Chapter 26
“ G ood morning, little dove.”
I peeled open one eye to see Kai, Diego, and Miles with soft, amused smiles on their lips, the brilliant blue sky behind them.
“I see you and Amir sorted out your differences.”
It took me a second to process the words, to realize where I was and whom I was wrapped around. Amir was stretched out on the lounge chair, one arm pillowing the back of his head, the other wrapped around me. The blanket covering us had slipped down a considerable amount and Kai adjusted it for me.
“I’d have let you sleep, but you’re a bit lacking in melanin and the sun is going to pop over the roof soon. I’d hate for you to turn into a lobster because you didn’t wake up in time.” He dropped down next to me, pressing a kiss to my bare shoulder. “Are you all right? It felt like you had fun, but a lot was going on and I wanted to be sure.”
“Worried I took advantage of her?” Amir’s voice startled me and I jerked against him.
“If I thought you had, I’d have already drowned you in the pool,” Kai said sweetly, but there was an edge in his eyes. “I felt everything through the bond, by the way. Don’t think I don’t know you upset her.”
“We worked it out,” I assured him. “I think, anyway?”
Amir sighed, his fingertips gliding up my side. “As much as can be worked out in a single night.”
“I think breakfast is in order,” Diego said, offering me the slinky robe I had purchased on our shopping trip. I really had no reason to feel uncomfortable running around naked, except for the fact that I hadn’t been with Miles yet, though I was still feeling a little vulnerable with Amir. Once the robe was cinched around my waist, I let Kai usher me inside.
A bowl of sliced fruit was already on the table and a bowl of batter was sitting next to the waffle iron ready to go.
“You were busy this morning.”
Kai shrugged. “Gotta make sure my omega is well fed.”
I couldn’t quite bring my eyes to reach Miles’s questioning gaze. I wasn’t opposed to being with him, but he seemed intent on keeping distance between us. It wasn’t the same sort of rejection I had felt from Amir, but I still didn’t like it.
“Sweetheart, while you’re here, I’ve got a form for you to fill out.” Miles slid his tablet over to me.
“Form?”
“To register your bond with Kai. Just a formality. I already had Kai fill out his.”
“Oh, sure.” The form was simple enough since it was just to collect information and we were already bonded, so they just needed to document it.
Amir joined us a few minutes later, dressed in his pants from yesterday and carrying the rest of the clothing that had been scattered around the courtyard. He disappeared upstairs to get dressed before seating himself at the table.
I tried to focus on my waffle instead of staring at him like I wanted to. My thoughts turned as I sliced into each crispy square. “Do you ever think about how I’m not the only one who was fated to you guys?”
Amir lifted one questioning brow. “What do you mean?”
“You’re all fated to one another, aren’t you? What are the odds otherwise of the four of you finding each other and all being a scent match for me? Maybe fate put all of you on the path to one another in hopes that when you met, you would all love each other enough to form a pack.”
“I never thought about that part,” Amir confessed.
“That’s because you were too busy freaking out over me.”
He gave me an exasperated smile. “You’re not wrong about that. I don’t know if I like that concept either, that all of my life was actually predetermined? From the degree I took to the company that offered me a job where I had the opportunity to meet everyone?”
“But you’re happy, aren’t you?”
“I am,” he sighed. “For the most part, anyway.”
“I think,” said Diego, “that even if fate is responsible for dropping us in front of one another, we still had a choice after that. Fate gives us opportunities, but it can’t force us to do anything about them.”
“Plus, we’re never going to know what’s actually fate and what’s not,” Kai added. “Seems stressful to worry about that part.”
“I think it was fate that I ran into Callie exactly when I did,” said Miles, “but I don’t think it forced her to accept my offer.”
“I think so too. If I’d made a different choice, we’d all be apart right now.” I nudged Amir with my toes beneath the table. “If I ask you to hang out again, are you gonna be weird about it?”
He hesitated for a second. “No. I mean, we can hang out, but I can’t guarantee I won’t be weird at any point.”
“I’ll take it. We can be awkward weirdos together.”
Kai and Diego laughed.
“I love how she’s managed to distill down your core elements,” Diego said. “The rest of the world might think you’re suave and smooth, but we know the truth.”
Amir flipped him the bird, focusing on me. “Let me take you out somewhere later tonight. I would take you now, but we’d be trapped in the car with how fucking hot it is outside.”
“Where are we going?”
“If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise.”
“Maybe I don’t like surprises.”
“Do you not?” Miles asked.
“Honestly, I don’t really know. I feel like most of my experience with them has been negative, but I’m sure there could be good surprises.”
“Well, I’ll tell you that it’ll be outdoors and we’ll head out a bit before sunset. Is that enough detail for now? I won’t make you hike.”
“I don’t mind hiking when it’s a reasonable temperature. Drag me out all you want in the spring or late autumn, but in summer I’m an indoorsy girl.”
“Can I take you somewhere, too?” Miles asked. “I have to go into the office today, but maybe tomorrow?”
“Sure, that sounds good. I’ve got to pick up a decent computer since mine got tossed. Thank god I can access all the projects on the cloud because I have client work I’ll need to start on soon. Could I borrow one of the cars?”
“I can take you,” Kai offered. “We’ll pick you out some kickass hardware. My treat.”
“You can’t treat me on everything .”
Kai narrowed his eyes and booped the tip of my nose. “Watch me.”
“I haven’t had to touch a single dollar in my account yet. I’m itchy to spend some of my own money.”
“And you’ll get to,” Kai promised. “Later.”
“What am I supposed to do all day if you’re being hogged?” Diego asked.
“What did you do all day before me?”
Diego sighed dramatically. “Fine, I’ll go work out so I can keep this rockin’ bod.”
I laughed so hard I snorted, covering my face with my hands. “Don’t make me laugh when I’m eating. I’ll die.”
We poked fun at each other all through breakfast and it was so wildly different from all my mornings with Jerry, and even my family growing up, that I wasn’t entirely sure what to do with it. They felt like a family, one that was happy to welcome me in, and I liked it more than I expected to.
Kai wasted no time in sweeping me off to the electronics store. I tried to be economical about what I was choosing while also not sacrificing performance because video editing software could be hard on the machines. Kai made me do at least one step up in quality for every piece I chose, and he took me for lunch while they put the PC together for me.
“You’re a very stubborn man, you know that?” I told him over our shawarma.
“You need nice stuff to do your work,” he insisted. “No sense in getting something shitty and then having it sound like it’s going to take off into outer space every time you have to do anything.”
“You’re not wrong , but it was still a lot of money. I could’ve paid for at least some of it.”
“Consider it a courting gift.”
I pouted, but I couldn’t argue with a courting gift.
“And now that I’ve gotten you alone and some food into your stomach, how are you feeling about everything?”
I stared into my shawarma. “A lot better than I have been, and honestly a million times better than I was expecting to be.”
“I’m glad.” He laid his hand over mine, stroking his thumb over my skin. “If I need to kick anyone’s ass, you just let me know.”
I laughed softly. “No ass kicking required, or at least none since Amir and I are doing better.”
“You have no idea how glad all of us are that he pulled his head out of his ass about you.”
“I think it might still be up there a tiny bit, but more like a little ass hat instead of living all the way in there.”
Kai started laughing and immediately choked on his food.
“No dying. I just got you.” I patted his back and nudged his water bottle closer.
He slurped down some water and recovered himself. “I’ll do my absolute best not to die. We have one more stop to make today.”
“Where?”
“Furniture shopping. Unless you’d rather live in Diego’s room forever?”
I frowned. “I’m totally hogging his space.”
“Do not feel bad at all for that. He’s been so fucking smug that you picked his room to nest in. I think he’d rather light himself on fire than ever ask you to move out of it. But I figure at a certain point living with us, you’ll want a space that’s exclusively yours. We’re all totally down for sharing and you can sleep in any bed you want at any time, but you deserve your own space, too.”
My bottom lip wobbled, emotion clogging my throat. “I’ve never actually had my own space before. I shared a room with my sister growing up, I had roommates in the college dorms, and then I shared a room with Jerry. I mean, I had the nest at the apartment, but that was my office too since Jerry didn’t like my work stuff around the apartment, and he kind of went in and out as he pleased, and he didn’t like me to spend too long in there or have too much stuff.”
“All the more reason we need to outfit you with the perfect space. We’ll get you a lock on the door so you can kick us out, get whatever furniture you want, any decorations. This will be coming out of the pack joint account so we’re all in on it. I promise we have enough to cover anything you might need, so don’t be afraid to point out anything that catches your fancy.”
I sniffled, trying to wrap my head around the fact that these alphas really did want to take care of me, wanted to give me the world. I could already feel the tears working themselves up and I was desperately trying to hold them back.
“You’re sitting too far away.” My voice shook. Kai dragged his chair over until the edges of it were touching mine, and I locked my fingers in his shirt, curling my legs over his.
“Come here, little dove.” He scooped me all the way onto his lap, wrapping his arms around me. The sweetness of the gesture had tears streaking down my cheeks. I’d expected him to tell me to stop being a baby in public, the way too many others had told me in the past, but he just purred softly and said, “Cry all you need.”
Was I going to question their kindness forever? I was only starting to see the damage Jerry had done to me, and I wasn’t sure how long it would take me to shake it, if I even could.
I had lived so long in that state of complacency and I had to relearn myself in this new context.
Kai continued to hold me until my tears had dried themselves out, his purr carefully untangling the knots of my stress until I could breathe easy. “If you’re not feeling up to shopping, I can take you home.”
Home. It really was starting to feel that way.
“I’m okay,” I promised.
“If you’re sure.” He kissed the top of my head. “Are you done with your food?”
“I’m stuffed.”
“How about a nice lemonade for the road? It’ll keep you cool enough you won’t melt when we step outside.”
I nuzzled the underside of his chin. “I like lemonade.”
After dealing with the remnants of lunch, we got a pair of drinks and headed off to the furniture store.
An absolutely gorgeous sleigh bed caught my eye the moment we stepped inside. It was easily big enough for the whole pack and I ran my fingers over the glossy wood. It had optional steps and a railing that could be brought up on both sides to turn it into a proper nest.
“Want me to ask if it’s in stock?”
“It’s so much.”
“Anything that fits a pack is going to be expensive, but it’s an investment. We need enough space for you to be comfortable regardless of how many of us you have in there with you.”
I chewed my lip. I really did love it, but I still wasn’t used to anyone wanting to spend money on me. Kai worked me around to it, and once we learned they had one bed left in that style it hadn’t taken much more to push me over the edge to say yes to the bed.
“It’s going to be so weird having a fresh bed. I need to get all of you rolling around on the sheets ASAP.”
Kai laughed, drawing me close and tipping up my chin so he could kiss me. Jerry hadn’t kissed me in public since the days of college parties, and here Kai was, broadcasting to the whole world in this store that we were together. Like he was proud to be seen with me…
Apparently I was just going to be all up in my feelings today. Kai kept his arm wrapped around my shoulders as we checked out more items in the store. Diego had stocked me up on a lot of nesting supplies, but I picked out some sheet sets that would fit the new bed, and Kai and I sprawled out on half a dozen mattresses to test if I liked them before I settled on one that felt like rolling on a cloud.
I would have to wait for everything to be delivered, but each piece we ordered, even though I wasn’t very good at accepting how much money they were spending on me, definitely helped me feel more grounded.
They really were investing in me. I didn’t get the sense that any of them would twist it around into me owing them like Jerry had done anytime he actually bought me some kind of gift.
I really needed to stop comparing them to him, but I couldn’t help it. The differences were so drastic I couldn’t quite believe what I had tolerated for so long.
“You’re going to look so beautiful spread out on that new bed, little dove,” Kai told me as we slipped back into the car to head to the pack house. He slipped his fingers into my hair and drew me close, devouring my lips until my perfume saturated every molecule of air around us. “I suppose I should get you home so Amir doesn’t accuse me of hogging you.”
“I do love being hogged, but I’m also very, very curious what his plans for tonight are.”
Maybe this would be my first good surprise.