40. Dean
CHAPTER 40
Dean
"Take your time. We’ll be here." Mason shifts on his heels like he’s ready to walk away and leave them both behind in the park. But every alpha instinct in me roots me to the spot. There’s no way I can just walk away from this. From them.
My musk seeps out of me, deep and earthy, a call to all of them. A signal that they are my pack, even if it isn’t official yet.
Lakelyn, standing firm, her fierce protectiveness sparking something primal in me. The way she shields Chad makes me want to pull her close, wrap her up in my arms, and kiss her senseless. She’s always had that fire, but seeing it like this—burning for him—it’s doing something to me. My pulse pounds, and I can’t shake the urge to protect her, too, even though she clearly doesn’t need it.
Then there’s Chad, standing by her side, no longer running. He’s finally facing us, facing me , and for the first time since that night, hope stirs deep inside me. He hasn’t bolted, hasn’t shut down. He’s right here, and that makes something inside me shift.
I want them both.
And the realization hits me harder than I expected.
No, it’s more than that. I need them. All three of them.
Chad steps forward, Lakelyn’s fingers intertwined with his. “I’ve been rejected by people my entire life. My parents, people I thought were friends, and even you,” he says, his voice low as he glances at me. I open my mouth to deny his words, but he raises a hand to stop me.
“Let me finish,” he insists, and I can see the emotions swirling in his eyes. “I’ve never been good enough for anyone. Other alphas, even the ones on national television—” He shrugs, a bitter smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “No one ever wanted me for who I am. I’m blunt, I’m honest, and I’m probably never going to change. And I need you both to understand that. If you’re choosing to be bound to me, you’re binding yourselves to a smart-mouthed omega who doesn’t always think before he speaks.”
He takes a deep breath, the vulnerability in his stance making me hurt deep in my soul. “I don’t want to hurt you or push you away. I just… I want to be real. No pretenses. Just me.”
His gaze drops to Lakelyn, and she meets it with a soft smile, her eyes filled with that steady support she always gives him.
“And if you both can handle it,” Chad continues, his voice gentler now, “I just want to be held tonight. No bonding, no claiming marks. Just… sleeping. I spent today setting up my own place, and I want to spend the first night in my new nest—with all of you.”
Lakelyn’s breath catches in surprise, like she didn’t know he’d done that today. “You didn’t have to find a place,” she says, her voice soft, almost hurt. “You could’ve stayed with me.”
Chad smiles at her, a small, appreciative curve to his lips. “I love staying with you, but I’ve never really had a proper nest of my own. And, honestly? If my parents’ money can go toward something that actually makes me happy, I’ll take it. Because they sure haven’t figured out how to do that.” He shrugs, the smile fading into something more reflective. "This feels like something I need for me."
“You’re staying?” The words tumble out before I can think them through, surprising even myself. But I need to hear him say it. To confirm that he’s choosing to stay.
And not just because of me, because he didn’t even know I was part of this pack when he decided to settle back here. But now… now he’s staying. Even with everything unresolved between us, the mess of the past, the uncertainty of what comes next, he’s staying.
Chad looks up at me, something playful sparking in his eyes despite the heavy tension hanging around us. His lips twitch into a half-smirk, the familiar cheekiness slipping through. “Well, I have to put down roots somewhere.” He shrugs lightly, but there’s more weight in the gesture than he lets on. “I mean, things aren’t exactly perfect, but... who knows? Maybe it will all be worth it in the end.”
The comment’s light, teasing even, but there’s an underlying honesty there that I can’t ignore. He might not be sure about our bond yet, but he’s offering something. A chance. A future, maybe, if I’m willing to put in the time and effort.
Chad leads us to his new place, and I’m not sure what I expected, but it wasn’t this. It’s a full house, not just an apartment like I’d imagined. The front lawn is neatly manicured, a dogwood tree standing proudly in front of a large bay window that juts out from the house. The kind of window you could sit by for hours, just watching the world drift past. The siding is a soft, inviting blue, and a white wrap-around porch stretches along the side, giving the place a sense of warmth and home.
Chad pulls out a key, his movements deliberate but calm. He glances back at us for a moment, something unreadable in his eyes, before pushing the door open and stepping inside. Lakelyn and I follow him in without a word. Mason trails after us all, still silent. The quiet click of the door behind us echoing through the space.
The interior is simple, clean, and open, with hardwood floors that gleam beneath the soft lighting. The walls are painted a warm, inviting cream, making the space feel bright and airy, but the house is mostly bare. Just a small couch in the corner and a rug laid out in the center of the living room—a clear sign he hasn’t had time to fully furnish the place yet. The emptiness gives it an almost echoing feel, but somehow, it doesn’t feel cold. It’s more like a blank canvas, waiting for life to be brought into it.
Chad doesn’t linger in the bare room. He gestures for us to follow him up the wooden staircase, the sound of our footsteps soft against the polished steps. The second floor feels just as sparse until he opens a door near the end of the hallway.
His nest.
The room is a different story. The space feels intimate and cocooned, filled with piles of blankets and pillows that spill over the oversized bed in a soft heap. The bedding is dark—deep, rich tones of charcoal and navy—and looks impossibly soft, almost inviting you to sink into it. With sparkling lights attached to the ceiling to round out the space. Despite the minimal furnishings in the rest of the house, he has made this room feel like a sanctuary. It’s warm, comforting, and personal, the one place in the house that truly feels ready to be lived in. A safe place for him.
The room is more than just a nest—it’s an invitation. He’s offering us trust in a way only an omega willing to open himself up would. The blankets and pillows, the dark, soft bedding, all of it feels like an extension of him—of the vulnerability he’s allowing us to see. It's not just a place to sleep; it’s a sanctuary he’s built for himself, and now, he’s inviting us into that space, sharing it with us.
I glance over at Mason, and we both know this isn’t just about sleeping in the same space. This is Chad pulling back the layers, exposing a part of himself he usually shields with sharp words and a quick wit.
Chad steps aside, his fingers fiddling with the hem of his shirt, and for a second, I see the nerves creeping through. His eyes dart between us, searching our faces for any sign of rejection. “It’s not much,” he says, offering a half-smile. His voice is light, but there’s a weight to his words like this moment matters more than he’s letting on. “But it’s mine. And… if you’re okay with sleeping here, with me—” his words trail off as if he’s unsure how to finish the thought.
I take a step forward, my gaze locking with his. “It’s perfect, Chad.”
For a beat, his eyes widen, surprise flickering across his face before the corners of his lips tug up into a real smile. His cheeks flush pink, and for once, instead of brushing off the compliment or hiding behind some sarcastic remark, he just nods, accepting it. There’s a quietness in his acceptance, like maybe he’s starting to believe he deserves it.
Mason steps closer, standing solid at my side, his voice low and steady. “It’s more than enough.”
Chad’s eyes soften at Mason's words, and before I can even process the warmth in the air, Lakelyn moves to Chad’s side, slipping her arms around his waist. She nuzzles into him like it’s the most natural thing in the world, her presence grounding him in a way that makes something deep inside me stir.
The way they fit together, their easy connection—it’s more than just comfort. It’s this unspoken bond that pulls me in, too, like gravity. I’m watching them, and I realize I want that closeness, that feeling of belonging, with both of them. The pull isn’t just toward one of them. It’s toward everything they are together and everything we could be.
Chad glances at me, a question lingering in his eyes, but there’s no hesitation in what I feel anymore. I’m already falling for them both.