My little cards were selling but surely not enough to cover all the costs of having me here. And the packwas growing, people having pups of their own. I could certainly see the appeal of passing me along to someone who showed up and swore I was their scent mate.
How had I never even heard of that?
Sitting on the edge of the sofa, I realized I’d left my erase board up in my room, and Benji didn’t quite have the skill at knowing what I meant either with signs or just by looking at me that Lily did. Rumor was almost as good.
But I didn’t have the patience to run all the way up to get it, so I decided to take my chances and listen. Sometimes when considering how I’d reply to someone, I wasn’t too good at paying attention to what they were actually saying, so I buckled down and waited to hear whether my brother had approved something without giving me a chance to have input.
“Want some coffee or something?” he asked, and then I really tensed. As sweet as he was, my brother was not the type to be the host with the most. Not that he wasn’t kind, but with Lily on board, it was a rare occasion that she wasn’t right there handing out coffeeor water or generally attending to people’s needs before they knew they had them.
I shook my head and waved at him to get on with it.
“Okay, then, I guess I’ll just start.” He cleared his throat and looked over my shoulder. My alpha brother never hesitated to meet someone’s eye when speaking to them. It was one of his leadership qualities and made people feel seen and heard. Including me. “You met Archer and his betas at the farmers market.”
Yeah. I knew that. So I waited for him to continue. His hesitation was doing nothing for my nerves.
“All right, I guess there’s no putting this off any longer.”
Thank the Goddess.
“Archer came to represent his pack. He and his two betas—at least I think they are his betas—believe that you are their fated mate. A scent mate of all things, which is so rare I’ve never known anyone to find one.”
Yeah. Yeah. Tell me something I don’t know.
“As the alpha here, it is my job to make sure everyone under my care is protected, but especially myfamily.” His gaze met mine, finally, as he seemed to find his footing in the conversation. “I might have overreacted. I mean, you’ve only been here such a short time and after everything you went through, I hate to think of you being where I can’t take care of you.”
He was so obviously distressed, I pulled a little out of my own worries to consider him. It was easy to feel like everything was about me, with everyone fussing about and being so kind, but how selfish had I been? Everyone in the pack had their concerns about family and health and business and whatever. My brother had to deal with all of it.
Patting his knee, I offered him an encouraging smile. Of all people, he put others first, and whatever he’d done regarding Archer’s visit would only be in my best interests. Fingers crossed it would be something I would have the courage to live with.
“Sylvia, Archer asked to court you. It would be him and the other two, and fated or scented or whatever, it cannot be my decision. I did tell him about your inability to speak, but he already knew and seesno flaw in you. I also mentioned more about the family background. You have endured more than most omegas do in their entire life, certainly earning the ability to choose your future.” Placing his hand over mine, he gave a squeeze. “If you want to stay here forever, or never mate at all, you are welcome. Loved. Our family. And it would really be my preference to keep you here. Lily says I’d wrap you in cotton wool if I could. But you’re an adult, and I’ve rambled on for a while now. What is your decision?”
My brother was the best alpha in the world. His pack was so lucky, and I was lucky to have been accepted into it, but my future lay elsewhere. Here, everyone catered to me, made sure nothing upset me, and while that was great for a while, the time had come to try to step out and find out what my true fate was.
So, I smiled again at my brother and nodded. I would allow them to court me. Not so much because I doubted whether they were my fated mates but because I doubted my own courage to face what life brought me.
Time to try to live on my terms, and ones that involved hiding from everyone. Despite how safe that sounded. Because it held emptiness and regret. Even if I didn’t manage to be the mate these males needed, something had to change. I had to try. And my brother had neglected to mention the courting gifts Archer left. When I found them, my eyes filled with tears at his thoughtfulness.
Chapter Twelve
Dax
Archer had made his move, and Sylvia had accepted us to court her.
I’d thought of gifts to bring her and had come up with a good one.
Now to execute.
Archer hadn’t seen Sylvia when he brought her gifts over, so I didn’t have any expectations on my end either. But I hoped. I sent her pictures every day of my life and our home. She loved our silly goat Emma and said she wanted to meet her.
It was strange in a way. Text courting our female. Archer was right. Time to make moves toward her. Show her that we were here for the long run. That she could trust us.
I waited until after breakfast to put my plan into action. The nearest art store was in the city about an hour’s drive in the opposite direction from her home.
“I’m going to see Sylvia. Not see her but leave her a courting gift,” I announced as I finished up the dishes. Talon and Archer both nodded.
“What are you buying her?” Archer asked. “I got her flowers and chocolates. It has to be something different.”
“I know. I’m buying her art supplies and have stretched several canvases.”
