Chapter 16 #2
"We all should have," I admitted as I fiddled with hate cup in my hand, "We thought ignoring her would make her give up and leave. Instead, we gave her time to fixate and escalate. That's on us."
"How did Daphne react to the market thing?" Garrett asked, concern evident in his voice. "Levi said she was pretty shaken."
"She was panicking, no question." Levi confirmed. "Thought everyone in town was judging her, that she'd become some kind of spectacle. Took me a bit to convince her that people were actually on her side."
"That'll feed into her fears," I noted. "She's worried about being visible, about people having opinions about her life. Trinity put a spotlight on her that she definitely didn't want."
"All the more reason to show her we're serious," Oliver said, and I could see the gears moving in his head already. "To prove through actions, not just words, that we're choosing her deliberately. That this isn't some whim or fantasy."
I grabbed another piece of bacon, thinking through the logistics. "Wednesday dinner. What are we making?"
"Steaks on the grill," Oliver said immediately. "I'll handle the meat. Garrett can do vegetables—he's best with the grill basket. Levi, you're on sides and dessert."
"What about me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You're on Daphne duty," Oliver said with a slight smirk. "Keep her comfortable, make sure she's not overwhelmed. You're good at reading people and adjusting accordingly. Plus, she seems to respond to your directness."
"She responded to all of us differently," I pointed out. "Garrett's patience, Levi's humor, your protectiveness. That's the point—we each bring something different to this dynamic."
"Speaking of dynamics," Levi said, settling into a chair with his own coffee, "have we actually talked about what this would look like? If she says yes, I mean really says yes, to all of us?"
The question hung in the air, heavy with implications. We'd been so focused on whether Daphne would even consider a courtship that we hadn't fully discussed what success would actually mean.
"Four Alphas and one Omega," Garrett said slowly. "That's not exactly traditional..but it isn’t too different from the pack I was raised in."
"Nothing about our pack is traditional," I reminded him. "We formed this pack because we wanted something different. Why would courting be any different?"
Oliver leaned back against the counter, arms crossed. "It would mean sharing everything. Time, attention, affection. It would mean communication on a level we've never had to maintain before. It would mean making sure everyone's needs are met—hers and each of ours."
"Complicated," Levi observed, giving a low hum in thought.
"Very," I agreed, knowing that they were all taking this serious. "But potentially worth it. If she's the right fit, if she actually chooses all of us, then the complications become problems worth solving rather than reasons to give up."
"You think she could choose all of us?" Garrett asked, vulnerability creeping into his voice. "Four Alphas? That's a lot to ask of anyone, let alone someone who doesn't trust easily."
I thought about Daphne on her porch, the way she'd slowly, carefully sat down next to me despite her fear.
The way she'd answered my hard questions with brutal honesty even when it hurt.
The way she'd looked when I told her we'd be choosing her on purpose—like she desperately wanted to believe it, but couldn't quite let herself.
"I think," I said carefully, "that she could.
But if we give her time and patience and prove we're serious, I think she could choose all of us.
Because here's what I realized this morning: Daphne doesn't do anything halfway.
When she commits, she commits completely.
Look at her garden, her business, her entire life structure. She's all in or all out."
"So if she chooses us..." Levi trailed off.
"If she chooses us, she'll choose all of us," I finished, glancing at each one of the men I thought of as brothers. "She's not the type to half-ass a relationship any more than she half-asses anything else. The question is whether we can be patient enough to let her get there at her own pace."
"We can," Oliver said with absolute certainty. "We will."
Garrett was nodding, that determined set to his jaw that meant he was already strategizing. "Wednesday. We show her who we are as a pack. We let her see the good and the messy. We don't hide the arguments or the rough edges."
"Why would we hide those things?" Levi asked, confused.
"Because people usually try to present their best selves during courtship," I explained, knowing pretending wasn’t something Levi had ever tried to do.
He was always himself. "They hide the flaws, smooth over the complications.
But Daphne's been lied to—by omission if not outright—too many times.
She needs to see reality, not a performance. "
"So if Oliver and I get into it about something Wednesday night, we don't shut it down for her benefit?" Garrett asked, gently curious on what to do.
"Not unless it's actually inappropriate," Oliver clarified, a snort of amusement leaving him. "But normal pack dynamics? She should see those. She needs to know what she'd be walking into."
I finished my coffee, feeling the caffeine finally kicking in and clearing the last of the fog from my brain. "There's something else we need to discuss. Her scent."
Three pairs of eyes locked on me immediately. "What about it?" Garrett asked, his voice carefully neutral.
"It's honeysuckle," I hummed lightly thinking of her scent.
"Sweet, but with an undertone of something sharp—maybe the fear, maybe just her natural complexity.
But the important thing is how it responds.
When I got close, when her defenses dropped even slightly, it flared.
Strong enough that I could smell it clearly even through the morning air. "
"That's a good sign," Levi smiled slowly as his eyes lit up in understanding, "It means she's not completely closed off to us. Her biology is responding even if her psychology is still cautious."
"It also means we need to be careful," Oliver added, glancing at everyone with a warning look, "Omega biology can sometimes push faster than emotional readiness. We can't use her scent response as permission to push boundaries she's not ready for."
"Agreed," I said firmly, glad he caught on quickly where my mind had thought of the situation, "Which is why Wednesday needs to be low-key. Let her see us, let her biology acclimate to being around all four of us at once, but don't push for anything physical beyond what she initiates."
"What did she initiate this morning?" Garrett asked, trying to sound casual and failing.
I smirked, seeing the eagerness Garrett had to know everything about Daphne. "She sat next to me. Voluntarily. After minutes of hesitation and probably an entire internal debate about fight or flight responses."
"That's huge for her," Garrett said immediately. "The first time I met her, she kept at least six feet of distance between us the entire conversation until the very end."
"She's letting her guard down incrementally," I observed, thinking back to the young omega with such weariness in her eyes and posture, "Which means we need to move at her pace, not ours. Every time she takes a step toward us, we acknowledge it but don't grab for more."
Levi grabbed a scone, breaking it apart absently. "What if she doesn't show up Wednesday? What if she panics between now and then?"
"Then we give her space and try again later," Oliver spoke up, as he took a bite of his own food. "We don't chase, we don't pressure. We make it clear the invitation stands and let her come to us when she's ready."
"But we should check in," Garrett argued, shifting in his seat with restless energy. "Not in a pushy way, but just...check in. Something to let her know we're thinking about her without demanding a response."
I considered that. "Maybe. But keep it light. No emotional heavy lifting over text. Just a simple connection. Probably should get her phone number before Wednesday just in case. Then we could just send a text."
"I can do that," Garrett’s eyes lit up at the thought of talking to Daphne again, “I can drop by and bring her something…” He trailed off at the end glancing at Levi who gave a laugh knowing he wanted a sweet treat or bread to take to her again like I had.
"Not today…but maybe give her today to think and stop by tomorrow or even later today.” I said quickly. "Give her at least some time to get comfortable. She just had an intense conversation with me, she needs time to process before we pile more on."
Garrett reluctantly agreed, though he looked like it physically pained him. "This is torture. You know that, right? Having to wait and be patient when what I want is to just... I don't know. Fix everything for her."
"You can't fix her," I said gently, trying to make sure he understood. He couldn’t think of her like that, like she was something that needed to be pieced back together. "She's not broken. She's just scarred. There's a difference."
"Semantics," Garrett muttered, though he had an understanding look in his eyes as he leaned back into his chair, his arms crossed over his chest in an almost pouting way.
"Important semantics," Oliver corrected, rolling his eyes at Garreett. He definitely was the most spoiled and youngest of the pack. "Micah's right. Daphne doesn't need fixing. She needs choosing. Consistently, reliably, without conditions. That's what we can offer her."
We sat in comfortable silence for a moment, each of us lost in our own thoughts. The kitchen filled the homey mixture of breakfast, coffee, and pack—that indefinable scent that was all four of us mixed together, familiar and grounding.
"I gave her the bread," I said after a while, glancing at Levi whose eyes snapped over to me. "She tried it. Said to tell Levi the feeding schedule worked."
Levi's face lit up, a grin stretching across his face in happiness, "Really? She liked it?"
"She ate half of it during our conversation," I confirmed, a small laugh leaving me as I saw the pure happiness on Levi’s face at my words. "Barely noticed she was doing it. Which means it was either really good, or she was comfortable enough to eat without being self-conscious about it."
"Probably both," Levi said smugly, though I could see the small blush on his cheeks, "I'm getting good at this sourdough thing."
"You're getting insufferable about this sourdough thing," I corrected, but I was smiling. "She said to tell you yourself, by the way. Though she also said 'or don't, up to you' because she's incapable of accepting a compliment without deflecting."
"I'll text her about it when we get her number.," Levi decided, determination setting on his face, "Just something about the bread. Keep it casual. I promise."
Oliver pushed off from the counter, his expression thoughtful. "We should talk about the property. If this goes well, if she eventually wants to be here more often, we need to make sure there's space for her. A room she can make her own, somewhere she feels safe."
"The room at the end of the hall," Garrett suggested immediately, as he stood up. "It's got the best light, overlooking the garden area. We could clear it out, let her decorate however she wants."
"We're not redecorating before she's even agreed to a courtship," I said firmly, shaking my head at the two romantics of our pack.
They were the ones who would want to sweep someone off their feet, or go too fast in a relationship.
"But we should clean it, make it available.
Show her we're thinking ahead without being presumptuous. "
"There's a fine line between planning and presuming," Levi spoke up, as he too was holding back wanting to do what Garrett and Oliver suggested, but he knew better to do so too early.
"And we're going to walk it very carefully," Oliver sighed, knowing he was thinking too farahead…but I could also see he wanted this to work…we all did.
I stood, carrying my empty plate and mug to the sink. "I'm going to go for a run. Clear my head. You all should probably find something to do with your nervous energy that doesn't involve obsessing over Wednesday."
"Says the man who just spent an hour with her and can't stop analyzing every detail," Garrett shot back, though I could see the smile on his face.
"That's different. That's strategic analysis." I shot back, a grin on my own face as I glanced over my pack.
"That's obsessing," Levi corrected with a grin as he gathered his own plate up.
I flipped him off, which just made him laugh.
"Fine. We're all obsessing. But let's at least try to be productive about it.
" As I headed upstairs to change into running clothes, I could hear them talking in the kitchen—making plans, discussing details, building a future that was anything but guaranteed.
It should have worried me, this level of investment before we really knew if it would work. But instead, it felt right.
We were a pack that chose each other. Now we were choosing her. The question was whether she'd be brave enough to choose us back.
I laced up my running shoes, my mind still circling back to that moment on her porch when she'd said she wanted to try.
The vulnerability in her voice, the fear and hope mixed together.
She was taking a leap, and we damn well better be there to catch her.
I stepped outside, the fog a distant memory thanks to the morning sun, leaving everything sharp and clear.
The property was still a work in progress—lumber stacked near the barn, tools scattered around the half-renovated porch—but it was becoming something. Becoming home.
And maybe, if we did this right, it would become Daphne's home too.
One step at a time, I'd told her. That was all anyone was asking. For a woman who'd spent five years building walls, every step toward us was an act of courage. The least we could do was make sure those steps led somewhere safe.
I started running, my feet hitting the dirt path in a steady rhythm that matched my heartbeat. The property stretched out around me—trees and sky and the promise of something new.
Wednesday couldn't come fast enough.