26. Chapter Twenty-Six
I groggily stir to the sound of concerned voices and the sharp bang of a door opening. My head throbs the second I move, a dull ache blooming behind my eyes from last night’s poor decisions.
The bedroom door swings wide and Chase barges in mid-sentence, his large frame filling the doorway. “Have you seen—” He stops cold when his gaze lands on me. I am sprawled completely across Jamie, one leg thrown over his hips, my head on his chest.
Chase’s eyes widen for half a second before he quickly looks away, turning his head toward the hallway. Heat floods my face as I realize my borrowed shirt has ridden all the way up and my ass is completely exposed. I yank the hem down frantically with one hand, cheeks burning.
Jamie stirs beneath me, blinking slowly awake. His hands tighten instinctively on my waist and the back of my thigh, warm and possessive for a sleepy second before he seems to remember where he is.
“Everything’s fine,” Chase calls gruffly into the hallway, voice tight. “Elodie’s in Jamie’s room.”
He glances back at us, still carefully avoiding anything below my shoulders, and his expression softens into an apology. “We saw the door to the nest open and thought you had left. We were worried about your safety.”
I groan and burrow deeper into Jamie’s chest, hiding my embarrassed face against him. My head pounds in protest.
“My head hurts,” I mumble miserably.
Jamie squeezes me gently, one big hand rubbing circles on my back. “We’re better off pushing through it,” he murmurs against my hair, voice a little raspy from sleep. “Trust me, it passes faster that way.”
Chase nods from above us, still training his eyes on the wall rather than on us. “Adrian is looking forward to your study session later,” he says, the words gruff but kind.
I grin despite the fragile way my head feels, the ache easing a fraction at the thought of Adrian studying with me in the library.
I climb out of the bed sluggishly, tugging Jamie’s shirt down as far as it will go, and make sure my hip brushes deliberately against Chase on my way past. He goes very still at the contact, but he doesn’t step away.
Alex appears in the doorway just then, tall and solid and already dressed. I walk straight into his arms without thinking. He catches me easily, wrapping me up against his chest.
“You’re all very dramatic,” I tease, voice muffled against his sweater.
Alex kisses the top of my head, then smooths my messy hair with one gentle hand. “Only for you,” he says, the words easy and absolute. “We’ll make you breakfast before I drive you back to campus.”
My stomach chooses that exact moment to growl loudly, the sound echoing in the bedroom. I don’t even try to argue.
Jamie tosses me a pair of thick socks from the edge of the bed. I catch them and slip them on, the fabric fluffy against my cold feet. Then I follow the guys downstairs, the scent of coffee and something sweet already drifting up from the kitchen where Adrian is already moving around.
The house feels different in the daylight, and I let myself sink into the warmth of it as we head toward the smell of breakfast.
Chase and Adrian claim the kitchen completely. They declare it off-limits the second we walk in, Chase pointing a spatula towards the table with Adrian nodding solemnly behind him. The two of them move around each other with the easy rhythm of people who have done this a hundred times before.
I sit at the big table between Alex and Jamie, the wooden chair cool against the backs of my thighs. The air is thick with the smell of waffles crisping on the iron, scrambled eggs fluffing in a pan, and bacon sizzling until the edges curl. My stomach gives another loud, embarrassing growl.
The table is set against a wide window, a beautiful view of the valley below splayed out in the daylight. I had no idea we were so high up here. Fall leaves and fluffy clouds stand sharp in the background.
Alex gets serious without warning. He bends down beside my chair, one hand resting lightly on the back of it, and asks, “Was there something wrong with your nest last night?”
My heart stutters. Panic rises fast and hot in my chest. I stumble over the words, trying to explain before the silence stretches too long.
“I loved it,” I say quickly. “It was perfect. But I just… I felt lonely. Jamie dropped off his shirt and it smelled like him, so I went to his room and…” I trail off, realizing how that sounds, and finish awkwardly, “I was just lonely. That’s all.”
Jamie reaches over and squeezes my hand under the table. “I’m really glad you came to me,” he says tenderly, thumb brushing over my knuckles. “And I’m even more glad you didn’t invite anyone into your nest before you were ready.”
They keep calling it my nest. Not the nest. Mine. The word keeps landing strangely in my chest, and I wonder if they are already getting their hopes up. I’m not sure I’m ready for what that means.
Jamie reaches across the counter for a piece of bacon and Chase slaps his hand away without even looking up from the eggs. “Elodie plates first,” Chase says, voice brusque but fond.
I feel my face heat with embarrassment, but then Adrian looks over his shoulder and says, “You wouldn’t stand a chance if all four of us went at the same time. Trust me.”
I laugh despite myself, the sound surprising even me. I load my plate with a waffle, a generous scoop of scrambled eggs, and three perfect strips of bacon while the guys descend on the rest like they haven’t eaten in days.
The first bite of eggs makes me close my eyes for a second. “These are so good,” I say, the words slipping out before I can stop them.
Chase gives Adrian a knowing look. “Careful. Tell him they’re good and he’ll make them for you every single day.”
Every day.
The words settle over me. I wonder if I’m leading them on, letting them talk like this when I still don’t know what I want. But even as the thought crosses my mind, I can’t bring myself to pull away. I take another bite and let the moment wrap around me instead.
After breakfast Alex declares he’ll drive me back to campus so I can shower and change. The words feel considerate, like he’s giving me an easy way out of the house without making it feel like I’m being sent away.
Jamie pulls me into a hug goodbye right there in the kitchen, his hands gripping my hips with possession. He leans in close and murmurs against my ear, “You look really good in my shirt.”
The pleased note in his voice is impossible to miss. He knows I am taking it home with me, and the thought clearly makes him happy.
Adrian confirms our library study time, his voice hopeful as he names the exact hour. I nod, already looking forward to it even through the lingering headache.
I wave tentatively to Chase on my way out. He nods in return, that same pained look crossing his face again, the one I still don’t really know how to read.
I climb into the car with Alex. He turns the radio on low, some gentle indie song filling the space between us, and drives without pressuring me to talk.
The silence feels comfortable rather than heavy, and I watch the trees blur past the window, Jamie’s shirt yielding against my skin and carrying his warm amber scent with every small movement.
When he pulls up outside my dorm it’s later than I realized.
People are milling about, and they are all definitely staring.
A few students dawdle on the sidewalk, eyes flicking to Alex’s car and spotting me in the front seat, looking disheveled.
My cheeks heat, but the embarrassment doesn’t sink in the way it should.
Alex rests his hand on my thigh, the heat of it sending a spark through me. “Elodie,” he says, voice low and serious.
I turn to him, my heart suddenly beating harder. The usual calm confidence in his face has shifted into something deeper.
“I know a pack wasn’t what you came to university looking for,” he begins, words careful and measured. “You came here for your studies, for entomology, for the life you planned for yourself. I respect that more than you know.”
His thumb brushes a comforting circle on my leg. “But I hope you’ll give my pack a chance. I don’t want to take anything away from your studies or your freedom. We would do everything at your pace. I promise you that. I believe — we all believe — that you are the perfect match for us.”
The air in the car feels suddenly thicker. Alex’s pale gray eyes hold mine steadily as he asks, formally, “Elodie, will you allow us to court you?”
I am stunned by how official the question sounds. It lands between us like something heavy and tangible, and my voice comes out small when I ask, “What does courtship really mean?”
Alex keeps his hand on my thigh, his fingers splayed out. He explains it, his voice patient, as if he has been waiting for this moment.
“We would follow the usual steps,” he says. “Each of us would take you on at least one individual date, more if you need time. We would have you over to the house more often so you could get to know us properly. And if you eventually chose us, you could form an official mate bond with the pack.”
“Even Chase?” I ask before I can stop myself. The words slip out in an uncertain stumble. “I know what Jamie said… but I can’t help thinking that he doesn’t like me.”
Alex laughs, the sound low and surprised and so warm it makes my chest flutter.
He shakes his head, eyes crinkling at the corners.
“Chase’s protectiveness is an alpha urge he is struggling to control right now.
He wants to keep you safe in ways he thinks you might not like yet.
That’s why he always looks like he’s in pain when you’re near him.
It’s taking everything in him not to pull you closer. ”
The realization settles over me slowly. That pained look on Chase’s face every time our eyes meet, the way he freezes when I brush past him, the gruff tone that never quite matches the gentleness in his hands. It’s not dislike at all.
I swallow hard and meet Alex’s gaze. “I never wanted a pack,” I admit, voice barely above a whisper. “But I can’t deny how attracted I am to all four of you… including Chase. I’ll think about it.”
Alex leans in tenderly, aiming for my cheek. At the last second I turn my head and catch his lips instead. The kiss is soft and surprised. He groans low in his throat and tightens his hold on my thigh, pulling me closer for one perfect heartbeat.
I pull back with a mischievous little grin, heart racing. I open the car door before I can lose my nerve and tell him, “I’ll see you around.”
I catch a few people staring as I step out, eyes wide at the sight of me leaving Alex’s car clearly dressed in a guy’s t-shirt.
I can’t bring myself to care. I stroll along the sidewalk, throw one flirty glance over my shoulder at Alex, and head inside my dorm building with my head held high.