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I shrug. “Grams was…well, she wasn’t the biggest fan of alphas, despite her son being one. I don’t really know the full story there. And I don’t know if it was early onset dementia or something, but she was incredibly paranoid about us growing up. To begin with, I think it might be because she was worried about social services getting involved and taking us away. If someone reported that she was struggling to raisefourkidsalone at her age...you know? But then we presented as omegas, earlier than expected, and that’s when everything changed.”

“When did you present?” Dane asks quietly.

“Around our ninth birthday.” I shiver, and pull the blanket tighter around my shoulders. “Grams freaked and put us on suppressants the next day. God knows how she managed to get them.”

“Jesus…” Blaise mutters.

“Grams’ health deteriorated fast after that, and with it, her paranoia grew. She was relentless in her sermons that alphas couldn’t be trusted, that the world couldn’t be trusted, and that we were safer within the walls of this house with her. It got to the stage where even going outside on our land, to feed the chickens and collect eggs, became a battle. She was convinced someone was going to swoop in and steal us away. Thought four identical omegas would be something worth stealing and selling. Using and abusing. Especially with omega numbers declining so rapidly.”

“She held you prisoner in your own home?”

“It wasn’t a home. Not really. You guys have noticed, it’s a house. There’s nothing comfortable or comforting here to make it a home,” I reply sadly, ignoring Blaise’s accusation. “I don’t think she meant to, though. Keep us prisoner, I mean. She wasn’t well. Growing up it was our normal but now I can see it was a sickness. But…well…that’s the way things were.”

“What happened to your sisters?” Dane asks, his voice low, his expression unreadable.

“Evie,” I chuckle, then correct myself. “Grams called us all Evie for ease. Or maybe because she couldn’t remember our actual names. Sorry. Old habits. So, umm, Everly left. She was the second oldest and she ran away one night when we were teens. We’ve not heard from her since.” I take a deep breath. Talking about Everly is always so painful, despite Evangeline’sinsistence that we’dknowif she weren’t alive, I can’t help but wonder. “She was my best friend and losing her like that was excruciating. I never got over it.”

“Evangeline, the oldest, Evelyn, the youngest, and I stayed here until Grams passed away. Evelyn left the day of her funeral and watching her go was brutal, even though she’s stayed in touch sporadically since. Evangeline stayed with me for about six months and then moved out. She’s the one I have most contact with now, but I’ve not seen her in person for quite some time. I spoke to her today at the store when I was freaking out and she gave me some good advice...Anyway, the house was left to the four of us but my sisters agreed to let me stay here because I had no desire to leave. I was the most compliant out of all of us, the most easily led by Grams. And I’m ashamed to say that I let her views cloud mine.”

“She made you too scared to leave the house,” Xar says quietly.

I grimace. “I mean, Icanleave the house. If I have to. It’s not like I have an illness or a phobia that prevents it. But I prefer not to.”

Plus, if I left and Everly came back…well, I’d never forgive myself.

“You were on the verge of a panic attack when we went to the store earlier,” Dane points out.

“That’s because I thought we were going to local shops in the village. I’d never been to that huge store before. I tend to avoid new places, especially if there might be crowds.”

As I finish speaking, the silence between us deepens, heavy with the weight of my words. I’m not sure what I expected, but it’s not this – this quiet understanding that settles over the room. The guys are processing everything I’ve just shared, and I can feel their eyes on me, their gazes steady but not invasive.

They don’t appear to be judging me, or to betoofreaked out by what I’ve just told them.

Blaise is the first to break the quiet. He leans forward slightly, his expression soft but still full of that mischievous energy. “Jesus, Evie. No wonder you’ve been through hell and back. You’ve carried a lot on your own.” His voice is gentler now, no longer playful. “You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for.”

I shrug, unsure how to respond. I don’t feel strong. I feel broken, fragmented, and just...lost. But I appreciate the words, even if they don’t quite fit. And with their presence, I’m slowly starting to discover myself, which makes me feel a little less broken.

Dane shifts on the sofa, his usual quiet presence becoming more pronounced. “So your independence was born out of necessity, not choice then. I’m glad you’ve got us now, Evie,” he says, his deep voice steady and comforting. “I swear to you, wildflower, we’re here for you. No matter what.”

I glance up at him, feeling the sincerity in his words settle into my chest. His dark eyes are filled with something I can’t name, something that makes me feel like maybe I don’t have to carry all of this weight alone anymore.

Xar, who’s been mostly silent, watching me with quiet intensity, finally speaks up. “Eviana,” he says, his voice soft but steady, “you’ve carried the burden of everything that happened with your grandmother for so long, along with the pain of losing your sisters and the struggles of being alone. You don’t have to keep holding it all in. We’re not going anywhere. You have a support network now. A pack.”

The warmth in his words, the openness in his gaze, start to crack open the walls I’ve built around myself. I’ve never let anyone close enough to see the truth, not even my sisters. Andyet here they are, all of them, offering something I’ve never really had: a safe space, a place where I don’t have to hide.

I take a deep breath, trying to steady the nervous flutter in my chest. “Thank you,” I whisper, barely able to get the words out.

Blaise’s grin returns, though it’s softer now, almost affectionate. “Hey, no need to thank us. We’re your mates, Evie. We’ve got you. You’ve got nothing to fear here.”

For a moment, I just sit there, absorbing the weight of their words, the quiet comfort of their presence. I should be afraid, shouldn’t I? Afraid of everything I’ve just admitted, afraid of how much I’m letting them in. But instead, there’s just...peace.

I lean back into the blankets, sighing softly, a sense of warmth slowly creeping in despite everything I’ve shared. It’s strange. I don’t feelfixed. I don’t think I ever will. But right now, I feel like maybe I don’t have to be.

Blaise stretches out his legs, his eyes twinkling. “Alright, your turn, Evie. Hit us with another question.”

I laugh quietly, the sound soft but real in the space between us. It feels good – to let the tension loosen its grip, even if just for a moment.

“Okay,” I say after a beat. “What’s something you’ve always wanted to try but never have?”