“All of them?” Mia asks, her voice gone soft with understanding.
“All of them,” I confirm, my voice barely above a whisper. “Is that crazy? It’s crazy, right? You can’t fall in love with four people in a week. That’s not how it works.”
“Sierra.” Mia’s tone is gentle now, the teasing edge gone. “You know better than anyone that designation bonds don’t follow normal timelines. Sometimes you just know.”
“But we barely know each other. Not really. We’ve been rivals for two years?—”
“And apparently that rivalry was covering up something else entirely,” Mia interrupts. “Look, I’ve seen you at those industry events. I’ve watched you and the Knightley Pack circle each other like magnets, trying to decide if they’re going to attract or repel. There’s been something there for a while, Sierra. You just needed the right circumstances to figure out what it was.”
I want to argue. Want to insist this is just heat hormones and forced proximity and biology playing tricks on my emotions.
Except it doesn’t feel like tricks.
It feels real.
“The beach house held up fine, by the way,” I say, changing the subject because I can’t handle thinking about my feelings anymore. “Some damage to the exterior, but nothing major. The window in my bedroom got stuck during the storm, but Dax and Malik fixed it.”
“Dax and Malik fixed your window,” Mia repeats slowly. “And then what, helped you build a nest? Brought you food? Made sure you were comfortable and safe?”
“All of the above,” I admit.
“And you’re in love with them.”
“And the others.”
“Right. The others.” I can hear the smile in her voice now. “Sierra, this is amazing. Terrifying, sure, but amazing. You’ve been alone for so long, convinced you wouldn’t find a pack?—”
“I didn’t say I wouldn’t find a pack,” I interrupt.
“But you found one anyway. Or they found you. However it works.” She pauses. “So, what happens now? Are you going to see them again? Try to make something work?”
This is the question I’ve been avoiding all morning.
“I don’t know,” I say honestly. “They’re following me right now, but after this... I have no idea what comes next.”
“Wait, they’re FOLLOWING you?”
“In their truck. Right behind me. Have been since we left the beach house.”
Mia makes a sound that’s part squeal, part sigh. “That’s so romantic! They’re making sure you get home safe!”
“Or they’re just heading to the same city and happen to be going in the same direction.”
“Sierra.”
“What?”
“Stop trying to logic your way out of this. They’re following you because they care. Because they’re already acting like pack, even if you haven’t made it official.”
The word ‘official’ makes my stomach flip.
“I can hear you overthinking from here,” Mia says. “Whatever you’re spiraling about, stop it. Just... see what happens when you get home. Let them say whatever they came to say. And then trust your gut about what you want.”
“My gut is terrified,” I admit.
“Your gut is also apparently in love with four alphas. So maybe listen to that part instead of the terrified part.”
The city skyline appears on the horizon, familiar buildings rising against the afternoon sky. I see Sterling Tower and some other notable landmarks. My exit is coming up in five miles. Soon I’ll be back in my apartment, back in my normal life, and this entire week will feel like a fever dream.
