“Stay,” he says, the word simple but loaded with meaning. “Stay with us.”
I study him, taking in the shadows under his eyes, the strain still visible in the set of his shoulders despite the medication. “Why?” I ask, not challenging, just seeking clarity. “What would be different this time?”
“Everything,” Diego says immediately. “We would be honest with you. About what you mean to us. About what we want.”
“And what do you want?” I press. “Really want? Not just what you think I want to hear.”
“You,” Tristan says simply. “In our pack. In our lives. In our...” He hesitates, glancing at the others. “In our bed, if you want that. But mostly just... with us.”
“As what?” I ask. “Your beta? Your... cure?”
“As our partner,” Dane says, his voice quiet but firm. “Our mate. Bond or no bond.”
I lean back, absorbing this. It sounds good. It sounds perfect, actually. But...
“The static,” I say. “It’s still a problem. A big one.”
“We know,” Rett says, a hint of his usual command returning to his voice. “And that’s not why we’re asking you to stay. The static is... painful. Yes. But losing you was worse.”
The sincerity in his voice makes something in my chest tighten. But I need more. I need to be sure.
“Explain,” I say. “Tell me exactly what you’re proposing.”
They exchange glances then Rett leans forward, his handsclasped between his knees. “We know we have no right to ask you for anything. We handled this entire situation badly. We were selfish. We were... thoughtless.”
He looks up, and the raw, undisguised apology in his blue eyes hits me with the force of a physical blow.
“What we are asking,” he continues, his voice steady now, “is not for you to come back and be our... solution. That’s not your job. It’s not your responsibility.”
I frown, confused. “Then what are you asking?”
“He’s asking for a second chance,” Tristan cuts in, his voice soft. He’s not joking. “A chance to do this right. To prove to you that what we want is... you. Not just the quiet. Not just the relief.” He gestures vaguely to his own chest. “The emptiness... It’s not just the static, Zoe. It’s the part that was empty before we even met you.”
“The loneliness,” Diego adds softly.
“We’ve been surviving with the static for years,” Dane adds. “We can continue to do so. But the thought of surviving without you...” He shakes his head. “That’s a different kind of pain entirely.”
I look at the four of them, these powerful, commanding alphas who now look so uncharacteristically vulnerable. So sincere. So...human.
They’ve spent the last three days in agony, and instead of using that pain to manipulate me, to pressure me into coming back, they’ve hidden it. Suffered in silence. Put my well-being above their own.
It’s pathetic and deeply, genuinely moving.
“Okay,” I say finally. “Stop. I get it.”
Rett’s expression shifts, a careful hope dawning. “You do?”
“Yes.” I take a deep breath. “And I have a counter-offer.”
Four pairs of eyes fix on me with laser-like focus.
“Here’s the new deal,” I say. “We are going to try... dating.”
Silence.
“Dating?” Rett repeats, as if he’s never heard the word before.
“Yes, dating,” I confirm. “You know, that thing where people go out together, get to know each other, see if they’re compatible before making huge, life-altering decisions?”
