Chapter 25 #2
Kol's face lit up like the sun coming out from behind clouds, his amber eyes going bright with joy, his honey and orange blossom scent spiking so strongly I could taste it on my tongue.
"That's— I mean— good. That's good. For her.
That she felt safe enough to—" He was bouncing on his heels now, barely able to contain himself, his words coming faster and faster.
"Does this mean we can— I mean, will she want— do you think she might—"
"Breathe, Kol." Nolan's voice was gentle but firm, a hint of amusement underneath the command as he reached out and put a steadying hand on Kol's shoulder.
"She sets the pace. Always. Just because she was intimate with Reid doesn't mean anything has to change with the rest of us. We follow her lead."
"Right. Right. Of course." Kol nodded rapidly, his blonde hair flopping into his eyes, but his grin didn't fade, stretching across his face so wide it looked almost painful.
"I just— I'm happy for you. Both of you.
All of us." His scent was practically glowing with joy, warm and sweet like honey in sunlight.
"She's really ours now, isn't she? I mean, she was before, but now she's really—"
"She was always ours." Sawyer's rough voice cut through Kol's rambling, low and certain. He was leaning against the counter, coffee mug cradled in his big hands, his pale eyes steady and calm. "From the moment she walked onto this ranch. Last night doesn't change that. Just confirms it."
Kol's smile softened into something warmer, less manic, his bouncing finally settling as Sawyer's words sank in.
"Yeah. You're right. I just..." He ran a hand through his already-messy hair, making it worse, his amber eyes going soft with emotion.
"I want her to be happy. I want all of us to be happy. Together."
"We will be." I set my coffee down on the counter and moved toward the door, my mind already shifting to practical concerns. "She'll probably be hungry when she wakes up. Nolan, can you start breakfast? Something warm. Comforting."
"On it." Nolan was already moving toward the refrigerator, his movements efficient and purposeful.
"I'll help." Kol followed him, still practically bouncing despite his best efforts to contain himself, his voice bright with eagerness.
Sawyer caught my eye as I passed him, his pale gaze holding mine for a long moment.
He didn't say anything — he rarely did — but his nod carried a world of meaning. Approval. Support.
I headed back upstairs, my feet carrying me to my door without conscious thought.
I eased it open, half-expecting to find her still asleep, but she was sitting up in the bed, the blankets pooled around her waist, my shirt from last night hanging off one shoulder.
Her hair was a wild tangle around her face, and her eyes were soft with sleep, and she was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.
"Hey." Her voice was rough, uncertain, her gray eyes searching my face as she pulled the shirt tighter around herself, her fingers twisting in the fabric. "I woke up and you were gone."
"I'm sorry." I crossed to the bed in three long strides, sitting on the edge beside her, my hand finding hers automatically, our fingers intertwining. "I didn't want to leave. I just— the others were waking up. I needed to talk to them."
Something flickered in her eyes — fear, maybe, or worry — her grip on my hand tightening until I could feel the bite of her nails against my skin. "About last night? About us?"
"Yes." I brought her hand to my lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles, feeling her shiver at the touch, watching goosebumps rise on her arm. "They needed to know. That's how packs work. No secrets."
"And they're... okay with it?" Her voice was small, vulnerable in a way that made my chest ache, her gray eyes searching mine desperately. "They're not angry, or jealous, or—"
"They're happy for us." I squeezed her hand, willing her to believe me, holding her gaze steady.
"Nolan said he's glad it was me first. Sawyer just nodded and said 'good.
' And Kol is downstairs practically bouncing off the walls with joy.
" I smiled at her, letting her see the truth in my eyes, the sincerity I felt in every word.
"This is how it's supposed to be, Aster.
You're our Omega. When one of us makes you happy, we all benefit. "
She stared at me for a long moment, something shifting in her expression, the fear slowly giving way to wonder.
Then she launched herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck, burying her face against my throat.
I caught her automatically, pulling her into my lap, my arms wrapping around her waist, her warmth seeping into my chest.
"I don't understand it." Her voice was muffled against my skin, her breath hot on my neck, her whole body trembling slightly. "How you can all just... share. Without jealousy. Without competition. I keep waiting for it to fall apart."
"It won't." I pressed my lips to her hair, breathing in her scent — lilac and honey, now threaded through with whiskey and woodsmoke, with me.
"We've been waiting for you for years, Aster.
All of us. We built this pack knowing that someday we'd find the right Omega, and we'd share her.
You're not tearing us apart. You're completing us. "
She pulled back enough to look at me, her gray eyes bright with unshed tears, her lower lip trembling. "I don't know what I did to deserve this."
"You survived." I cupped her face in my hands, my thumbs tracing the line of her cheekbones, feeling the softness of her skin beneath my calloused fingers.
"You fought and ran and kept going when anyone else would have given up.
You walked eight miles on blistered feet because a waitress mentioned a ranch that takes in strays.
You let us in when every instinct told you to run.
" I pressed my forehead to hers, our breath mingling.
"You deserve everything, Aster. And we're going to spend the rest of our lives proving it to you. "
A tear slipped down her cheek, warm and wet, and I caught it with my thumb.
"Now." I pulled back, forcing my voice into something lighter, giving her a small smile. "Nolan's making breakfast. Kol is probably burning something as we speak. And you need to eat."
She laughed — a small, watery sound, but real — her face softening with amusement despite the tears still clinging to her lashes. "You're always trying to feed me."
"Alpha instincts." I shrugged, unashamed, my smile widening.
"Get used to it." I stood, pulling her with me, and she swayed into my chest for a moment before finding her balance.
She was still wearing my shirt and nothing else, and the sight of her in my clothes, smelling like me, made something primal purr with satisfaction in my chest.
"I should probably put on real clothes." She gestured at herself, a flush creeping up her cheeks, spreading down her neck and disappearing beneath the collar of my shirt.
"Probably." I let my eyes drift over her, slow and deliberate, watching her flush deepen to a pretty pink. "Or you could come down just like that. I'm sure Kol would appreciate the view."
She swatted at my chest, her hand connecting with a soft thump, but she was smiling, her gray eyes bright with amusement. "Reid!"
"What?" I caught her hand, pressing a kiss to her palm, feeling her pulse flutter against my lips. "I'm just saying. You look good in my clothes. The others should get to appreciate that too."
She shook her head, but she was laughing now, the sound light and free, the last of the morning's tension melting away. "I'm getting dressed. I'll be down in a minute."
"I'll hold them off." I stole one last kiss — just a brush of lips, soft and sweet — and made myself walk away, feeling her eyes on my back until I disappeared through the door.
Downstairs, the kitchen was warm chaos. Nolan was at the stove, flipping pancakes with practiced ease, his movements smooth and efficient.
Kol was "helping" by stealing bites of everything and nearly burning the bacon, his honey-blonde hair falling in his eyes as he hovered too close to the pan.
Sawyer was at the table, nursing his coffee, watching the mayhem with something that might have been amusement lurking in his pale eyes.
They all looked up when I entered, and I felt the weight of their attention, their unspoken questions.
"She's okay." I moved to the coffee pot, refilling my mug, keeping my voice casual. "She'll be down in a minute. She's just getting dressed." Kol opened his mouth — probably to ask a dozen more questions — but Nolan elbowed him in the ribs before he could speak, the motion quick and precise.
"Give her space." Nolan's voice was gentle but firm, his green eyes meeting Kol's with a meaningful look. "Let her come to us. Don't overwhelm her."
"I know, I know." Kol deflated slightly, his shoulders slumping, but his eyes were still bright with hope, practically sparkling in the morning light. "I just want her to know we're happy. That we support this. That we support her."
"She knows." Sawyer's rough voice cut through the kitchen, low and certain. He hadn't moved from his spot at the table, his big hands wrapped around his coffee mug, his pale eyes steady. "She'll know more every day. Just be patient."
We fell into an easy rhythm after that — setting the table, plating food, moving around each other with the familiarity of years of practice.
By the time Aster appeared in the doorway, dressed in jeans and a soft sweater, her hair still damp from a quick shower, the table was set and breakfast was ready.
She hesitated in the doorway, her eyes moving from face to face, her shoulders tight with tension, and I could see her bracing herself. Waiting for something to be different. For someone to be angry or cold or resentful.
Instead, Kol bounded over to her like an overeager puppy, stopping just short of actually touching her, his whole body vibrating with barely contained excitement.
"Good morning!" His voice was bright, his smile almost blindingly happy, his amber eyes warm as they met hers.
"I made bacon. Well, Nolan made most of it, but I helped.
Sort of. I didn't burn it too badly. Are you hungry?
You should eat. Nolan says you need protein for—" He caught himself, glancing back at Nolan with wide, panicked eyes.
"Uh. For energy. Just regular energy. Normal breakfast reasons. "
Aster stared at him for a moment, something unreadable in her expression, her gray eyes searching his face. Then she laughed — a real laugh, bright and surprised — and some of the tension in the room dissolved like morning mist.
"Thanks, Kol." She smiled at him, soft and genuine, the wariness in her eyes fading. "I'm starving, actually."
His whole face lit up, his grin stretching so wide it must have hurt, his scent spiking with pure joy. "Really? Great! Come sit. I'll get you a plate. Do you want coffee? Juice? Both? Nolan made those fancy pancakes you liked last time, with the—"
"Kol." Nolan's voice was fond but firm, cutting through the babble with practiced ease. "Let her breathe."
"Right. Sorry." But Kol was still grinning as he pulled out a chair for her with a flourish, practically vibrating with the effort of containing himself.
Aster slid into the seat, and Sawyer silently pushed a full mug of coffee toward her, the ceramic scraping softly against the wooden table.
She wrapped her hands around it, breathing in the steam, her eyes closing for a moment, and some of the remaining tension drained from her shoulders.
I took the seat beside her, close enough that our shoulders brushed, and let my hand find hers under the table. She squeezed back, her grip tight, and I felt her take a slow, deep breath.
"Thank you." Her voice was quiet, meant for all of us, her gray eyes moving around the table.
"For not making this weird." Nolan set a plate in front of her — pancakes, bacon, eggs, fruit, enough food for two people — his green eyes warm as he looked down at her.
"There's nothing weird about it. This is how packs work.
We share everything. Including the good things. "
"Especially the good things." Kol plopped into the seat across from her, his own plate piled high, his amber eyes bright. "We've been waiting for you for years, Aster. Whatever makes you happy makes us happy. That's the deal."
Sawyer grunted in agreement, which was basically a full speech coming from him, his pale eyes steady on her face. Aster looked around the table, her eyes bright, something fragile and hopeful blooming in her expression. Under the table, her hand tightened in mine.
"Okay." Her voice was thick with emotion. "Okay."
We ate breakfast together — all five of us, the way it was meant to be.
Kol chattered about nothing and everything, his voice a constant bright stream of words.
Nolan made sure everyone's plates stayed full, his movements efficient and caring.
Sawyer was his usual silent self, but his presence was steady, grounding.
And I kept my hand in Aster's whenever I could, feeling her pulse against my palm.
Something had shifted. We all felt it. She was ours now in a way she hadn't been before — not because of what had happened between us last night, but because she'd let us see her vulnerable. Let us catch her when she fell. Let us put her back together.
This was just the beginning. There would be more mornings like this, more nights, more moments of trust and intimacy and pack. She would come to the others when she was ready — I knew it, and they knew it, and I suspected she was beginning to know it too.
For now, this was enough.
For now, this was everything.