I hesitate, then decide honesty matters more than composure.
“I’ve been here before,” I say quietly.
Coach’s eyes soften.
“Tell me.”
“I had an alpha once. Before Iron Lake. He was charming. Careful. Always said the right things.” I let out a breath that feels older than it should. “He told me I was special. That he wanted a future.”
Coach doesn’t interrupt.
“He never told me he was married,” I continue. “He kept her hidden, and lied to both of us. He basically built a whole life on omission.”
My fingers curl lightly in my lap at the memory of it all.
I’ve pushed it away for weeks, but it all comes back so easily once I tap in.
“I wouldn’t have minded sharing. Truly. I would’ve talked about it, and negotiated it. The idea of a pack has never scared me. But… he didn’t give me that choice.”
Coach’s jaw tightens.
“That’s not polyamory,” he says flatly. “That’s deception.”
“Exactly,” I say. “And that’s what broke it. It wasn’t the sex, or even the instincts. It was thelie.”
Silence settles between us, heavy but not uncomfortable.
“So I don’t step into things blindly anymore,” I finish. “And I don’t stay where my consent is treated like an afterthought.”
He nods once, slow and deliberate.
“Good.”
Then, quieter:
“Beau’s never been good at trusting his instincts.”
That surprises me. “No?”
“He learned early to suppress them,” Coach says. “To keep things contained. And that kind of control… let’s just say, it doesn’t come from comfort.”
I think of Beau’s restraint, of his carefulness. The way he always asks, even when he doesn’t need to.
“I know,” I say softly.
Coach watches me for a long moment.
“Are you happy, Emery?”
I don’t know why, but the question lands harder than all the others, causing a lump to form in my throat.
“Yes,” I answer, without hesitation.
And I really do mean it.
“Safe?”
“Yes.”
