Chapter 27 Violet #3
"I like how you think," Garrick says. "But Liam will have opinions about proper dining etiquette."
"I will not," Liam protests. "I'm perfectly capable of eating without pants."
"Prove it," I challenge.
Twenty minutes later, we're sitting at the dining table in various states of undress.
Me in an oversized sweater and underwear, Garrick in boxer briefs, Liam in boxers looking vaguely scandalized at himself, and Xaden completely comfortable in his skin.
The chicken parmesan smells incredible, and the whole situation feels absurd and perfect.
"To pack," Xaden says, raising his glass of wine.
"To new beginnings," Liam adds.
"To Violet finally admitting she wants to stay," Garrick says with a grin.
"To all of you being ridiculous," I say, clinking my glass against theirs. "And to me being ridiculous enough to love it."
We drink. We eat. We laugh until our sides hurt and Garrick threatens to take away dessert if we don't calm down. We're loud and messy and completely imperfect.
And it's everything I never knew I needed.
Later, after dishes are done and the sun has set, we end up in the main bedroom. It's huge, with a bed big enough for all of us and windows that look out over the mountains. The moon is rising, full and bright, turning everything silver.
I'm curled up between them again, but this time it's different. This time I'm not heat-drunk and desperate. This time I'm just me, choosing to be here, choosing them.
"Can I ask you something?" I say into the quiet darkness.
"Anything," three voices answer.
"Are you scared? About this? About us?"
Silence. Then Garrick's voice, rough and honest. "Terrified. Every damn day. But I'm more scared of not having you than I am of fucking this up."
"I'm scared I'll revert to taking care of everyone and forget to let you take care of me," Liam admits. "But I'm trying."
"I'm scared you'll realize we're not exciting enough," Xaden says quietly. "That you'll get bored of small-town life and mountain quiet."
"I'm scared I'll wake up and find out this was all a dream," I confess. "That I'm still in that car, still running, still alone."
"You're not alone," Liam says firmly. "Never again."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
I can feel them through the bonds. Their fear. Their hope. Their love, steady and sure and overwhelming. We're all scared. All broken in our own ways. All trying to figure out how to be pack when none of us really knows what we're doing.
But we're doing it together. And maybe that's enough.
I drift off to sleep surrounded by my pack, finally believing that this is real. That this is mine. That I get to keep it.
Tomorrow, the town will find out. Meredith will probably throw a party. Life will continue, but different now. Better.
But tonight, I'm just going to be here. With them.
Morning comes too early, announced by Garrick's alarm going off at four AM.
"Ignore it," I mumble, burying my face in Xaden's chest.
"Can't." Garrick's already moving, extracting himself from the tangle of limbs. "Dough doesn't wait."
"Dough can wait five minutes."
"It really can't." But he leans down, pressing a kiss to my forehead before disappearing into the bathroom.
I drift for a while longer, warm and comfortable between Xaden and Liam. The sound of the shower running. Garrick moving around, getting dressed. The smell of coffee starting to permeate the house because of course he set the timer last night.
"You should go back to sleep," Xaden murmurs against my hair. "It's early."
"Can't now. I'm awake." I stretch, my body protesting slightly. Still sore, but better than yesterday. "Besides, I should probably start getting used to baker's hours."
"You don't have to."
"I want to." I prop myself up on one elbow, looking at him in the dim light. "This is my life now, right? Our life. That means early mornings and late nights and figuring out how to make it all work."
His hand finds my face, thumb stroking my cheek. "You're really staying."
"I'm really staying." I lean into his touch. "Forever, apparently. You're stuck with me."
"Good." He pulls me down for a kiss that's slow and thorough and makes my toes curl. "Because I'm not letting you go."
By the time we make it to the kitchen, Garrick's already gone. But there's fresh coffee waiting, and a note on the counter in his blocky handwriting:
Blueberry muffins in the oven. Eat breakfast. I'll see you at the bakery later. -G
"He's going to feed us to death," I observe, opening the oven to find six perfect muffins.
"That's his love language," Liam says, appearing in his scrubs. He's already dressed for work, hair still damp from the shower. "Better get used to it."
"I'm not complaining." I grab a muffin, breaking it open to release a cloud of steam. "Though I might need to start running if he keeps this up."
"I'll run with you," Xaden offers. "Been meaning to get back into it anyway."
We eat breakfast together, the three of us at the kitchen table, and it feels so normal. So domestic. Like we've been doing this for years instead of days.
Liam leaves first, pressing a kiss to my temple before heading out to open the clinic. Then Xaden, who has inventory to do at the restaurant. Which leaves me alone in the pack house for the first time.
I wander through the rooms, taking it all in. The living room with its massive fireplace and comfortable furniture. The kitchen with its professional-grade appliances and enough counter space to feed an army. The bedrooms. Three separate ones plus the main one we all share.
And everywhere, signs of them. Xaden's books on military strategy. Liam's medical journals. Garrick's collection of vintage baking equipment. Their lives, woven together, making space for mine.
I end up at the window, looking out over the mountains. The same mountains I drove through six months ago, terrified and alone. The same peaks, the same trees, but everything is different now.
My phone buzzes. A text from Meredith:
Meredith: Heard you moved into the pack house. Town meeting tonight at 7. You should come. As a pack.
I stare at the message. Town meeting. Where everyone will see the bite marks. Where the questions will start. Where I'll have to face the reality of being openly bonded to three alphas in a small town where everyone knows everyone's business.
My phone buzzes again.
Meredith: Don't even think about hiding. We're all thrilled for you. Plus I won the betting pool and I'm buying everyone drinks.
Despite myself, I laugh. Of course Meredith bet on us. Of course she won.
I text back:
Me: We'll be there. But if anyone makes it weird, I'm leaving.
Meredith: Deal. Though I should warn you, Frank's already planning a toast.
Me: Of course he is.
I spend the day settling in. Unpacking the last of my things. Setting up my new writing space in the corner with the good light. Making small changes that turn the pack house from their space into ours.
By the time the guys start coming back, I've made progress. My laptop's open with a new article in progress. I've rearranged some furniture. I've even attempted to cook dinner, though "attempted" is a strong word for heating up leftovers.
"What's all this?" Garrick asks, taking in the changes.
"I'm nesting," I announce. "Apparently. Is that allowed? Can I move stuff?"
"It's your house too now. Move whatever you want," Xaden says.
"Really?"
"Really." Liam's already examining my work, nodding approvingly. "Though I'm moving my veterinarian journals back to my room. They don't need to be in the common area."
"But they look impressive," I protest. "Like we're intellectuals."
"We're idiots who got lucky," Garrick says, pulling me into a hug. "But we're your idiots."
"Damn right you are."
We eat dinner together, and I tell them about Meredith's text. About the town meeting tonight. About how everyone's going to know.
"You don't have to go," Liam says immediately. "If you're not ready..."
"I'm ready." I cut him off. "I'm tired of hiding. Tired of being scared. They're going to find out eventually. Might as well be tonight."
"You're sure?" Xaden's watching me carefully.
"I'm sure." I look at each of them in turn. "You're my pack. My family. I'm not hiding that. Not anymore."
Garrick grins. "Good. Because Frank's toast is going to be legendary."
The community center is packed when we arrive. Every chair filled, people standing along the walls, the air thick with conversation and curiosity.
The moment we walk through the door, the noise drops. Every head turns. Every pair of eyes locks on my throat, on the marks that are visible above my sweater's collar.
For a second, I want to run. Want to turn around and hide and pretend this isn't happening.
Then Garrick's hand finds mine. Liam's palm settles on my lower back. Xaden moves to my other side, solid and steady.
Pack. Supporting me. Claiming me. Proud to claim me.
I lift my chin and walk into the room.
Meredith's the first to approach, eyes bright with satisfaction. "Well, don't you four look cozy."
"Meredith," I say warningly.
"Don't Meredith me. I've been waiting for this since the day you walked into town." She pulls me into a hug, whispering in my ear, "Congratulations, dear. You picked good ones."
"They picked me too," I whisper back.
"That's what makes it perfect."
Frank's next, his weathered face split in a grin. "Heard the news. About damn time, if you ask me."
"Nobody asked you," Garrick mutters, but he's smiling.
"Going to ignore that." Frank raises his voice, addressing the room. "I'd like to propose a toast!"
The room goes silent. Everyone's looking at us now, openly curious.
"To Cedar Ridge's newest pack," Frank continues, raising his beer. "May they be as happy as Dorothy and I were. May their love be loud and messy. And may they give us all something to gossip about for years to come."
Laughter ripples through the crowd. Then everyone's raising their glasses, toasting, congratulating.
Sally from the diner pushes through the crowd. "You're bonded! All three of them?"
"All three," I confirm.
"That's..." She pauses, searching for words. "Wonderful. Unconventional, but wonderful."
"We don't do conventional," Xaden says dryly.
"Clearly." But Sally's smiling. "When's the celebration? Because we're definitely throwing you a party."
"That's not necessary..."
"Too late," Meredith interrupts. "Already planned it. Next Saturday. My house. Everyone's invited."
"Everyone?" I look around at the packed room. "That's a lot of people."
"You're pack now. Part of this community. That means we celebrate you."
The meeting itself is a blur. I barely hear the agenda items, too focused on the warmth spreading through my chest. These people, this town, they're accepting us. All of us. No judgment, no shock, just genuine happiness.
Afterward, people keep coming up to congratulate us. To ask questions about the bonding. To invite us to dinner or coffee or their kids' birthday parties. It's overwhelming and wonderful and exactly what I needed.
"How're you holding up?" Liam asks quietly as we finally extract ourselves from the crowd.
"Good." I lean into him. "Really good."
"Not too overwhelming?"
"A little. But good overwhelming." I look up at him. "They're happy for us. Actually happy."
"Why wouldn't they be?" Garrick asks, joining us. "You're perfect together. Even a blind person could see that."
"A blind person would just smell it," Xaden adds. "You three reek of pack contentment."
"That's the sexiest thing you've ever said to me," I deadpan.
By the time we make it back, I'm exhausted. Not physically, though my body's still recovering, but emotionally. The good kind of exhaustion that comes from being seen and accepted and celebrated.
We end up in bed together again, tangled in sheets that smell like all of us. The moon is full through the windows, casting silver light across the room.
"I love you," I say into the darkness. "All of you. Just in case I haven't said it enough."
"You've said it," Xaden murmurs. "But we'll never get tired of hearing it."
"Good. Because I plan on saying it a lot."
"We love you too," Liam says. "In case that wasn't obvious."
"It was obvious." I smile into Garrick's chest. "You're all terrible at hiding it."
Garrick shakes his head. "Not hiding anything anymore. What you see is what you get."
I drift off to sleep thinking about the future. About babies and forever and growing old together in this house on this mountain. About writing and baking and healing and loving.
About choosing, every single day, to stay. To build. To belong.
About being exactly where I'm supposed to be.