Chapter 32 Sharon
SHARON
The house smells like cinnamon and pine needles and something savory that Cassian is making in the kitchen.
I'm curled on the couch with a blanket wrapped around my shoulders, watching snow fall outside the window.
Fat flakes drift down in the darkness, illuminated by the string lights we hung on the porch last week.
Pine Hollow is blanketed in white, quiet and peaceful as the year winds down to its final hours.
New Year's Eve. Our first one together as a complete pack.
Six months ago, I was in Denver, alone in my apartment, pretending I was fine while my entire life fell apart around me. Now I'm here, in this house with three alphas who chose me, planning weddings and building a life I never imagined possible.
"Stop thinking so hard," Jett says, dropping onto the couch next to me. He's wearing sweatpants and a faded band t-shirt, his brown hair still damp from the shower. His cedar and gunpowder scent wraps around me immediately. "I can literally hear your brain working from across the room."
"I'm not thinking hard," I protest. "I'm reflecting. It's different."
"It's the same thing with a fancier name," he says, pulling me against his side. His warmth seeps through the blanket and into my bones. "What are you reflecting on?"
"How different everything is from last year," I say honestly. "How much has changed. How I ended up here when six months ago I thought my life was completely over."
Jett's hand finds my hair and his fingers start running through it gently. The gesture is automatic now, something he does without thinking when we're close like this.
"Your life wasn't over," he says. "It was just transforming into something better."
Pine emerges from the bedroom wearing dark jeans and a henley that shows off his tattoo sleeves. His black hair is pushed back from his face. His dark eyes find me immediately and soften in that way they do when he looks at me.
"Wine?" he asks, holding up a bottle.
"Yes," I say immediately. "Definitely wine."
He moves into the kitchen and returns with four glasses and the bottle already open. The wine is red and rich, the kind that costs more than I would ever spend on myself but that Pine insists is worth it for special occasions.
Cassian appears from the kitchen carrying a tray loaded with food. Cheese and crackers and olives and some kind of dip that smells incredible. He's still wearing jeans but he's put on a grey sweater that makes his eyes look even more striking than usual.
"Dinner in thirty minutes," he announces, setting the tray on the coffee table. "But I figured we should start celebrating now."
Pine pours wine into each glass with careful precision. He hands them out one at a time, making eye contact with each of us as he does. When he hands me mine, his fingers brush against my hand and linger there for just a moment.
"To new beginnings," Pine says, raising his glass.
"To family," Cassian adds, settling on the couch on my other side so I'm sandwiched between him and Jett.
"To Sharon," Jett says, his arm tightening around my shoulders. "Who took a chance on three alphas who didn't deserve her but got lucky anyway."
"To us," I say, raising my own glass. "To this pack. To this life. To whatever comes next."
We drink and the wine is perfect. Smooth and rich with just enough complexity to make it interesting without being overwhelming.
Pine settles on the floor in front of the couch, his back against my legs. I immediately reach down and run my fingers through his hair without thinking about it. He leans into the touch like a cat seeking affection.
"Tell me about your favorite moment from this year," Pine says, tilting his head back to look up at me.
I think about it while sipping my wine. There are so many moments to choose from. The first time I felt safe in this house. The first wedding I planned. The first time I realized I was actually in love with all three of them instead of just falling.
"The wedding," I say finally. "Tangle Peak's wedding.
Not just the event itself but the moment right before the ceremony started when everything clicked into place.
When I realized I had actually created something meaningful.
That I wasn't just coordinating details but making magic happen for people who deserved it. "
"That was a good moment," Cassian agrees. His hand finds my knee and rests there, warm and grounding. "Watching you in your element like that. Watching you be brilliant and not even realize it."
"What about you?" I ask, looking at each of them. "What was your favorite moment?"
"The first time you stayed the night," Jett says immediately. "Not for the obvious reasons, though those were great. But waking up and seeing you there. Realizing you weren't going to run. That you were choosing to stay."
"The chess game after Ben's text," Pine says. "When you were processing everything and scared but still willing to hope. Still willing to show up for him even though it terrified you. That's when I knew you were stronger than you gave yourself credit for."
"Every morning," Cassian says simply. "Every single morning I wake up and you're there and I get to remember that this is real. That you're ours and we're yours and this isn't something I'm going to wake up from."
My throat tightens with emotion. These three alphas who somehow see me more clearly than I see myself. Who love me not despite my flaws but including them.
"I love you," I say, and my voice breaks slightly. "All of you. So much that sometimes it scares me."
"Good scared or bad scared?" Jett asks, echoing the question he asked months ago.
"Good scared," I say. "The kind that comes from having something worth losing. The kind that means I'm actually invested instead of just going through the motions."
Pine shifts on the floor, turning to face me fully. His dark eyes are intense as they study my face.
"Can I see it?" he asks quietly.
I know immediately what he means. The tattoo. The one I finally got three weeks ago after months of thinking about it. The phoenix rising from flames, positioned just above my bonding mark where it transforms the simple symbol into something more complex and beautiful.
I shift on the couch and pull down the collar of my sweater, exposing my shoulder and the fresh ink that's still slightly tender.
The phoenix is done in shades of red and orange and gold, its wings spread wide as it emerges from stylized flames.
Below it, the three overlapping circles of my bonding mark are incorporated into the design, made part of the phoenix's foundation.
Pine reaches up and traces the edge of the tattoo with gentle fingers. His touch is reverent, careful not to press too hard on the still-healing skin.
"It's perfect," he says. "The symbolism. Rising from what was into what is. Transforming pain into something beautiful."
"That's exactly what I wanted," I say. "A reminder that everything I went through brought me here. That the hard parts weren't wasted. They were necessary."
Cassian leans closer to examine the tattoo, his gray eyes tracking every line and curve. His fingers join Pine's, both of them touching me with the kind of gentle attention that makes my breath catch.
"You're art," Cassian says softly. "You know that? You're walking, breathing, beautiful art."
Jett's hand slides up to cup the back of my neck, his thumb stroking along my jawline. His cedar scent intensifies, mixing with Cassian's smoke and Pine's sandalwood until the air is thick with alpha pheromones.
"You're trying to seduce me before dinner," I accuse, but my voice comes out breathier than intended.
"Is it working?" Jett asks, his mouth close to my ear.
"Maybe," I admit.
Pine stands smoothly and moves to sit on the coffee table directly in front of me. His knees bracket mine. His hands find my face, thumbs stroking my cheekbones.
"We have time before dinner," he says. His voice is low and deliberate. "We have all the time in the world."
Cassian's hand slides under my sweater, his palm warm against my lower back. Jett's fingers tighten slightly on the back of my neck. Pine's dark eyes hold mine with an intensity that makes everything else fade into background noise.
"Upstairs," I say. It's barely a whisper but they hear it.
We move as a unit. Jett stands and pulls me up with him. Cassian's hand stays on my back, guiding me toward the stairs. Pine leads the way, already pulling his henley over his head to reveal the full canvas of his tattoo sleeves.
The bedroom is warm, the heat turned up against the winter cold outside. Someone lit candles earlier and they're flickering on the dresser and nightstand, casting dancing shadows across the walls.
Pine turns to face me, and his hands find the hem of my sweater. He pulls it up slowly, giving me time to change my mind, but I raise my arms to help him. The sweater comes off and cool air hits my skin, making me shiver.
Cassian is behind me immediately, his chest pressed against my back. His hands slide around my waist and up to cup my breasts through my bra. His mouth finds my shoulder, kissing along the edge of my new tattoo with gentle reverence.
Jett moves to my side, his hand tangling in my hair as he tilts my head back to kiss me. His mouth is demanding and thorough, his tongue sliding against mine as his other hand works at the button of my jeans.
Pine watches for a moment, his dark eyes tracking every touch and kiss and movement. Then he's kneeling in front of me, helping Jett pull my jeans down my hips and legs. I step out of them and suddenly I'm standing in just my bra and underwear while three fully clothed alphas surround me.
"Not fair," I manage to say between Jett's kisses. "You're all still dressed."
"Easily fixed," Pine says, standing and stripping off his jeans in one smooth motion.