Solana has been quiet throughout this exchange, her face pressed against Dustin's shoulder. But I can see her processing everything, her mind working through the implications. She's smarter than Harmony House ever gave her credit for, more capable of understanding complex situations than they wanted to acknowledge.
"When would we leave?" Dustin asks, his hand rubbing soothing circles on Solana's back.
"Three days," I say. "Morrison's final shipment arrives tomorrow night. We handle the transfer, collect payment, and then we're done with that particular business for the foreseeable future. That gives us two days to pack what we need and prepare the lake house."
"And Alpha Graves?" Stefan asks. "She's expecting to find Solana here in two weeks."
I smile, though there's no humor in it. "She can expect whatever she wants. By the time she shows up here, we'll be long gone. And good luck to her trying to find us at the lake house."
Solana finally speaks, her voice muffled against Dustin's shirt. "Won't that make things worse? If she can't find me, won't Harmony House escalate?"
"Possibly," I admit, because lying to her would be pointless. "But by then, we'll have had time to build a stronger legal case for keeping you. Time to gather evidence of the abuse at Harmony House, document your improvement here, maybe even find a lawyer willing to fight them in court."
"Fighting Harmony House in court sounds expensive," Ashton observes, his artist's hands fidgeting with his pencil.
"It will be," I agree. "But we have the resources. And more importantly, we have the motivation. I'm not letting them take Solana back, and I'm not letting anyone hurt you either, Ashton."
The statement seems to surprise him. His eyes widen slightly, his mouth opening and closing like he wants to say something but doesn't know what. Stefan's hand is still resting on his knee, the touch reassuring.
"The lake house is big enough for all of us?" Dustin asks, already thinking practically about the logistics.
"Six bedrooms, four bathrooms, large common areas," I list off. "Plenty of space for everyone to have their own areas when needed. There's also a barn on the property, smaller than what we have here but adequate for the horses we'll bring. And enough land for Moo-Shu to roam."
Solana perks up at the mention of her cow. "Moo-Shu can come?"
"Of course," I say, fighting back a smile. "Though we'll need to figure out how to transport a growing highland cow three hours north without drawing too much attention."
Stefan snorts. "That should be interesting."
We fall into discussing the practical details of the move. What to pack, what to leave behind, how to transport the horses and other animals. Solana listens intently to everything, her expression shifting between concern and curiosity as we talk about security protocols and communication plans.
I watch her face carefully, trying to gauge her reactions to everything being discussed. Her brow furrows when we mention weapons and defensive positions. Her lips press into a thin line when Stefan describes the potential threats we might face. But underneath all of that, I don't see fear or regret. I don't see her wishing she was anywhere else.
She doesn't like the content of these conversations, doesn't enjoy hearing about the dangerous world we operate in. But she's not trying to run from it either. She's not asking to go back to Harmony House or begging us to take her somewhere safer. She's staying, accepting all of this as part of being with us.
That realization makes my chest ache with something I can't quite name. Solana has every reason to be terrified right now. She's surrounded by Alphas involved in illegal activities, caught between organizations that want to control her, and facing an uncertain future. But she's choosing to stay. Choosing us over safety, over simplicity, over the known quantity of Harmony House's control.
I can't wait until we're at the lake house and all of this is behind us. Until it's just us navigating this new dynamic without the constant threat of violence hanging over our heads. Until we can focus on building something real together instead of just surviving.
Dustin must sense where my thoughts have gone because he catches my eye across the room and smiles. It's his genuine smile, the one that shows his dimples and lights up his whole face. The one that reminds me why I fell in love with him in the first place.
Stefan and Ashton are talking quietly now, Stefan's hand still on Ashton's knee and Ashton leaning slightly into the touch. The territorial edge from earlier has faded, replaced by something softer. Solana watches them from Dustin's lap, her expression contemplative.
"We're going to make this work," I say, drawing everyone's attention back to me. "All of us together at the lake house. It won't be easy, and there will definitely be growing pains as we figure out how this pack is supposed to function. But we'll make it work."
"Together," Dustin adds, his arms tightening around Solana.
"Together," Stefan echoes, squeezing Ashton's knee.
Solana nods, her hand reaching out toward Ashton like she needs the physical connection. Ashton takes it immediately, their fingers intertwining with practiced ease. "Together," she whispers.
And I know, watching all of them in this moment, that we're going to be okay. We'll get to the lake house, away from Harmony House and the Driscoll family and anyone else who wants to hurt what's ours. We'll have time to breathe, to heal, to figure out how to navigate this new dynamic.
We just have to survive the next three days first.
Chapter forty-six
Solana
