Page 28 of In Their Arms

And I can’t do a goddamn thing about it.

Blake woke up screaming two nights ago, the kind of scream that tears through your ribs and settles in your soul. He just kept chanting‘Luca, Luca, Luca’, sobbing in between ragged gasps as he tore himself from the nest, charging toward the door like he could physically bring him back. I don’t think I’ve ever moved so fast in my life.

Neither had Maceo.

It took both of us to hold him back, to keep him from running out into the cold, half-dressed, wrecked in a way I’ve never seen before. He fought like it was life or death, clawing at us, desperate, his body shaking so violently I thought he’d break apart in my hands. We held him, pressed him into the nest, wrapped ourselves around him until he finally stopped fighting. Until the screams turned to sobs, until the sobs turned into harsh, gasping breaths, until he could finally speak.

And then he told us. Something was wrong with Luca.

I couldn’t feel him. I tried, reached through the bond, pushed against the tether, but there was nothing. Nothing but cold static, like he’d been ripped away. But Blake could feel him and my poor Omega had been inconsolable.

Now, even with Maceo doing everything he can, even with legal teams on the phone and Luther fighting his own battles, we have nothing. Hearthstone won’t give us information. They won’t even confirm if Luca is there. We know he is, but knowing doesn’t mean a fucking thing when we can’t get to him.

Blake is curled up in Luca’s nest, barely moving, barely eating, clutching one of Luca’s favorite pillows like it’s the only thing keeping him here. The heat spikes are gone, but his body is wrecked, his energy drained and he’s fucking fading again. There’s no way I can keep protecting him from all the stress our current situation is causing him.

I drag a hand down my face, fingers pressing hard against my temples as I pace toward the window. If I could, I’d be on Hearthstone’s doorstep. I’d rip the fucking doors off their hinges, demand to see Luca and then bring him home. That would just get me arrested and then where would we be?

But I’m not going to stop trying because it’s all we have left. I dial a number I’ve memorized over the last couple of days, waiting for it to connect. A familiar voice answers, cold and detached, like they haven’t heard this exact conversation ten times already. “Mr. Keller, we have no additional information for you.”

I squeeze my eyes shut, dragging in a slow breath, calming my nerves before I rip into the woman on the other side of the phone.

“You’re aware that we cannot share anything about Luca Ellis.”

My fingers twitch. “Listen, if you think for one second that I’m going to—”

“Please stop calling,” the voice continues, completely unfazed. “Or I will have an officer sent to your house with a cease and desist.”Click.

I chuck the phone across the room, the small device crashing against the wall and softly falling to the rug. The lack of glass shattering and pieces falling apart only serves to fuel my anger. A frustrated growl drags from my throat as I run a hand through my hair, feeling more helpless than I have in a while.

I’m an Alpha to two beautiful, gorgeous Omegas and in the time it’s taken to bring Luca home, I’ve lost him, my Alpha, and am slowly losing Blake. The feeling of failure is just at the edge of my thoughts as I head for the bathroom, needing a reprieve from all of this shit. Had this been any other issue, I would have sought out Luther for a good hard fuck or dragged Blake into his nest so I could wrap myself around him.

Luther isn’t available and Blake is suffering. He’s barely slept, spending all of his time in Luca’s nest as if our second Omega will just materialize. The part that probably pains me the most is that he shifts between wanting to be held and flinching when we touch him, between reaching for something none of us can give him and curling into himself like he’s trying to disappear. He cries for them when he thinks no one is listening. He’s breaking my fucking heart.

And there’s still the fact that there’s a whole company to run. Bryant is doing better than any of us had planned but there’s still check-ins, things to sign, and projects to approve but I’m unraveling faster than I can keep up.

I strip on the way toward the shower and flip the water on, sighing with relief as steam begins to rise and fill the tiled room. I step under the spray, my muscles tensing as the heat crashes over me, my hands bracing against the cool tile, my forehead pressing to the wall as I let the water drown out the noise in my head.

For the first time in two days, no one is asking me for anything. No one is looking to me for answers I don’t fucking have. I need someone to fucking lean on and the one person I always look to is praying for me to save him.

A rumbly voice cuts through my thoughts. "May I join you?"

I twist around, my breath catching as I see Maceo leaning against the open bathroom door. His gaze is steady, unreadable for a moment before it softens. He doesn’t force it, just waits for me to respond and the longer I stare at him through the steam, the more I realize that he’s been here every step of the way, that he’s been my rock without me even knowing it.

These moments were always going to happen. They were inevitable, something simmering just under the surface, waiting for the right time to unfold. And fuck, I need it right now. I grant him a small nod as he steps forward, his fingers sliding over the hem of his shirt before pulling it over his head. I watch as he undresses, his eyes never leaving mine.

Then he steps inside, pressing up against my back as he turns me to face the tile again. His lips press softly along my shoulder, slow kisses, a breath of warmth against my skin. My body unwinds beneath his touch, some of the tension unraveling, some of the weight easing just enough to let me breathe. Maceo’s voice is low when he finally speaks, his lips still brushing against my skin. “He’s coming home, Grayson.”

I turn, my chest collapsing with relief, my forehead pressing against his shoulder as my breath stutters out.Luther is coming home.Maceo wraps his arms around me, holding me steady as the tight knot in my chest finally begins to loosen. I don’t know how long we stand there, just holding each other, letting the water spill over us, but it’s everything I fucking needed.

“You’ve been so fucking strong for us,” Maceo whispers, his lips pressing against my temple.

I let out a wet, exhausted laugh, my grip on him tightening as I shake my head. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were my Alpha, not my Beta.”

Maceo cups my face, thumb brushing over my cheek as he draws me into a slow, full kiss. It’s different than the way Luther holds me, not better or worse, just different. “I’ll be whatever you need me to be.”

I exhale, my body sinking into him, into the promise behind his words. His relief is palpable as I melt into him further, one of his hands sliding down to cup my ass, dragging me closer to him, our cocks brushing against each other. He’s fully hard, letting me feel every last bit of him, the man unashamed. He must feel my hesitation, Maceo chuckling against my lips. “Blake’s still sleeping. He’s fine. Stay in the moment with me, Gray.”

I nod, pressing my lips to his again, letting everything else fade away because our Alpha is coming home. So for right now, I’m going to let my Beta take care of me.

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