Page 2 of Secure Touch (Her Vicious Pack #8)

Vera

“Are you okay?” Jorge wraps his arms and his pheromones around me, a note of worry in his cedar scent.

I blink, carefully unclenching my jaw, and I notice that my hands have balled into tight fists at my sides. “Ehh...” I don’t think I’m doing that well. I don’t know what it is, maybe I’m just too tired.

That’s probably it. Exhaustion makes sense.

“I think I should go to bed.” My voice feels strange, like it’s coming from far away.

I want to be in our nest, wrap all our pheromones together, a pack cocoon, safe and warm.

Yes. That sounds like a plan.

“Probably a good idea.” Kenneth, one of Erika’s Alphas, looks around as he lets out a long yawn. “I think it’s a good idea if anyone who can fall asleep right now gets a couple of hours of rest.”

Jorge kisses the side of my head. “Yes. I don’t think any of us have had more than a handful of hours of sleep in the last days, if that.” He sounds calm, much calmer than before we went to the airport.

I think he’s no longer so on edge about Erika, which is good. Because it did make me nervous, the thought that one of my mates and Erika might not get along. Erika is my best friend, but Jorge is my mate. Even the thought of them not getting along was making me sad.

“Vera?” Caleb appears at my side and I automatically reach for him, my big Alpha, my protector. He picks me up and holds me against his side as I put my head on his shoulder.

A low and soothing rumble starts up in his chest, easing the tension in my body. He always seems to know when something is up without anyone telling him, usually before I even notice it myself.

“Let’s get you somewhere quiet.” I feel the words in his chest more than I hear them. He’s said them often enough that even if I couldn’t hear them, I’d still be able to know, just from the pattern of the vibrations.

I close my eyes, leaning against him more, letting his pheromones surround and comfort me. There’s a lot more tension built up in my body than I thought, but Caleb’s pheromones make it a lot easier to breathe again.

Though, breathing deeper also lets me smell other people’s pheromones more, which seems to build a different type of tension in my body, a different type of bad tension. But I’m too tired to explore it right now.

Someone takes my hand, and when I open my eyes, it’s Jorge, who’s giving me a soft smile.

I pull his hand up and put it against my cheek, rubbing against it, taking in his pheromones too, letting them mix with Caleb’s.

He feels so different from Caleb, and that’s good, I need all my mates in different ways.

Caleb’s voice rumbles in his chest as he talks to the guys from Erika’s pack. I barely notice their replies, only focusing on Caleb and Jorge, my pack. My mates.

If I focus on them, I feel good, if that focus breaks, the uncomfortable feelings return.

The cooler night air jolts me somewhat awake, as Caleb carries me out of the house, and I glance around.

It’s the middle of the night, the sky overhead is almost fully dark.

Though I can see the tops of the trees stand out against the glow from the village on the other side of the forest. It’s never truly dark here, not the same way as you get when you’re on some remote island or something.

There’s always the glow from the lights of the nearby village.

The village is on this side of Mathew’s grounds, so you can see the glow from the houses here, but the other side, the side that our bedroom faces, doesn’t have anyone living nearby, so it gets truly dark when we look out of the window there.

When we look out of our bedroom or our nest window.

Our nest…

I need to get to our nest. I need all my mates together in the nest.

I need .

“Wait here, I’ll get the car.” Derrick’s voice surprises me, and when he brushes against Caleb’s arm as he passes us by, I let out a low growl, a warning.

Mine.

My mate.

Nobody touches my mates!

I freeze as I realise what just happened and so do Caleb and Derrick. I hadn’t planned to do that.

I just...

It just happened.

I shouldn’t growl at him. He’s not a danger.

Then why do I feel this tight sensation in my chest? Why is another growl ready to break out if Derrick dares to make any move in our direction?

“I’ll walk us home. It’s not that far and the quiet will help relax.” Caleb’s voice is controlled, almost calm, though I feel the tension in his muscles.

“That seems like a good idea.” Derrick still looks surprised as he takes a few steps back, his eyes on me wary. He knows very well that I might be small, I’m not harmless, and a warning, even if it’s just my instinct doing it, not my rational brain, is one to take seriously.

I want to tell him how sorry I am for growling at him, but I know that the moment I open my mouth, I’m going to cry and I really don’t want to cry right now.

Everything is strange enough as it is, I don’t want to cry in front of Derrick or any of the other people who aren’t from my pack. I don’t want to.

Not tonight, not now.

“Can you let the others know that I’m walking Vera home?

” Caleb talks to Derrick as he starts moving in the direction of our house.

He’s carrying me with one arm as he uses his other hand to tuck me against his chest more, trying to hold me against him as much as possible, letting me only focus on him.

Wrapping me in his pheromones, a protective bubble.

Once the only sounds around us are the wind through the trees and some night birds, his grip on me eases. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know.” My voice hitches. “I have no idea why I feel like this.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know.” I have no idea how to explain it, just that it doesn’t feel good. Like I’m stretched too thin, like everything is too loud and the world is too rough. Everything seems wrong. I hate it.

Tears slide down my cheeks and Caleb carefully wipes them away. “Things have been pretty hectic the last few days. You’re probably tired and just need a good night’s sleep.”

I nod, though I don’t think that’s all of it. It doesn’t feel like that’s all of it.

Something feels off .

“This might help her.” Jorge’s voice is nearby, waking me up from a light slumber. And the next moment I’m covered in blankets that smell like all of us, like my whole pack, probably from the nest or the bed.

Caleb shrugs them off, his pheromones agitated. “We’re almost at the nest. Covering her in blankets is only going to delay us getting there. Don’t do things that get in the way. It’s not helpful.” His voice is short, sharp.

The loss of the other scents makes me whine and grab for the blankets.

I want them.

I need them.

“Don’t be a grumpy ass.” Riley’s voice is nearby, and I’m covered in the blankets again, with an extra strong whiff of her dark rose pheromones. “And you can’t go to the nest. Mathew tried that and now he?—”

At my Omega’s name, I’m on high alert, sitting up straight.

Something’s wrong with Mathew?

What’s wrong with him?

I try to break from Caleb’s arms, but he holds me tightly against him.

His deep forest pheromones are sharp with alarm. “What happened?”

“Same as Vera. Not responding well to pheromones from people who aren’t in the pack. And the house is full of other people’s pheromones right now.”

I want to go to Mathew. I need to go to him.

“Where is he?” Caleb keeps trying to hold me, but I try every non-lethal trick he’s taught me to free myself from being restrained and I manage to get out.

The ground feels hard under my feet, my body is too exhausted to keep me up properly, but I need to get to Mathew as quickly as possible.

“He’s in the garden. We just came out to see if you were nearly here yet.” As Riley speaks, I pass her by.

The garden!

I need to get to the garden!

My legs feel wobbly, but I keep going. I know the garden is nearby. It’s not that much further.

I just need to make it around Derrick’s pack’s house and around their garden and then I’ll be able to get into our own garden.

Our own garden, where Mathew will be.

“I can’t watch this.” Caleb picks me up again, sending out soothing pheromones, but I fight against him with all my —currently very limited— might. “Stop struggling. I’m only carrying you to Mathew. It will be faster and safer than you going there yourself.”

I need to get to Mathew. Now!

This time, Caleb quickly wraps me in the blankets, but I don’t want them anymore. I want the real deal, fresh, not from blankets but right from my pack, from having my full pack around me.

“Let me out.” My voice finally breaks through. “Let me go.”

I can get to Mathew myself.

I can do it myself.

But Caleb holds me tightly, carrying me, not letting me slip one inch.

“Vera!” Mathew’s voice is next to me and I reach for him without looking, somehow managing to break my arms out of the cocoon Caleb wrapped around me.

Mine!

My Omega!

He’s here!

I push as close to him as possible, my nose in his neck, trying to get the most of his sharp wisteria scent. I feel him do the same with me, his rapid breath hot on my skin, making my pheromones flare, his responding in kind.

It’s a start, but it’s not enough. I need more.

I need everyone.

Now I know that Mathew is okay, I need everyone.

“We’re here.” Riley is trying to sound patient, but her voice is tinged with anxiety. “We’re all here. Just a moment longer.”

We’re guided further into the garden and then they help us onto a soft surface. Our pack’s scents immediately surround us.

Blankets! More of our nest blankets. Nearly our whole nest must be in the garden right now as we’re surrounded by blankets and other soft things on all sides.

The rest of the pack settles around us and we’re now surrounded by everyone’s pheromones, fresh and brand new, though filled with a note of worry.

I relax more, still staying close to Mathew, since his pheromones are the hardest to get.

I need him. I need all of them.

Someone pulls more blankets over us, and even though it’s too warm, I don’t care. It’s more important to be surrounded by as many pheromones as possible, and, this way, they can’t go anywhere.

This way, our pheromones are ours alone.

This is better. This is so much better.

Slowly, as my head starts to clear now I’m surrounded by everyone’s pheromones, I become more aware of what’s going on around me.

Mathew is holding onto me tightly, his fingers tense, almost bruising, just like I’m holding onto him.

Caleb is behind Mathew, letting out a low soothing rumble, behind me, Riley joins in, her rumble vibrating against my back.

Behind her is Jorge, his arm over her so he can still touch Mathew and me, his rumble getting stronger.

It’s almost right, but not quite.

“Luca?” I move, trying to turn, trying to find our Beta.

“I’m here.” His voice is muffled and he lifts the blankets above our heads, nervously looking in. He’s wearing a mask so he can be around my pheromones for longer, and seeing it hurts, but I need him. I need him so much. Our pack isn’t complete without him.

A frustrated whine breaks from me. I need him, but being near me will hurt him. This is so unfair!

Barely aware, Mathew reaches up to Luca and tugs on his leg until Luca steps closer.

Luca shakes his head, his eyes sad. “I have no idea how to do this, but I guess we’ll find out.” He sits down, moving closer. “Maybe you can try to use my lap as a pillow.”

I lift my head as Mathew does the same. Getting help from our Alphas, Luca scoots closer and we all wriggle around until Mathew and I have our heads in Luca’s lap, our Alphas around us. All together.

Yes.

Finally.

This is what I needed. All my mates together, just us and nobody else.

Finally, I start to doze off. Too tired, exhausted, not enough energy to deal with the world right now.

My pack.

My family.

Mine.