Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Emily
“Shit.” Jared’s curse cuts through the comfortable quiet of the cabin.
I glance up from my ginger tea to find him staring over my shoulder, and turn to see what caught his attention. Through the glass, the woods lie in darkness, and the water beyond the pines is a flat sheet of black.
We’d gotten caught up talking over after-dinner drinks, enjoying each other’s company, and more than missed the last water taxi back to the mainland.
Leif drags a hand through his mauve hair. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize how late it had gotten.”
Jared claps him on the shoulder. “None of us did.”
Leif’s eyes cut to the door and the darkness beyond the windows, then back to us. “Will Mixie be okay? She’ll miss dinner.”
Jared waves it off, his fingers still wrapped around his beer. “She’ll be fine for the night. She can do without a wet food dinner. The vet says she’s fat.”
A laugh bursts out of me. “Shut up about her weight, you absolute menace. She’s healthy.”
“The floor shakes when she jumps off her favorite window perch. You’ve been spoiling her with too many treats.”
I huff at him.
He grins, unrepentant, as I pull out my phone to shoot Blake a text.
Emily
Stuck on the island. Okay if we crash?
The response comes back fast enough that I’m still holding the phone when it buzzes.
Blake
You know where the blankets are in the office.
Unless you want one of the suites?
Emily
Office is fine. Thanks.
Blake
As I pocket the phone, I catch Leif watching me, his periwinkle eyes uncertain, and his shoulders rigid beneath his sweater.
“Blake has us covered,” I reassure him.
His shoulders droop. “I’m sorry, I don’t have a spare bedroom to set you guys up in.”
“No worries.” I stand and gather cups. “This was unplanned. And the Homestead has plenty of room.”
Jared stacks plates without being asked, carrying the tower to the sink, and Leif washes them while I dry.
We move around each other in the same rhythm we fell into while cooking, shoulders and hips and elbows catching in the narrow space.
Leif’s arm brushes mine when he reaches for the sponge, and Jared’s fingers graze my waist as he passes behind me with the last of the silverware, the touch familiar enough that I don’t track it.
When we finish, Leif pulls on his boots and grabs a hefty flashlight. “I’ll walk you guys over.”
Leif locks the cabin door behind us, and we walk down the steps from the porch and step onto the hay-covered path.
“I’m glad there are no bears on the island.” Jared shudders as he studies the dark trees on either side. “I like the woods, but I don’t like the Woods.”
Leif elbows him in the side. “Bears can swim, you know. Who’s to say we don’t have a visitor on the island?”
He covers his ears. “Nope! I can’t hear you, professor!”
I sling an arm around his waist. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”
His head comes to rest on my shoulder. “Such a good Alpha.”
Warmth spreads through me.
“Just don’t run away in terror,” Leif teases. “You have to be loud and make yourself big.”
Jared straightens and raises his arms above his head as he marches forward, growling at the woods.
I whistle and clap. “You got this!”
Leif joins in, hooting with laughter.
“Go back to the mainland, bear!” Jared spins in a circle. “We’re all predators here!”
“He’s totally going to die,” I chuckle.
“Yup.”
We share a smile, and I slip my hands into my jacket pockets to keep them warm.
“We should do this again,” Leif says, the hesitation from earlier back. “Pick a day mid-week to have dinner together here.”
The flutter of the bond reaches toward him, and unable to deny it, I agree. “We should.”
He takes a step closer, our arms brushing as we walk. “Great. I’ll see about setting up that spare bedroom. Just in case.”
My pulse quickens. “Yeah. Just in case.”
Too soon, we arrive at the garage near the kitchen entrance, and we bid Leif goodnight.
We wait as his flashlight beam swings back toward his cabin, watching it shrink between the pines until it disappears.
The motion sensor trips as Jared pulls the side door to the garage open, flooding the gravel in pale light. Inside, the cold air carries the lingering tang of gasoline.
We find the wooden stairs along the far wall and head up.
My brain is already running logistics. First boat runs at six-thirty. I’ve got a change of clothes in my work bag, which is in my truck, which is parked at the mainland dock. Jared’s got nothing but the clothes on his back and whatever’s in his pockets.
Thinking along the same lines, Jared rubs a hand over his chest. “I might be able to borrow a change of clothes from Kyle in the morning.”
I take in his broad shoulders and long, lean frame, then think of the smaller Beta male. “Nothing Kyle owns will fit you. Maybe you can borrow from Dominic.”
Jared’s lip curls in disgust. “I’m not wearing designer jeans and T-shirts with fancy logos to work on the boat’s engine tomorrow. We can borrow from Blake. He’s got enough flannels to clothe a small army.”
“I’m not wearing Blake’s flannels.”
“You’ve worn my flannels.”
“Your flannels smell like you.”
His hands find my waist, and he growls, the sound carrying in the still air. “Are you trying to seduce me, Alpha?”
“Not in our office, she’s not,” someone calls from up ahead, and we both freeze before finishing our trek up the stairs.
Blake stands with his arms crossed and a grin splitting his thick beard. His rainbow bead bracelet catches in the dim lights cast by the lamps dotted around the space, and a faint dusting of glitter winks in his beard from whatever craft project he did with Quinn earlier.
Nathaniel stands beside him, quieter, hands tucked into the pockets of his quilted jacket, his brown eyes fixed on us.
Uncertainty sweeps through me, the same way it did whenever I got caught sneaking in after curfew at the foster home where I grew up. “Why do I suddenly feel the need to start making excuses?”
“Do you?” Blake arches one eyebrow. “Should we be worried about your intentions toward our Omega, Alphas?”
I huff out a breath and shake my head, stepping forward. “A bit late to be gatekeeping, don’t you think?”
“Leif wasn’t pack before,” he counters. “Don’t think we’ll let you steal him away without even a proper courting period now.”
“You’re not being serious, are you?” I demand.
“Leif’s a grown man.” Jared steps up beside me. “If he wants to be courted, he hasn’t said so.”
“Doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve it.” Blake gestures toward the door. “Come on in. It’s cold as balls by the stairs.”
Wishing we’d decided to sleep on Leif’s floor instead, I follow Blake inside, Jared right on my heels.
The office space expands over the three-car garage below, with Dominic’s drafting desk at the back, Chloe’s writing office near the front, and a large L-shaped leather couch in the center of the room.
I’ve spent more than one night on this couch when I got caught up on the island until late at night, and I’d been looking forward to snuggling up with my bondmate tonight.
But snuggles are looking more and more distant now.
As I settle on a cushion, I notice a bottle of brandy and several glasses already set out on the coffee table, the amber liquid catching the lamplight.
Blake pours without asking and holds a glass out to me.
I wave it off.
With a frown, he shifts the glass to Jared, who accepts it, takes a sip, and hisses in appreciation.
The door that connects to the family quarters opens a few minutes later, and Dominic steps in. His usual French braid is loose, strands of black hair escaping around his face, and dark circles beneath his gray eyes give him the appearance of a man pulled away from a long night of work.
He drops onto the opposite L-section of the couch and scrubs a hand over his face. “Sorry. I’m still prepping for first quarter taxes.”
“You’re right on time.” Blake pours him a brandy. “Drink that before you fall asleep in the chair.”
Dominic takes the glass and doesn’t argue.
I give the three Wright Alphas a suspicious stare. “What’s this all really about?”
“We wanted to talk to you,” Blake says. “About sponsorship.”
Jared chokes on his drink, and my head whips toward him, a sense of betrayal burning through me.
“No, it wasn’t me,” he sputters, thumping his chest to dislodge the burning liquor from his lungs. “I didn’t even tell Kyle about my idea.”
“No, we’ve been talking about this for a while,” Nathaniel says. “Dominic just needed time to figure everything out.”
Jared and I turn to the tired Alpha, who lets out a long sigh.
“We don’t mean to offer to sponsor you for your own pack. Though if that’s what you’d prefer, we can talk about that, too.” He drapes one arm along the back of the couch and crosses his legs as he studies us. “We were hoping you’d consider joining the Wright Pack.”
Shock streaks through me. I had toyed with Jared’s suggestion of asking for a loan from the Wrights to start our own small pack, but I never once considered joining them as an option. It leaves me feeling as if the floor vanished beneath my feet.
Jared recovers first, and when he speaks, it’s without a hint of the excitement I would have expected from him, since this is what he wanted. A pack.
“You planned this,” he accuses. “By bringing Leif in first, you knew we’d follow.”
Blake doesn’t even try to deny it. “You were interested in Leif, which meant starting a new pack if you wanted to bring him in. That wouldn’t be easy after Emily was removed from her old pack.
We also understand the pride that comes with being lone Alphas, and that you’d need a reason to set that pride aside. ”
“Sneaky fucking assholes,” I say, shaking my head in amazement.
Blake holds the brandy out to me again.
I shake my head on reflex, my throat too tight for brandy or words or anything that requires coordination.
Jared’s hand covers mine on the couch cushion, offering silent reassurance.
Nathaniel’s attention moves between us, and understanding dawns. “You’re trying for a pup.”
My hand moves to my stomach before my brain catches up, my palm flattening over the front of my jacket.
Blake’s grin splits his thick beard. “Holy shit. Congratulations, you two.”
“It’s too soon to know for sure,” I say, while trying not to think about how my period is three days late.
I’ve been counting every morning, trying not to get ahead of myself. Jared noticed, though. He was careful when he asked about my calendar last week, and I told him to wait, to give it time, that as an Alpha, my cycles are always irregular.
Dominic sets his brandy glass on the table and rises from the couch. “I’ll grab you a non-alcoholic drink.”
He disappears through the door to the family quarters before I can object.
Blake leans forward, elbows on his knees. “Listen. We didn’t spring this on you on impulse. We’ve been talking about it ever since we chose a name for our pack, before Jared even arrived on the island.”
“We thought it would take more time,” Nathaniel adds, “to build up the resources before we could start expanding our pack, but thanks to Chloe, we can start now, and the people we want to bring in are those we already consider family.”
A sting starts up behind my eyes, and I blink to clear my vision.
“Small packs struggle more,” he continues. “The Wright pack can offer you an established reputation, resources, and insurance coverage that would take years to build from scratch.”
“When you left my dad’s construction company to work with us, it cost you,” Blake says, and my spine stiffens. “You spent years clawing your way up through a male-dominated industry, and you walked away with nothing but your tools and your name.”
My jaw tightens, but I don’t deny it.
“We’re not offering charity,” Nathaniel clarifies.
“Your crew’s the best in the area for its size.
Your management of the resort project has been flawless.
When the resort’s finished, we want to expand the contracting side of the business.
Island properties, mainland remodels. Blake and I have been looking at the numbers. ”
Dominic returns with a steaming mug and sets it in front of me. Warm chamomile and honey curl upward with the steam, but I don’t think I could pick it up right now without my hand shaking.
“Chloe made the same offer to Grady,” Blake adds. “She wants him in the pack.”
I risk reaching for the tea, and the chamomile burns my tongue as I take a sip. I welcome the sting, focusing on it instead of the possibility blooming inside me.
If Jared and I joined the Wright Pack, we wouldn’t need to file as a new pack. No registration fees. No insurance requirements. No financial backing to prove we can support a pack of our own. We’d fall under the Wright umbrella and all the protection that comes with it.
And Grady. Grady, who is three thousand miles away, making a choice I can’t make for him. If he accepted Chloe’s offer and we joined the Wrights, the promise I made him in that empty cabin wouldn’t be years down the road. It would be now. Or as soon as he comes back.
“Family units within a larger pack are expected,” Nathaniel continues. “It’s how packs grow. How they stay strong. And the Wright name opens doors you’d have to kick down on your own. Permitting. Contract bids. Bank loans.”
“Not that you’d need them. Your reputation stands on its own. But the name smooths the path.” Blake leans in. “And for a pup? Emily, the medical coverage alone—”
“Enough.” Dominic raises his hand, and his gray eyes find each of his bondmates in turn. “That’s enough. We made our pitch, but let’s not be pushy. They need space to think things over.”
Blake’s mouth closes, and Nathaniel sits back.
“Thank you for the offer,” I say, and my voice sounds as if it belongs to someone else. “Jared and I will talk about it.”
Nathaniel rises. “Okay, you know where the blankets and pillows are. Join us for breakfast in the morning.”
Blake drains the last of his brandy and sets the glass down before he helps Dominic back to his feet. One by one, the room empties, until the latch clicks shut, leaving the two of us alone.
I don’t move for a long time, the mug of tea growing cold in my hands.
Jared waits patiently while I process.
When I speak, the words come out unsteady. “I want it.”
Jared’s arm comes around me, and he pulls me against his side. “But?”
“I’ve never taken a handout,” I say into his shoulder. “It feels like cheating.”
“It’s not a handout. It’s pack.” He kisses my hair. “And pack is there for each other.”
I wrap my arms around his waist. “I want it so bad.”
His hand slides up to cradle the back of my head, fingers threading through my short hair.
My grip tightens further, the fabric of his shirt stretching between my fists. “And it scares the hell out of me.”
Jared rests his chin on the top of my head, neither of us talking, because really, what’s there to discuss?
We’re going to become Wrights.