Chapter 20
Wren
“ Y ou’ll give into me soon enough, Poppy,” I warned the tiny cow as I combed out her fur to keep it from matting. She gave me a side eye and we both knew she was only tolerating it thanks to Pretzel being curled up in front of her, snoring away.
“I’d say she’s halfway there,” Nash mused, his voice making me startle and Pretzel peek open one eye. He crouched down to give the lazy dog a rub and offering me a smile. “I came by to see if you’d like to go out with me after work. You’re off soon, right?”
“I am,” I agreed. “Though, I’m not sure you can top the concert.”
“I’d still like to try,” he said, standing up and looking out over the pasture. “Sure is pretty out here.”
“I love it,” I admitted. “The first time I came out here I knew it was where I was meant to be. Though, at the time I didn’t realize just how much it was true.”
We fell silent for a spell and I finished grooming what I could reach of Poppy. She eyed me the entire time and finally rested her head when I stood to walk away.
“So, where are we going?” I asked as he followed me to the shed to put the brushes away.
“Actually, this time might not be as exciting,” he admitted sheepishly. “I found this shop a few towns away that does custom coffee blends and has handmade mugs. It’s right next to a vegetarian restaurant and bakery. I thought you might be interested?”
“That sounds great, actually. I was teasing before, not every date can be over the top. I’d be exhausted,” I reassured him. Nash’s smile was easy, as usual. The way he smiled and lit up for me made me feel amazing. He was warm and open, like sunshine personified. It helped chase away some of my inner darkness.
He waited patiently while I ran inside to shower and change, before we were heading out of town. I heard the sounds of my omega and beta having a shower together and didn’t disturb them, so I texted Shepherd instead.
“So, what was it like growing up in Rockwood Valley?”
“Exhausting,” he admitted with a chuckle that said he didn't really mean it. “Being a triplet made it so everyone was constantly comparing us. It always felt like they saw every damn flaw and mistake we made. Then there was Avery who won everyone over. Sometimes I think she did it to protect us, though we should have been protecting her.”
The way he said that had me narrowing my eyes.
“Nash, you can’t blame yourself for what happened to her.”
“Like hell I can’t. We let her run away and didn’t check in enough. We never liked them and maybe if we’d done something about it, scared them off like real big brothers, none of this would have happened to you.”
My heart broke at the pain in his voice. He’d blamed himself this whole time. Maybe it wasn’t just the town that found him lacking, but Nash as well.
“If it didn’t, I wouldn’t be here right now and you’d be packless,” I pointed out. “I’m not saying I’m glad any of that happened. It was a nightmare that still haunts me. But you guys? You chase some of that away. Make me feel whole, worthy. Don’t blame yourself for having a life. Snakes like them often have the most charming smiles and words. I don’t even think Avery knew.”
He deflated a little, his fingers finding mine again. “How did I get so lucky?”
“Fate,” I said, giving him a wink. “So, do you have tattoos I get to color in, too?”
He laughed. “I’ve got a few, maybe I’ll have to schedule some new ink. I’m kind of sad Shep gets all the fun. Maybe I’ll get some fun coloring pages stamped right on my ass for you.”
“That could be fun,” I laughed, picturing him stretched out in front of the fireplace, bare ass with me coloring in every line.
Actually, I wasn’t against it.
“I could get behind that, actually,” I mused, making him laugh harder. Knowing this crazy alpha, he’d make it happen.
We were quiet as he merged on the highway. The soft music in the background and breeze blowing through our cracked windows had me relaxing into the leather seat.
“Do you think it’s weird how we all just… work together?”
He hummed at my question, mulling it over before answering. As playful and flirty as Nash was, he truly was a great alpha. He didn’t dismiss his omegas and was thoughtful and kind. He picked a vegetarian place just for me and was planning these incredible dates.
I hadn’t spent any time with him one on one yet, but this felt as natural as breathing. Every new thing we learned about each other just seemed to strengthen whatever tentative bond was forming between us.
“Unconventional might be a better word. Outside of that, who cares? We all stepped up when you needed it and because of that, I trust them. Devon and you are incredible and make me feel like I have a purpose. Shepherd and Braxton are great from what I know so far. We have a lot of growing to do as a pack, but courting you two and learning about each other will be the easy part now. We skipped right past awkward and are just a pack.”
I smiled at his words. They reiterated everything I’d been saying to myself and settled some of the lingering worry that this would all overwhelm them until they wanted out.
Maybe that was just my fear of abandonment talking. I didn’t have a great record of people in my life keeping me. I’d lost my family, friends, and I was terrified of losing them, too.
“Hey, get out of that pretty head of yours,” Nash said, taking my hand in his and giving it a squeeze. “Do we need to talk it out more?”
“No. It’s just me overthinking,” I admitted. “It feels too good to be true and I’m scared it’ll end.”
“I can’t speak for everyone, but there’s nothing in this world that could keep me from you, sweetheart,” he vowed, bringing my knuckles to his lips to place a kiss there.
Okay, swoon. This alpha knew exactly how to calm me down.
“Now, consider this our first step of courting. I want to make it clear now, that I will be paying for everything we do today,” he warned me. “It’s okay to let your pack spoil you from time to time.”
“Fine,” I grumbled, though honestly I loved it. Contributing to our pack account was different than them giving me moments like this. Little pockets of peace that showed they listened and wanted me as I was. Trauma, baggage, anxiety, and all.
The rest of the ride into Stonefield felt a lot lighter. We sang to the radio, laughed about my day working with our crazy animals, and simply existed together.
He pulled up in front of Coffee Your Way and just from the front of the shop I knew I’d love it. Everything was painted in shades of browns and creams, little coffee cups with tiny smiles dancing on the front window. Whoever owned it clearly went for cute and inviting and I adored it.
Nash shut the car off and practically ran around to my side so he could open my door and help me out. Mama Whitaker raised a gentleman.
The scent of coffee was strong even out here. When we opened the door it was downright heavenly. Freshly ground coffee, syrups, and random confections had my mouth watering and my omega perking up.
It was still so weird to have her back. She was quieter now, more subdued, but almost… hopeful. She’d be quiet then perk up like this, reminding me that I was truly healing.
How could I not embrace Nash’s date after a moment like that?
“Welcome to Coffee Your Way, are you here to make your own fun mixes, or to enjoy a treat?” a bouncy beta asked as she came over, her energy reminding me of a cute puppy. Even her ponytail was swinging as she bounced on her toes.
“Both,” I said. “But starting with the coffee blend.”
“Perfect,” she said, waving us over to a kiosk. She grabbed a few things before passing us over a menu. “You start there and move down the line. You can blend flavors and make custom syrups and drizzles. There are empty bags, containers, whatever you’ll need by each station. Prices are listed on this menu so you know what you’re getting into. There are stickers at each station, you simply put them on this slip and that’s how they ring you up!”
With that explanation she was off, ready to greet the next. I took a breath and flipped open the menu. It was a lot, but I wasn’t overwhelmed by it.
“Devon likes his sweeter than me, but I don’t know how Braxton and Shepherd like theirs,” I admitted. “Or you.”
“How about you start on yours, then we can worry about them. I’ll send out a text but I’d bet that Shepherd is a ‘black coffee’ kind of alpha,” Nash teased, sending off a quick message before snagging a basket to hold our goodies and following behind me.
“And you?”
He scanned the menu, taking in all the flavors before answering. “I’m thinking this chocolate churro blend sounds incredible. We may need to upgrade Shep’s coffee machine, though.”
“Probably,” I agreed. Everything at Harding Farms was a little worn down, but honestly, I loved it. The entire farmhouse and land felt like home. It smelled of us now and the mountains. Sure, there was also a hint of livestock in there, but that wasn’t a deal breaker for me.
For the next thirty minutes, we filled several coffee bags with our blends, labeling them and using the nearby pen to mark names on them. Devon got a carmel blend, Braxton a raspberry white chocolate one, Nash his chocolate churro, Shepherd said to surprise him so I mixed up a spiced mix, and finally got myself one they aptly called death by chocolate, and mixed in a hint of toasted graham cracker for a s’mores twist.
They had plenty of premade syrups and drizzles, so we snagged some of those and made our way to the checkout. The wall behind the register was loaded with handmade mugs among the cute commercially made ones. My eyes landed on a mug tree that had exactly five rungs for mugs.
“I’d like to get that mug tree and get everyone a mug. Start putting a bit of us in the farmhouse,” I said, chewing on my lip to stop myself from offering to pay.
Nash didn’t even bat an eye before he pointed it out. The cashier was patient as we picked out one for each. Not one of them went together but they represented each of us perfectly.
Of course, my stubborn but thoughtful alpha asked her to not say or show the total and simply handed over his card. She didn’t even seem fazed by the request and I let myself stay oblivious.
“It’s killing you to not pay, isn’t it?” he mused as we walked out to put our things in the truck. We opted for coming back after lunch for the treats.
“It did when I added the mugs,” I admitted. “But I was a good little omega and let her alpha spoil her instead.”
I batted my eyelashes at my alpha who rolled his eyes but had a pleased smile on his face. He tugged me close and pressed his lips to mine.
“You know what, omega? I think I’d like to keep you.”
His words filled some of those empty places in my soul, settling there until I felt wanted, desired, and like my heart was full.
“You have a way with words, Nash Whitaker,” I said, kissing him again. He deepened it until I was breathless before wrapping my arm around his and leading me toward the cafe.
“Just think, this is only the beginning.”