“Yes!” I jump up to hug him. “Of course, I do!”
He grins as he walks to a nearby golf cart, opening the door for me to get in.
“I already had a crew thoroughly scent clean the house and remove all the furniture, so it’s a completely blank slate.” I’m bubbling with excitement as Cole drives, making it difficult to concentrate on what he says. “I know it’s not as flashy as some of the other houses, but we can make it our own.”
Having each pack’s personal touches, all of the beach houses are slightly different.
“We’d be Amora’s neighbors!” I squeal in realization as we pass the Princeton pack house, continuing until we pull to a stop in front of the adorable, sage-colored house.
It’s three stories with a terracotta shingle roof, and a terrace that wraps around the entire first floor. It’s more beach-weathered than some of the bonded houses, but that only makes me love it more. I don’t need to live somewhere that looks like a carbon copy of Barbie’s Malibu dream house, like anotherhome we passed. It’s cozy, kinda like a beachy treehouse, nestled between swaying palms.
Cole opens the cart door for me then takes my hand, leading me up the house steps while twirling keys around his finger.
“Are you ready?” He doesn’t wait for my answer, pushing the door open.
From the moment I step inside, I instantly feel at home. It’s decorated in neutral colors—soft creams and whites—and it has incredible natural light that would provide optimal growing conditions for all the plants I’d like to have.
The downstairs floor is split into two sections. There’s a kitchen and dining area with a gigantic sliding door that opens up to a gorgeous side patio that stretches onto our own private beach. There’s also a living space with a floor-to-ceiling window that looks out across the lake and mountains in the distance. Sunsets here will be breathtaking.
Upstairs, there are enough bedrooms for the guys to have their own, but they’re modest—enough for a bed, desk, and dresser. The wrap-around terrace makes the house seem bigger and means we can do an entire lap around the house. I imagine the carnage Laz will cause, sneaking out to terrorize Ren when he’s knee-deep in studying or wearing a scary mask and peering in Damon’s window while he’s listening to heavy metal music.
Cole points out exciting features like the air-conditioning and custom lights. And my eagerness ramps up even more as he makes suggestions for renovations like adding more fridges, putting up an extra TV, turning the basement into a mini arcade for Laz, and maybe putting a tiki bar outside. I nod along, taking it all in and too stunned to speak.
How can this be my life?
Cole pauses at the bottom of the stairs to the third floor. “Do you want to look at the nest by yourself?”
“No.” I take his hand. His chivalry is something Gram would approve of. “I want you to come with me.”
“Of course, little omega.”
My jaw drops when I see the room—no, floor—that could be my nest. It’s the largest space in the house. It has a wooden beam ceiling, which will look magical when wrapped in fairy lights and climbing plants. There are also plenty of nooks that, with papasan chairs, would make ideal reading corners. In the middle of the room, there’s an enormous recessed area, like a swimming pool without water.
Cole points at it. “We can get a custom-made bed to fit there.”
“That would be amazing.” There’d be enough space for all five of us to sprawl out without touching.
Off to the side is a walk-in closet and an adjoining bathroom. The shower has a triple head and more nozzles than I’d know what to do with.
Cole watches my every move as I take it all in. “What do you think?”
“It’s...” I don’t know what to say. I already thought Stella House was amazing, but this is on another level. It’s better than anything I could have imagined.
“If you don’t like it, there are plenty of other options in Forestville,” Cole says quickly. “Don’t feel obligated to take it just because I helped the other pack find a place in Seattle.”
“No!” There’s no way we can lose this. “I love it, Cole. It’s absolutely perfect.”
He grins, whipping out his phone. “I’ll tell the realtor we’ll take it.”
While Cole goes to take the call downstairs, I take another look around. I can imagine us all living here. It wouldn’t take a lot to make it feel like home—just lots of cushions, Laz’s artwork, and the guys’ scent. We could sit around playing board games, snuggled under blankets, watching the sun set over the beach…
Suddenly, Cole’s raised voice reaches me, making my stomach churn. Did we lose the house? As I cautiously make my way back down, I realize we’re not alone, my nose scrunching at the musty, wet moss smell.
“What are you doing here?” Cole talks to the mysterious intruder. His jaw works, his lips pressed tightly together. I’ve never seen him this riled up.
Although the man he’s addressing has his back to me, I can tell he’s an alpha of gigantic proportions with silvery hair and a snazzy, gray suit. The man inhales sharply and spins to face me. I’m almost blinded by his gold watch catching the light, which looks like it weighs a ton. He props his sunglasses on his head as his gaze scans over me in a pretentiousI don’t have time for youway.
His eyes narrow in blatant disapproval and his mouth twists into an unpleasant sneer, obviously finding me lacking. “This is the omega, I take it?”
