Page 55 of The Omega Project

I send a grinning Soren a startled glance before focusing back on the alpha. “Well, it’s quite simple, actually. We just need to heat the wax, stir in the fragrance oil, and then put it in ourprepared jars. There are all sorts of other tweaks we can make, but I like to keep it fairly simple for Christmas.”

“Sounds good. So, where do we start?”

I direct them to choose the glass jars and fix the wicks in place while I measure out the wax beads and melt them in a pot on the stovetop. If I was doing a bigger batch, I’d probably do this part in the kitchen, but for our first effort, I don’t want to venture outside our warm little cocoon.

When the wax is at the perfect temperature, I add half a cup of lavender oil and then share it out between the glass jars they selected. We trim the wicks, then store them on a shelf near the window. “It will need to cool overnight,” I tell them, “but I can tell it’s going to be a perfect batch.”

“There’s nothing quite like watching a candle dance,” Soren says, flicking a lighter and setting it to one of the sample candles he’s taken off the shelf. The scent of vanilla and shea butter fills the air, and he waggles his brows at me as he reads the label. “This one is called Heat Play.”

I look at him curiously, but a soft sound of surprise leaves my lips as Finn shucks out of his hoodie, leaving him in a white tee. It’s the first time I’ve seen him without a heavy sweatshirt, and my pulse jumps in my throat at the sight of thin cotton stretched over his lean muscles. Taking a wooden chair from under the workbench, he twirls it around and sinks onto it, his arm raised towards Soren and his candle. “Try me.”

I blink. “What’s happening?”

“Just a little wax play,” Soren murmurs, testing a drop of wax on his hand before tipping the candle and drizzling it over Finn’s forearm. I expect him to flinch, but his muscles seem to unwind a notch as it settles on his skin.

“You like that?” I ask, brushing his arm with careful fingers as I study the drips of cooling wax. “It doesn’t hurt?”

“I think that’s the point, sweet girl.” There’s a dark note in Soren’s voice, and I feel the mood change around us as he gazes down at Finn. “Would you like a little more, Alpha?”

“Wait.” I turn Finn’s arm over, my heart clenching at what I find on the soft skin of his elbow. I thought it was errant drops of wax, but now I see a smattering of circular scars, the size and shape of a cigarette. “What the hell?”

“My foster father.” He doesn’t pull his arm away, but he also doesn’t offer further explanation, and I feel tears burn the back of my eyes at his stoic expression. I don’t realise one has escaped until he reaches up and brushes it away with his thumb. “Don’t cry, Emily. It was a long time ago, and he paid for it with his life.”

“I hope he’s mouldering in a ditch somewhere,” I say in a low, murderous tone.

“Lung cancer, actually.” He smirks, fitting his fingers through mine and giving them a gentle squeeze. “It was long, slow, and extremely drawn-out, especially with the first-rate facility I put him in.”

I suppose there’s some cosmic irony in a death like that, but I shiver as I slip into his lap. He doesn’t object, one arm loosely around my back as I feather my fingers over the old scars. “But why the wax? Doesn’t it bring back bad memories?”

“The opposite, actually.” He cocks his head, our faces now so close together I can see the silver threads in his grey eyes. “Have you ever experienced such helplessness that the only way to survive it is to turn it into something new?”

I’ve never studied psychology, but his question speaks to an old wound in my heart. “Yes. My father. He would slip alpha commands into everyday conversations, trying to twist me and Dee into knots. She fought back, cursing him and telling him she hated him, but I… I started to hum.” The realisation dawns on me, because I always thought it was just a habit, but now I realiseit was the only coping mechanism I could come up with as a traumatised kid. “I would hum, and pretend it was all a game.”

“Baby.” Soren has put the candle aside and is kneeling at the side of the chair, his arms swooping in to draw us both into a tight hug. There’s some of that old rage in his eyes, but there’s sorrow too, and he looks up at Finn with a quivering mouth. “We’re going to fix that, right, Alpha?”

Instead of answering, Finn puts his arm around Soren’s shoulders and brushes the curls off my forehead, his fingers gently scraping across my scalp. He’s not a huge guy, but there’s something about the way he cradles us both that makes me feel more safe and secure than I ever have in my life. “I can promise you, my beautiful mates, that he will suffer a long, slow, and drawn-out downfall. Just tell me when you want me to give the first domino a push.”

It's tempting to take Finn up on his offer then and there, but it’s late, and Biscuit needs to be settled into her new bed. But I think about it as I fall asleep, all nestled together like a real pack, and leap out of bed in the morning with new resolve. Claudia and Jacob are coming over today for lunch, and I decide to share Finn’s offer with her. I figure that there have been enough secrets in our family that a decision like this should be made in the bright light of day.

I’ve never really thought of myself as a vindictive person, but when my sister arrives, her shadowed eyes and weary air makes my blood boil in my veins. She’s a little early, and I’m just finishing up a swim with Derek and Lang as she makes her way across the beach towards me. “Jesus, Em. You look like a Bond girl in that bikini.”

“I’ve got a spare one if you want to borrow it,” I tell her as I quickly towel off so I can give her and Jacob a hug. My nephewlooks like he’s about to jump out of his skin, probably because of the new boogie boards Soren’s helping him carry down to the beach.

“Uh, we brought our own stuff, but it looks like you’ve gone all out.” My sister shades her eyes as she studies the pavilion Finn had delivered at dawn, the white drapes swaying prettily in the morning breeze. I checked it out before our swim, and while there’s a long table set up for lunch, there are also beanbag chairs and sun loungers to give it a more relaxed vibe. Still, I know it’s a lot, and I bite my lip as she shifts uneasily on her feet.

“We don’t have to do this if it’s too much,” I tell her, and her cautious eyes snap back to mine. She looks me over slowly, taking in my sun-kissed shoulders and messy hair, before settling on the bite mark on my neck.

“No, this is fine. Besides, I saw someone preparing crayfish in the kitchen, and you know I’m a sucker for seafood.”

Just another thing we haven’t been able to afford, and I cock a brow at her. “Let me introduce the guys to you, and then we can have a chat before lunch.”

She gives me a slight nod, and I turn to Soren, only to find him already deep in conversation with Jacob. It seems they met at the front door, and now they’re trying to decide exactly where to launch their new boogie boards. Jacob is a good swimmer for his age, and this stretch of beach is fairly sheltered, but I can see the hesitation in Dee’s eyes until Derek steps forward. “Hey, Claudia. You okay if Lang and I help Jacob catch a couple of waves?”

My sister melts a little under Derek’s familiar smile. “That would be great, Derek.” She looks him over, her eyes widening slightly as they rest on his bite mark. I’m not sure if she can tell it matches mine, but she reaches forward and grips his arm. “You look happy. Beach life must suit you.” Her gaze flicks past himto Lang, her lips curving up into a small smile. “Or is that your influence?”

I told her enough about Professor Langston Fall for her to put the dots together, and I’m relieved there aren’t any prickly vibes coming off her as she shakes his hand. “I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to meet you before the bonding, but I hope I can make up for it now.”

“This is a good start,” she replies, then nods at Jacob. “You okay to try the waves while I catch up with Aunt Em?”

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