"I would have waited longer." He said it simply, like it was an obvious truth, like there had never been another option, his voice steady with conviction. "I would have waited forever, if that's what you needed. The pack alpha goes last. It's how it should be."
"You might regret saying that." I managed a small smile, trying to lighten the moment, my voice still rough. "I'm told I'm very stubborn."
"I'm told I'm very patient." He matched my smile with one of his own, his eyes crinkling at the corners, warmth softening his features. "I think we'll manage."
When we finally emerged from his room, the light through the windows had turned to the deep gold of evening, painting everything in amber. The others were gathered in the living room, their conversation cutting off as we appeared. I knew they could smell it — Jae-won's scent all over me, concentrated at my throat, marking me in a way that the others hadn't matched. I saw the recognition in their eyes, the satisfaction, the relief.
"About time." Hwan broke the silence first, his voice warm with approval, his eyes bright as they traced the mark on my neck, a knowing grin spreading across his face. "We were starting to think you'd keep her in there forever."
"Don't be jealous." Jae-won's arm settled around my waist, possessive but not restrictive, pulling me into his side. "You all had your time."
"We're not jealous." Jin-ho spoke from his spot by the window, his voice calm but his eyes soft as they met mine, something like peace in his expression. "We're complete."
I looked around the room — at Hwan's sunshine smile, Jin-ho's quiet intensity, Tae-min's bright hope, Min-jun's gentle warmth, Jae-won's steady presence at my side. Five alphas. Five bonds. Five pieces of something that finally felt whole.
"So." Tae-min bounced slightly on the couch, unable to contain his energy, his grin threatening to split his face in half. "Does this mean you're officially ours now? Like, for real? No more running?"
"No more running." I confirmed, and meant it with every fiber of my being, the words settling into my bones like a vow. I wasn't running anymore, I would face everything head on…even if there was still a small voice that told me that this could be a mistake.
Chapter Twenty-Six
KEIRA
I woke up buried in alphas. Somehow during the night, the pack had migrated to the nest — all five of them surrounding me like I was the center of a very warm, very heavy solar system. Hwan was pressed against my back, his arm draped over my waist, his breath warm and even against my neck. Tae-min had claimed my legs, his cheek resting on my thigh like it was a pillow. Min-jun was curled at the edge of the nest, close enough that his hand rested on my ankle, his thumb tracing absent patterns even in sleep. Jin-ho had wedged himself into the corner, his long body angled so his head was near mine, his fingers tangled loosely in my hair.
And Jae-won... Jae-won was awake, watching me from his position at the nest's entrance like a sentinel. His dark eyes met mine the moment I opened them, and something warm flickered in their depths.
"Good morning." Jae-won's voice was low, rough with sleep he clearly hadn't gotten much of, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he watched me blink awake.
"You're staring." I accused, my voice coming out scratchy and sleep-thick, my body not quite ready to be awake yet.
"I'm guarding." Jae-won corrected, his smile widening slightly, crinkling the corners of his eyes in a way that made him look younger, softer than his usual serious demeanor. "There's a difference."
"Guarding me from what?" I tried to shift into a more comfortable position, but Hwan's arm tightened around my waist and Tae-min made a grumpy sound against my thigh, burrowing closer like he was trying to merge with my leg. "The furniture? Dust particles? Rogue blankets?"
"From anyone who might disturb your sleep." Jae-won said it simply, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, like staying awake all night to watch over me was just something he did now, his dark eyes soft with an emotion I couldn't quite name.
My omega purred at that — actually purred, a low vibration in my chest that I couldn't control, couldn't stop. The sound seemed to ripple through the nest, and I felt each alpha respond in their sleep. Hwan nuzzled closer, his nose pressing into the back of my neck. Tae-min's grip on my leg tightened possessively. Min-jun's thumb stilled, then resumed its gentle stroking with more intention. Even Jin-ho shifted, his nose pressing into my hair like he was breathing me in.
"They can feel that." Jae-won observed, something like wonder softening his usually serious expression as he watched the unconscious reactions ripple through the nest. "When you're content, they feel it. Even asleep."
"Is that... normal?" I asked, still getting used to these bond mechanics, to the way my emotions seemed to leak into them without permission, without control.
"For a Soul bond? Yes." Jae-won finally moved from his sentinel position, carefully climbing into the nest and finding aspot near my head, his movements slow and deliberate so as not to wake the others. His hand came up to brush hair from my face, the touch featherlight and reverent. "You're the center. What you feel, we feel. It goes both ways, but you're the anchor point."
"No pressure or anything." I muttered, but I leaned into his touch anyway, my omega settling even further at having all five alphas within reach, within scent range, safe and close and mine.
"None at all." Jae-won agreed, his eyes crinkling with a dry amusement he rarely showed, his thumb tracing along my cheekbone in a slow, soothing motion. "Just five alphas whose emotional wellbeing is now directly tied to yours. Very low stakes."
"Did you just make a joke?" I stared at him in mock horror, my lips twitching despite my best efforts to look serious. "At—" I glanced at the window, gauging the pale morning light filtering through the curtains. "Seven in the morning? Who are you and what have you done with the serious pack alpha?"
"He's still here." Jae-won's thumb traced along my cheekbone again, the touch sending warmth spreading through my chest, his voice dropping to something softer, more intimate. "He's just learning that some things are more important than being serious all the time."
Before I could respond to that — and I definitely needed to respond to that, because my heart was doing something complicated and fluttery — my phone shattered the moment with an aggressive buzzing from somewhere outside the nest.
"Ignore it." Hwan mumbled against my neck, finally stirring, his arm pulling me impossibly closer, his words slurred and petulant with sleep. "Too early. Sleeping. No phones allowed in the cuddle zone."
"The cuddle zone?" I tried to extract myself from the alpha pile, but Tae-min chose that moment to wrap both arms around my legs like a koala clinging to a tree for dear life.
