Chapter 79: Friends
Chapter 78
Ciel
The meeting is actually not that bad.
I don’t know what I was dreading.
It’s... nice. Really nice.
Talking to another omega without feeling like I’m on guard, without the heavy weight of everything I’ve been through pressing down on me — it feels almost foreign. Ivan’s easy to talk to. He has this light energy about him, like everything’s a little softer around him.
Lanny is sitting in his lap, gleefully chewing on a teething ring while Ivan talks about how his daughter, Nia, used to be obsessed with chewing on anything that wasn’t meant to be chewed on.
"I once caught her trying to bite the table leg," he says, laughing softly.
I snort into my paper cup of lukewarm tea. "That’s impressive. Lanny once tried to chew my alpha’s wallet."
He gasps dramatically. "No! Did he survive the teeth marks?"
I can’t help it — I laugh. A real one, the kind that makes my shoulders shake and my chest ache in a good way.
"He was so offended," I say. "He held that poor wallet like it was a wounded soldier."
Ivan covers his mouth, trying not to laugh too loudly. His eyes crinkle in the corners when he smiles — it’s kind of unfair how pretty he is.
The other parents talk among themselves, swapping tips, sharing little stories. A few smile at me, and for once I don’t shrink back. I just... exist among them. Like I belong.
"You seemed nervous at first," Ivan says after a quiet moment.
"I was," I admit. "I thought everyone here would be.... I don’t know. Judgy?"
He tilts his head. "Some might be. But most of us just want a break and someone who understands that raising tiny humans is chaos."
I laugh softly. "Chaos is one word for it."
"War zone might be another," he adds and nudges me lightly with his elbow.
It’s strange — this small, easy moment with someone new. No shadows hanging over us, no fear, no running. Just two omegas, talking about their kids.
I glance at Lanny. He’s drooling on Ivan’s shirt, completely content, little fists tangled in the soft fabric.
And for the first time in a very long time, I feel... normal.
Me. Normal.
I’m actually glad Jack made me do this.
The meeting wraps up with warm goodbyes and exchanged numbers. Ivan laughs softly, saying he’s only here on vacation, but he’d like to hang out while it lasts. My chest tightens a little at the thought that my first real friend won’t be here long, but I’ll take what I can get.
We walk out of the park, sunlight on our backs, baby babble still in the air and then there’s an imposing, scary, sinfully handsome man waits just outside the gate.
Ivan runs straight into the arms of the handsome man waiting for him.
And the way the guy melts at the sight of his omega and child makes my chest tighten.
It’s cute.
Sickeningly cute.
"Sunshine."
I turn around, and there’s Jack. His voice is warm, too warm, and I feel my ears heat up. Why is he calling me that in public? I swear, I can feel the tips of my ears glowing.
He doesn’t care, of course. He leans down, kisses my forehead like it’s the most natural thing in the world, and smiles at me. Like I’m his whole world.
"Ciel!" Ivan calls, dragging his alpha and their baby over like a hurricane of sunshine.
"Zander, this is Ciel. I met him today. And that is..." Ivan starts, motioning to Jack.
"Jack. Ciel’s alpha." Jack says easily, extending his hand to Ivan first,ever the charmer then to Zander.
Zander shakes his hand firmly, sizing him up in that alpha way that’s both polite and slightly territorial. Jack doesn’t flinch. He never does.
"Oh my, aren’t you handsome," Ivan says, already grinning.
"Likewise," Jack fires back with a grin that could probably convince a nun to sin.
"You’re just absolutely stunning."
Ivan laughs, bright and loud.
We say our goodbyes at the park entrance. Ivan waves like we’ve been friends for years, and Zander gives Jack a firm handshake that turns into easy conversation. Somehow, by the time we part ways, Jack’s already exchanging numbers with him like they’ve been drinking buddies for a decade.
Of course. Nolan and I both keep to ourselves so Jack being so extroverted is an outlier to us.
I slide into the back seat with Lanny—because I like having him near me when I’m overwhelmed—and Jack gets in the driver’s seat. The engine hums softly, and the warm afternoon light spills through the windows, painting everything gold.
"So," Jack says, glancing at me through the rearview mirror, "how was it?"
I stare down at Lanny, who’s sucking on his little teether like the world is ending. I don’t answer.
"Sunshine," he urges, voice all soft and teasing.
I groan, dragging the word out. "I don’t want you to say you told me so."
"I wong say that," he says, his voice deliberately distorted in a mock-serious tone.
I narrow my eyes at his reflection. "That’s exactly how people sound when they will say it."
He tries to suppress his grin, fails miserably.
"Fine," I mutter, shifting Lanny slightly in my lap. "I had fun."
There’s a beat of silence before—
"Ha. I told you so."
"You said you wouldn’t!" I snap, but there’s no real heat in my voice.
"I didn’t promisenot to," he says, chuckling. His shoulders shake a little as he laughs at his own joke.
I throw the nearest thing I can reach—Lanny’s tiny blanket—at the back of his head. It flutters uselessly and falls onto the center console. He laughs harder.
I want to be annoyed. I do.
But the sound of his laughter fills the car like warm sunlight pouring through open windows. It’s golden and rich, the kind that seeps into your skin before you realize it’s there.
Lanny babbles along from his car seat, kicking his little legs like he’s in on the joke too. Jack laughs harder, like the baby’s his perfect little co-conspirator.
I can’t help the smile that tugs at the corner of my mouth. It’s small, reluctant, but it’s there.
"Jokes aside, sunshine," Jack says, his voice softening into something that makes my chest ache. "I’m glad to see you like this."
The words settle between us, quiet and warm. I brush a few strands of hair from my face, tucking them behind my ear to give my hands something to do.
"Thank you," I say, so quietly I almost hope he won’t hear.
But after a pause, he answers.
"You don’t need to thank me," he says, not looking back, but his voice carries a weight that makes me feel seen. "Having you happy is all the thanks I need."
***
Nolan
I hate Jack’s truck.
It’s loud, shiny, obnoxious basically everything I’m not. But since the van is with Jack and Ciel, I’m stuck with this four-wheeled alpha ego trip to get groceries.
I toss the bags into the back seat with a little more force than necessary, pull out Ciel’s neat little list, and cross off what I’ve already picked up. There’s still a few things left, plus the light in the garage that’s been flickering for weeks. Might as well fix it.
Jack handed me his card this morning and then completely forgot about it. Seriously, is he not worried I’ll waste his money?
I pass by a store filled with gleaming screens and gadgets, and I freeze. Tech.
Jack did say to get anything I needed. When I asked him the spending limit, he just shrugged and said, "Unless it’s over half a mil, the card won’t decline."
Half. A. Million.
I should just keep walking. I should.
Instead, I push open the door. The cool air hits me, smelling like new plastic and money.
"Welcome," the clerk says.
"Uh, thanks," I mumble, already wandering toward the displays like some enchanted idiot.
I’ve spent years walking past windows like this, pretending I didn’t care. Pretending I wasn’t jealous of people who could just... buy whatever they wanted.
And now I can.
By the time I walk out, my hands are full of bags. Two tablets. A laptop. A new phone. Three smartwatches because apparently I have no impulse control.
I stare at the haul, a laugh bubbling out of me because this is ridiculous.
Is this why omegas chase after rich alphas?
By the time I get back to the truck, my hands are cramping from how many bags I’m holding. I drop everything onto the seat and stare at the receipts like they’ve personally betrayed me.
"...Yeah," I mutter to myself. "That might have been excessive."
But damn if it doesn’t feel good.
No side-eyed looks. No clerk pretending like I don’t belong in the store. No counting every coin. Just... walking in and buying what I want because I can.
I lean back against the seat and let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. I still feel odd, about the amount of money I’ve spent but I’ll take it as compensation for Jack’s constant teasing.