“What a terrible mistake,” Malik agrees, his voice deadpan.
Sierra’s lips twitch as she fights a smile. “Well, this is awkward.”
“Very awkward,” Cole confirms. “I mean, what are we supposed to do now?”
“I suppose we’re stuck here together,” I say, gesturing at the brilliant sunshine and calm ocean. “You know, with the weather and all.”
Sierra bursts out laughing, the sound bright and joyful and everything I love about her. “Oh, whatever will I do?” she gasps between giggles. “However will I survive being trapped with four alphas in perfect beach weather?”
“We’ll help you manage,” I assure her, stepping forward to sweep her into my arms.
She squeals as I lift her, her legs automatically wrapping around my waist. “You four!” She laughs, swatting my arm. “I knew you were planning something when Malik was being too casual about me taking this weekend trip.”
“I wasn’t being too casual,” Malik protests, following us inside.
“You told me three times not to worry about the Sterling wedding,” Sierra says, raising an eyebrow at him over my shoulder. “Three times. You never tell me not to worry about anything three times unless you’re hiding something.”
“Noted for future reference,” Jalen mutters.
I carry Sierra through to the living room, which looks almost exactly like it did six months ago except better maintained. The furniture is the same. The windows still showcase that incredible ocean view. Even the kitchen where we cooked eggs and ate breakfast together is unchanged.
But everything feels different now because we’re different. We’re pack.
“So,” Sierra says as I set her on the couch, immediately surrounded by my pack brothers. “What’s the real reason you’re here?”
“Can’t we just want to spend a romantic weekend with our omega?” Cole asks innocently.
“You can,” she confirms. “But I know you four. There’s always a plan within the plan.”
She’s not wrong. Sierra has gotten very good at reading us over the past six months.
Malik pulls out his phone, taps a few times, then turns it toward her. “We bought the beach house.”
Sierra’s eyes go wide. “You what?”
“Bought it,” I confirm. “Closed on it last month. It’s pack property now.”
“But—I’m renting it—the rental company?—”
“Was us,” Jalen says with a grin. “We set up a shell company to handle the booking so you wouldn’t get suspicious.”
“You set up an entire fake rental company just to surprise me?”
“Actually, it’s not fake,” Malik corrects. “We’re legitimately going to rent it out when we’re not using it. Good investment property.”
She looks around the room, her eyes getting suspiciously shiny. “You bought our beach house.”
“Where it all began,” Cole says softly. “Where we became pack. Seemed important to keep it in the family.”
“Plus,” Jalen adds, “now you can come here whenever you want to work on designs. Or we can come here as a pack. Or we can rent it to unsuspecting event planners who might get trapped together in storms.”
“You know that was a once-in-a-lifetime coincidence, right?” Sierra asks.
“Was it though?” Malik says mysteriously. “Or was it fate?”
“Oh my god, you’ve gone soft,” she teases, but she’s already reaching for him, pulling him into a kiss.
I watch my pack brothers take turns kissing our omega, breathing in the combined scent of us all together, and something swells in my chest.
