The Light in Us

14. Teddy

14

Teddy

Y ou’ve really fucked up this time, Theodore.

Fox doesn’t look away from my face. I can read every expression there, the flickering between need and panic as he reaches for me. “ Teddy .”

I drop down, too, throwing my words at Rowan where he stands stock-still by the door. Beside him, Wild is slumped against the wall, his gaze still clouded with the battle he’s fighting internally. “Get Zeke. Quickly, before it fades. We need to know if it’s all of them, Ro.”

The scent on my skin won’t last forever. That they even picked it up is only because my suspicions were right.

Fallon is their mate . Their scent-match.

All three of our pack alphas, with the same damn scent-match.

My smile begins to grow, but Fox makes an anguished sound. His hands come up to cup my face. "I—,”

“No.” I lean in until our foreheads press together. “This is a good thing, Fox. She’s your scent-match. Your mate .”

I can see it already. See Fallon, tucked into our pack. Safe, and loved.

A missing piece we didn’t even know we needed.

Happiness bubbles through our pack bond, finally breaking through the petrified expression on Fox’s face. He swallows, his fingers gentle on my face.

This changes things. I can see the worry in his face.

“Not between us,” he says, his voice gravelly. “I love you.”

My smile turns to a beam. “I know. But you’re gonna love her, too.”

He blinks at that. “ Two omegas.”

I give a little, happy wriggle. “Double the trouble.”

This is going to be amazing. They’re going to lose their minds.

“ Teddy .” He groans it, but there’s something else in his eyes, too. Something that grows as I watch him. Slowly, he leans forward to take another breath, his eyes closing. “What… what’s she like?”

I peek over his shoulder. Wilder has his knees up, a pained expression on his face. “I feel like this is a nest conversation? Maybe.”

Wild doesn’t look at me, his fists tightening.

Guilt swoops, low and tight in my stomach. I brush a kiss across Fox’s lips, and he reluctantly releases me as I crawl over to my packmate. “ Wilder . I shouldn’t have ambushed you like that.”

I may have gotten a little overexcited. And a little dramatic.

But it’s not every day I stumble on my pack’s scent-matched mate .

Wilder sighs. And then lifts up his arm. I immediately curl myself underneath it, my eyes wide in silent apology. He stiffens. “I can still smell her.”

Oh. Whoops . I pat his chest as his face flickers again. “No more feral today. Fox will have a coronary.”

Both alphas look as though someone has clubbed them over the head.

A small omega with a spicy scent and sadness in her soul.

Chewing my lip, I wonder when to broach that.

Something isn’t right with Fallon.

But if I voice it now, Wilder will definitely go full-on feral. So I make a call to keep it to myself. When I glance at Fox, his eyes are narrowed.

Rowan pushes the door open before he can call me out. Relief fills his face as he scans us, sprawled across the floor. “Zeke’s behind me. He didn’t want to walk in… just in case.”

“Can’t be any worse than my reaction,” Wilder rasps.

I grin up at Rowan. “Send him in. I feel like a perfume sample in a store.”

Zeke ducks inside, his gaze landing on me immediately. I wait as he inhales the air, his brows knotting. He doesn’t spring himself on me, though.

Instead, he settles himself next to Fox on the floor before he opens his arms in silent request.

My heart smooshes. “You’re such a softy, Zeke Quill.”

“I heard you had a run-in with the Wild Side.” Wilder rolls his eyes at the nickname for his other half , as we call it. “Figured I’d take it easy. I can wait if it’s easier.”

Wait?

My ass is already shimmying across the floor to him. “You kidding? We need to test it before it fades. Besides, I’m desperate to see if I’m right. Three for three .”

“Try not to sound too victorious,” Rowan says drily. He crosses paths with me, settling into Fox's lap and murmuring something to him as I reach Zeke.

At first glance, he looks stoic. Almost scary. With his size, his beard, his shaved head – hell, his dominance , just a hair beneath Fox’s ridiculous levels - I’ve seen others judge him on their first meeting too many times to count.

But then I look down. His fingers are trembling, the giant alpha avoiding my gaze as a blush curls over his cheeks. He clears his throat.

“It would be unusual, wouldn’t it?” He murmurs. His eyes land on my face, skate away. “For all three of us.”

He doesn’t want to hope. Not when he might be disappointed.

I think Fallon could use an alpha like Zeke. And I think Zeke would adore an omega like Fallon.

Oh, god. Let me be right.

Slowly, I lean forward and wait.

Zeke inhales. And then I feel his nose brush my neck, respectful and brief.

He’s frowning when I pull back. Disappointment shines on his face. “I… I can’t smell anything.”

Everyone pauses.

“ What ?” Wilder shoves himself away from the wall. I lock eyes with Fox, see the worry there as Wilder comes down beside me. But he waits as Wilder buries his face in my neck.

He relaxes. “It’s not that, Zeke. Her scent has faded. I can’t smell it either.”

Damn. If I’d stayed with her longer…

Zeke half-shrugs, his disappointment easing a little. “So… a maybe, then. That’s okay.”

“Awh.” My heart squeezes, my face falling. “Sorry, Zeke. I should have been faster.”

Smiling, he cups my cheek and I lean into the touch. “Don’t worry about it. The anticipation might kill me, though.”

“So,” Rowan says slowly. “You gonna give us the details, Teddy?”

I jump to my feet. “At home. With snacks.”

Everyone groans.

“Don’t make us wait that long.” Wilder’s voice still holds an edge of roughness, and he grimaces as I ruffle his hair.

“Come on, my little feral one. I’m not feeding you the deets until you feed me.”

I skitter over Fox, avoiding eye contact as I turn for the door. But his voice rumbles through me, dragging me to a stop.

“Don’t think I’ve forgotten your little escapade.” He sounds a smidgeon more relaxed than he did earlier. I followed his shouting all the way from the elevator.

The grin I shoot at him over my shoulder is more of a taunt. I raise my voice as I sweep through the door, winking at a wide-eyed Emily. “Please. I brought back your scent-matched mate . That spanking better be a good one. Also, I left my phone in my coat pocket… which I gave to Fallon. So if you’re very nice to me, I’ll call her, and you can hear her actual voice.”

Silence.

I press the button for the elevator with a satisfied hum. “We’ll be back tomorrow morning, Em. Breakfast is on me for your last day.”

And then there’s a stampede behind me, as my entire pack jams into the meeting room door at the same time.