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“Rory came to understand what we meant to her,” Simon says from beside me. “Ever since then, she’s allowed us to get close to her and help her. We’re from Jersey, so she was never far from home.”
Tears well up in Heather’s eyes. “I knew she was in pain,” she says in a choked voice. “Rory can throw tantrums over the smallest things but when it comes to real sadness, she’s a closed book. She’ll cover up her feelings and shut the door on our faces.”
“We know,” I say gently. “That’s why we want to give her the space to heal. We’ve invited her to live with us until she feels better. She’s convinced Mayor Bailley to let her stay with us. That’s why we’re here to collect some of her stuff so we can build a nest for her.”
Surprise flickers on her face. “You want to build her a nest?”
“Of course,” Simon and I chime together.
“She’s our mate,” says Simon. “We want her to feel at home when she’s with us. A nest would allow her to feel safe and comfortable. It’ll be her space and she can decorate it the way she wants. We’re just here to pick up some of her favorite stuff.”
I step closer to Heather. “You’re the best person in the world to tell us what she loves. She said you’ve known her since she was a child.”
A bright smile comes onto her lips. “Rory said that about me?”
“She sure did!” Simon says, grinning at her. “She loves you.”
Tears shine in Heather’s eyes as she smiles at us. “That girl...” She shakes her head, looking away. “She always acts aloof and distant but deep inside, she has a soft heart.”
Coming closer to us, she grabs both our hands. “I’m so glad she has finally found her true mates,” she says in a broken voice. “You have no idea what it does to me to know you’re building a nest for her. The guy she was dating previously was adevil. He ruined her before leaving for good!”
Heather’s smile turns into a glare.
A spark of jealousy erupts in my chest. The burn is so bad that it’s a struggle to hide my grimace and act nonchalant.
“Can you tell us more about him?” Simon asks. “Rory never talks about him.”
“She doesn’t?” Heather asks, looking confused. “He’s the one who broke her heart and left her in such a horrible mess. Rory was the most beautiful omega in her class at the academy. Every girl was jealous of her looks and talents. Philip and I expected her to be snatched by one of the most influential packs in the country but she ended up with that Jake Hudson.”
“Is that her ex?” I ask as the name of the jerk gets carved into my mind.
“That’s him,” she says, looking furious. “He manipulated her into thinking her dad’s her enemy. He wouldn’t even let her hang out with her friends. She started trusting him more than the people who truly loved her. Rory’s whole life started revolving around him. When they broke up, she almost starved herself to death.”
She pants, her breathing becoming erratic as she gets angrier. “Rory can lie about a diet gone wrong but I know the truth. I’ve seen her grow up since she was just a baby. She was never weak but that awful alpha made a fool out of her. He broke her heart so badly she couldn’t cope with the pain.”
A hard sob escapes her and she suddenly breaks down into tears.
“Hey, it’s okay,” Simon says gently. Moving closer to her, he wraps his arm around her shoulders and holds her while loud sobs wrack through her body.
“Rory’s going to be okay,” I tell her. “We’ll show her what she means to us. My brothers and I will always protect her and cherish her. Just give us a chance and see for yourself. We promise to make her happy.”
Heather wipes her eyes and looks up at me. She’s quiet as she silently reads me.
“Let me take you to her room,” she says, finally calming down. “You’ll see how beautiful my Rory used to be.”
She marches further inside the entrance hall and leads us through a network of corridors until we reach a staircase. On the way, we catch glimpses of some amazing oil paintings.
“Is Mayor Bailley into art?” I ask as we head up the stairs.
“It was Nina who was a big art enthusiast,” she says with a backward glance at me. “Most of the paintings you see here belonged to her collection.”
“Was that Rory’s mom?” Simon asks.
“Yeah,” she says, guiding us along the first-floor hallway. “She was an art expert and passed down her love for paintings to Rory. Come on, I’ll show you what I mean.”
She pushes open a door and walks inside the room.
A beautiful space opens up to us.
