Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Freddie
Spencer and Zak stare at me like I’ve lost my mind. This is pretty much the same way they always look at me, so as usual, I don’t let it faze me.
I shrug because, honestly, I don’t see what the big deal is. Moving is clearly the only path forward for us as a pack and a very easy solution. “What?” I ask, spreading my hands like this choice is the most obvious thing in the world, because it is. “She hates the house. So the house has to go.”
Zak’s eyes narrow like he’s trying to figure out if I’m joking or mean for the suggestion to be ridiculous, but he doesn’t say anything.
I’m not joking.
And while on occasion, I have dabbled in the universe of ridiculosity, I am clear-headed as can be now.
Silence.
I don’t like the lack of immediate agreement, but I can’t throw the water on them. I have to lead their goats there first. Or is it that the horses lead the goats, and the chickens can’t force them to drink the water?
Whatever, they’ll figure out I’m right soon enough.
Spencer’s jaw tightens with frustration.
That house is the first one we shared as a pack after years of apartments and townhomes.
We waited for the best lot in the most secure gated community to become available.
Then he and Zak sat through an obnoxious number of meetings with builders and contractors.
Occasionally, they’d ask for my input, but really, I just need them.
And now, Mia.
In my head, this is simple math. Mia, plus her hate for our home, equals we buy a new house… Or build another one.
Problem solved. People make you believe that adulting is super hard all your life, but it’s really just them standing in their own way of the obvious. Plus, I guess money likely contributes to that hardship.
Lucky for me, I have two sugar daddies in the form of professional athletes with long-running careers and very nice contracts, so I don’t really have that concern. They could never play another game, and even our great-grandchildren would have extra comfortable lives.
Wait, does Mia want children? We need to move that question to the top of the list.
“Freddie,” Spencer says slowly, like he’s talking to someone fragile, “we just built that house.”
Ah, yes, Sugar Daddy Number One with his rational thinking. Unnecessary at the moment, but I shall entertain him nonetheless. He did tell his therapist two sessions ago that he wishes I’d slow down and listen to him more often.
He doesn’t actually want that; he just wants other people to think that they don’t cave to my every request. So I’ll roleplay for him.
“Yeah, I know. We wrote a check, signed some papers, and we were really excited about it.” I say. “And?”
They know as well as I do that there is very little chance of us ever telling that gorgeous ball of chaos, “no.”
Zak lets out a short laugh, dragging a hand down his face. “And it cost a lot of money. You can’t just buy and sell homes on a whim.”
I snort. “Okay, Mister I Spent Sixty Grand On a New Car.”
“It’s a safe and spacious luxury SUV that retains value and will be a long-term reliable vehicle for our pack,” Spencer comes to his defense with facts that mean nothing to me.
“We don’t need more than one vehicle. We should always be together anyway.” I reason away expertly with a wave of my hand.
“Having a second or even third vehicle for the pack is not an asinine purchase, Freddie.” Zak pinches the bridge of his cute, crooked nose.
“Still doesn’t make any sense,” I shoot back. “And what about that private gym membership you have us all on, even though we have equipment at home?”
“Because the three of us travel a lot during the year, and not every hotel has good enough security to ensure that we won’t be filmed or even touched when trying to work out.
It’s a membership for a prestigious brand of gyms all across the country, where we can get on a treadmill without a video of my ass going viral. ”
Zak throws out more insanity, but because his tone is mature and calm, it sounds less ridiculous.
“That happened like one time,” I mutter with an eye roll.
“Seven times,” Spencer corrects me. “Besides, we get reimbursed by the team for the membership, so it doesn’t even matter.”
Okay, alpha math.
“Well, don’t even get me started on all your little toys in the garage,” I add, pointing at him. “You don’t even play with them, you just like saying you have them!”
“Do you mean the tools?” he asks, his delivery deadpan.
“It’s called a dust collection.” I cross my arms, knowing I’m victorious in this battle.
Zak chokes on a laugh, then immediately tries to cover it when Spencer cuts him a look.
I smile, feeling very reasonable. “All I’m saying is we waste money on dumb stuff all the time. Moving wouldn’t be dumb. Buying a new house would actually fix something.”
Spencer exhales slowly, like he’s counting to ten in his head. “Even if we entertained that idea,” he says, voice tight, “it’s the middle of the season. We don’t exactly have time to go house hunting right now.”
“That’s what people are for,” I say. “We can hire someone to help weed out the bad options. Ask Terry to do it; clearly, he doesn’t have any other tasks to worry about now.”
There’s a long pause where they pretend not to know who I’m talking about–the guy we hired to find our scent-match who turned out to be no match for fate. He really needs a new role since he failed epically at the last one.
Zak shakes his head. “Do you mean Trevor?”
I shrug. How should I know?
“Okay, maybe you’re on to something, but what do we do in the meantime? We can’t all just crash with Mia for months, and she clearly wants nothing to do with our house. Not even for a few hours.” Zak’s chest deflates as he lets out a long exhale of exasperation.
Alphas. Always acting like everything is an impossible crossword puzzle and the world is demanding they write in pen.
“Why can’t we?”
He stares at me as if I’ve just suggested we move into a closet and whisper-yells. “Because this apartment isn’t big enough. Because we have schedules. Because we have an entire football season happening. Any of that ringing a bell for you?”
“And playoffs,” Spencer adds.
Zak nods. “Yeah. If we make playoffs, that’s even longer.”
“When we make playoffs,” Spencer corrects, determined to be the optimist as team captain.
I shrug again, stubborn. “Then we find something fast.”
“That’s not how real estate works,” Spencer says.
“It could be. There’s a lot of money in our bank account.” Isn’t the whole point of having money to spend it to make all of our lives easier? Otherwise, what are we hoarding all those zeros for?
“Money isn’t going to magically solve this.”
We’re going in circles for no reason at all.
I scoff, “Of course it is.”
Before either of them can argue further, there’s movement from the direction of the bathroom.
We all turn to watch Mia enter the room. For a second, my brain just… stalls.
“I kind of sped through my normal nighttime routine, but I didn’t want to be rude and leave you all here waiting for too long.”
No one answers, even when she glances over all three of us one at a time.
Because we’re all staring.
She looks nothing like she did earlier.
Her attire is much more stylish than her earlier outfit.
These pajamas are much nicer than the previous ones.
The lavender-colored silk looks incredible against her smooth skin.
Her hair falls just right, in dark, silky strands that fall past her shoulders.
Her face is clear and glowing, making it so I can appreciate how warm her brown eyes are.
The only thing that’s the same is the way she’s clutching Zak’s coat in her arms like a child clinging to their comfort blanket, fingers curled tight in the fabric like she’s not ready to let it go.
Zak notices too. I see it in the way his posture shifts, his chest puffing out with pride at the sight.
I’m pretty Spencer must be getting at least half-hard picturing her hair wrapped around his hand.
She’s fucking stunning. Even more so than earlier.
And I instantly feel like a dick for thinking we’d have to work with her due to her styling choices. Then I remember I only had her best interests at heart, and I don’t feel so bad anymore.
The woman in front of us is a dream, absolutely perfect. The most perfect omega that has ever walked the planet is standing in front of us, and she’s mine.
Well, ours.
And before I can stop myself, before Spencer can give me one of his looks that says don’t you dare, the words are already out of my mouth. “We’re buying you a new place.”
All three of them snap their attention to me.
Mia blinks. “What?”
“Any place you want,” I say, moving towards her with more energy than I should have after today. “You hate our place, and yours is too small for us all, so we’ll fix it. You pick it, we buy it.”
Zak’s eyes widen. Spencer’s eyes narrow in warning. They’re looking at me like I’ve crossed a line, but I don’t understand because we clearly just all made this decision together. Weren’t they listening to all that logic I shared?
I guess if a line did exist, I didn’t just cross it. I bulldozed it, then reversed, and then I did the sexiest moonwalk across it.
But I don’t take it back.
Because I’m right.
We all know how this works. Spencer might be the one who makes the final call, the one who keeps everything organized and controlled, but we don’t move unless we all agree.
And I can see already that he doesn’t disagree.
He couldn’t possibly. His instincts are even sharper than mine, meaning he knew before I verbalized the suggestion that this is the right call.
He’s just annoyed I said the words first.
Mia’s gaze flicks between us, uncertain but hopeful, and maybe a touch overwhelmed.
Spencer sighs, straightening. “We’ll need a realtor,” he says finally, like he’s conceding a point he wishes he didn’t have to.
I don’t even try to deny my lips their right to pull into a cocky smirk.
Fuck, I love it when I’m right.
Mia perks up instantly, like someone flipped a switch. “Oh, I actually know someone,” she says quickly. “My boss used him to search for the office space we moved into last year when we needed to expand. He was amazing, and I’m pretty sure he does residential properties, too.”
Zak makes a face. “He?”
I scoff. “Yeah, that’s a hard pass.”
Spencer crosses his arms but doesn’t speak.
Mia rolls her eyes, a little spark of attitude breaking through her composure. “He’s an omega,” she says. “And he’s very much spoken for, considering the bond marks he proudly shows off. There’s no threat; he’s just a really great realtor… And he’s very patient.”
I’m not sure why she looks at me when she adds that last part, but her reassurance takes the fight out of us immediately. Zak and Spencer both look a little sheepish over their possessiveness.
I shrug. “Fine then.”
Spencer exhales, already shifting into planning mode. “I’ll have Trevor add you to our calendar,” he tells her. “Games, practices, conditioning, and any other commitments we have going on. That way, you’ll know when we’re free and can have the realtor plan accordingly.”
Mia nods quickly with a growing smile. “Okay.”
“Ask if we can set some showings up as soon as possible,” he adds. “The sooner we start, the better.”
“Got it.”
I force a pout, acting as if I’m a victim of the situation, too. “Yeah, you better hurry,” I agree, tilting my head toward her. “Save me from that awful house I’ve been forced to endure for far too long.”
Mia’s smile turns sympathetic, like we’re in this together.
Because, duh, we are.
Spencer’s glare hits me instantly, promising punishment. He’s just jelly-belly that he didn’t get to be the knight in shining armor. He really should learn to take some initiative. He is the alpha in charge, after all.
I grin, catching the way his eyebrow lifts in silent challenge.
Yeah. I’m definitely going to pay for that later.
Worth it.