Page 43 of For All My Effort

We had just finished breakfast, and I mean, just finished to the point that no one had gotten up yet when the doorbell went off.

The alphas broke out in a mix of exasperated sighs and frustrated growls. I was currently on Han’s lap, so I did my best to press my face against his throat, nuzzling his annoyance out of him. I held my tongue on asking who they all thought it was because my instincts warned against worsening the mood.

“I’ll get it,” Jackson said, sounding like he absolutely did not want to get it. He did move the long way around the room to leave, kissing me goodbye on my head.

“Okay, princess, show time,” Seb said. “Remember, your caring alphas don’t let you watch the news and we, of course, limit your screen time so you don’t become anxious.”

I snorted, making Han chuckle under me.

Zeke got a gleam in his eye, a look that told me he was suddenly up to something as he pulled me from Han’s lap so I was awkwardly straddling him. His body took up the entire chair which meant my knees had nowhere to go, nowhere to hold myself up.

I felt him becoming harder as he wrapped his arms around me. One curling around my back, keeping me tightly pressed against his body. The other moving to my head, letting his fingers run over the short prickly hair.

When he lifted his hips, pressing his length against me, my breath caught in my throat. My emotions had been so close to the surface that the leap from frustrated to aroused was a short one.

I leaned my lips closer for a kiss. Not a hard one. Just a grazing of mouths, a moment of shared breath.

Another hand trailed down my back, the scent of pumpkin naturally mixing with Zeke’s berries. Their scents complemented each other weirdly. They didn’t blend so I was inhaling both pumpkin and berries simultaneously. It was more like their scents twirled around each other, always touching side by side so I would get a whiff of one, then the other. Both delicious, both mine.

“Representative from the OC is here. Same one from the hospital—Eve.” Jackson’s words had me freezing. I’d momentarily forgotten why Zeke was trying to distract me.

Leaning back, I glared at my mate. Thanks to him, I had to talk to the rep with the hint of arousal in my perfume. As a beta, she might not recognize the scent. I would definitely be on edge though since I could smell my mates’ arousal.

“Trust me, Hannah,” Zeke whispered, before kissing me one last time, then lifting me up off his lap.

My hips seemed to protest, and I took a moment to stretch them out before following after Jackson. I was trying to inhale clean air, but it seemed like my mates’ arousal scent was clinging to my clothes.

Eve was sitting in the formal space. She looked uncomfortable as she sat on the edge of the hard couch. Her skirt was long enough that it covered her knees, yet her hands fiddled with the length. Despite her exposed calves, her top was much more appropriate for the winter weather with a long sleeve shirt under a vest. A short scarf, that I knew had a fancy name I couldn’t remember, was around her neck as the only spot of bright color in her outfit.

I remembered her from the hospital, although she was missing the chemically sweet smell from last time.

“Hannah,” she greeted, standing as I neared, a huge smile breaking out over her face as she took me in. “You look great.”

“Thank you.” I wasn’t really sure how to respond to that compliment, especially since she looked and sounded so surprised.

“I was hoping I could speak with you alone, if you feel comfortable here. If not, I can book us a reservation in one of the OC’s designated public rooms for omegas.”

I wondered if they gave the betas lessons on this type of manipulation. Turning around, I looked at my mates who were all hovering just a few feet behind me like they’d anticipated this.

“We can stay here,” I told her.

“Before we go, would you like anything to drink or eat?” Sebastian asked the rep.

“I’m fine, unless you haven’t had breakfast yet, Hannah?”

“I’m good,” I agreed.

All of my mates came up and kissed me, Jackson on the top of my head, Seb on my forehead, Han and Zeke on either cheek.

Neither of us spoke while they left, or for a minute afterward. The rep seemed nervous again, her scent betraying the calm exterior she was failing to put forward. There was something I was missing, I could feel it like a phantom limb that I couldn’t use.

“How are you, Hannah?” she finally asked. “Any luck with getting your memories back?”

“No. My mates and I have decided to move forward. Create new memories, you know?”

“That’s wonderful to hear. And your doctors’ appointments? Everything is going well with your physical recovery?”

I turned my head so she could see the scar. Hair was refusing to grow in the immediate area inside the shaved heart, and the mark was still slightly pink, but it was mostly completely healed. “No problems. I’m all healthy.”

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