“We didn’t,” Dax says. “But we figured, why not? We worked well together in the military. Why not try something new?”
“So, you just... started a business?”
“More or less. We had some savings. Dax knew business management. I knew how to make things beautiful. Cole could charm anyone. Jalen kept us all organized and sane.”
“And you built it into one of the most successful event planning companies in Sweetwater,” I finish.
“Successful enough to be your competition,” Cole says, and there’s something careful in the way he says it. Like he’s testing how I’ll react.
I should probably be irritated by the reminder. Should feel that competitive spark. But instead, I’m just... curious.
“You’re all unmated,” I say cautiously. “No pack omega.”
Another exchanged glance.
“We’ve been waiting,” Malik says quietly. “For the right fit.”
A thick silence falls, charged with the weight of his admission. I’m not ready to examine the implication.
“What about you?” Jalen asks, and the subject change feels deliberate. “How did you end up in event planning?”
I focus on the cards in my hands, shuffling them into neat piles. “I’m an only child. My mom and her alphas died when I was in college. Car accident. No siblings, no extended family that wanted anything to do with me.”
“Sierra—” Dax starts, sympathy thick in his voice.
“It’s fine,” I interrupt, even though it’s not. Even though the hole their absence left never quite healed. “It was a long time ago. But I had to figure out how to support myself. I needed an actual career.”
“Why events?” Cole asks.
“Because...” I pause, trying to articulate something I’ve never really put into words before. “Because events are about bringing people together. Creating moments of joy and connection. I didn’t have that. No family, no pack, no people who chose to keep me. But I could create it for others.”
The silence that follows almost makes me squirm. I have no idea why I told them all that, but it doesn’t feel weird that I did. Somehow.
“You built your business from nothing,” Malik says. “No pack support. No family backing.”
“Just me,” I confirm. “And a lot of determination.”
“That’s...” Jalen shakes his head. “That’s incredible, Sierra.”
“It’s lonely,” I correct quietly. The admission slips out before I can stop it.
More silence. But this time I can feel them all looking at me with something that makes my chest constrict.
“Do you want a pack?” Dax asks, and the question is gentle but direct.
My fingers still on the cards. Do I want a pack?
A week ago, I would have said no without hesitation. Packs were for other omegas. Omegas who had families to introduce them to potential alphas. Omegas who grew up with the expectation of finding a pack.
Not omegas like me, who learned early that the only person she could rely on was herself.
But that was before. Before this storm. Before the heat. Before I spent days wrapped in the safety of four alphas who seemed determined to take care of me whether I wanted them to or not.
Before I learned what it felt like to not be alone.
“I never really thought about it,” I say slowly, honestly. “It seemed like something other omegas did. Something that wasn’t for me.”
“And now?” Dax presses.
