any pregnancy complications and several other potential issues. All her symptoms are pointing to drug-related issues.”

“Meadow doesn’t do drugs,” I insisted.

The nurse glowered at us. “I know who you are. Rock stars aren’t exactly known for their healthy lifestyle. She could get access to anything.”

“Meadow’s clean. She’s pregnant,” I snapped icily. I didn’t like what she was implying. Not one bit.

“Was she in close proximity to someone who was using drugs?” she asked.

Hendrix spoke up behind me. “I’m her bond mate. I…uh…I used to take a lot before Meadow got pregnant, but I’ve been sober ever since we figured out it affected her. I didn’t want her to feel any of that shit through the bond.”

The nurse looked him up and down, clearly not believing a word. “In that case, I suppose you would be willing to take a drug test?”

“Just give me a cup and I’ll pee in it.” He nodded confidently.

The nurse jerked her head, turning to get the attention of another nurse, waving her over. “Can you take this gentleman for a comprehensive urine test?”

“Of course.” She smiled, gesturing toward the doors while talking to Hendrix. “If you want to follow me through these doors, one of our male nurses will take you through the test.”

He followed without hesitation, not at all concerned that some random guy was about to watch him pee in a cup.

Once his back disappeared through the door, quickly followed by the nurse, I turned to Phin. “You don’t think…”

Phin blinked at me. “Don’t think what?”

“That’s he’s been taking something. He’s been awfully perky lately.” I didn’t want to believe that. My stomach ached with the possibility.

“He would never do that to Meadow, surely?” He frowned. “I refuse to believe it.”

Our worst fears were confirmed only minutes later when the doctor came out, stern-faced. He ushered me into a quiet corner before speaking.

“My nurses said you have no idea what Miss Reed took?”

I shook my head, repeating exactly what I’d told the nurse.

“There’s no easy way to say this. We did a full blood panel on her and rushed the results. There were narcotics in her system. Strong ones.”

My body turned to ice as I tried to comprehend what he had just said. There was no way Meadow would willingly take narcotics, especially while pregnant. She felt guilty if she drank so much as a cup of coffee while pregnant.

“There’s no way…” I trailed off, unable to formulate words. My head buzzed.

“Unfortunately, the test results don’t lie. It was a significant dose, which is why she became sick so fast.”

“But she’ll be okay, right? And the baby?”

I could have sworn an eternity passed before the doctor nodded, even though it was probably less than a second. “They’re lucky there are no signs of long-term drug use, so this may be a one-off. We are giving her fluids and keeping a very close eye on her and the baby for the next day or two before she can go home.” He looked me up and down. “And I do mean home. A tour bus is not a suitable living situation for someone who is recovering and pregnant. I don’t think you need me to tell you this situation could have been a lot worse.”

He didn’t. “We’ll take her home to California the moment she is discharged. No touring.”

“Good. We also need to discuss your pack mate’s urine tests.” As he spoke, I glanced over in the direction of the waiting room, where the rest of the pack and Clover were staring at me, sitting in those uncomfortable plastic chairs, and anyone who recognized the band staring at them in turn.

“Hendrix is clean, right?” I asked, even though my gut was telling me that wasn’t likely.

The doctor grimaced, running a hand over his beard. “Yes and no. He’s taken something in the last seventy-two hours. The same compounds showed up in the results for your omega, as well.”

I cocked my head, trying to understand what he was saying.

“Is there a chance that your omega may have consumed something of his without realizing?”

It was a distinct possibility. If I was certain of one thing, it was that Hendrix never would have given Meadow anything willingly. He would have chopped off his left nut before hurting his child.

“I need to talk to my pack mate. Where is he?” I asked. “And when can we see our omega?”

“The nurses are just getting Miss Reed situated in a room for her stay. As soon as they’re done, they’ll let you know. In the meantime, your pack mate is in room eight down the hall. The nurses thought it best we keep him back there while we wait for further blood test results.”

Rage simmered under my skin, and my blood boiled.

I nodded in thanks, and without bothering to check in with my pack mates, I strode off to find room eight.

Hendrix was sitting on the hospital bed, head in his hands. He looked utterly dejected, but I didn’t give a shit.

At the sound of me entering, he looked up.

“Hey, what did—”

He didn’t manage to get another word out before my fist collided with his cheek, making a cracking noise as it landed.

“What the fuck?” He reared back, lifting his hand to cradle his face.

“What have you been taking?” I snarled.

“Nothing! That’s why I peed in the fucking cup!”

The door opened behind us, and Phin and Arlo dashed in, Clover hot on their heels.

“What the hell is going on?” Phin shoved himself between us, staring me down.

“Beck is accusing me of taking shit!” Hendrix growled. “You know I stopped taking that stuff for Meadow!”

“Both you and Meadow have drugs in your system!” I shouted, while everyone else in the room let out sounds of disbelief.

“What do you mean?” Arlo asked.

I took a deep breath, my glare never leaving Hendrix as I explained the test results the doctor laid out for me.

“I’m not taking anything!”

“But is Meadow okay?” Arlo asked.

“As far as they can tell, yes,” I confirmed. “She’ll only have to stay here for a day or two.”

“How the fuck did she get drugs in her system?” Phin asked. “Meadow would never willingly take anything.”

“Our only guess is that she took something of Hendrix’s without knowing,” I growled.

“That’s impossible,” Hendrix insisted. “The only drugs I’ve taken in months are the ones Gary was shooting into my IV bags, and I stopped letting him do that the second I realized they could harm Meadow!”

“Wait, what?” Phin spun to stare at Hendrix. “You weren’t taking anything yourself? Gary was dosing your fluids?! What the fuck, Hendrix? Why didn’t you ever tell us?”

That was one problem too many right now. “We’ll deal with that later. Meadow’s the one in the fucking hospital. How did she get the drugs if Gary was your supplier?”

“Oh. Oh, fuck!” Clover’s voice silenced the room, and we all turned to look at her. “The smoothies! That stuck-up doula looked like she was about to faint the moment Hendrix admitted they had been swapping smoothies.”

I turned sharply to Hendrix. “When did you start swapping shakes?”

“A few days ago…”

“Fuck. Call Gary. Now,” I demanded.

Hendrix shook his head. “There’s no way he would have done something to hurt the baby.”

“Fine. If you won’t do it, I will. Now shut the fuck up.” I gave him a harsh glare and pulled out my phone. I was not in the mood to be fucked with.

“It’s about time one of you called me!” Gary’s angry voice crackled over the speakerphone. “Do you have any idea how much of a mess you’ve left me with here?”

“I don’t particularly care. You’re going to tell me what the hell you were dosing Hendrix with.”

“I don’t like what you’re implying,” Gary said.

“I’m not implying anything. I’m asking because we know that’s what you’ve been doing.” Anger simmered in my voice. “I have two members of my pack with positive drug tests. If you don’t tell me what you gave them right this instant, I promise you that I will never step foot on stage again, and you know full well that Arlo and Phin will follow. Hendrix may try to stick around, but we are a pack, after all. Now, tell me. I am not in the mood to be tested today.”

The phone was silent for a moment, and I glanced over at Hendrix, who was looking positively green.

“It was just a few uppers,” Gary admitted. “He wasn’t as energetic on stage. He needed them! That piece of ass was ruining the entire tour, and I couldn’t let that happen.”

“Don’t fucking call her that, and don’t you think for a damn minute that you had any right to drug him,” I growled.

I hadn’t expected much from Gary, but drugging one of my pack mates so they had a bit more pep in their step on stage was disgusting.

A small part of me felt bad about punching Hendrix.

Only a small part.

“Look, I did what I had to. You guys are selling out huge venues! You’re almost at the peak of your career. I can’t let a one-night stand gone wrong fuck that up! Surely you understand, Beckett. You’re a logical guy.”

Fuck that, and fuck him.

“I’ve heard enough,” I snapped. Every one of the pack looked horrified, and Clover looked downright murderous.

How I would love to be a fly on the wall when she found Ellie.

“Just discharge yourselves and come back. There are still VIPs waiting.”

I took a deep breath. What I was about to say was probably something that should have been discussed as a pack, but my hindbrain was in control, and all I wanted to do was take my pack far, far away from the threat.

“The tour is over,” I said simply. “We’re going home to California, to make sure our pack members are healthy.”

“You can’t do that!” Gary thundered.

“Watch me,” I snarled. Thankfully, no one seemed upset at my words. It was like the horror of the situation had finally sunk in and we all wanted out.

“Beckett! Don’t be fucking stupid. Think of the money you’ll be throwing away. Look, I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll buy that woman a nicer tour bus and get a different doula, but don’t fuck this up.”

Before I could respond, Hendrix moved off the hospital bed and took the phone out of my hand with an eerie calmness. Instead of shouting at me, like I thought he would, he quietly said, “You’re fired, Gary.”

For a few moments, all that came through the phone was a confused spluttering sound. “Hendrix! You’re not thinking clearly. You have no idea what you’re talking about. Firing me will ruin your career!”

“You know what? I feel like shit, but I’m thinking clearer than I have in a long time. You’d better fucking hope to god you’re never near me again, because I will fucking murder you for hurting my omega. I’ve stood by you my whole damn career, but the second you put her in danger, we were done. I never want to see you again.”

He hung up the phone before Gary could respond, his entire body shaking.

“Well…It looks like we just got some free time on our hands.” Phin laughed.

We only had a few more minutes to discuss our plans before the doctor returned. His scrubs were creased, and he looked tired. People who worked in the emergency room were a different breed.

His brow furrowed when he saw the black eye Hendrix was quickly developing. “What’s going on here?” he asked, clearly confused.

“We figured out how Meadow got dosed,” Arlo said.

The doctor turned to glare at Hendrix, immediately assuming he was the culprit.

Hendrix sat down hard on the bed. “Meadow’s doula was dosing our smoothies without us knowing. Meadow had been complaining about the taste and insisted on trying mine, and when she liked mine better, we started swapping them. Mine had uppers in it, according to our manager.”

The doctor’s eyes widened. “Are you positive?”

“We are,” I replied. “I recorded the confession, and I’m about to file a police report, just as soon as we figure out our next steps, medically.”

The doctor breathed a sigh. “That’s a relief we won’t have to get child protective services involved, now that we know the drugs weren’t intentionally consumed. Miss Reed should be okay to go home after observation.”

“What should we do for her?”

The doctor turned to Hendrix first. “I would recommend you check into a rehab facility for a medically supervised detox, if your manager has been drugging you for some time.”

“I’ll do anything I need to,” Hendrix replied.

“Good.” The doctor nodded and turned back to me. “Miss Reed will likely struggle with him in there, though. She’s only bonded to one of your pack right now, correct?”

“Yeah, just Hendrix.”

“Is your pack open to an additional bond?”

Phin, Arlo, and I shared a look, and I nodded. “Absolutely.”

The doctor nodded, considering. “At this time, I would suggest only a single bond. She’s quite fragile, and bonds can be a lot, even when completely healthy. See how she responds to one new bond before you consider the others. Otherwise, I would just make sure she’s comfortable and make an appointment with her primary care practitioner when you get home for a follow-up.”

We’d have to find her a PCP first, but that shouldn’t be too difficult with enough money greasing the wheels. Meadow deserved the best care possible.

Fuck, there was a lot to do. I needed to get started. First things first: reporting Gary and Ellie to the police for all the damage those fuckers had caused.

Chapter 40

Meadow

November, Los Angeles

Itried to focus on one emotion at a time.

At the moment, my primary emotion was relief. It didn’t look like anything was wrong with the baby, and the doctors had cleared me to go home. I wasn’t even sure what home would look like. For weeks, that had been the tour bus, but I had been strictly ordered to stay somewhere I could relax and attend regular medical care. The pack had been up in arms for the past two days, talking with the police about Gary and Ellie.

Relief gave way to fury.

Those two could have cost me everything. And for what?

Ellie might not have intended to give me what she was giving Hendrix, but they had found sedatives in his system that had already been mostly cleared from mine, which meant I had been getting dosed with something, just not narcotics. It explained why I had been struggling so much with the traveling, why I was perpetually exhausted and nauseated more than my pregnancy called for.

I hated them.

They hadn’t been punished yet, but the pack had assured me repeatedly that they would be. Everything had been reported to the police, Gary had been fired, and Hendrix was gearing up to go to rehab as soon as we returned to California.

He appeared at my door, his face haunted, his eyes shadowed. His voice was rough as he croaked out my name. “Meadow. How are you feeling?”

He glanced briefly at Arlo, who was fast asleep in the chair in the corner of the room.

“I’ve been better.” I didn’t say the words with any venom, but he flinched nonetheless.

Hendrix kneeled at my bedside, taking my hand. “I’m so sorry.”

He had said as much, hundreds of times, since everything had come to light.

“I know.” I cupped his cheek, and he closed his eyes, leaning into my touch. I knew it wasn’t his fault, but my anger over the situation still sat like a lead ball in my chest. I couldn’t tell him it was okay, and I couldn’t offer him absolution.

“Please don’t hate me,” he whispered. “I’m sorry, I’m sor—”

“I don’t hate you.”

It wasn’t the first time in recent memory he had collapsed into tears at my bedside. Gary had hurt him, betrayed him, and it broke my heart to see him like this, but it wasn’t something I could fix.

He laid his palm against my belly, Nugget kicking like they could sense Hendrix needed the reassurance they were okay. I needed it too. I savored every impact of a tiny foot against my ribs or a little punch to my bladder. I put my hand over Hendrix’s. I felt every ounce of his devastation through the bond, and he felt mine in return. Honestly, I wished I could turn it off. I didn’t have enough space for my own grief over the situation, let alone his. That wasn’t his fault, either. He couldn’t stop the bond any more than I could.

“Hey.” Beckett’s quiet voice came from the doorway, and I turned to him. “The car will be here in a few minutes, and then we’ll go to the airport. Our chartered plane is ready to go.”

I nodded. “Where are Clover and Phin?”

“He took her back to her hotel to get all of her things. They’re going to meet us at the airport, and Clover’s commercial flight back to Seattle is about an hour after ours leaves. You’ll see her before she goes, and we’ll fly her back out for a visit as soon as you’re ready for her,” he promised.

“Thank you,” I said quietly.

Beckett held up a bag. “I got you some fresh clothing.”

Hendrix helped me change out of my hospital gown. It was nice to be in real clothes again.

Beckett was sitting on the foot of the bed when I turned back to him. “Everything is ready for your nest at the pack house. I packed all of your nest essentials from the bus, and everything else was packaged to be shipped express.”

He had really stepped up the last few days. Beckett had always had some serious daddy energy, but now he was in full dad mode, and I was so fucking grateful I didn’t have to worry about a single thing with him at the helm.

When we got to the airport, Clover stuck to me like a barnacle. “You call me for literally anything. I mean it. Middle of the night, middle of class, I don’t fucking care. You call.”

“I will.”

“You promise?”

I held up my pinky, and Clover hooked hers around it, tears streaking down her cheeks.

I let the pack usher me onto the chartered plane. Exhaustion weighed so heavily on me, I could barely appreciate the luxury. I napped on and off in the leather chairs, accepting snacks and water from whichever pack member happened to be closest to me whenever I woke.

As soon as we landed, Hendrix would be leaving. The thought of going home without him left a sour taste in my mouth, but we all knew he needed to go. Even if he hadn’t been taking things willingly, the drugs had still been taking a toll on his body, habituating him to their presence over his years of consumption. He needed help that we couldn’t give him, and I was proud of him for finally taking that step, even if I wished it had been taken years ago.

I hadn’t realized what this was like for him until he had broken down, sobbing, confessing he didn’t even know what normal felt like anymore, so how could he protect me if he couldn’t tell that someone was dosing him with something that had made me collapse?

His fear filtered through the bond, a constant buzz of anxiety overlaying dark terror. We all knew detoxing wouldn’t be pleasant, but it was a necessary step.

“Be safe,” he said to me as we stepped off our chartered plane, a vehicle to the rehab clinic already waiting for him. “Please let them take care of you. Meadow, I’m so sorry. I lov—”

I growled. “Don’t you fucking dare say that to me right now. You keep those words in your mouth until you come back home to me, to us, okay?”

Hendrix swallowed hard but nodded. I watched in agonized silence as he left with the clinic team and we went our separate way to the pack house.

The new nest felt too sterile, so I had Beckett and Phin roll around in it for me while Arlo made me some peanut butter toast in the kitchen.

“You’ve been so quiet, princess. It’s kind of freaking me out.”

“Sorry,” I muttered. “Just tired.”

Hendrix’s panic had my heart pounding, and I squeezed my eyes shut against it.

“Whoa there, what’s going on?”

“He’s really scared,” I whispered. I wanted to be there for him, but everyone had insisted being around a detoxing alpha was no place for a pregnant omega. “Arlo…”

He folded me into his arms, and I sucked in deep breaths of his apple cider scent, trying to let it drown out everything tumbling through the bond. The doctor had told us that me taking another bond would help stabilize me during this process. I wanted Arlo, even if it felt a bit shitty to ask for him right now. The universe didn’t really care about the timelines of us mere mortals. Bonding the rest of the pack in my first heat after the baby was born would be ideal, but I wasn’t in any place emotionally to endure what Hendrix would be going through.

“My bond is yours the second you ask for it,” Arlo promised. “I’d have given it to you months ago.”

I had wanted him from the moment we had met, and now was no different, even if my desire needed to be unburied.

“Take me to the nest. Help me christen it?”

“I’m always available for that.” His kiss was soft at first, ramping up when I dragged him closer, moaning into his mouth. The surge of his apple cider scent made it even easier to lay down emotional bricks in the bond. I needed the distraction of him, needed to immerse myself in how good we were together, how easy it was for him to give me everything I needed.

I stumbled after him as he pulled me toward the nest, breathless with anticipation, my instincts preparing me for what was to come. My alpha was going to take care of me. That care might look different from what some people would expect me to need, but it was a sweet reminder that, no matter how fucked up the world was, we still had this connection.

Beckett and Phin both turned to look at us as we entered. Beckett was stretched out in the nest, and Phin was wearing one of my blankets like a cape, jogging in place.

“Do you want them to stay, princess?” Arlo asked.

I was only going to take one bond today, but the thought of Beckett and Phin being included in any capacity had my perfume erupting. “Stay.”

Beckett moved over in the nest, and Phin tossed the blanket onto it, climbing in as well. Having their gazes on me made it even easier to slip into the mindset I needed. My body knew what to do, and I was ready for this connection to Arlo, even if it was earlier than expected.

He brushed my hair to the side, his lips dropping to my shoulder and making their way up my throat. My breath stuttered, slick pooling between my thighs when he nipped my earlobe and swept his hands down my body, lifting my dress up and over my head. Watching the heat in Beckett’s and Phin’s eyes made me feel vulnerable and desired all at once.

“Can we touch, too, sweets? Or just watch?”

Reaching toward them with a pitiful whine was answer enough. The three of them stripped me out of what little clothing remained on my body, and I closed my eyes, taking in the sensation of hands everywhere, mouths worshiping my skin. I climbed to the edge of the nest, my feet on the floor as I balanced my hand on Phin’s head when he lifted one of my legs, propping my thigh to rest on his shoulder. Beckett dove in, his tongue sweeping through my slick folds, and Phin tucked a pair of fingers into my pussy while Arlo took his sweet time cupping my breasts and sucking the sensitive spots on my throat.

The three of them brought me to a quick, devastating rise that took my legs right out from under me. They caught me before I hit the ground and carried me over to the nest, spreading me out where Beckett continued his feast and Arlo took his fill from my lips.

The screaming of Hendrix’s panic had faded to a whisper, and I hoped the pleasure his pack was giving me would offset some of his fears, even if he wasn’t here to participate.

Once they had sent me spiraling over the edge one more time, Arlo ordered the others to sit at the headboard and me to brace my hands there. Somehow, being face-to-face with them, having all that intense eye contact while Arlo finger-fucked me to prep me for his cock, was even more intimate than when they had been inside me.

Phin caught my chin and drew me in for a searing kiss. “You are the most perfect omega in the world.”

Beckett stole me for his own kiss, and I moaned into his mouth as Arlo began to work his cock into me. “Good girl, letting your alphas take care of you.”

My cheeks flushed with warmth, and I closed my eyes against the intensity in theirs. With expert hands, they teased every inch of me while Arlo rode me at the perfect pace and precise angle to ruin me. Bit by bit, reality narrowed down to only the alphas in my nest.

They were exactly what I needed.

Arlo’s teeth sinking into my skin at the same moment he fucked in hard, his knot swelling, had my perfume erupting. I melted into bliss, the first tingles of awareness from the half-formed bond brushing against my mind.

“Give me a good bite, princess,” Arlo said, holding out his forearm. “I’m gonna get a tattoo around it later to show it off.”

I bit down sharply on the skin that was right in front of my mouth. Arlo burst through the bond instantly, bright and sweet and chaotic. All that he was wrapped around me like a shield, holding me safe and warm.

Affection pulsed like a heartbeat from him, the well of it bottomless. He hadn’t said it, but it was like a neon sign with the bond in place.

Holy shit.

Arlo nuzzled my cheek. “I love you.”

Overwhelmed, but with happy tears sliding down my cheeks, I whispered back, “I love you, too.”

Chapter 41

Hendrix

Everything was terrible.

Without Meadow to offset the misery, detox had been a very particular hell. I’d slept more than I thought it was possible to sleep in a day, and when I was awake, I was torn between wanting to beat the snot out of Gary and begging anyone and everyone to let me see Meadow. A thousand times a day, I wondered if I’d die with my next breath. It never happened, even though there were moments I hoped it might, so I couldn’t fuck up so hard again.

I had disappointed everyone who had ever mattered to me. I’d hurt my omega. I’d…missed all the fucking signs that someone I trusted was abusing me. Acknowledging what I had put Meadow through opened up a bottomless chasm of shame. There was no way I could ever make it up to her, but dammit, if she let me when I got out of here, I would spend the rest of my life trying.

I had so much shit weighing me down, and even beginning to unpack all of it felt like trying to climb Everest with no training and no supplies, and after months of starvation. Was it even possible? What I had just gone through was the easy part. Now I had to face my mistakes, figure out how to stop myself from making them again, and become someone my pack deserved.

My first day of actual rehab after a week of clinical detox was nearly over, and it was as emotionally exhausting as the detox had been physically. Confronting your demons was not for the weak, and I was feeling pretty fucking fragile right now. Between my individual therapy, group therapy, and trauma therapy, I was wrung out and ready to sleep until they forced me awake for breakfast the next day.

“Oh, Hendrix, you have a visitor.” One of the nurses stopped me on my way back to my room. “I was just coming to get you.”

“Who is it?”

“Meadow Reed.”

My heart was trying to kick its way through my ribs. Maybe she didn’t hate me. I had put her and the entire pack on my visit list, but I hadn’t truly expected her to come see me in here. “Where is she?”

“In the visitors’ room by the front office. I’ll walk with you.”

Exhaustion disappeared, replaced by excitement.

Meadow’s mahogany hair gleamed in the sunlight streaming through the windows. She sat facing away from me, and in a sweep of movement, the moment the nurse closed the door behind me, she threw herself at me, lips pressed against mine.

Artificial sweetness assailed my nose, setting off a thousand alarm bells in my head.

No bump.

No white rose and lilac.

Not Meadow.

I shoved the woman away instantly, a growl tearing from my throat. She tumbled backward, tripping over the couch.

A swarm of staff flowed into the room, grabbing on to my arms.

“Hendrix,” one of the nurses snapped. “What is the matter with you? That’s your omega.”

“That’s not her!”

Ellie’s panicked eyes looked back at me. She carefully slipped around the staff and hovered outside the door. “I had to make sure you were all right. You’re the only thing I’ve ever wanted. Why couldn’t you have chosen me instead? She was just in the way!”

“She’s the one who hurt Meadow,” I bellowed. “Stop her!”

Ellie bolted before the staff could get their bearings, sprinting back out to the front doors and into her vehicle before anyone could chase her down.

“Hendrix, calm down,” another nurse ordered.

Another growl vibrated through me. “Calm down? You just let the woman who’s been drugging me for weeks run out of here.”

One of the program directors poked her head inside the door. “What on earth is going on?”

I took a deep breath, and then another. “They let in one of my abusers.”

The director paled. “Excuse me? Sorry, one moment, let me make sure the authorities have been called. The license plate on the vehicle that she signed in with will have been recorded.”

She dashed away to make sure that was taken care of, and the staff slowly released me, realizing I hadn’t been in the wrong. They let me go back to my room, where I instantly stripped down and showered to get every molecule of Ellie’s scent and fake omega perfume off my skin. I had just changed into fresh clothing when the director appeared to meet with me.

“I’m very sorry about the intrusion.” She frowned. “The ID she presented to us said Meadow Reed.”

“I assume it was fake,” I replied. “She dyed her hair, too, so I wouldn’t notice immediately.”

“Our staff did their due diligence with your visitor, but unfortunately she wasn’t truthful with us. The police are looking for her vehicle now, though. I truly apologize for the stress of this situation. Is there anything you need?”

“No,” I grumbled.

“Should I arrange an additional therapy session for you after seeing her?”

I sucked in a breath. My body was still thrumming with fury and lingering adrenaline. “Probably not a bad idea.”

She tapped away on her phone and nodded decisively. “There’s a slot available for you in half an hour. Why don’t you go for a walk, work off some of your nervous energy until your appointment time?”

“Sure.”

The grounds were genuinely beautiful, but I couldn’t fully appreciate them as I traversed the manicured trails through the gardens. My craving for Meadow was ten times worse now that I’d had my hopes raised and dashed about seeing her. I couldn’t fathom what Ellie had thought would be accomplished by coming here. She was lucky I hadn’t gone fucking feral on her after what she had done to Meadow and me. Thinking about everything that she and Gary had done to me was somehow still easier to take than the thought that she had been targeting Meadow, risking our baby.

I squeezed my hands into fists, digging my nails into my palms as an anchor point. I had defended Gary to the guys for so fucking long, too blinded by his lies to see how much he had been hurting me. Were Ellie’s credentials even real? Had Gary lied about that too and brought her in just to fuck with us?

Therapy put me through the fucking wringer as I poured out all of my helplessness and anguish. It was good to talk to someone who understood the nuances and insidiousness of the kind of abuse I had been through. Even so, I felt like I could be told that Gary and Ellie were the ones in the wrong a million times, and I would still harbor the thought that it was all my fault.

“Therapy isn’t a magic fix, Hendrix.” My therapist offered a sympathetic smile. “There are a lot of things for you to unlearn and unpack, a lot of time that will have to be devoted to healing. I’m proud of you for being so open and honest.”

I didn’t cry, but the words hollowed me out. I was fucking trying, and no one in the world could say that I wasn’t. I would suffer through anything to be the person I needed to be, for Meadow, for my pack, for our child. They didn’t need me, and in many ways would probably be better off without me, but I wanted to be there. I wanted them to want me to be there, but I had to restore their trust first.

My dreams were a mess of grief and panic, but every so often, a rush of affection would eclipse all of it. More often than not, Meadow would flare bright as the sun through the bond, more love than I deserved flowing into me.

I would get back to her. The staff was well aware of my situation with a pregnant mate at home. They wouldn’t keep me here longer than I needed to be, and plans were already being made for me to continue my therapy at home, appointments being made to check my progress.

I couldn’t wait to hold Meadow again, to breathe in her perfect floral scent and tell her how much I loved her.

Soon.

Soon, I would get back to everything that mattered.

Chapter 42

Phineas

December, Los Angeles

“Sweets, we’re home!”

Meadow had gone down for a nap before Arlo and I left to run a myriad of errands so everything would be ready for Hendrix to come home. We also picked up a few final touches for the nursery while Beckett was dealing with the cops again.

“Sweets?”

There was no answer. Maybe she was sleeping really hard. I trotted up the stairs and into Meadow’s nest, but it was completely empty. I checked her bathroom, the nursery, and every other bedroom, but she was nowhere to be found.

Weird. I went to the banister and called down. “Arlo, is Meadow downstairs?”

I heard him running around and went to look as well, but our omega didn’t seem to be home at all.

“Where is she?” Arlo asked.

“I don’t know.” I checked the group chat and my private texts, but there was nothing from Meadow.

PHIN:

Sweets, where are you?

BECKETT:

She’s not at home?

ARLO:

Not unless she’s invisible

Or a hide and seek champion

Nerves twisted in my belly when a read receipt from Meadow popped up, but no answer followed.

“I think something’s wrong,” I told Arlo.

“Let me check the doorbell cam footage.” A moment later, he cursed and turned the phone to me. We didn’t usually have the notifications turned on, so we didn’t get a million pings a day, with all of us going in and out, but that meant we had missed Meadow leaving the pack house. “Does she look like she’s crying?”

Her face did look a lot pinker than usual. “Why would she leave? What happened?”

I retraced my steps back up to her nest, hoping for a clue. On the opposite side of the bed, her tablet was face down on the floor. When I turned it over, I found the screen cracked, but it was still open to tabloid photos of Ellie kissing Hendrix.

“What the fuck?”

Arlo appeared behind me. “Shit. Why the hell is he locking lips with that monster?”

“Fuck if I know.” I snapped a photo and sent it through a separate group chat that was just between Beckett, Arlo, and me.

BECKETT:

What the hell???

I’m going to kick his ass

PHIN:

We’ll go down and ask him about it

Pretty sure this is why Meadow’s gone

“This doesn’t make any sense,” Arlo protested. “He’s never given any indication he likes Ellie, and that sure as shit looks like the rehab center. He wouldn’t be fucking kissing her after everything we found out.”

“The pictures say otherwise.” I pulled up the locator app for the pack, seeing the dot for Meadow’s phone a couple of hours north of LA and moving. “Where’s she going?”

“She’d better not be driving all the way to Seattle when she’s that full of baby. That doesn’t seem very safe.”

“Fuck. Okay, goddamn it, let’s go talk to Hendrix first, so we actually have an explanation when we catch up to Meadow.”

“I could follow after her right now, and you could go talk to Hendrix by yourself,” Arlo suggested instead.

“Dude, that’s an eighteen-hour drive. You can’t make that by yourself.”

“Neither can she. She’s going to have to stop somewhere for the night.”

“Fine. You get ready for that drive, and I’ll go to the rehab facility.”

We split up, and I white-knuckled my way through the entire drive. Hendrix had better have a damn good explanation for those photos.

I waited impatiently and as politely as I could manage while the front desk staff checked me in and went to locate Hendrix. I paced the visitors’ room. It looked weirdly familiar, and I pulled up the tabloid images, noting the same windows, the same couch.

As soon as Hendrix stepped into the room, I shoved the phone in his face. “Explain yourself.”

Hendrix shoved the phone away, his eyes wide. “Hello to you too.”

“Don’t be fucking cute with me. Those pictures were on Meadow’s tablet, and now she’s on her way north.”

“What?”

“Why were you kissing Ellie? And why are there fucking photos of it?”

“Fuck’s sake, I wasn’t kissing Ellie. She kissed me when she impersonated our omega to get in here. She even dyed her goddamn hair, so I would think she was Meadow from a distance. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Shit. “How are you going to prove that to Meadow?”

If she was upset enough to run, I wasn’t sure she would accept his explanation.

Hendrix growled, running his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know.”

My gaze swiveled to the cameras tucked into the corners of the room. Oh no. I yanked him close and whispered in his ear, “Look at the angles of the photos.”

His eyes flickered over them for a few seconds before realization dawned on him. “They were taken from inside and outside. Did she tell someone she was coming here? Did they hack into the footage, or did someone give it to them?”

“Hack seems more likely. At least, if they want to keep up their business. The celebs staying here would sue them into the fucking ground if they got caught leaking photos of clients in here.”

“I pushed Ellie off after half a second, I swear. They should still have the footage of that. They reported her to the police when I told them who she was. As far as I know, they didn’t catch up with her, though.”

“Of course not.” I sighed. “That would be way too helpful. Okay, let me go ask for someone who has access to footage.”

We waited an agonizing hour and a half for someone with the authorization and expertise to arrive and go through the footage. Relief poured through me as I watched Hendrix do exactly as he had said on the screen.

“We need a copy of that.”

“I’m afraid we would need a court order to surrender security footage of the facility.”

“It’s footage of me,” countered Hendrix. “Footage that, might I add, was screenshotted and given to the tabloids. You’re going to give it to me, or I will sue this place completely out of operation and blacklist you in every social circle I have.”

One of the directors, who had been supervising the process, let out a sigh. “That’s not fair.”

“What’s not fair is that I came to you for help, and I’m paying out the ass for it, only for your staff to allow my abuser in here and fail to secure your footage of the clients in the facility, and now my omega thinks I’ve been fucking cheating on her. Fix it.”

Damn, Henny was growing a spine.

“Our lawyer’s on speed dial at this point,” I said to them, calmly, but the threat was there.

“You may record the footage with your own device,” the director said after a few moments of silence.

“I’ll be checking out early,” Hendrix added.

“That’s not a good idea.”

“My omega needs me, and I’m going to go to her.”

“But your therapy…”

“I’ll get back on track when things are fixed with Meadow.”

The director pursed her lips, giving us both a look of disdain before speaking to me. “Keep a close eye on him. His consumption may not have been voluntary, but his body doesn’t know the difference.”

“We’ll take care of him,” I promised. We would do a hell of a lot better job taking care of him than we had for all these years.

I stared at Meadow’s location in the app while Hendrix packed up his few belongings. She wasn’t moving very fast, but she hadn’t stopped once. Arlo’s dot was moving quickly, eating up the distance between them.

PHIN:

Ellie broke in

We have a video of her throwing herself at Hen and him pushing her away

BECKETT:

Thank fuck

PHIN:

We’re going to follow Arlo

BECKETT:

Please wait for me

Once Arlo gets her to stop, we can fly

Hendrix read over my shoulder. “You guys have a group chat without me? That’s mean. Why do we have to wait?”

“Probably so we’re not racing up the West Coast like idiots in three different vehicles. I don’t like the idea of waiting, but Beckett makes a valid point.”

BECKETT:

Holy shit

You’ll never guess who they just brought in here in cuffs

PHIN:

Don’t keep us in suspense, asshole

BECKETT:

They got Ellie

“Shit. That’s a huge fucking relief.” Hendrix sucked in a deep breath and let it go slowly. “I hated the idea of her running around out there.”

BECKETT:

Get your asses down here

I bet she would talk to Hen if he showed up

He sent a location pin.

Hendrix was a nervous wreck on the way over, but he held it together better than I expected, after everything he had been through. Beckett met us at the entrance, and thank god I had cleared up things about the kiss because, instead of punching him in the face, Beckett pulled Hendrix into a hug.

One of the officers approached us, his lips pressed into a grim line. “Do you think you can get her to talk?”

“If she’ll see me,” said Hendrix.

“Oh, she’ll see you. I told her you were on the way and she started crying. Come on.”

We followed him, the officer depositing me and Beckett behind a two-way mirror and going in with Hendrix. Ellie looked rough, barely anything like I remembered.

“Hendrix,” she gasped.

“I need you to tell them what you did.”

Her lip wobbled.

“Ellie, this is important. If you cooperate, it’ll be better for you.”

It didn’t take much for her to crack and spill to the officer that she had been drugging Meadow and Hendrix.

“Why?” Hendrix asked, his voice cracking.

“It was all Gary!” she shrieked. “He promised you would love me if I helped him get Meadow to leave the tour, so you could forget about her. She wasn’t supposed to have what we gave you. I was just giving her a sedative, so she’d be fucking miserable and want to go home.”

“You do realize how fucked up that is, don’t you?”

“It’s not my fault! I believed him. I was only fucking that asshole to get close to you. He promised it wouldn’t hurt you.”

“Whoa,” I whispered.

“Where is Gary now?” Hendrix asked.

“He has a house in Malibu under a fake name. Reggie Thomas.” Ellie rattled off the address. “He told me to go there if things went south. I assume he’s still there.”

I was already on my phone, looking up the address. “I’ll be back.”

“Where are you going?” Beckett hissed.

“I’ll be back,” I said again. “Don’t leave Hen here.”

I slipped away and got in my car for a brisk drive to Malibu. When I reached the address Ellie had provided, I walked around to the beach, seeing Gary standing in the sand barefoot, watching the ocean like he didn’t have a worry in the world.

It took a lot to push me to the edge, but listening to Ellie sing like a canary about all of his evil and duplicity had silent rage sinking into my bones.

I crept up quietly behind him. “Don’t move,” I ordered.

Gary jolted and took off sprinting, racing up the wooden steps of his deck. I followed, grabbing him by the shirt and wrenching backward with all of my strength at the same time I leapt over the railing. The sand cushioned my landing, but Gary hit the stairs hard, tumbling ass over feet to sprawl, panting, in the sand below.

“The police are already on their way here,” I told him.

Gary swallowed hard, staring up at me with frightened eyes, groaning when he tried to move. “Then why are you here?”

“Because whatever justice you face will never be enough suffering for what you did to Meadow and Hendrix, and, fuck it, to the rest of us too, with all of your goddamn bullshit over the years. You’re a fucking worm, Gary. You deserve to rot in the ground, in an unmarked grave, getting pissed on by the animals who eat you.”

By the whimper he let out, it seemed like he was about to piss himself and get a head start on that. “Don’t hurt me.”

I planted my boot in the middle of his back and ground down. “You don’t get to ask that. How long have you been torturing Hendrix?”

“Fuck, he needed it. He would’ve ruined everything for all of you if I didn’t step in. He’s been a basket case since your first tour.”

“He needed support, not drugs.” I heard the wailing of police sirens and hauled my foot back, kicking him so hard in the ass, he could probably taste the rubber soles. “You’d better be grateful they showed up when they did, because the ocean is not that far away, Gary. If you somehow get out after what you’ve done, I’ll make sure that you’re never found. Do I make myself clear?”

Gary wheezed, his eyes watering. “Crystal.”

At the slam of the car doors, I shouted up the hill, “He’s down here.”

I stood numbly as they took him away. I had never really liked him, but he had been a father figure in our lives for a decade. There was no joy in seeing him brought this low, only vindication that his crimes might be answered for. The courts took omega safety seriously, doubly so when they were pregnant. With any luck, Gary and Ellie would be locked away until they died, but that was probably wishful thinking.

BECKETT:

Arlo says she’s on a train?

I’m betting she’s going all the way to Seattle

Let’s go get our omega

Chapter 43

Arlo

BECKETT:

We are getting on a plane right now

How close are you to Seattle?

ARLO:

2ish hours out

BECKETT:

Perfect

Grab us a hotel room, and we can all go see Meadow together now that shit has been sorted out here

While I had assumed I would get to our omega first, I forgot about the utterly abysmal state of the roads. There had been detour after detour, thanks to road construction, and unexpected snow once I’d hit the mountains, so now we were all going to be arriving around the same time. The other shit thing was the nausea and headache that had been building since she’d bolted. It forced me to go slower, when all I wanted was to speed and get to her sooner. The bond needed us close, but more than that, I hated being apart from her.

I pulled into a gas station, throwing on a baseball cap to conceal my identity as I filled up my car and grabbed a snack. As I got back into the car to eat, I picked up my phone to message Clover.

Meadow had been pointedly ignoring us. I had the distinct impression that she had blocked us to avoid the barrage of calls, so I had to get creative in my attempts to contact her.

ARLO:

Please let us talk to Meadow

We’ll be there soon

CLOVER:

She has her phone

If she wants to talk to you, she will

ARLO:

She’s ignoring my calls

CLOVER:

Well, then, she’s ignoring you

ARLO:

Look, I’ll do whatever it takes

We love her

We’re on our way there now. I just don’t want her to slam the door in our face when we get there, hence recruiting your help

Clover:

Hmm

ARLO:

Please? I’ll buy you all the ice cream!

CLOVER:

Haha

I don’t want ice cream. I want a sports car

ARLO:

I can do a sports car

CLOVER:

*eye roll emoji*

Uh-huh, sure

Make it a McLaren F1 and we’ll talk :P

Oh, and make it bright pink with SPARKLES

I laughed to myself as I shoved the rest of the gas station hot dog into my mouth. She’d learn as fast as Meadow that I couldn’t be presented with a challenge like that and not take it. If a nearly two-million-dollar car was what it took to talk to our omega again, I’d pay it in a heartbeat. I placed the order with the company, pushing for a rush on the delivery and the paint job, just to prove a point.

ARLO:

Done

CLOVER:

Bullshit!

ARLO:

See you sooooon

At least I knew Meadow was in good hands. Clover reminded me a bit of myself‚ chaotic, but willing to maul when necessary. She’d keep Meadow safe until our omega was willing to come home with us again.

The rest of the drive was easy, after I had passed most of the road construction and managed to find a decent hotel not far from where Clover lived. The entire drive, I had been watching Meadow’s location like a stalker. Once I’d figured out she was on a train, that made following her a lot easier, though I seriously regretted having to lose time to sleeping so I wasn’t a danger to anyone on the road.

Thankfully, once her dot had hit Seattle, she’d stayed mainly in one place.

Mere moments after I checked into the hotel room, the rest of my pack arrived.

“Did you only just get here?” Phin asked, taking in my unwashed state.

“Yeah, I thought driving would be faster,” I grumbled.

Hendrix looked rough as he sank down onto one of the beds. Poor guy had been detoxing from all the crap Gary had been giving him, and while I didn’t know what that would feel like, if it made Hendrix look like that, it couldn’t have been fun.

“Go take a shower. We need to talk as a pack before we go see Meadow,” Beckett instructed.

“But it’s already getting late,” I pouted.

Beckett shrugged. “Then we will have to go see her in the morning. We have shit to discuss, and she hasn’t answered us once. We’re not going to knock down her door and force her to talk to us.”

I nodded. He had a point, even if I was unhappy that I couldn’t run straight to our omega and beg her to snuggle with us. I could suffer a while longer through the early phases of bonding sickness so Meadow didn’t get overwhelmed.

Twenty minutes later, we all sat around the hotel room, freshly showered and with a couple of extra large pizzas in front of us for dinner. Exhaustion weighed on all of us.

“We need to figure out our next steps.” Hendrix sighed, running his hand over his hair.

Beckett nodded. “We do. Gary and Ellie shouldn’t be problems anymore. Our lawyers are confident they can get enough evidence together, and we’ve got emergency restraining orders in case they make bail. Though, given some of the crimes were against a pregnant omega, the odds of either of them being granted bail are pretty slim.”

“All the band’s accounts are being investigated,” Hendrix added, presumably for my benefit, since I’d been all by my lonesome while they were sorting all this shit out. “We’re expecting embezzlement to be added to the list of charges.”

“So, how do we ensure this never happens again?” Beckett asked. “There’s no point in us going to see Meadow if we don’t have a plan. This happened because of us, because of our careers, and it’s our job to make sure she’s never in danger like that again.”

Phin sighed, his leg jiggling anxiously as he spoke. “Look, I’ll be real with you guys. I love making music, but I’m happy to walk away and never look back. This whole situation is fucked.”

“I agree.” I nodded. “It’s been fun, but if the cost is Meadow’s safety, I’m done.”

Beckett and Hendrix both agreed. It was a somber thought, leaving the band behind, but there wasn’t a single person in the room who wouldn’t do it in a heartbeat for Meadow. We could always look at it again in a few years if Meadow felt safe enough, and we could make music for ourselves without needing to go on tours or put out records.

“Can we back out of any company Gary was involved with?” I asked. “If we don’t quit the industry outright, I don’t want to work with anyone who’s been working closely with him.”

“I’ll get a list,” replied Beckett. “That’s going to be a lot of people and companies, but I’m not opposed to severing our contracts with all of them over this.”

“Also, we can’t keep treating Meadow like she’s our dirty little secret. I’m fucking proud of her and want to scream from the rooftops that I love her,” Phin said.

“I do want people to know about her, but in a way, I’m glad we kept it a bit quiet, so she never had to deal with having the paparazzi up her ass every time she tried to go outside. If we give the world her name, they’re going to harass her.”

“Yeah,” I said, “but that also meant all those women thought we were single. The VIP gals wouldn’t have been trying to climb all over us if they’d known we had an omega.”

Beckett pursed his lips. “I’ll add extra bodyguards to the list, so we can be doubly sure Meadow is safe once the world knows she’s ours. Assuming she wants us to tell them who she is.”

“That sounds fair,” Hendrix agreed. “They’ll find out who she is, eventually, and we all have to be prepared for that.”

Beckett nodded. “I…I may have asked our realtor about a property in Lakelyn Fields.”

My eyebrows shot up. “That place is fancy, one of LA’s best neighborhoods. Are you trying to woo her with pretty houses? I’m not sure that’s Meadow’s vibe.”

Beckett snorted. “It’s not, but when she sees the nests—plural—she may think otherwise. I picked it because it has the best community security in the region, short of us hiring a full team ourselves.”

“Damn, that place is like a fortress!” Phin was scrolling through his phone, turning it to me so I could snoop easier. “That’s where Hunter and his pack live, right? We needed to show ID last time we visited, and even then, the security dude frisked Arlo.”

Oh yeah, I’d forgotten about that. Security had clearly decided that I looked shifty. In fairness, I did have a glitter bomb in my pocket to christen their new house…

“That is some damn good security,” I said as I towel-dried my hair between inhaling another slice of pizza.

“I’m down for a house in the fancy-pants neighborhood,” Phin said, grinning. “Can we afford that?”

Beckett nodded. “It would be a bit of a stretch, with us forfeiting all the profits for the remainder of the tour, but we can do it.”

They didn’t need to know I’d just dropped two million on a car for Clover as a bribe to coax Meadow into talking to us again. I might spend a bit recklessly, but the others didn’t, and I could make it up to them later.

“I imagine we’ll be getting back most of what we’ve paid Gary over the last few years as well, once the lawsuit hits,” Hendrix pointed out. “If he had a house in Malibu on the down-low, he probably had a lot of other hidden assets, and we didn’t pay him enough for that.”

The cogs in my brain slowly turned, as I ran through the last few minutes of conversation in my head. “Hey…speaking of Hunter—Beck, doesn’t he own his own record label now?”

Beckett turned to me, a surprised look on his face. “I’m pretty sure he does.”

“Maybe, once the dust settles, we should give him a call?” I suggested.

“I’d be up for that,” Hendrix agreed. “He’s a cool dude.”

“Okay—” I hopped up, pacing the room. “—let’s run down the list. A new house with better security, disappearing into the night on all our sus contracts, and giving Meadow all of our attention. How do we deal with the press? They published those nasty photos of Hendrix getting snuggly with Ellie in rehab.” I made an overdramatic gagging sound at that idea. The very idea of touching that woman made my stomach turn.

I was surprised Hendrix hadn’t showered in bleach after her little grabby hands moment.

“I have an idea on that front,” Beckett told us. “In all the chaos, we still haven’t been clear with everyone about the cancelation of the concert, and we have a lot of shit to clear up. The easiest way to do that would be to hold a press conference.”

“Been a hot minute since we’ve done one of those,” Phin said with a laugh.

“The press has been climbing the walls, wanting information,” I added. “They’ll be all over it.”

“So we’re agreed?” Beckett asked.

A round of nods followed.

“All right. I’ll reach out and get it organized, so we can set the record straight.”

I laughed—that was a ballsy move, but I fucking loved it.

“Hell yes!”

And I wasn’t going to rely on luck to make sure she saw it. I made my own with some hefty dollars and a direct line to her bestie. Meadow was going to see us tell the whole world how much we loved her.

Chapter 44

Meadow

December, Seattle

After thirty-five hours on the train, everything ached. I was too worried about flying this late in the game, and I didn’t want to drive while crying, so a car service to the train station had been the next best solution. I had arrived twenty minutes before the train was set to leave, a tourist route that went all the way from Los Angeles to Seattle.

CLOVER:

I’m here

Clover knew everything. I had cried for an hour on the phone, and she had promised to meet me at the station in Seattle. I’d had a lot of time to think over the last day and a half, but I just kept coming back to sorrow.

Was it fair to leave the others for something Hendrix had done? No, but the second I had seen those photos, the entire house had felt like it was closing in. I needed space to breathe air that wasn’t saturated in them. I needed my best friend, a lot of ice cream, and some time.

One of the train staff helped me stand, my bones creaky, and I tottered out to the station. I didn’t have more than my purse on me, so I was sweaty, rumpled, and more than ready for a proper bed.

“Meads!” Clover sprinted over to me, pulling me into a tight hug. “Oof, girl, we need to get you a shower.”

I sniffed myself experimentally. I smelled a bit like half of a flower shop had gone up in flames and the other half had fermented.

“Come on. I’ll run you a nice baby-safe-temperature bath, and then we’ll tuck you into my nest.”

“Thank you.”

“What are best friends for?” She cocked her head, examining me. “If your guys reached out to me, would you want me to tell you?”

“Not right now.”

“Fair enough.”

Clover took me back to our familiar dorm. I scrubbed down in the shower while she ordered us pizza, and then I settled into a slightly above lukewarm bath once I was squeaky clean.

Clover popped her head into the bathroom. “I bought you a couple of nightgowns and some undies, so you’d have something to change into. I’m not going to waste a laundry load on one outfit, so I’m gonna get your train clothes rinsed and soaking in the sink.”

Clover busied herself doing just that, and when the pizza arrived, she helped me haul myself out of the bath and change into what she had bought for me. The fabric was omega-approved softness, and I happily snuggled into the nest, wearing it, while Clover served us each a pair of pizza slices.

This momentary return to my old life was both a comforting balm on my soul and a stark reminder of how much had changed. Did I even really belong here anymore?

“Rom-com or action?” Clover asked as she flicked through streaming options.

“Pride and Prejudice?” I regretted the suggestion as soon as I said it, the title reminding me of my first meeting with Hendrix.

“You’ve got it. I am one hundred percent down to watch Pack Darcy woo our Lizzie.”

“Did you know Hendrix has actually read this book?”

“Shut up, really? That does not seem up his alley.”

I nodded, retreating back into myself. If I thought about him too much, I would start crying again, and it was hard to keep hydrated when Nugget was sitting on top of my bladder.

By the end of the movie, I was ready to pass out. I wasn’t entirely sure if my headache was due to being away from Arlo with the fresh bond or from all the crying I’d done recently. Clover bundled me up tightly in her nest, and I was out like a light almost as soon as I closed my eyes.

Clover, bless her, did her best to keep me distracted the whole next day. The guys had been texting me, trying to call, but I put my phone on silent and set it aside after a simple reply that I was safe.

“How’re you feeling?” Clover asked as we snuggled in with a movie.

“I miss them.” I sighed. “Kinda mad about it. Have they been bothering you?”

“Arlo has been up my ass for updates. That man is obsessed with you.”

“We just bonded.”

Clover paused, a spoonful of ice cream halfway to her mouth. “A brand new bond, and you’re here? Girl, do you not remember how terrible you felt last time?”

“I know. I wasn’t thinking about that part when I left.”

Clover stared down at her phone, brow crinkled. “Pass me my laptop.”

“What are we watching?”

Clover didn’t answer until the livestream was filling the screen, my pack standing in front of a horde of reporters.

“First, we want to apologize to our fans,” said Beckett, “for the lack of communication surrounding the cancelation of the remainder of our tour. All tickets will be refunded.”

“So the tour is officially canceled?” one of the reporters asked.

Beckett nodded. “At this time, there is no way for us to safely continue. Our manager, Gary Williams, who has been with us since our early days, has been fired. He is currently under investigation for the extensive abuses against our pack and his misuse of power.”

A murmur moved through the crowd, and I watched in stunned silence. I’d known they were pissed at Gary, but I hadn’t been confident that anything would come from it.

“Is it true your pack has an omega?” another reporter asked.

I held my breath. I wanted them to claim me, but I knew it would probably damage their brand.

“Hell yeah, we do,” Arlo piped up. “We love her more than anything in the world, and we’re going to be parents soon.”

Holy shit. All of my omega instincts were preening over a public claiming.

“Is it the omega from the photos?”

“Absolutely not,” Hendrix said firmly. “That woman was someone we hired to help care for our omega on the road, and she betrayed all of us. The photo is misleading. I could tell you until I was blue in the face that I pushed her off the second she touched me, but I think, for anyone to believe that statement, they would need to see it.”

Beckett held up his phone to the camera that was streaming and played the security footage of inside the rehab facility Hendrix had been attending. I stared at it, watching Ellie throw herself at Hendrix and him push her away in an instant. Tears slipped over my cheeks, and Clover wrapped a comforting arm over my shoulders.

The reporters shouted a dozen questions, but they were a blur in my ears.

“The woman in the photos and video is under investigation for some serious crimes committed against our omega and against Hendrix,” said Beckett. “We will not be disclosing the specifics of those crimes until a conviction has been made, but in the meantime, we will be doing a thorough sweep of our teams to remove anyone found to have any connection to the crimes committed by our manager. Until it’s safe for all of us, there will be no future tours. I hope the fans understand. Our priority is our omega and the child we’ll be meeting very soon. Their safety comes first.”

Clover was surprisingly quiet while we watched the press conference, and she kept glancing over me, like she was waiting for my reaction before she gave hers.

“I never even gave them a chance to explain.” The words escaped in a sob.

“Stress and pregnancy hormones don’t really make for rational decisions. You ran. I probably would’ve punched someone if I was in your place.”

“You don’t think I should’ve just trusted them?”

“Girl, what has ever given you the impression that I would say to trust alphas over your own instincts? There’s only so much you can do to bury your head in the sand when there’s photographic evidence of something happening, even if it turned out to be skewed.”

“I should talk to them.”

“What you should do is take a nap. They’re going to be swarmed by the press for a while. I’m sure they’ll turn up here, sooner or later.”

“How long is the flight from LA?”

“They’re not in LA,” Clover replied. “They’re here. You didn’t recognize the background?”

“I was a little bit more focused on the alphas.” I pouted. “When did they get here?”

“Last night, but you were still in ‘ignoring the alphas’ mode, so I didn’t tell you. If you ask me nicely, I’ll stand guard dog outside the dorm, so they can come see you here without anyone bothering you and the pack. I have connections to the football team. We could blockade the entire hallway.”

I raised an eyebrow. “What kind of connection?”

“The pussy kind. Don’t ask too many questions.”

I laughed despite my tears. She was probably right about the nap. If I saw them anytime soon, I was just going to sob all over them.

Clover fetched me a juice and a water. “Rehydrate from those tears, and then get some rest. I’ll coordinate with your boys and wake you up when they’re here.”

I glanced down at myself, wearing only a nightgown she had purchased for me, my hair in a knotted bundle on top of my head. “I don’t want to meet them looking like this.”

“Your runaway clothes are all clean and dry. You can wear those and shower when you wake up, so you’re all squeaky clean. I think we both know they’ll wait as long as they need to.”

“Okay.” I snuggled into her nest, burying myself in a heap of blankets and dropping off in the warmth almost immediately.

I woke up to Clover shouting out the window. “Arlo, you weirdo! I wasn’t serious about the car!”

“Don’t tell me you want things if you don’t actually want them!” he yelled back, my entire body breaking out into goose bumps at the sound of his voice. I followed the compulsion to climb out of the nest and peek through the screen to see the whole pack down in the parking lot. I ducked away, heart pounding. Every instinct urged me to race down there and throw myself into their arms. Not that I could do that much racing with how pregnant I was.

“You go shower,” Clover instructed. “I’ll go with the football boys to bring them up.”

They were here.

My alphas had come for me.

Chapter 45

Meadow

Peeking through the window, I saw them all standing in the parking lot, hovering around a sleek, pink, sparkly sports car, Arlo sitting on the hood. I watched Clover arrive, the entire fucking football team in tow. I loved her, but her ability to get alphas to do whatever she wanted was, frankly, a little terrifying. In a protective circle of uniformed jocks, my pack was hustled into the dorm, Clover at the lead.

I held my breath once they had all disappeared inside, waiting for their inevitable arrival.

Clover slipped inside first, shutting the door behind her. “You ready?”

“Nervous, but yes.”

“Okay. I’ll be right outside if you need me.” Clover gave me a quick hug before opening the door for my pack to enter and closing it after them, so she could wait in the hall with the football team.

What was I supposed to say to them? My brain turned instantly into mush at the sight of my alphas, and the only thing that came out was “Uhhh, what is that pink monstrosity in the parking lot?”

Hendrix chuckled. “That is how Arlo chose to bribe your best friend.”

“Oh.” I nodded. That did sound like Arlo.

With that explanation, my attention settled on my pack. We had only been apart for a few days, but somehow, I had forgotten how devastatingly handsome they were.

They were wearing the same clothing they’d had on in the press conference, so they must have come to me right away. I resisted the urge to laugh at the bizarre situation I found myself in. A year ago, I hadn’t the hope of a relationship, and now I stood with four alphas in front of me, who just happened to be rich and famous and had announced to the world they were madly in love with me.

When my gaze landed on Hendrix, tears welled in my eyes. I threw myself into his arms, breathing in his woodsmoke and citrus scent. “I’m sorry. I should have talked to you instead of running!”

Hendrix held me tightly. “No! You don’t owe me shit. I saw how those photos looked, and I can’t blame you for not trusting me after we failed so spectacularly to protect you.” The scent of him overwhelmed me, and I buried my nose into his chest, inhaling deeply. I’d missed that scent so much.

“Are you okay?” I asked, pulling back and looking up at him, tears hot on my cheeks.

“I’m fine. Well, as fine as I can be, given everything,” he assured me, laying his palm on my stomach. “How about you and Nugget?”

“We’re both okay,” I promised. “Clover’s been taking good care of us.”

“Good.”

“Are you feeling okay after the detox?”

“I’ve definitely felt better,” he confessed. “I’ve got a lot of appointments to keep up with to make sure I stay healthy, but all the doctors and therapists know I want to be here for you. I’ll wrangle as many schedules as I need to, so I can be the person you and Nugget need me to be.”

A fresh wave of tears filled my eyes.

“If I try telling you that I love you, will you yell at me again?” Hendrix asked.

I shook my head, the tears making their escape down my cheeks.

“Good, because you’re my omega, and I love you, everything about you, and I want to be with you forever.”

I kissed him deeply, whispering against his lips, “I love you too.”

Hendrix sighed, hugging me tightly. “Fuck, Meadow, we’re never going to let any of this shit happen, ever again. The second you get a bad vibe about someone, they’re gone. We’re not taking the risk. We’ll figure it out, no matter how complicated it gets.”

I burst into full sobs, and the rest of the pack crowded around, Beckett rubbing my back lightly. I must have looked like a teary mess. Oakmoss and fresh leaves hit my nose, and I couldn’t stop myself from leaning over, rubbing my face along his chest, scent marking him.

He rested a gentle hand on the back of my head, scratching my scalp lightly in the most soothing motion. My muscles felt instantly gooey.

“We wanted the whole world to know you’re ours, but we didn’t share your name, so you could maintain your privacy.” Beckett smiled down at me, which only made me cry harder. How could they be so sweet? “If you want to do an interview later and give the world an insight into the most perfect omega ever, then that can be arranged, but we needed them to know we were spoken for, that you’re what matters most to us.”

An interview was the last thing on my mind, but maybe, in a few months, when Nugget was here and I was feeling secure again, that was a possibility. “I’m so sorry you had to come all the way here.”

Beckett shook his head. “We would have traveled a hell of a lot farther for you. I hope you know that.”

Before I could answer Beckett, Phin wedged his way in and claimed me for himself, kissing the top of my head. “Stop hogging our omega. I missed you, sweets. Scared the shit out of us when you bolted. I’m so glad you’re safe.”

“I missed you too.” I sighed into his chest. Vanilla and black tea. I was huffing all my pack’s scents; the only one missing was Arlo’s. “I’m sorry I freaked out. I wasn’t the most rational at the time.”

“Don’t even worry about it. We’ll make sure you feel so fucking safe going forward that running won’t even enter your mind.” Phin’s rumbling purr melted my anxiety, and he nuzzled my cheek.

“Speaking of hogging, I haven’t gotten my hug yet,” Arlo pointed out. He beamed at me as he strode over. “Have you been blocking my texts, princess?”

“Not blocking, no.” I let him sandwich me with Phin, a perfect mix of their scents filling my nose. “I had my phone on silent.”

Arlo kissed the top of my head, both alphas nuzzling me. “Clover kept me up to date, hence the car. I’m just glad to see you.”

Now that his apple cider scent was nearby, a weight in my chest lifted. Having all my alphas’ scents in close proximity settled my omega instincts that had kept me on edge while being apart from them, and our pack being fractured when Hendrix had gone for treatment.

How did I ever think I could live without them?

“So…” Arlo trailed off for a moment. “Do you want to go back to California, or do you want to stay here? Normally, I wouldn’t push you to choose this quickly, but Nugget is going to be showing up very soon.”

Phin hummed in agreement. “If you want to stay here, we’re going to have to make some arrangements, because we aren’t going anywhere without you.”

“Well, I can’t exactly have a baby in my dorm room.” I sniffed. “That wouldn’t be fair to Clover.”

“I wouldn’t mind!” Clover shouted through the door.

Nosy omega.

Luckily, I adored her.

“We could rent a place in Seattle,” Hendrix offered. “We have a hotel suite nearby, but that’s no place for a baby.”

I shook my head. “Just take me home.”

Their faces all broke out into matching grins as they enveloped me in a crushing group hug. No hug had ever made me feel so safe and secure.

“Not to be a party pooper,” Phin said, his face buried in my hair, “but how do we get you home? Aren’t you too far along to fly?”

“Train?” I suggested. “It wasn’t that uncomfortable, and you can book a fancy cabin for the trip.”

“I’ll book it now!” Beckett said, quickly leaning forward to kiss me before taking out his phone. I whined when he pulled back, but his lips were quickly replaced with Phin’s. I tuned out the world for a few brief moments as Phin devoured me, until their conversation forced its way back into my attention.

“What about the car?” Hendrix asked.

Beckett laughed. “Arlo will just have to drive it home.”

“No fair!” Arlo cried. As I pulled back, I could see him pouting.

That plan didn’t last long.

After Clover and I hugged goodbye and promised to see each other soon after the baby arrived, the guys and I made our way to the train station. It would have been nice to spend a few extra days with Clover, but I was getting close to my due date, and public transportation around the holidays was difficult at the best of times.

Beckett had gotten us the fanciest private cabins, which had overly stuffed armchairs that easily reclined for ultimate rest. They were even combined, so I could spend the trip snuggled into one of my alphas. As I sat down and got myself situated, Arlo appeared in the doorway, a smug grin on his face.

“What are you doing here?” Phin asked. “Shouldn’t you be driving back?”

“Oh yeah, I sold the car.” He shrugged, his grin never slipping as he plopped down into the recliner next to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “I didn’t want to be apart from the pack. I’ll just buy a new car back home.”

Beckett sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips, though, so I knew he didn’t mind too much.

“Let’s go home.” I smiled.

Arlo chuckled as he lightly kissed my forehead, a hand resting on the top of my bump. “My home is right here.”

Chapter 46

Beckett

We had been home for four days, and they were four of the best days I’d had in recent memory. With no band obligations, we spent all our time together, looking after our heavily pregnant omega.

Meadow had been spending most of her time in the nest, but when she wanted a little movement, she would go for a dip in the pool. We never complained; getting to see her in tiny swimsuits would always be a win. There was something about the rounded stomach that made my inner alpha want to beat his chest with joy, even though I wasn’t the reason she was in that state. She was beautiful and all ours.

Phin had been cooking nonstop, and enjoying every minute of it. Meadow could only eat small portions this late in the pregnancy, but she never turned down a nibble when Phin presented her with some new plate.

The strawberry salad with feta and balsamic glaze had been a success in my books, which shocked me, considering I staunchly believed that fruit didn’t belong in a salad. Phin had been insisting we all had to expand our palates, so the baby didn’t take cues from us when they started solid food and refused stuff for no reason.

Meadow was taking a nap in the nest while I vacuumed the hallway. We had been cleaning pretty regularly to ensure the house was in good condition when the baby came. We had discussed hiring cleaners, to ensure everything was in tip-top shape, but Meadow didn’t like the idea of someone else being in her space this close to the birth. Luckily, the home we’d purchased in Lakelyn Fields had been professionally cleaned before they’d put it on the market, and I’d snapped it up that same day.

Pregnancy nesting was a whole other kind of crazy. Omegas were possessive of their nests at the best of times. When they were preparing to have a child, they went into overdrive. Meadow had cleaned the new nursery and her nest, rearranging everything time and time again, and every time she would stress that it wasn’t good enough and redo the entire thing.

“Beck?” Meadow’s small voice called out behind me.

I turned off the vacuum and spun around, jolting to see her immediately behind me. Sometimes she moved like a ninja.

Her face was pinched with obvious discomfort. That wasn’t entirely unusual this late in her pregnancy. She had been experiencing a lot of lower back pain, and we had been regularly giving her back massages and foot rubs, because on top of everything else her body was going through, her ankles had started to swell.

“Hey, how are you feeling?” I asked. “You need to be resting. You hardly slept last night. Are your Braxton Hicks worse?”

The practice contractions were so unfair. It wasn’t enough that Meadow would have to go through labor, but she had to have practice labor pains. She was starting to get dark circles under her eyes, which was upsetting, because we were desperately hoping she could rest before the baby came.

Meadow shook her head, her voice shaking as she told me, “I-I think these are real labor pains.”

That was all I needed to hear to spring into action. Guiding Meadow to the den that was nearby, I sat her down on the couch before grabbing my phone and texting the pack group chat.

BECKETT:

BABY TIME!

I probably should have added a little more detail, but I simply shoved my phone back into my pocket, returning my attention to Meadow, who was breathing deeply as she clutched her belly.

“What do you want to do?” I asked her.

A large part of me wanted to take control and run the situation, but Meadow had her own plans. She had discussed every addition and adjustment with us, but I figured I would ask, in case the reality of the impending birth had her changing her mind.

Now was not the time to make any mistakes.

“I need to get changed.” She spoke through gritted teeth.

I resisted the urge to ask her why she needed to get changed. She was wearing one of my oversized crew neck shirts, which pulled tightly over the bump, and a pair of sleeping shorts. With her hair piled on the top of her head, she looked downright adorable.

“Do you want my help?” I asked, even though I knew there was no way in hell she was going to be able to get changed on her own.

We also needed to start timing the contractions. I remembered that much, so I pulled out my phone.

She nodded. “I want to wear the blue birthing gown I got. There’s no point taking it to the hospital to put it on there. And I need the hospital bag.”

Hendrix dashed into the room. “I can do that!” He went straight over to Meadow and grabbed her hand, kissing the top of her head. “You’re amazing. I’m feeling only a fraction of what you feel through the bond, and I’m pretty sure my balls will never be the same again!”

Meadow laughed. “I think that’s only fair, considering you got me into this situation!”

Hendrix glared playfully at her. “I’ll have you know, it was your munching ways that got you into this situation. I fully believe that the bite came before the baby conception!”

“I was just following instructions, remember.” She shrugged with a giggle.

“Such a good girl.” He chuckled. “I’ll go get your bag while Arlo brings the car around front and Beckett gets you comfortable. Phin is throwing together a few snack boxes for you to eat if the doctors give you permission.”

Meadow groaned. “That sounds perfect.”

I almost asked if Phin had packed enough for all of us, but as Meadow groaned, clutching her stomach again, I was reminded that this situation wasn’t about me.

Gently taking Meadow’s hand, I grinned at her. Our lives were about to change forever. “Let’s go have a baby!”

Thirty hours later, and Meadow’s labor wasn’t progressing much. Arlo had rushed us all to the hospital while she had whimpered and moaned through her contractions, talking normally one moment, clutching her belly in pain the next.

“Someone needs to serve your spawn with an eviction notice!” Meadow snarled at Hendrix, who just nodded in agreement, knowing better than to do otherwise right now. He was holding on to her hand through every contraction, and judging by his pale, pinched look, he had been feeling every one of those contractions through the bond.

“Surely I’ve got to be dilated to a ten now?” she asked as sweat dripped down her brow.

I really hoped she was. Her labor was slow, and we were all exhausted from lack of sleep, so Meadow probably felt terrible. The baby needed to hurry up, so his sweet mama could rest.

Phin lightly pushed Hendrix, taking his position opposite me, next to Meadow’s head. In his hand, he had a bento box with easy nibbles he had been slowly feeding her, since, thankfully, our hospital was relaxed about letting expectant mothers eat during labor. If Meadow had been hungry on top of everything else she was going through, it probably would have resulted in some sort of violence.

Meadow was an aggressive omega when hangry. I had learned that the hard way when we had been so distracted with nest building, I had forgotten to encourage her to eat and she had thrown a roll of onesies at my head. A second later, she had burst into tears because pregnancy was a wild ride, and her emotions were everywhere.

“Can one of you guys go get a nurse to check me? Things are starting to feel different,” Meadow asked in a breathless voice.

“I’ll go,” Arlo said, quickly disappearing through the door that led to the nurses’ station.

“We still need to agree on a name,” Hendrix said from where he was massaging her ankles. We had discussed names briefly over the course of her pregnancy, everyone tossing out ones they liked as they thought of them, but we hadn’t settled on one.

“Don’t make me think right now,” Meadow growled, but it came out more like a groan.

“Baby works for me!” Hendrix said in a chipper tone, making us all laugh.

“Hey, Meadow.” The nice nurse who had been taking care of her popped her head in. “Your alpha said you wanted another check to see if you’ve come along any further. Are you sure? You still had a way to go last time we checked.”

Meadow nodded. “I’m sure!”

The nurse did a check, and her eyes widened. “Okay. It seems like you have progressed nicely. I’ll go get the doctor. I think we’ll be having a baby soon!”

“Oh, thank god!” Meadow sighed in relief.

“I didn’t know a little human nugget could be so perfect,” Phin cooed as he gazed in awe at the baby in Meadow’s arms.

“He’s so small. Should he be so small?” Arlo asked, looking over Phin’s shoulder.

Meadow snorted. “He is not small. A ten-pound baby is enormous! No wonder I felt like a whale at the end. My poor lady bits.” She giggled, delirious with exhaustion.

“I’ll kiss your bits better.” Arlo smirked at her, making her giggle even more.

Once the doctor came in, it was smooth sailing. Only thirty-five minutes of pushing later, Meadow was holding our son in her arms. I had thought I had seen how fantastic Meadow was, but watching her give birth to our son had been mind-blowing. She had taken everything in stride.

“I still like the name Forest,” Meadow said, smiling down at the wiggling bundle on her chest. They had been doing skin to skin for the last hour, and Meadow had a blissed-out look on her face.

It might have been the baby; it might have been the epidural.

We all nodded. That was a name we had discussed several times and seemed to keep coming back to.

Hendrix had suggested Bono at one point, but Meadow had instantly vetoed that.

“Forest Nicholas?” I asked. “Considering Christmas is just a few days away.”

Hendrix beamed. “Festive. I like it!”

Phin chuckled. “That’s my middle name, too! I’m more than happy to share it with our little Christmas nugget.” He leaned forward, lightly holding Forest’s tiny foot in his hand, admiring the tiny toenails.

I could already see Phin buying the baby a chicken nugget costume for Halloween. It would be adorable, if not hilarious.

Meadow sighed. “He’s absolutely perfect.”

“When can we have another?” Hendrix asked, his eyes locked on his son, a dopey loved-up look on his face.

Meadow snorted, turning her head to give him a stern look. “Mine is out of commission for the near future, so the moment you grow a vagina.”

Chapter 47

Phineas

“Oh my goodness. That’s a lot of opinion for someone so little.” I scooped Forest out of his bassinet, absconding with him out of the nest and down to the living room so Meadow wouldn’t be disturbed. “What’s going on, little man? Snack time?”

I sniff-checked his diaper, and when I found it clean, I diverted to the kitchen to warm up the breastmilk Meadow had pumped before going to sleep. Whoever came up with those fancy bottle warmers to take out the guesswork deserved a medal. Once it beeped to let me know it was ready, I took a bottle and the baby to the couch, turning on the Christmas tree with my phone. Forest stared at it, enraptured, the twinkling lights reflecting in his eyes.

He sucked contentedly at the bottle, and I marveled at the tiny human in my arms. I had never given a ton of thought to being a parent, and as the youngest in my family, I’d had no experience with kids, but the second I’d held Forest, everything changed. He had Hendrix’s blue eyes and Meadow’s dark hair. Meadow stared at him constantly, and I couldn’t blame her one bit, considering how often I found myself doing the same.

“How’s that milk treating you, my little Christmas tree? Probably not as good as the stuff straight from the tap, but Mama needs her sleep.” I hummed while he ate, tapping a rhythmic pattern against his booty. “I hope drums are your favorite. You’re definitely going to learn that first. Gotta wait for your fine motor skills to develop for those stringed instruments.”

I wasn’t as interesting as a Christmas tree to him, but I liked talking to Forest, anyway. How was he supposed to become a lyrical genius if we didn’t talk his little ears off?

I knew the peace and quiet wouldn’t last, between the natural volume of the pack and Forest singing us the song of his people at the slightest inconvenience, so I was resolved to treasure these sweet moments as often as I got them.

“Are you hogging our nugget?”

I turned to see Hendrix descending the stairs. He was still looking pretty rough, but damn was he trying. He had kept up with every appointment, prioritized his health, happily took shifts with Forest, and doted on Meadow at every opportunity. Fatherhood looked amazing on him. I wasn’t sure there were words I could say that would express how proud I was of him.

“If you all weren’t sleeping like the dead, I wouldn’t have the chance to hog the nugget,” I replied.

Hendrix sat down next to us, cradling Forest’s tiny head in his palm. “Hasn’t stopped being surreal yet.”

“You’ll probably have to wait for him to go through sleep regression and start running around for that. You’ll be so exhausted, you won’t even notice the magic.”

“I hope not.” Hendrix was silent for a long moment, just staring at Forest drinking his meal. “I haven’t been as open with you guys as I should’ve been over the years. I’m pretty sure Meadow and Forest saved my life.”

“Hen…” I said softly.

“I’m serious.” He took a deep breath, sweeping his thumb over Forest’s forehead. “You don’t even know how many times I was on the fucking edge.”

“You stayed, though. And now you have a mate and a baby. You did good, man. I’m proud as fuck.”

Hendrix let out a broken laugh. “How long do you think we can talk around him like that before Meadow starts yelling at us?”

“I think we’ll be good until he develops a concept of language. Do you want to burp him?”

“Please.” He draped one of the receiving blankets we had stashed around the house over his shoulder and collected our son.

He looked so happy holding our baby, like he had a moment of peace in fighting his demons. I sniffled.

“Phin, are you crying?”

“Shut up. You’re over here, cutting onions and making me think about your mortality. I’m allowed to cry.”

“Yeah, you are.” Hendrix gave me a beatific smile. “I love you guys. Thanks for not giving up on me.”

“You don’t give up on pack. We made a commitment to each other, and you’re fucking stuck with us.”

I twisted around on the couch, so I could watch Hendrix cuddling Forest after a successful burp. Peaceful moments like this had been few and far between in our last decade of chaos together, and I wanted to soak it in.

“You want a hot chocolate, since our little man has passed out on you?”

“Hot chocolate sounds great.”

I busied myself making it, Arlo sleepily joining us, so I made a cup for him too. “You’re letting Beckett have Meadow all to himself?”

“Splitting my time between Meadow and Nuggie. The room feels weird without a baby in it.”

“If it feels weird to you, then it’s gonna wake Meadow up too. Why don’t we all go up? I’ve got the drinks.”

We all slipped back into the nest, Hendrix sitting on a rocking chair nearby, and I took over Arlo’s vacant spot while he finished his hot chocolate. Meadow curled over in her sleep to face me, blinking sleepily and looking at me in the dim lighting.

“Hey there, sweets.” I kissed her forehead, smoothing her hair away from her face.

“Baby?” she mumbled.

“I fed him, and now he’s having a good cuddle with Daddy Hendrix.”

Meadow nodded before burying her face against my chest. My heart was so full, I was pretty sure it would burst if I felt a single additional ounce of love.

“I love you, sweets.”

She rooted higher, wedging her head beneath my chin and planting a soft kiss at the hollow of my throat. “I love you too, Phin.”

Beckett wiggled closer in his sleep, adjusting until he was pressed all along Meadow’s back, his arm draped over both of our waists. He had been running full tilt, making sure everything was good to go with the pack. Honestly, he was pretty fucking superhuman. Between dealing with most of the police and legal stuff, organizing a move, and getting our new home fully stocked in time to welcome our son, I didn’t know how he managed to drag himself into the waking world each morning. We’d all helped where we could, but Beck was a bit of a control freak, so we’d stuck to tasks he’d delegated.

Everything wasn’t perfect yet, but it was damn close.

Forest made a series of grunts, a language we had all very quickly learned.

I rolled over to look at Hendrix. “Contained or Chernobyl-level outbreaks?”

“Contained. I’ve got it.”

Arlo trotted after him into the nursery. Changing a baby wasn’t exactly a two-person job, but we were all so new at it that it was nice to have the emotional backup.

I turned back to Meadow, her purr quietly buzzing.

I pressed my lips to her hair, breathing in her floral scent with a hint of sweet milk. “I don’t know if we deserve you, but I know we’re going to do everything we can to feel like we do. Thank you for being ours.”

Epilogue — Meadow

March, Los Angeles

Hendrix was fast asleep in the nest. He’d been up with Forest all night to let the rest of us sleep, but I was too eager for this morning to wait any longer. I kissed his cheek and watched his eyes flutter open before plunking our son on his chest.

“You made it,” I said, already feeling tears forming.

He blinked at me. “Made what?”

I sat down next to him, stroking my fingers through his hair. “You’re twenty-eight today. You’ve officially declined membership to the 27 Club.”

Hendrix’s eyes widened as he sat bolt upright, gathering Forest into his arms and pulling me close. “Holy shit. I made it?”

“You did.” I kissed him softly, tears slipping over my cheeks. He’d been working so hard the last few months. I wasn’t even sure he noticed the time passing with how much he filled his days, putting all of his effort into healing and being there for our family. We’d had an endless stream of family and friends visiting over the last few months, allowing my parents to meet Forest (though they hadn’t been impressed about finding out they were grandparents after the baby was already born), and I quickly remembered why I talked to them as little as possible. Luckily, they lived way too far away for many visits, and I had zero intention of hauling my little nugget on a trip anytime soon.

The rest of the pack pushed into the room, carrying a cake with sparklers flickering atop it. Their singing of “Happy Birthday” was intentionally off-key as they presented him with the cake. The icing was divided in half, the left reading RIP Hendrix’s Youth, and the right reading Happy Birthday, Daddy Hendrix.

He was too busy crying to tell them how ridiculous they were being. My sweet alpha.

Forest grabbed a fistful of his hair, and I grappled with his freakishly strong baby grip to unravel the strands. “Nuggie, no, that’s Daddy’s moneymaker. He needs to look extra perfect for the meeting with the possible new record label next week.”

That did nothing to dissuade our son, but Phin helped me untangle Hendrix, and we all went downstairs to have the cake for breakfast.

Why was it so fucking hot in this house? The living room felt like a sauna.

“Can we turn up the air conditioning?” I whined. I had been hot constantly over the last week, and when dealing with an adorable three-month-old, it was infuriating.

Phin turned from where he was sitting on the couch, feeding Forest a bottle. “It’s quite cool, sweets. How do you feel?”

“My skin is itchy,” I pouted, walking over to him and holding out my hands for Forest, who had just finished eating.

I knew why I felt that way—my post-baby heat was due soon. The guys were planning to trade off on who cared for the baby during the heat.

“Any day now.” Phin smiled.

Beckett poked his head in the room, his eyes finding me immediately. “You have a visitor,” he said, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“Who?” I asked, bouncing Forest as I walked toward the front door. Had I ordered a package and forgotten?

“I assumed you knew she was coming…” Becket frowned, confusing me further. “Security let her right in.”

“I’m not expecting anyone, in fact—Clover!” I cried out my friend’s name as I caught sight of her in the driveway, sitting on the hood of her stupid sparkly pink sports car.

“Meads!” she called out, beaming at the sight of me. She slid off the car and ran to hug me, wrapping her arms around both me and the baby.

“What the hell are you doing here?” We had been planning to fly her down in a couple of months’ time, but I was ecstatic she was here sooner.

“Gimme my nephew! I need some snuggles!” she said, lifting my son out of my arms and kissing his chubby cheeks. “How are you feeling?”

“Good! But why are you here?” I asked, utterly confused.

“It’s three months post-baby yeeting. You’re about to go into heat, aren’t you? Why else would I be here?” She cocked her head, never ceasing the small bouncing movements that Forest loved so much.

“Wait, what? You’re here because of my heat?”

“You’re about to have some amazing pussy time soon—I’m so proud of you, by the way—so I decided that I would stop by, so your guys could be all-hands-on-deck, if you know what I mean.” Clover giggled. “I’ve been in desperate need of nephew snuggles, and I can just stay in your guest house, nearby, but not in earshot of your S-E-X.” She spelled out the last word, pretending to cover Forest’s little ears, making me chuckle.

That baby had already heard too many swear words. I was going to be lucky if his first word wasn’t “fuck.”

Clover’s timing was impeccable. That night, as we all lounged around in the living room, watching TV and eating pizza, the first cramps hit.

Every alpha’s eyes turned to me, and Clover immediately stood, scooping up Forest. “I think that’s our cue, little man. How about we go have some auntie snuggles?” she cooed.

“I’ll make sure Clover and Forest have everything they need in the guest house for their sleepover,” Hendrix announced, following after Clover.

“Text me if you need me!” I shouted at their retreating forms.

“I’ve added her to the pack group chat temporarily. We’ll all check it regularly,” Beckett promised, pulling me into his lap. A whine escaped my chest as I snuggled into him, pressing my nose against his throat.

“You’re going to bite me, right?” I asked.

Beckett chuckled. “Of course I am.”

“Good.” I nodded into his neck, deeply inhaling his scent.

Phin stood up. “I’m going to go prep some snacks. Take care of our girl, okay?” He pressed a quick kiss to the top of my head before hurrying off to accomplish his task. I couldn’t fathom what he still needed to do. He’d been cooking up a storm at every opportunity, making sure our freezers were full of delicious meals we could pop into the oven as needed. I guess oven food wasn’t really snacky, but I was still excited for his killer lasagna either way.

“Do you want to stay here or go to the nest?” Beckett asked.

“Nest!” I whined. My nest sounded like utter perfection.

Arms wrapped around me, lifting me bridal style. “Let’s get you to your nest, princess!”

Arlo.

He dashed upstairs with me and placed me in the nest, standing at the edge while I watched him intently.

“Off,” I demanded, plucking at his clothes as I kneeled in front of him.

“My pleasure.” Arlo beamed, getting naked in record time, his cock bobbing free. Pre-cum already glistening on the tip.

Yum.

Beckett followed, joining us on the bed, his shirt already gone. “Make Arlo feel good, darling.”

I didn’t need to be told twice. Leaning forward, I lapped at his cock, humming in pleasure as the musky taste burst across my tongue.

“Good girl,” Beckett cooed as I swallowed Arlo’s length. I couldn’t see him, but his hands wandered over my ass, tugging at the waistband of my thin shorts.

My body buzzed with anticipation, my pussy crying out with need as it was exposed to the cool air.

If Beckett didn’t hurry up and knot me, I was going to go downright feral.

“Such a perfect mouth.” Arlo groaned, his hand tangling in my hair, guiding my movements.

Just as I was preparing to turn to Beckett and snarl at him, his tip started gliding through my folds, teasing me.

I whined around Arlo’s cock, wiggling my hips, silently begging Beckett to move, to fill me.

“Patience,” Beckett scolded.

Fuck patience. I needed to be fucked, hard and fast.

I increased my pace, Arlo’s considerable length bumping the back of my throat with each movement, the smooth metal ring teasing me. His hand fisted in my hair as he chanted how fucking good it felt.

When the head of Beckett’s cock finally started inching in, I almost cried out in happiness.

“I’m getting close. Are you going to be a good omega and swallow my cum?” Arlo’s voice was rough with need as his cock throbbed in my mouth.

I could only hum around his length in agreement. As the first spurt of cum coated my tongue, Beckett bottomed out, filling me completely.

Once I had lapped up every drop of Arlo’s cum, he pulled back, leaning down and kissing me, not giving a shit that I had just had his cock in my mouth.

“Now it’s time for Beckett to have his fun,” he said against my lips, and a whine of need burst from my chest.

Yes, I needed Beckett to have his fun with me.

Repeatedly.

Pretty knotty please.

“How do you want it? How can I make my needy little omega happy?” he purred.

“Hard and fast,” I panted. If he tried taking it slow, I would scratch his eyeballs out.

“As you wish.” He groaned, his thrusts increasing, his grip on my hips so tight, I was sure I would feel him the next day. “Touch your clit for me, darling.”

I snaked my hands between my thighs, whining at the first brush of contact.

“That’s my good girl. Your pussy clenched so hard, and it felt fucking amazing. Now, don’t stop until I tell you to.”

Following the order was easy. I was chasing every ounce of pleasure I could get. I knew how to give myself what I needed, but the fact that Beckett ordered me to do this? It added a whole extra layer of deliciousness. The first orgasm swept over me, and Beckett rode me with a ferocity that stole my breath, my fingers never ceasing their commanded movement.

“That’s my good fucking girl.” Beckett’s body curved over me, warm skin pressed to mine, his hips steadily driving into me. “Keep going, darling. I want you to fall apart one more time before I give you what you need.”

It didn’t take long for that to happen, not with Beckett trying to ruin me and my fingers gliding a perfect rhythm on my clit. I collapsed with the next rise, whining into the blankets, Beckett following me over.

“Are you ready for my knot?” Beckett’s breath was hot against my ear as he spoke.

“Please, please, please,” I chanted as I felt the base of his cock throb and expand, his knot locking inside me. The pressure was mind-blowing; every time I got knotted, I marveled at how full I could feel.

Just as I hit the peak of my orgasm, his teeth found the back of my neck, and he bit down.

My vision turned white, my entire body going into overdrive, sparks flying under my skin as I convulsed around his cock, milking him for every drop of cum and sinking my teeth into his wrist to complete the bond.

My body collapsed, and Beckett followed, fucking me into the mattress as he came, groaning into my neck. It was filthy and animalistic and I fucking loved it.

“Good girl,” he growled roughly as my body twitched with the aftershocks. The bond settled in my chest, a flood of affection rushing in from Beckett. “I fucking love you, Meadow Reed,” he said, leaning forward to kiss my new bond mark.

My chest was bursting with happiness. He was officially mine; the bond mark made it so.

“I love you too.” I beamed, even though he couldn’t see my face.

I lay, sated for the moment. My body was holding up better than expected after a solid day of fucking, considering my months off from this particular activity. Phin had been waiting so patiently. He was my last bond to take in the pack, and I was eager for us to finally be one connected unit. I may have gotten these alphas by accident, but I was going to keep them on purpose.

I rolled over into Phin’s arms, tracing my fingertips over his skin and breathing in his soothing black tea and vanilla scent. It was so good for winding down, but in the depths of my heat, it just made me crave him.

His mouth was sweet and slow on mine, his kiss filled with promise. “You don’t worry about a single thing, sweets. I’m going to take such good care of you, your pussy will be begging to take this pierced cock.”

He worked his way down my body, inch by inch. A kiss here, a touch there, firm strokes and tickling brushes, lapping tongue and nipping teeth. Phin teased everywhere, except exactly where I wanted him. Everything from my fingertips to my toes got a bit of attention from him, my desire strategically stoked into an inferno until I was covered in goose bumps and twitching at every point of contact.

“Phiiin.” I gasped at his nip on my inner thigh. “I’m ready.”

“Not yet. You are so fucking beautiful.” Phin planted a kiss just above my belly button. “Show me how beautiful you are when you come.”

He sat back, propping one of my ankles on his shoulders, his fingers pressing into my pussy. I arched with a soft whine, making Hendrix stir from sleep. His gaze flicked down my body and back up to my face, a smile on his lips.

Phin tapped my clit. “You’re mine right now, sweets. Eyes on me.”

Heat rolled through me at the command. His hazel eyes held me captive as he worked my body with an expertise that was almost scary. He knew exactly how my body responded to every touch and used that knowledge to carry me to the edge, forcing me to hover there until I was a dripping, squirming mess, chanting his name like it might convince him to let me fall over that edge.

“Phin, please.”

He grinned down at me. “Since you asked so nicely.” Phin adjusted his pace and angle, perfectly teasing my clit as he fucked his fingers into me.

I lasted a scant few seconds before my body went taut and I cried out, waking all of the alphas as I tumbled down from the peak Phin had forced me to climb. While I was still trying to catch my breath, Phin was wedging a pair of pillows under my ass. His gaze was full of heat as he braced my hips and almost lazily drove his cock into me, little shocks of pleasure zinging through me as each piercing descended into my pussy. I’d been a little afraid of taking Phin with those piercings, but apparently, I was even more sensitive now, and my nerves were alight at the sensation of the smooth metal.

“Oh god.” I locked my fingers on to his shoulders, desperate for an anchor as he dipped his hand to tease my clit too.

Phin chuckled, rolling his hips. “Never going to get tired of you getting so needy for me.”

“Need knot,” I gasped out.

“And the alpha attached to it.” He nipped my ankle and I nodded frantically.

“Yes. Phin, please, please fuck me.”

“So impatient, my sweet omega.”

Heats were not the time for patience, and I rocked my hips to make that abundantly clear. Phin took pity on me, setting a slow but hard pace to ease me into it, every impact of our hips threatening to make my eyes roll back.

Each time I closed my eyes to breathe through the sensations, Phin gave my clit a quick tap to draw my attention back. Staring into his hazel eyes as I fell apart set off fireworks, desire and pleasure spiraling through every cell.

I couldn’t even form words properly as Phin fucked me into oblivion. He tucked his arm beneath my back, scooping me up, and lowered his mouth to my breast, his teeth breaking the skin to form the first half of the bond. Instinct stampeded through me, and I latched on to the nearest bit of his skin I could reach—his forearm—completing the connection and setting us both off on another orgasm, his knot sending me over the edge.

By the time my vision cleared and I caught my breath, Phin’s knot was already loosening.

“Oh my god. I’m not going to be able to walk after this heat is over.”

Hendrix kissed my shoulder. “Good thing you have a pack of big, strong alphas willing to carry you anywhere you want to go.”

I let out an exhausted laugh and drew him in for a quick kiss before turning back to Phin. His fingertips traced the bite mark he’d put on me. I hadn’t realized how high up it was. “Everyone’s going to see that if I wear anything remotely low-cut.”

Phin grinned. “Why do you think I picked that spot?”

“You’re ridiculous,” I huffed, letting Hendrix gather me into his arms.

“And you love it,” Phin pointed out.

“A fair point,” I conceded.

Hendrix kissed his way over the curve of my throat, making me shiver. “My turn.”

I wasn’t about to say no to that. Kissing Hendrix was a sweet familiarity, and his woodsmoke and citrus scent was as potent now as the day we’d met and he’d coaxed me into bed with a flash of his smile and those stormy blue eyes. The heat I saw there was the same as I remembered. Yielding to his touch, surrendering to the weight of his body as he moved over me, was the most natural thing in the world.

“Fuck me,” I demanded, digging my fingers into his ass cheeks.

“Whatever my omega wants, my omega gets.” He grinned, shifting his hips, his cock sliding easily into me. He felt as perfect as the others, giving me exactly what I needed.

Having all of him pressed against me, all that glorious skin flooding my system with endorphins, had a smile affixed to my face while he rode me. Phin settled at my side, teasing my clit to keep me on the sharp roller coaster of pleasure. I alternated kissing them, breaking off to cry out as they pushed me over each crest.

All four of them glowed brightly in the bond, their affection and lust overwhelming. My tears had a bolt of panic coming through from Hendrix.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m just really happy, and I can feel all of you being happy. I can’t hold it all in.”

“Oh, thank god.” Hendrix laughed and dipped down to kiss me. “Freaked me out.”

I wiggled my hips. “I didn’t tell you to stop.”

Phin barked a laugh. “Demanding little thing.”

“You knew that when you bonded me.” I stuck my tongue out at him and poked Hendrix in the chest. “Roll over.”

A moment later, I was seated in his lap, all of my alphas stretched out in the nest to watch me. I felt like a damn goddess with all of them looking at me like they wanted to consume me. My legs were a little shaky, but I did my best to ride Hendrix with the same fervor he’d given me. The others traced reverent fingertips over my skin, and Phin made sure my clit was never without attention.

I lost track of how many times I came, how many kisses I stole, and when I finally settled in to rest, surrounded by my alphas and steeped in contentment, I couldn’t help but be glad I’d caved to Clover and gone with her to that concert. It felt like a lifetime ago.

“Sleep,” Phin murmured, nuzzling my hair.

“Okay.” Sleep sounded incredible after a frenzied two days of fucking. Post-baby heats weren’t too wild, all things considered, and now that we were all bonded, I couldn’t wait for all the fun we’d have in the future.

“He missed me.” I grinned as I snuggled with my son. We were all in the kitchen, still recovering from the heat.

Clover, on the other hand, was a bundle of energy as she baked cookies. It was hard to believe she had been looking after a newborn for several days while I had my brains fucked out of me.

“Of course he did.” Hendrix grinned at me, gently running his hand over Forest’s head.

Arlo and Clover bickered over the cookies—Arlo wanting chopped nuts to add texture and Clover being staunchly against anything that wasn’t chocolate—but I wasn’t paying much attention, focusing on my sweet, smiley baby.

“How did we get so lucky?” Hendrix mused, looking around at our little family as Arlo threw chocolate chips at Clover while Beckett washed dishes and Phin watched in amusement until Clover ducked behind him, putting him in the crossfire of said chocolate chips.

“I have no idea.” I shrugged, so happy my smile turned into a giggle. “I guess we have Arlo to thank for convincing you to get a bite me tattoo on your ass.”

Hendrix kissed the top of my head. “I guess we’re just lucky you’re amazing at following instructions.”

Also By Lexie

Sin City Omegas:

Packed Up In Vegas

Vegas Baby!

Also By Melissa

Pucking Alphas:

Packed In The Penalty Box

Pack Power Play

Pucking Pregnant:

Pack Plus Three

Pucking The Enemy

Havenverse:

Knot Their Burden

Knot For Keeps

Acknowledgements

Thank you to our alpha readers: Alexandra, Mickel, Trinity, Caroline, and Elizabeth.

Thank you to our husbands for providing us with writing fuel (chicken nuggies) and listening to our stress panics.

Thank you to our editors: Autumn and Ivy for polishing up our story.

Thank you to Marie for the gorgeous cover.

And thank you to YOU for reading!