Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
KEIRA
I woke up buried in alphas. Somehow during the night, the pack had migrated to the nest — all five of them surrounding me like I was the center of a very warm, very heavy solar system.
Hwan was pressed against my back, his arm draped over my waist, his breath warm and even against my neck.
Tae-min had claimed my legs, his cheek resting on my thigh like it was a pillow.
Min-jun was curled at the edge of the nest, close enough that his hand rested on my ankle, his thumb tracing absent patterns even in sleep.
Jin-ho had wedged himself into the corner, his long body angled so his head was near mine, his fingers tangled loosely in my hair.
And Jae-won... Jae-won was awake, watching me from his position at the nest's entrance like a sentinel. His dark eyes met mine the moment I opened them, and something warm flickered in their depths.
"Good morning." Jae-won's voice was low, rough with sleep he clearly hadn't gotten much of, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he watched me blink awake.
"You're staring." I accused, my voice coming out scratchy and sleep-thick, my body not quite ready to be awake yet.
"I'm guarding." Jae-won corrected, his smile widening slightly, crinkling the corners of his eyes in a way that made him look younger, softer than his usual serious demeanor. "There's a difference."
"Guarding me from what?" I tried to shift into a more comfortable position, but Hwan's arm tightened around my waist and Tae-min made a grumpy sound against my thigh, burrowing closer like he was trying to merge with my leg. "The furniture? Dust particles? Rogue blankets?"
"From anyone who might disturb your sleep." Jae-won said it simply, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, like staying awake all night to watch over me was just something he did now, his dark eyes soft with an emotion I couldn't quite name.
My omega purred at that — actually purred, a low vibration in my chest that I couldn't control, couldn't stop.
The sound seemed to ripple through the nest, and I felt each alpha respond in their sleep.
Hwan nuzzled closer, his nose pressing into the back of my neck.
Tae-min's grip on my leg tightened possessively.
Min-jun's thumb stilled, then resumed its gentle stroking with more intention.
Even Jin-ho shifted, his nose pressing into my hair like he was breathing me in.
"They can feel that." Jae-won observed, something like wonder softening his usually serious expression as he watched the unconscious reactions ripple through the nest. "When you're content, they feel it. Even asleep."
"Is that... normal?" I asked, still getting used to these bond mechanics, to the way my emotions seemed to leak into them without permission, without control.
"For a Soul bond? Yes." Jae-won finally moved from his sentinel position, carefully climbing into the nest and finding a spot near my head, his movements slow and deliberate so as not to wake the others.
His hand came up to brush hair from my face, the touch featherlight and reverent.
"You're the center. What you feel, we feel.
It goes both ways, but you're the anchor point. "
"No pressure or anything." I muttered, but I leaned into his touch anyway, my omega settling even further at having all five alphas within reach, within scent range, safe and close and mine.
"None at all." Jae-won agreed, his eyes crinkling with a dry amusement he rarely showed, his thumb tracing along my cheekbone in a slow, soothing motion. "Just five alphas whose emotional wellbeing is now directly tied to yours. Very low stakes."
"Did you just make a joke?" I stared at him in mock horror, my lips twitching despite my best efforts to look serious.
"At—" I glanced at the window, gauging the pale morning light filtering through the curtains.
"Seven in the morning? Who are you and what have you done with the serious pack alpha? "
"He's still here." Jae-won's thumb traced along my cheekbone again, the touch sending warmth spreading through my chest, his voice dropping to something softer, more intimate. "He's just learning that some things are more important than being serious all the time."
Before I could respond to that — and I definitely needed to respond to that, because my heart was doing something complicated and fluttery — my phone shattered the moment with an aggressive buzzing from somewhere outside the nest.
"Ignore it." Hwan mumbled against my neck, finally stirring, his arm pulling me impossibly closer, his words slurred and petulant with sleep. "Too early. Sleeping. No phones allowed in the cuddle zone."
"The cuddle zone?" I tried to extract myself from the alpha pile, but Tae-min chose that moment to wrap both arms around my legs like a koala clinging to a tree for dear life.
"It's a real thing." Tae-min declared, his voice muffled against my thigh, not bothering to open his eyes, his tone carrying absolute conviction despite his sleep-addled state. "I just invented it. No phones, no responsibilities, only cuddles."
"It might be important." I pointed out, finally managing to free one arm to reach toward the sound, my fingers stretching toward the edge of the nest. "I still have a job, remember? Deadlines? Responsibilities? The things that pay for my apartment that I'm not currently living in?"
"Responsibilities are cancelled." Tae-min announced with the supreme confidence of someone who had never had to worry about paying rent, his grip on my legs tightening stubbornly, his cheek pressing harder against my thigh. "I'm the maknae and I've decided. It's official pack policy now."
"That's not how that works." I finally grabbed my phone, my fingers closing around it triumphantly, and squinted at the screen. The brightness made me wince, but the notifications made me wince harder.
Fourteen missed calls. Twenty-seven text messages. Three voicemails. All from the same contact: Mina Choi - Narvi Entertainment.
"Shit." The word escaped me before I could stop it, sharp and panicked, and I felt the immediate shift in the nest — all five alphas suddenly alert, protective instincts flaring like someone had flipped a switch.
"What's wrong?" Jae-won was already sitting up, his relaxed demeanor vanishing into pack alpha mode in an instant, his eyes sharp and assessing as they swept over me, checking for threats.
"My boss." I scrolled through the messages, each one more urgent than the last, my stomach sinking with every swipe. "I've been... somewhat ignoring my work obligations."
"Somewhat?" Jin-ho had woken fully now, propping himself up on one elbow, his hair a disaster of dark strands sticking up in every direction and his eyes still soft with sleep but sharpening with concern.
"Completely." I admitted, wincing as I read through Mina's increasingly frantic texts. "I have two deadlines I've missed and apparently there's some kind of emergency with the title track for another group's comeback."
"Call her back." Min-jun sat up slowly, rubbing sleep from his eyes with the heel of his palm, his voice gentle but practical as always. "We can give you space to work."
"No." Tae-min's grip on my legs tightened, his voice taking on a petulant edge that was somehow endearing, his face finally lifting from my thigh to pout at everyone. "She just got here. She can't leave already. The cuddle zone has rules."
"She's not leaving." Jae-won's voice carried that quiet authority that made everyone listen, the pack alpha settling things with a few simple words, his hand finding my shoulder and squeezing gently.
"She's working. There's a difference." He met my eyes, something understanding in his gaze, something that said he knew exactly what I was worried about.
"Your career matters, Keira. We're not going to be the alphas who make you give up everything for us. "
The words hit somewhere deep, somewhere that had been bracing for exactly that demand without even realizing it.
My mother had given up everything for her alpha — her friends, her family, her dreams, her sense of self.
And in the end, she'd had nothing left when it all fell apart.
Nothing to hold onto. Nothing that was just hers.
"Thank you." I said it quietly, meaning it more than I could properly express, my throat tight with an emotion I couldn't quite name.
"Don't thank us for basic decency." Hwan had finally released his death grip on my waist, sitting up with a yawn that showed all his teeth, his golden hair sticking up in every direction like a fluffy dandelion. "That's a really low bar, sweetheart."
"You'd be surprised how many people can't clear that bar." I muttered, finally extracting myself from Tae-min's octopus hold and climbing out of the nest, my bare feet hitting the cool floor.
I found a quiet corner of the living room to make my call, curling up on the couch with my knees pulled to my chest. The phone rang twice before Mina picked up.
"Keira!" Mina's voice came through sharp with relief, words tumbling out rapid-fire like she'd been holding them in for days. "Finally! I got the message from SIREN's management that you were on medical leave, but I haven't heard from you directly and I was starting to worry. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." I glanced toward the nest room, where I could hear the low murmur of the alphas talking amongst themselves, probably about me.
Jin-ho must have been the one to contact her — he'd mentioned handling work logistics when I first arrived.
"I'm sorry I didn't reach out myself. I've been dealing with some.
.. personal things. But I'm okay. I'm safe. "