Chapter 13 #2
Maybe that was what scared me most about this situation. Not that I was broken or greedy or fundamentally flawed, but that I was being honest about what I wanted for the first time in years. And honesty felt dangerous after so long spent trying to be whatever Vincent needed me to be.
“I’m terrified,” I admitted. “Of wanting this. Of admitting that I might want all three of you in different ways. Of hoping that maybe, possibly, it could actually work.”
“I know.”
“But I’m also tired of being afraid. Tired of second-guessing every feeling I have because Vincent convinced me my instincts were wrong. Tired of hiding and running and pretending I don’t want things that I clearly do want.”
“So what do you want to do?”
The question was simple, but the answer felt enormous. Life-changing. Like standing at a trailhead with multiple paths leading into unknown territory, and choosing one meant committing to wherever it led.
“I want to try,” I said, the words barely above a whisper.
“I want to see if I can do this. To see if Hollis and Cassian feel the same as I do. Have relationships with all three of you, and trust that if it becomes too much or too complicated, we can figure it out together instead of me making all the decisions alone.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that.” He smiled gently. “Although I should probably mention that I haven’t actually talked to Hollis or Cassian about any of this. So I can’t promise they’ll be on the same page.”
Reality crashed back in, and I felt my stomach drop.
“Oh god. What if they’re not okay with it?
What if Hollis wants me to himself, or Cassian thinks the whole situation is inappropriate, or they both decide I’m too much trouble?
Or neither of them think of me as anything but an acquaintance or friend. ”
“Then we’ll deal with that too,” Jace said calmly. “But I know Hollis pretty well, and based on what I’ve observed, I think he’d be supportive. And Cassian’s reputation suggests he’s mature enough to handle complicated situations with grace.”
“You really think so?”
“I really think so. And even if I’m wrong, even if one or both of them decide this isn’t what they want, that doesn’t mean you did anything wrong. It just means the situation wasn’t right for everyone involved.”
I nodded slowly, trying to let that sink in. Trying to believe that my worth wasn’t determined by whether three specific alphas wanted to be in a pack with me.
“So what happens now?” I asked.
“Now you go home and take care of yourself. Maybe make some of that incredible soup you’ve been talking about.
I finish my day, including helping coordinate a search for a lost hiker.
” He paused, studying my face. “And tomorrow, or the next day, when you’re ready, we keep moving forward.
Keep spending time together, keep building trust, keep figuring out what this looks like. ”
“And Thursday? The foraging hike?”
“Still on, if you want it to be. Although I should warn you that I’m going to spend the entire time showing off my ranger knowledge and probably boring you with facts about fungal networks.”
That surprised a laugh out of me, short but genuine. “I like when you show off your ranger knowledge.”
“Good. Because I have a lot of it, and I’ve been waiting twenty years to have someone to share it with who actually cares.”
The sweetness of that admission made my chest tight. Here was someone who’d carried memories of me through two decades of life, who’d chosen to come back to the place we’d shared, who was offering me patience and acceptance and the kind of steady support I’d convinced myself I didn’t deserve.
And he was telling me it was okay to also want what Hollis and Cassian offered.
“Thank you,” I said quietly. “For finding me today. For not being angry or territorial or making me feel guilty about wanting more than just you.”
“Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me the truth. Even when it was hard.”
We sat in comfortable silence for a moment, listening to the creek and the birds and the wind through the aspens. Normal forest sounds that meant the world was still functioning, still moving forward, even when individual lives felt complicated and uncertain.
“I should let you get to that search coordination,” I said finally. “Someone’s probably worried about their lost hiker.”
“Probably.” He stood and offered me his hand. “Want me to walk you back to the trailhead?”
I took his hand, letting him pull me up from the log. His grip was warm and steady, the kind of physical contact that felt supportive rather than possessive.
We made our way back down the trail together, moving slower than necessary, neither of us quite ready to end this moment despite the professional obligation pulling him away.
He pointed out animal tracks in soft mud, identified bird calls I didn’t recognize, explained how seasonal changes affected trail conditions and wildlife behavior.
It was comfortable. Easy. The kind of companionship that didn’t require constant conversation or performance, just presence and shared attention to the world around us.
By the time we reached the parking area, some of the tension had melted from my shoulders. Not all of it, not even most of it. But enough that I could breathe a little easier, could imagine getting through the next few days without completely falling apart.
“So Thursday,” Jace said as we reached my car. “I’ll text you the details. Probably an early start, since the best foraging happens in morning light. And dress in layers because mountain weather is unpredictable this time of year.”
“I can do that.”
“Good.” He hesitated, then added, "And Talia? If you need to talk before Thursday, or if you start spiraling about any of this, you can call me. Anytime. I mean that."
The offer was so simple, so genuinely meant, that I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes again.
Before I could second-guess myself, before fear or doubt or Vincent's voice could stop me, I stepped forward and kissed him.
It wasn't calculated or smooth. My hand found his chest for balance, and I had to rise up on my toes to reach him properly.
But the moment our lips met, something in my chest unlocked.
Something that had been held tight and cautious for so long that I'd forgotten what it felt like to just.. . want something and take it.
Jace made a small sound of surprise, then his hand came up to cup my jaw, gentle and sure. He kissed me back like he'd been waiting for this, like he wanted to memorize every second of it. Not demanding or possessive, just present. Just here with me in this moment.
When we pulled apart, I was breathing hard, my heart racing in a way that had nothing to do with fear.
"Sorry," I said automatically, then caught myself. "No. Actually, I'm not sorry. I wanted to do that."
A slow smile spread across Jace's face, the kind that reached his eyes and made him look younger, almost boyish. "Good. Because I've been wanting to do that since you opened your door three weeks ago and I realized the girl I’d never forgotten had actually come back."
The sweetness of that admission made my throat tight. "That’s a long time to wait."
"Worth every second." He brushed his thumb along my jaw once more before stepping back, letting me have space again. "Go home, Talia. Make your soup. And know that I'm going to be thinking about that kiss for the rest of my shift."
"Me too," I admitted, feeling heat rise to my cheeks.
I nodded, not trusting my voice to say anything else, and climbed into my car. He waited until I'd started the engine before heading to his own vehicle, but now there was something different in his expression. Something warm and pleased and full of promise.
As I drove back toward Hollow Haven, I caught myself thinking about what he’d said. About pack dynamics being normal here. About multiple relationships being okay if everyone communicated and supported each other. About healing being a process rather than a destination.
It sounded impossible. Like a fantasy world where people actually got what they needed instead of having to choose between competing goods.
But Jace lived here now. He’d observed these dynamics firsthand. And he genuinely seemed to believe it could work.
Maybe it was time to start believing it too.
My phone buzzed with a text as I pulled onto the main road. I glanced at it at the next stop sign, expecting Jace with additional details about Thursday.
Instead, it was Hollis. Hope you’re having a good day. New shipment of cookbooks came in, including that fermentation guide you mentioned wanting to see. Stop by whenever you’re free.
My chest tightened with something that felt like affection mixed with guilt. I’d been so worried about Jace’s reaction to my feelings for others that I hadn’t even thought about how Hollis might respond to learning about Jace and Cassian.
But that was a problem for another day. Right now, I just needed to get home, make some food, and try to process everything that had happened in the past few hours.
I texted back a quick thanks and a promise to stop by soon, then turned my attention back to driving. The mountains rose around me, solid and permanent and somehow comforting in their indifference to human complications.
Jace was right about one thing. I’d always loved wild things. Things that couldn’t be contained or controlled or forced into neat categories.
Maybe that was why I was drawn to this situation despite how terrifying it felt. Because three different relationships, each unique and honest and unconstrained by traditional expectations, was the wildest thing I’d ever considered wanting.
And maybe, just maybe, that was okay.