Chapter 26
26
LILY
T he knock at the door comes harder.
Hunter strides toward the door, his posture instantly alert. Thor trots at his heels, his ears perked forward with canine curiosity. James and Archer remain close to me, their touch lingering as if reluctant to break contact.
My heart hammers against my ribs, partly from the interrupted moment and partly from apprehension. Is it Hunter’s cousin, Travis, again?
Hunter pulls the door open, revealing a slender figure bundled in a pristine white parka, dark hair escaping from beneath a matching knit hat.
“Hannah?” I gasp, recognizing my sister immediately. I rush forward as she steps into the entryway, throwing my arms around her. “You’re here! Already!”
“The roads opened faster than expected,” Hannah explains, returning my hug. “They had extra plows out because of all the people stranded by the storm.” She pulls back, examining me with that big-sister scrutiny that hasn’t changed since we were kids. “Are you okay? You look... different.”
I feel my cheeks warm, knowing exactly how I look—like a woman who’s been thoroughly kissed and adored.
“I’m fine,” I assure her. “Better than fine, actually.”
Pulling back, I take in my sister’s appearance. Despite having just driven through post-blizzard mountain roads, she looks immaculate as always. Her dark-chocolate brown hair falls in perfect waves around her face, not a strand out of place. The French twist she normally wears for work has been let down, but she still looks like she just stepped out of a salon. Her makeup is flawless, her clothes—designer jeans and that ridiculously expensive cashmere sweater she splurged on last Christmas—unwrinkled. The only hint of her journey is the slight flush on her cheeks from the cold.
“I’ve been so worried about you,” she says, her eyes traveling over my face. “Your message was so vague, and then nothing! I thought you’d been murdered by mountain men or something.” Her gaze flicks over my shoulder, widening slightly as she takes in the three very large, very real mountain men standing behind me. “Oh,” she breathes. “You didn’t mention they were... um...”
“Alphas?” I supply, unable to contain a small smile at her reaction.
“I was going to say enormous, but yes, that, too,” she murmurs. Her attention darts between the three men, her cheeks blushing slightly.
“Come in.” I tug her inside, out of the cold entryway. “I’ll introduce you properly.”
Hannah follows me into the warmth of the cabin. She’s always been the detail-oriented one between us, noticing everything, so I spot her taking in the gorgeous home.
Thor approaches her, nudging her hand with his nose. Like me, Hannah loves animals, so she bends to pat his head, her perfectly manicured nails disappearing into his thick fur.
“Well, hello there,” she coos. “Aren’t you handsome? Yes, you are.”
I smile, watching her usual composure dissolve in the face of canine charm. Some things never change—Hannah may count her steps between tasks at the bakery and organize sprinkles by color, but put a dog in front of her, and she turns into a puddle.
“That’s Thor,” I tell her. “He’s Hunter’s, but I think he’s decided I’m his new favorite person.”
“Smart dog,” James murmurs behind me, just loud enough for me to hear.
I make the introductions quickly, gesturing to each man in turn. “Hannah, these are Hunter, James, and Archer. Guys, this is my sister, Hannah.”
She straightens, smoothing her sweater with a nervous gesture. “Thank you for taking care of my sister,” she says, adopting the slightly bossy big-sister tone she uses when she’s feeling protective. “I owe you so much for doing that.”
“You owe us nothing,” Hunter replies, closing the door firmly behind her.
Hannah glances back at the closed door, a flicker of unease crossing her face. For all her poise, my sister has always been slightly claustrophobic, a childhood fear that never fully dissipated.
“Well, we won’t stay long,” she states quickly. “I came to get her out of your hair. I’m sure you’re ready to get back to your normal lives.”
The atmosphere in the room instantly shifts, like the pressure drop before a storm. All three men go utterly still, their expressions transforming from polite welcome to something darker, more intense.
“You think you’re leaving us?” Hunter asks in my direction. “Is that why your sister is here to pick you up? You don’t want this? Us?”
“What’s going on?” Hannah looks between us, confusion evident in the furrow between her perfectly shaped eyebrows. “What are they talking about?”
I pinch my lips, my stomach twisting madly, slightly confused. My throat tightens with emotion as I struggle to find words.
“I just thought... after helping me and stuff... then things go back to normal, you know?” I manage, my voice small and uncertain. I wrap my arms around myself, suddenly feeling vulnerable. “You have your lives and don’t need someone like me and?—”
“Lily, stop,” James interrupts, moving closer. His gray eyes are wide, stormy with emotion. “Don’t even say what you’re saying.”
Within moments, all three men surround me, creating a circle of warmth and masculine energy that makes my knees weak. Thor sits at Hannah’s feet, watching the proceedings with bright, curious eyes.
“We can’t allow that,” Archer says, his hand finding mine. His fingers lace through mine, warm and steady. “When we, as Alphas, claim you, you are ours forever. When we help you through your heat?—”
“You had your heat?” Hannah gasps. “With them? All three?” She looks them up and down again, taking in their size, their obvious strength, in a new light. “God, they’re so huge.”
“You have no idea,” I choke out, half laughing, half on the verge of tears. The emotional whiplash of the past few minutes has left me raw and vulnerable. “It was... full on.”
“That’s an understatement,” Archer mutters with a grin.
“That’s our fault for not telling you this earlier,” Hunter explains. Then, to my utter shock, he drops to one knee before me.
James and Archer exchange a look, then follow suit until all three Alphas are kneeling at my feet. The sight is so unexpected, so overwhelming, I’m momentarily speechless.
“We heard you like groveling,” James states with a hint of that dry humor I’ve come to adore.
I glare at him, heat rushing to my cheeks. “But?—”
“No,” Hunter interrupts firmly. “We don’t want to lose what you showed us, the happiness we knew we were missing.” His ice-blue eyes, usually so controlled, are raw. “All three of us want you, only you.”
“You crashed into our lives—literally—and somehow fixed something none of us even realized was broken,” Archer adds, his usual playfulness replaced with earnest sincerity.
“You make us better,” James says simply. “Together and individually.”
Tears well in my eyes, spilling over despite my best efforts to contain them. It seems impossible—that these three incredible men could all want me, could be willing to upend their lives for me.
“But you barely know me,” I protest weakly.
“Sometimes a week is all it takes,” Hunter murmurs with a grin. “My grandfather used to say he knew my grandmother was the one the moment he laid eyes on her. Took him three days to propose.”
“And we’ve had less than a week with you,” Archer points out. “So, we’re practically taking it slow.”
Hannah watches from a few feet away, her initial wariness gradually replaced by a slow smile spreading across her face. She’s always been able to read me better than anyone, and whatever she sees in my expression seems to reassure her.
“What are you waiting for?” she whispers, loud enough for me to hear. “If you adore them, then yes, try this out. Don’t you dare give up now.”
“Your sister is very wise,” Archer adds with a theatrical wink toward Hannah. “I think we should listen to her. She clearly has excellent judgment, impeccable taste, and—if I might add—a remarkable resemblance to you that suggests beauty runs in the family.”
“Laying it on a bit thick there, Arch,” James murmurs.
“Flattery will get you everywhere,” Hannah replies dryly, though I can see she’s charmed despite herself. Her posture has relaxed, the protective big-sister stance softening.
“What do you want?” James asks me. “Because whatever it is, we’ll make it happen. We’ll move to Whispering Grove if we need to.”
“I’m not sure Hannah will like having three Alphas move in with her,” Hunter points out.
Hannah makes a strangled sound that’s half laugh, half cough. “There is not enough space. Literally. Our apartment above the bakery is tiny. I can hear Lily singing in the shower from every room.”
“My singing isn’t that bad,” I protest automatically.
“It really is,” she counters with sisterly frankness.
“We’ll buy a house there,” Archer suggests promptly. “Something with enough room for all of us.”
James’s eyes light up with a new idea. “We could open our own bakery, the four of us. You and me as the bakers.” He turns to Hannah. “Imagine the lines of women coming to buy baked goods from Archer and Hunter in pretty aprons.”
“I’d pay good money to see that,” Hannah agrees, grinning.
“Hunter in an apron? Now there’s a visual,” Archer muses, tilting his head as if picturing it.
“Don’t push your luck,” Hunter growls, but there’s no real heat in it.
“A book café attached,” Archer adds enthusiastically. “Rare editions on display, reading nooks, literary events. I’ve always wanted to combine my love of books with a public space.”
“And I’ll handle the business side,” Hunter says, his deep voice practical but warm. “Funding, management, logistics… but only if that’s okay.” His eyes move between Hannah and me. “We don’t want to break up the bakery sisters or take business from you.”
Hannah is already shaking her head. “Not at all. This is perfect, actually.” She hesitates, then continues. “I’ve been wanting to branch out more on my own and wasn’t sure how to tell you, Lily.”
“You were?” I stare at her, momentarily distracted from the three men still kneeling before me. “What are you going to do?”
“I’ve actually been looking into starting my own event catering and wedding planning business,” she continues. “I’ve already made some connections in the industry. Maybe I can order baked goods from you...” She pauses, an idea clearly forming. “If you want, I can sell you the bakery. You’d be amazing running it yourself.”
“Yes,” Hunter states immediately, rising to his feet. “She will buy it from you, and we can set up there in town but expand it. Make it something truly special.” He turns to me. “If that’s okay with you?”
My head spins with how rapidly everything is changing, possibilities unfolding before me that I never dared imagine. “This is moving so fast,” I say, feeling slightly overwhelmed. “Okay, one bit at a time, please. I haven’t even officially agreed to stay with you yet, and we’re already planning business ventures.”
They laugh, the sound warm and real.
“She’s right,” Hunter acknowledges. “We’re getting ahead of ourselves.” He turns to Hannah. “Please, come in properly. We were just about to have coffee. Join us, and we can get to know each other better.”
Hannah glances at me questioningly, and when I nod, she smiles. “I’d like that a lot.” She walks over to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me close. “You’re so lucky, girl,” she whispers in my ear.
The words catch me off guard, bringing fresh tears to my eyes. Hannah has always been the successful one—perfect grades, perfect appearance, everything meticulously planned and executed. To hear pride in her voice, directed at me, feels like a gift I didn’t know I needed.
“Thanks,” I whisper back, hugging her tightly.
“So,” Archer says, clapping his hands together. “Coffee for everyone? Or something stronger, considering we’re apparently planning both romantic and business mergers simultaneously?”
“Coffee is fine,” Hannah laughs. “I’m driving back later.”
“I’ll make it,” James volunteers, heading toward the kitchen. “Lily, show your sister around while I get that started.”
“You’re going to tell me everything,” Hannah whispers to me, linking her arm through mine. Her gaze travels meaningfully to the men moving around the cabin.
“Later,” I promise. “When I’m not in danger of being overheard and thoroughly embarrassed.”
As I show Hannah around the main floor of the cabin, I’m struck by how naturally the men adjust their movements around us.
We settle in the living room, Thor moving between us, accepting pets from everyone but eventually settling at my feet with a contented sigh.
“So,” Hannah says. “How exactly is this going to work? The four of you, I mean.” She gestures between the men and me. “Not judging, just thinking for my sister. I have a friend who recently found three Alpha mates, and now, with Lily, I’m starting to feel left out.” She laughs, and I nudge her with my shoulder.
“We’re going to figure it out as we go, as it’s all new to us,” Hunter answers honestly. “But the important thing is that we all want the same thing—Lily’s happiness. We’re a pack,” James says quietly, his eyes meeting mine across the room.
The word resonates through me, feeling right in a way I can’t fully explain. It’s not just about the Alpha-Omega dynamic, though that’s certainly part of it. It’s about belonging, about finding people who complement and complete each other.
Hunter’s hand brushes casually against my shoulder, sending a wave of tingles down my spine. Across from us, Archer winks at me over his steaming mug of coffee, that mischievous glint in his amber eyes making the butterflies in my stomach take flight.
“Is living out here always this peaceful?” Hannah asks, curled up in the armchair adjacent to the sofa. My sister has been watching the three men fuss over me all afternoon with equal parts amusement and astonishment—bringing me tea, adjusting pillows behind my back, and making sure I was comfortable.
“Most days,” Hunter replies, his fingers absently playing with a strand of my hair, leaning on the couch behind me. “Though it’s never been quite like this before.”
“The isolation must be nice,” Hannah continues.
James shifts closer to my other side on the couch, his hand coming to rest on my thigh with a casual possessiveness that sends warmth spreading through me. Archer moves from his chair to squeeze onto the sofa on my other side, the three of them forming a protective circle that should feel overwhelming but instead feels like sanctuary.
Is this really my life? I wonder, looking at each of them in turn. Three Alphas want me?
I can’t stop the smile that spreads across my face, probably making me appear ridiculous, but I don’t care.
“I believe,” Hunter says, “we were confirming whether Lily wants to be ours.”
Three pairs of eyes turn to me, filled with hope, desire, and something deeper that makes my heart race. Even Hannah has gone quiet, her expression soft as she watches this moment unfold.
“Yes,” I say simply, the word feeling like coming home. “Yes to all of it. To all of you.”
The next few moments are a blur of movement and sensation—Hunter lifting me off my feet in a spinning hug, Archer pressing jubilant kisses to my face, James holding me so tightly, I can feel his heart hammering against mine.
“I still can’t believe this is real,” I admit. “That you all want this. Want me.”
“Believe it,” James says firmly, his hands warm on my waist.
“We’ll prove it to you every day,” Archer promises, tucking a curl behind my ear.
“For as long as you’ll have us,” Hunter adds, his usual stoicism melted away to reveal the depth of feeling beneath.
My sister is smiling so big, and I love that she gets to be part of this, to understand that I am falling for these men so hard.
Surrounded by three men who look at me like I’m the answer to a question they’ve been asking their whole lives, I’m struck by the beautiful absurdity of it all. A week ago, I was just a baker with a crashed car and an approaching heat. Now, I’m... what? The center of a pack? The heart of something new and wonderful?
“What’s that smile for?” James asks, his thumb brushing my lower lip.
“I’m just thinking,” I reply, meeting the gaze of each man in turn before glancing at my sister, who watches with tears of happiness in her eyes. “That sometimes the worst wrong turns lead to exactly where you’re supposed to be.”