“What do you think?” he asked as he placed a kiss on my head.
I studied the tree. It was definitely short enough to work and just as full as North was looking for.
“This is the one,” I agreed with him.
Jack and North didn’t hesitate to grab the saw we’d brought along and drop to the ground, cutting down the tree while I stayed warm tucked into Cole’s arms. Before long, the tree was shaken, bundled up, and loaded into the back of Jack’s truck. Cole helped me in first, and Jack all but forced North to sit with me instead of helping. The beta shook his head as he sat down, but I didn’t miss the way he leaned in closer, as if he couldn’t help touching me.
I soaked in his warmth and warmed my hands on the heaters, eager to get back and start a fire in the fireplace like they promised.
It had taken most of the day to gather Jack’s things out of his room. Cole and I were only visiting, so our stuff was quick. Then we all headed for North’s place. He didn’t bring everything, which made sense, it was his home, and no one expected him to move completely. At least not yet.
If it weren’t such a tiny house, I would suggest we move there, but I think that would break Karina’s heart.
Especially at Christmas. The thought of her waiting in that big estate for someone to show up and celebrate with had me shoving the thought away quickly.
My body was practically numb when I got back to my room and changed into warm, comfy clothes. I grabbed an oversized, festive Christmas sweater and fleece-lined leggings that went with it.
In true omega fashion, I also slid on one of my favorite pairs of fuzzy socks with Santa faces on them to complete the look. It was ridiculous, and if there was going to be a test if my pack was truly attracted to me or not, this was going to be it.
As soon as I stepped out of the room, I took in the three men waiting for me. Both alphas had on flannel pajama pants, Cole wearing a soft sweater while Jack had on a tight T-shirt that showed off every ripple of muscle he was hiding underneath.
North was wearing gray sweatpants that should be illegal, and a shirt that looked so soft I wanted to rub my face against it.
I swear these men had a way of breaking me right down to my instincts… and my instincts wanted them.
“You keep staring at us like that, baby girl, and this decorating will be over before it starts,” Jack warned. His eyes burned for me and I swallowed hard, clenching my thighs together. The instant magnetism was insane.
Of course, his words drew Cole and North’s attention to me. Cole let out a laugh as he took in my clothes and shook his head.
“I love the outfit. It fits you perfectly,” he said, walking over and giving me a kiss. Even if he was teasing, the kiss was full of fire. They were truly trying to kill me.
Their scents were just as strong in the air, one single word and I knew they’d quickly be demanding we abandon our plans altogether.
If only I had a nest here. It had been far too long since I packed mine up to move… then everything fell apart.
That wasn’t entirely fair. This pack put my life back together better than before. They’ve shown me every single day that I deserved more, that I was never the problem. Even Jack and his moment of jealousy was met with communication and change.
Just as I opened my mouth, my traitorous stomach growled and ruined the moment. It had been a little too long since we’d eaten, apparently.
North chuckled. “Don’t worry, I just got the notification that our dinner delivery is arriving in five minutes.”
“Are we eating in the dining room?” I questioned as I moved closer to him.
“Mom decided she was going to make herself scarce, so she’s having dinner in town with some of her friends,” Jack explained.
“Just wait until you try this place,” Cole said with a grin, rubbing his own stomach. “It’s one of my favorites. I’ve missed it.”
“We’ve got a few minutes. Let’s get this tree in the stand, and then we can decorate after we eat.”
The two alphas manhandled the bulky tree into its stand, securing it in place and adding water and the tablets we got from the tree farm to keep it fresh and healthy.
North’s phone pinged right as they brushed the pine needles from their clothes. He held his hand out for me, leading me out of the guest wing and through the estate.
He seemed to know this place as well as the others. I barely recognized the route back but he navigated the twisting halls until we found the main staircase.
It was strangely quiet in the foyer. It felt so empty without Karina’s presence, but I was grateful she’d given us the night to ourselves.
North pushed open the large front door to grab the food off the porch before stopping in the kitchen to snag plates, forks, and an armful of drinks. We carried everything upstairs to find that the alphas had rearranged the room to accommodate the tree and cleared the coffee table.
