Page 12 of Going Down Smooth: Part Two

I’m no stranger to wealth. I grew up with a silver spoon in my mouth, until it turned into a rusty fork when I didn’t live up to my family’s standards. A beautiful, prim and proper Omega to be mated off to yet another rich and powerful family. You know, keeping the rich and powerful. . .rich and yep, powerful. . .blah blah blah. I’m grateful I didn’t suffer that fate. My Beta status happened early in my adolescence, a dud in my father’s eyes, but hey, they had other children to live up to their standards. At least they waited until I was eighteen to get rid of me. I will give them that much, for all the shit it was worth. I wouldn’t change being a Beta for the world. Although, my parents’ words always creep up out of nowhere to remind me I’m worthless. Which is why Omari’s words seem to haunt me. “You are more, Petal.” I thought I was done allowing the words of others to affect me, obviously this is still, and maybe it always will be, a sore subject. I guess I need to immerse myself in positive affirmations until I really believe them.

You’re a grown-ass woman, Freeya, woman up, I remind myself as the sound of voices has me picking up my feet, urging me forward. I smile at the strangeness of butterflies at the thought of being in their company. I reach the landing with a glass barrier that protects you from going splat on the ground floor below, stopping short before coming into view of the four men below.

“What did you tell her, Mari?” The sound of Dez’s deep gravelly voice reaches my ears and my body instantly reacts. The need to crawl into his lap and curl my body around his is strong, but I resist. Curiosity gets the better of me and I remain hidden behind the hallway wall.

Omari whines. I don’t need to see him to know that he is pacing like he was in the office earlier. “You mean did I tell Freeya I’m a crazy stalker Omega who can’t keep his hands off her? Yes, I told her that.”

“Calm yourself, mon cœur. Breathe,” Avion croons, his voice is demanding but smooth as silk as he soothes Omari with a low rumbling purr that threatens to bring me to my knees. Damn, these Alphas.

“I told her she is my true mate!” Omari blurts out in frustration.

“How did she respond to that, mi alma. Obviously it’s a lot to hear considering the bond between us is new. It’s not unheard of,” Vic says matter-of-factly, with a hint of his Spanish accent breaking through.

It’s at this moment I want to be brave enough to appear at the top of the steps and cut into their conversation, as if it’s okay that I’ve just been eavesdropping on them. I want to be able to take Vic’s face in my hands and ask him to explain it all to me while I comfort my Omega and tell him everything is going to be alright. But we aren’t there yet, are we? Who am I kidding? I’m not there yet.

“I don’t think she knows what it means, Vic. But then her phone rang, and I told her to find us after, but she’s been up in Avion’s office for almost two hours. What if she looks it up before I can explain, and she wants—”

“She’s our mate too, Mari. Freeya doesn’t seem like a woman who wouldn’t want an explanation. Communication, baby,” Dez says calmly. “If you don’t stop fretting, I’m going to have you sit on my knot,” he continues playfully, and the idea of watching them together sends a tantalizing thrill through me that has my feet moving before they can finish talking.

As soon as my foot touches the first step, four sets of eyes are on me, watching me make my way toward them. My hand grips the metal railing, their scent mingles together to make one heady cocktail of pure sexual delight. I clench my teeth to bite back the moan in my throat as I close the distance between us. Geez, how is this possible to want them all so much all the time? This can’t be normal, it’s like all rational thoughts die in their presence and I am a slave to their whims.

“Come here, mon chéri.” Avion pulls away from Omari, who immediately sits between Dez and Vic, tucking himself under Dez’s arm, watching me cross the living room with hunger in his eyes. Avion removes his black suit coat and drapes it over the wine-colored leather wingback chair and sits, patting his lap for me.

Now is not the time to be shy, Freeya, I tell myself as Vic brushes his tattooed fingers down my arm when I pass him, catching the scent of mint, leather, and ink that is uniquely him. I approach Avion, his large muscular forearms on display as he rolls up his sleeves and holds his arms out for me. As soon as I’m within reach he yanks me down, like he couldn’t wait to have me in his arms, his nose in my hair breathing deeply, then he sighs.

“Knight called and said Mercy wants to see you. I am sure the two of you will have loads to discuss.” He pulls me closer, my back to his front as he continues, “How was your meeting?” he asks. My eyes are on the men in front of me. There’s an intensity to their gazes. It makes me squirm on Avion’s lap, making him suck in a sharp breath.

“Steady, mon chéri,” he cautions me with a nip of his teeth to my neck, making me gasp in surprise. Honestly, the news about finally seeing Mercy is great, but I want to talk about—

Dez sighs. “How much did you hear, baby girl?” He smirks as Omari’s eyes widen, pleading, like he’s afraid I’m about to run for the hills. Whatever it is, it can’t be that bad, right? I fold my arms over my chest protectively, trying to guard myself somehow before I reply.

Blowing out a breath, the words fall from my lips. “What’s a true mate? Why is this revelation freaking Omari out? What. . .what—” my voice breaks, and damn it, my insecurities come flooding out like a tsunami. “Why me?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper, as I ask the question that’s plagued me like a swarm of bees from the instant they claimed me. I can feel myself deflate as Avion’s arms tighten around my waist, sensing my emotional decline through our bond.

Everyone is quiet for a moment, and I belatedly realize then that they are waiting for Avion to respond. He is the lead Alpha of this pack, so they are allowing him to speak first.

“Why not you, mon chéri? Do you not know your worth?” He shuffles me on his lap, shifting me sideways so he can see my face. Lifting my chin with his finger. “Look at me, Freeya,” he commands softly, and I comply, berating myself internally for my weakness, but I can’t help the vulnerability I feel because as I said before, I am waiting for the moment when it all falls apart. That or someone jumps out into the middle of the room with a camera crew and yells, ‘You’ve been Punked’.

“Regardless of Omari’s realization about you being his true mate, you are ours, we want you because deep down we all know that you complete us. In the past few days you’ve shown us your strength, integrity, and resilience when your best friend, and boss, needed you most. You’re intelligent, smart, beautiful, and you smell divine, mon chéri. But most importantly, you just slotted the last piece of the puzzle in place for us. You care, little Beta, the fact that the second question out of that sweet mouth of yours was about the wellbeing of Omari is enough for me,” he says, his words are so full of admiration that my heart is about to burst.

He leans forward and brushes his lips against mine and I try to keep it together. The last thing I want to do is sob like a baby in this Alpha’s arms, but no one has ever said so many positive, life affirming things to me in one sitting. Do you not know your worth? Well, no, Avion, no I don’t. I guess now, I have the chance to learn.

I swallow past the lump in my throat and turn back to the others. Avion’s grip on me only tightens further as he comforts me. “So, what does it all mean? Being your true mate and all?” I ask softly, watching Omari, who opens his mouth to speak but Vic reaches out his hand and stops him.

“I’ll put it this way, cariña. You are the only woman who can give us what we all truly desire. What Omari, being a male Omega, yearns for. What we’ve waited years to find because it wasn’t time to meet you yet,” he says so tenderly, almost awestruck, as those stormy gray eyes roam over me.

I stumble for my response; they watch me as if they’re holding their breath. Avion’s hands flex, gripping me, keeping me in a firm embrace on his lap. I’m at a loss for words, they have done nothing but pour out their intentions to me, giving me everything I didn’t know I needed in just such a short period of time. Why would I run? How can I? I clear my throat, pushing my emotions down to ask one more question, my voice cracking. “And what is that?” I whisper, what can they want that they don’t already have. These men have everything.

Vic, looks at me and smiles, but Omari answers.

“A family.”

A family. Simple. Easy. Terrifying. The other shoe and a big ass bomb just drop right in the middle of my lap.

EIGHT

TREY

“Damn it, songbird. Use the bell,” I yell in exasperation as I bound up the last flight of stairs. Rounding the corner, I bite back a laugh at the sight of Mercy in our bedroom where she sits up with a piece of paper rolled up like a makeshift megaphone. As soon as she sees me, she drops the paper and smiles, kicking the now redundant bell further down the bed. She scowls at the bell like it offends her for being in such close proximity. I see the tantrum building and I almost laugh at the aching nostalgia I feel from the expression on her face. A simpler time, indeed, and she always looks so damn cute even when she’s being bratty.

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