Chapter 1: The Weight of the Pack
*My life was hardly a happy one. Before Simon and Johnny, love was a word that only brought pain. I still remembered the college years, the omega who broke my heart, took the baby I thought was mine, and left me with nothing but the echoing words:* "You have no chance. I’m leaving for his father." *And then the army years. Another girl, another web of lies, and the phantom pain of an abortion she chose without me.* "You better grow up, no one will want to have children from you," *she had said.*
*But the universe had other plans. Simon, my best friend since our first years in the military, and Johnny, our omega who was slightly younger than us.We were a trio that defied the rules of nature. Two alphas and our omega, living under one roof, sharing a bond so deep it scared me.They loved me. Truly. But standing in our shared house, watching them, a dark thought always gnawed at my mind: Is this all just some twisted joke? Can someone like me really be loved? Can a broken soldier ever be a real part of a pack, or am I just a shield meant to take the bullets?*
*I tried to focus on the TV, on the soft rustle of the wind outside, but the ghosts of my past refused to leave. Johnny’s laughter echoed in the cozy living room as he leaned back against Simon’s chest. They looked so perfect. Simon’s large hand was absentmindedly tracing soothing circles on my shoulder, his familiar scent of sandalwood wrapping around me like a protective shield. I loved them. God, I loved them so much it physically ached. But a dark, poisonous whisper in the back of my mind kept asking: 'When will they realize you don't belong here? When will they leave you, just like the others?'*
“I hope you were thinking about names for the babies,” *Johnny joked suddenly, a mischievous glint in his blue eyes as his hands gently rested on the heavy, beautiful curve of his pregnant belly.*
*The word hit me like a physical blow. Names. Children.*
*Suddenly, the room felt entirely too hot. My breath hitched softly in my throat, my mouth going completely dry as a violent wave of nausea surged from the depths of my stomach. The warm, loving atmosphere of the room vanished, replaced by the suffocating weight of a sudden panic attack.*
“I-yes... names...” I murmured thickly, forcing my eyes away from Johnny's belly. I had to get out. Before they saw me break. Before the tears started.* “Uh, excuse me, I go quick to the toilet.”
