Kai just winks, already heading down the hallway with his armload of nesting materials. “Trust me. You’ll like this better.”
Curious despite my melancholy, I follow him through the house, the duvet trailing behind me like a bridal train. We pass the formal dining room, continue beyond the kitchen, and finallyarrive at what Kai calls his den—a cozy room with a massive television and comfortable seating that I’ve only glanced into before.
Except it doesn’t look like an alpha’s den anymore.
Grayson stands in the center of the transformed space, adjusting what can only be described as the world’s most elaborate pillow fort. The furniture has been rearranged to create a framework draped with sheets, blankets, and the fairy lights Kai was carrying. Inside, I can see more pillows than any household reasonably needs, arranged in a nest-like configuration facing the television.
The coffee table has been moved to the center of this fabric structure, laden with food that makes my stomach growl instantly: artisanal pizzas with bubbling cheese, golden-brown panko chicken nuggets, and an array of dipping sauces in small bowls. A bottle of wine sits in an ice bucket alongside craft beers and what looks like homemade milkshakes in tall glasses.
It’s a sleepover. A grown-up, elevated sleepover.
“What is all this?” I ask, standing frozen in the doorway.
Grayson turns, his eyes crinkling above his ever-present bandana in what I’ve come to recognize is a smile. “Dinner.”
“We thought you could use a break from...” Kai waves his hand vaguely, “...everything.”
My chest tightens with an emotion I can’t immediately identify. “Is Noah joining us?”
The two alphas exchange a glance that answers my question before Kai answers.
“He left early this morning,” Kai says carefully. “I wouldn’t count on him coming back until late tonight.”
The news shouldn’t hurt as much as it does. Noah is avoiding me—avoiding us—and I can’t blame him. I forced a bond on him that he never asked for, never wanted. Of course, he needs space.
“Oh,” I say, the syllable small and inadequate.
“His loss,” Kai declares, taking the duvet from my hands and adding it to the fort. “More food for us.”
I look between them—Kai with his easy smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes, Grayson silently adjusting pillows with military precision—and suddenly understand what’s happening. They’re trying to cheer me up. They’ve noticed my mood, my withdrawal, and instead of demanding explanations or offering empty reassurances, they’ve built me a literal comfort nest.
Something warm unfurls in my chest, pushing back against the cold weight of guilt and uncertainty.
“Did you guys really do all of this just for me?” I ask, stepping further into the room.
“Everybody likes a blanket fort,” Grayson says, his deep voice rumbling through the space. “And Kai stress cooks.”
“I do not stress-cook,” Kai protests. “I just happen to enjoy culinary creativity when faced with complex emotional situations.”
“Stress-cooking,” Grayson repeats, deadpan.
A laugh bubbles up from somewhere inside me, surprising in its genuineness. “So we’re just going to eat junk food in a pillow fort?”
“Not just eat,” Kai corrects, producing a remote with a flourish. “We’re going to watch the entire original trilogy of Star Wars and fall asleep in a pile like puppies. Unless you’d prefer something else?”
I think about my plans for the evening—more research on bond severance, followed by staring at the ceiling while cataloging all of my life choices that led to this moment. This is objectively better.
“Star Wars is perfect,” I say, and mean it.
“Excellent.” Kai gestures toward the fort entrance. “Your palace awaits, m’lady.”
I duck into the structure, settling into the nest of pillows. The fairy lights cast a warm, golden glow over everything, and the sheets overhead create a sense of intimacy and safety that I didn’t realize I needed. Grayson follows, his large frame somehow fitting comfortably in the space, while Kai serves food onto plates before joining us.
“Should we talk about it?” I ask suddenly, the question escaping before I can stop it.
Kai pauses, a slice of pizza halfway to his mouth. “Talk about what, specifically? There’s a lot ofitgoing around lately.”
“About...” I gesture vaguely between us, “...this situation. Noah. The bond. The fact that he is obviously avoiding being anywhere near me. What it all means for the future?”
