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She’s alive.

And no matter how much I try to fight it, no matter how much I try to control it, I can’t stop her. Can’t control her. I can’t stopme.

I…I don’t think I can control myself. At least not where those alphas and my omega are concerned. And that’s…

…Terrifying. Fucking terrifying, Evie. You need to get a grip.

The storm outside rages, the thunderstorms echoing through the house, but all I can focus on is the ache inside me, the pull I can’t escape.

Eventually, my body gives in. I bury myself deeper in the blankets, too tired to fight anymore, and I finally fall into an exhausted, agonised sleep.

DANE

The morning after everything with Eviana goes sideways feels heavier than I expect. I’m sitting in the kitchen of the cottage, staring out the window, but it’s not the view of the Devon countryside that’s holding my attention. It’s the tension in the air, thick enough to cut through.

Xar hasn’t spoken much since last night, and I can see it in him. He’s holding himself back, fighting something – something that’s clawing at him, and I know it’s the same thing that’s been pushing at me too.

I’m still trying to figure out what I’m supposed to feel. Part of me is scared. Scared of how deeply this is affecting me – how it’s affecting all of us really – and scared of how little we know about what’s happening between us and her. Another part isdetermined to find a way to make her see what’s real, to show her she’s not alone. But the longer we sit here, the more I realise how much I’m struggling with the fact that she doesn’t know what she is to us – or how to handle it.

I catch Xar’s eyes from across the table. There’s an intensity there I haven’t seen before, like he’s wrestling with something inside of him. But when he speaks, his voice is steady. “I’m going back. I can’t just sit here anymore.”

It’s not a question. It’s a statement. And something in me tightens, knowing what this means. Knowing that he’s not just going back to apologise, not just to make sure she’s okay. He’s going back because he feels it – because he can’t leave it alone.

Neither can I.

“I know,” I reply quietly, the weight of it pressing on me too. “We can’t just let this go. I think…I think she might really need our help. Maybe she’s even meant to be ours. I know we’ve not scent matched with her so I’m not saying she’s our mate for definite or anything, but something about her has my alpha so riled up I can’t stand it. We can’t ignore that.”

Blaise, who’s been unusually quiet, shifts in his chair, looking at both of us. He’s frowning, but there’s something else in his eyes – a mix of concern and uncertainty. “She doesn’t even know who we are. Hell, she doesn’t even want to know. What if she doesn’t accept this? What if she just…shuts us out?”

Xar’s jaw tightens, and I can see the struggle in his eyes. “I’ll make her understand. Dane’s right. She’s ours. I’m sure of it. She has to be, it’s the only explanation. And I’m not walking away from that.”

I feel the weight of Xar’s words like a physical force. My stomach tightens as I think about how terrified she is, how much fear she’s carrying around. But it doesn’t change the fact that I’m almost certain she’s ours. If Xar is too…well, I, must be right then surely? Why else would the three of us be reacting thisstrongly to her without even scenting her? We can’t walk away from that, no matter how much she pushes us away.

I know Xar was ready for us to finish this tour and to start looking for an omega to court, and that Blaise was reluctant. I was caught in the middle as usual, unsure really one way or another. But now that we’ve found her, now that fate seems to have dropped her in our laps, I can’t walk away.

Ready or not, we have an omega now and she needs us.

Blaise lets out a sigh, rubbing his temples. “We’re all on the same page, I get it?—”

“What are you saying, Blaise?” Xar demands.

“I think you know. I’m interested in the omega too…butwe need to ease into this, Xar. You can’t just barrel in there expecting her to accept it. She’s scared, man. And it’s pretty clear that she’s never been around alphas like us, especially not in a situation like this. I don’t think she’s going to be open to the idea of scent matches, or even courting, when we can’t even have a civil conversation with her. I never met anyone so…skittish.”

I lean forward, my hands on the table. “He’s right, Xar. We can’t force it. But we can show her. Show her that we’re here, that we’re not going anywhere. We can win her over, but we need to be patient.”

Xar exhales, rubbing his hand over his face. “I’ll give her time. I just won’t let her push us away. She needs to know we’re here, that we’re not going anywhere.”

A silence falls between us, but it’s not a peaceful one. There’s too much left unsaid, too many unknowns about what’s happening. We’re walking on a tightrope, and every step feels like it could be our last. But we’re committed to this. We can’t back down now.

Finally, I nod. “Alright. We’ll go back in a couple of days like we agreed last night. We’ll check on her. We’ll make sure she’salright. But this time, we’ll take it slow. We’ll show her that we care. No pressure.”

Xar’s eyes light up with something like determination, and Blaise gives a reluctant nod. “Alright. Let’s do it. But I want to send her something today, so that she knows we’re thinking of her. Maybe give her our numbers too, just in case she needs us and wants to reach out first.”

Blaise drums his fingers against the table, thinking. “It needs to be something that shows we’re thinking of her, yes, but nothing overwhelming.”

Xar scoffs. “So not a fucking bouquet of roses, then.”

I snort. “Yeah, I don’t think she’d go for that.”