Jack and I shared a look, a subject we hadn’t dared to broach quite yet.
“You know,” Jack hedged, “you could stay at Pine Ridge with us.”
“I’ll think about it,” was all Cole would give. At least it wasn’t a dismissal.
“What’s the nesting store like here?” Aspen questioned. “Or at least, what is it called so I can look it up?”
“Or you can just be surprised, omega,” Jack said, amused at her impatience.
She didn’t argue, going right to her phone to look up the names. She didn’t have the chance to find it before we were pulling up in front ofThe Knotty Nesters.
The building was tall, four or five floors of everything an omega was supposed to need.
Aspen climbed out first, holding a hand out to me, her eyes full of excitement.
“Are you ready to go discover what it means to be an omega?”
It was hard to say no when she looked so sweet and excited.
I let my hand slide into hers and let out a breath, deciding to trust in my omega.
In my pack.
Jack
Aspen and North were going to be the death of me. Not only were they so fucking cute looking at all the nesting supplies, it just did something to my alpha to see them genuinely happy like this.
“Aren’t we lucky bastards?” Cole rumbled as he stood next to me, watching our omegas climb into about the twentieth display so far. They were full of easy smiles and giggles, North sinking into his designation with grace.
“Beyond,” I agreed.
“Just think, if she hadn’t come along and plopped herself down in your lap wearing a Santa suit, none of this would have happened.
He shook his head. “You’re right,” he said. “I’m just not sure how to fix things.”
“Fix what?” I asked, trying to figure out where his mind went.
“Our pack. Pine Ridge. Pack & Co. Take your pick.”
“I can’t believe I’m the one to say this, but I think we need to let it play out. See where this holiday takes us.”
He stared at the omegas for a moment before turning those dark eyes of his on me. “I’m getting the feeling that Aspen isn’t going to want to leave.”
“Is there anything you can do to bring your business here to Pine Ridge?”
“Maybe,” my brother sighed, but from the way the wheels were turning in his mind, I knew he was genuinely considering it. The Cole I knew was never unreasonable. He did what he had to do to get out of here, and I was learning to accept that. I could never fault him for the success he had found for himself.
He put so much work into Pack & Co., and despite never telling him, I was incredibly proud. He hadn’t just made a name for himself, he created a legacy.
“You know… I haven’t said this often enough,” I hedged. Something in my voice must’ve caught him off guard because he looked at me, eyebrows raised, bracing himself for whatever I was about to say. “I’m proud of you, brother.”
I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed Cole shocked before, but right now he was stunned into silence. “I know I was a dick when you came back, and I, apparently, had some abandonment issues to work through. But that wasn’t just on you. What you did with Pack & Co. is really impressive.”
“Wow,” he said. “Thank you, Jack.”
Adorable giggles had the conversation falling away before things could get awkward between us. Aspen and North were crawling into another nest, but something was off with him.
From the look Aspen shot our way, desperate and practically begging for help, she noticed his drop in his mood as well.
