"Seth." I lean forward between the seats and squeeze his shoulder, feeling his anxiety through our bond. "We're going to make it. I promise. You're going to see your waterfalls."
"They're notmywaterfalls—" But he's smiling now, his hand coming up to cover mine. "Sorry. I'm excited."
"We know," Grayson says dryly from beside me. "You've mentioned it. Seventeen times."
"That's not?—"
"It's definitely seventeen," River confirms. "I counted."
Through the bonds, I feel Seth's embarrassment mixed with happiness, and I can't help but smile. My sweet, anxious alpha finally getting his road trip to Great Falls. The one he's been talking about since we bonded.
Summer in Montana is gorgeous. The mountains are green instead of snow-covered, wildflowers dotting the hillsides in bursts of purple and yellow and white. The windows are down, warm air rushing through the truck, and I'm surrounded by my pack.
Perfect.
"How's Elisabeth working out?" Grayson asks, his thumb stroking lazy circles on my knee.
"Amazing." I lean into him, breathing in ink and leather. "She handled three client meetings this week while I focused on the Pine Valley expansion. I actually had time to eat lunch. Sitting down. Like a person."
"Look at you," River says, grinning at me in the rearview mirror. "Business mogul. Very impressive."
"I'm not a mogul?—"
"You hired an assistant and you're expanding to neighboring towns," Seth points out. "That's mogul territory."
"Next you'll be franchising," Grayson adds, his hand sliding higher on my thigh. "Bea Wilson Marketing, locations throughout Montana."
"You're all ridiculous." But I'm smiling, warmth spreading through my chest that has nothing to do with the summer heat.
My business. My actual, successful business that started with posting videos of River's forearms and turned into something real. Something mine.
"We're proud of you," Seth says quietly. "In case that wasn't clear."
Through the bond, his emotions wash over me—pride, love, satisfaction.
"It's clear." I squeeze his shoulder again. "But I like hearing it anyway."
The drive takes two hours, and we spend it playing increasingly ridiculous road trip games that River insists are "mandatory pack bonding activities."
Twenty questions where Grayson picks "air" and refuses to give better clues.
I Spy that devolves into River pointing out increasingly absurd things ("I spy with my little eye something that's Seth's dignity" "That's not visible, River" "Exactly").
License plate game that Seth takes far too seriously, keeping detailed notes in his phone.
By the time we reach Great Falls, I'm laughing so hard my stomach hurts and all three bonds are humming with joy.
"There," Seth breathes when we park. His eyes are locked on the distant sound of rushing water. "Can you hear it?"
We can. Even from the parking lot, the roar of water over rock fills the air.
The falls are stunning. Five massive waterfalls along the Missouri River, water crashing over ancient stone, mist rising into the summer air and catching the morning light in rainbows.
Seth walks ahead, drawn like a magnet, and we follow more slowly. Giving him this moment.
"He's vibrating," River observes, grinning.
"He's happy," I correct, feeling Seth's pure joy through the bond. "This is important to him."
