When I woke up this morning, I had 3,847 followers. A number I'd been slowly, painstakingly building over two years of posting content sporadically whenever Kael's pack wasn't around to mock me for it.
Now the number reads 4,926.
I gained 1,079 followers.
In one day.
In a few hours, really, since the live stream.
Oh my god. OH MY GOD. This is from the live stream. It has to be. People found me from that absolute chaos with Nash teasing me and the moose encounter and Grayson appearing shirtless on a white horse like some kind of romance novel cover and Theo ending it abruptly. They watched that mess and thought 'yes, I want to see more of whatever this is' and hit the follow button.
Over a thousand people. Over a thousand actual human beings decided I was worth following. That my content was entertaining enough to warrant seeing more. That I might actually have something valuable to offer.
"I..." My voice comes out small and shocked and breathless. "I just did a live stream today. This morning. I'm trying to build up my account for the holidays. Document small-town Christmas traditions and festivities across the region."
River grins.
"That's a brilliant strategy. You should absolutely make it a Christmas series—like, brand it properly with a catchy name and consistent posting schedule. Holiday content does exceptionally well in the social media industry, especially if you're hitting multiple platforms. The algorithm loves seasonal content."
I nod eagerly, ideas already spinning in my head. "I can definitely look into that. Create a proper series structure."
"Do you have a laptop for editing?" River asks, moving toward the laptop display section. "Editing on your phone is fine for quick clips, but if you want to create higher-quality content—multiple camera angles, better transitions, color correction, audio mixing—you'll want a proper computer. You can also diversify your content across different channels or TikTok accounts, create different niches. It's a smart way to build multiple income streams."
He gestures to a sleek silver MacBook on display. "Editing on a laptop is significantly faster than mobile. What takes thirtyminutes on a phone takes five minutes on a proper machine. If you're serious about going full-time with content creation, the time savings alone justify the investment."
I bite my lip, considering. "I have been thinking about it. And I guess if I did that—focused on being full-time with content creation and maybe starting that baking business we talked about—I wouldn't have to juggle so many random side gigs for money in Oakridge. I could actually try to monetize properly, maybe get brand deals, affiliate partnerships."
Theo has been standing beside me this whole time, listening quietly. His olive-green eyes are focused and attentive.
Then Nash walks up to us from where he'd been examining tablet displays, and says casually, like he's ordering coffee, "Can we get one of the newest iPhones in whatever color she wants, and the latest MacBook? Highest storage capacity for both."
My eyes widen so much I'm surprised they don't fall out of my head.
"Wait, wait, wait," I sputter, turning to look at Nash with panic rising in my chest. "Y-you can't buy me a phone AND a laptop! No! You can't buy either! That's way too much! That's?—"
"Why not?" Nash asks simply, tilting his head like my protest genuinely confuses him.
I gawk at him, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. "Because—because it's expensive! Really expensive! Both together would be like three thousand dollars or more! That's insane!"
Theo speaks up calmly from beside me, his voice steady and matter-of-fact. "You're our Omega. We want you to have the tools to dive into your hobbies properly and build something meaningful. You're empowering other Omegas who watch your content and get inspiration from seeing you share your journey and your gifts. Whatever equipment you think will help yousucceed, whatever will make the learning curve smoother—throw it in."
He looks at River.
"Let us know if you don't take American Express. We can get cash if that's more convenient for you."
I look between both of them with growing desperation, my heart racing. "But what if I'm a slow learner? What if I can't figure out the editing software and all the complicated features? What if I waste all this money—your money—on expensive equipment I don't know how to use properly and it just sits there collecting dust? Why don't you just buy the phone for now and I can get the laptop later when I'm absolutely sure I can use it? When I've proven I can actually do this?"
Please just agree. Please just let me take this one step at a time. Please don't invest so much in me when I might fail. I can't handle disappointing them. I can't handle wasting their resources.
Both Alphas shake their heads in perfect, synchronized motion. Like they rehearsed it. Like they're a unified front that won't be swayed by my anxiety or self-doubt.
Then, in a move that makes my jaw literally drop open and my eyes go wide with shock, they both reach into their back pockets and pull out their wallets simultaneously. They flip them open with practiced ease.
And then they throw their American Express cards onto the glass counter.
Not place. Not hand over politely. Throw.
The cards land with decisive clicks against the pristine glass surface—one, two—the sound crisp and final.
