Page 37 of Daisy

"Better?" August asks.

She nods, then looks around at all of us uncertainly. Her scent spikes with anxiety again, sweet honeysuckle turning sharp with stress.

Dante steps forward slightly, his voice gentle. "Daisy, do you remember me?"

She studies his face for a moment, then nods slowly. Some of the tension in her shoulders eases.

"I'm Dante. I was your guard." He gestures to Cassian first. "This is Cassian, he helped get you out. August here is a beta, he'll help take care of you." Then Dante looks toward us. "And these are Hawk and Gunner. They came to help tonight."

I watch as she looks at each face, still clutching the robe tightly. Her gaze lingers on me for a moment, and I give hera small nod, trying to look as non-threatening as possible. Her scent settles slightly as she puts names to faces.

"Where... where will you sleep?" she asks, her voice small.

"Hawk and I will take the van," I offer, even though every instinct screams against leaving her. "Give you space."

"No." The word comes out fast, panicked. Her scent floods the room with distress, making all of us tense. Her hand reaches toward me, then drops. She takes a shaky breath, trying to calm herself.

"I mean..." Her voice is barely a whisper. "Someone will stay, right?"

"Of course," August says gently. "Me, Cassian, and Dante will all stay. Whatever you need."

Her scent immediately spikes with panic, sharp and acidic. She takes a step back, pressing against the bathroom door.

"Hey," Dante says softly, raising his hands where she can see them. "You're safe. No matter what you say, we'll respect your wishes."

"If you want us all outside, we all go," Hawk adds gently. "If you just want August, that's fine too. This is your choice."

Her breathing gets faster, shallower. The fear rolling off her in waves makes every alpha in the room tense with the need to fix it, but we all stay perfectly still.

"What..." Her voice cracks. She swallows hard, tries again. "What do you want from me?"

"Nothing," Dante says immediately. "We want nothing from you except for you to feel safe."

Her scent wavers, confusion mixing with the terror. She looks between all of us like she's trying to solve a puzzle she doesn't have all the pieces to.

"I don't understand," she whispers.

"You don't have to," Hawk says quietly. "You just have to tell us who you want to stay in here with you. Or if you want to be alone. Whatever feels right."

She's quiet for a long moment, her eyes darting between each of us. When her gaze lands on me, something in her scent settles slightly. Not calm, but less afraid.

She lifts a trembling hand and points at me. "You." The word is barely a breath. "You feel..." She stops, swallows. "Safe," she whispers so low we can barely hear it.

Safe.She thinks I feel safe.

I couldn't save Lily. But maybe I can make this omega feel safe.

"Thank you for telling us that," Hawk says warmly. "Cassian and August too? Or just Gunner? No matter what you say, no one will be upset. We only want to make you feel safe and comfortable."

She looks at August, then at Cassian, her scent still carrying threads of anxiety. After a long moment, she gives a small nod.

"Okay," she whispers. "They can stay too."

I nod toward the table and chairs. "I'll sit over there." Then I look at August and Cassian. "You two can take the other bed."

August squeezes Cassian's hand gently before they settle onto the far bed, keeping their distance but staying close enough if she needs them.

Relief washes through her scent, honeysuckle sweetening again. The others file out, leaving us alone.