"It's a real thing." Tae-min declared, his voice muffled against my thigh, not bothering to open his eyes, his tone carrying absolute conviction despite his sleep-addled state. "I just invented it. No phones, no responsibilities, only cuddles."
"It might be important." I pointed out, finally managing to free one arm to reach toward the sound, my fingers stretching toward the edge of the nest. "I still have a job, remember? Deadlines? Responsibilities? The things that pay for my apartment that I'm not currently living in?"
"Responsibilities are cancelled." Tae-min announced with the supreme confidence of someone who had never had to worry about paying rent, his grip on my legs tightening stubbornly, his cheek pressing harder against my thigh. "I'm the maknae and I've decided. It's official pack policy now."
"That's not how that works." I finally grabbed my phone, my fingers closing around it triumphantly, and squinted at the screen. The brightness made me wince, but the notifications made me wince harder.
Fourteen missed calls. Twenty-seven text messages. Three voicemails. All from the same contact:Mina Choi - Narvi Entertainment.
"Shit." The word escaped me before I could stop it, sharp and panicked, and I felt the immediate shift in the nest — all five alphas suddenly alert, protective instincts flaring like someone had flipped a switch.
"What's wrong?" Jae-won was already sitting up, his relaxed demeanor vanishing into pack alpha mode in an instant, his eyes sharp and assessing as they swept over me, checking for threats.
"My boss." I scrolled through the messages, each one more urgent than the last, my stomach sinking with every swipe. "I've been... somewhat ignoring my work obligations."
"Somewhat?" Jin-ho had woken fully now, propping himself up on one elbow, his hair a disaster of dark strands sticking up in every direction and his eyes still soft with sleep but sharpening with concern.
"Completely." I admitted, wincing as I read through Mina's increasingly frantic texts. "I have two deadlines I've missed and apparently there's some kind of emergency with the title track for another group's comeback."
"Call her back." Min-jun sat up slowly, rubbing sleep from his eyes with the heel of his palm, his voice gentle but practical as always. "We can give you space to work."
"No." Tae-min's grip on my legs tightened, his voice taking on a petulant edge that was somehow endearing, his face finally lifting from my thigh to pout at everyone. "She just got here. She can't leave already. The cuddle zone has rules."
"She's not leaving." Jae-won's voice carried that quiet authority that made everyone listen, the pack alpha settling things with a few simple words, his hand finding my shoulder and squeezing gently. "She's working. There's a difference." He met my eyes, something understanding in his gaze, something that said he knew exactly what I was worried about. "Your career matters, Keira. We're not going to be the alphas who make you give up everything for us."
The words hit somewhere deep, somewhere that had been bracing for exactly that demand without even realizing it. My mother had given up everything for her alpha — her friends, her family, her dreams, her sense of self. And in the end, she'd had nothing left when it all fell apart. Nothing to hold onto. Nothing that was just hers.
"Thank you." I said it quietly, meaning it more than I could properly express, my throat tight with an emotion I couldn't quite name.
"Don't thank us for basic decency." Hwan had finally released his death grip on my waist, sitting up with a yawn that showed all his teeth, his golden hair sticking up in every direction like a fluffy dandelion. "That's a really low bar, sweetheart."
"You'd be surprised how many people can't clear that bar." I muttered, finally extracting myself from Tae-min's octopus hold and climbing out of the nest, my bare feet hitting the cool floor.
I found a quiet corner of the living room to make my call, curling up on the couch with my knees pulled to my chest. The phone rang twice before Mina picked up.
"Keira!" Mina's voice came through sharp with relief, words tumbling out rapid-fire like she'd been holding them in for days. "Finally! I got the message from SIREN's management that you were on medical leave, but I haven't heard from you directly and I was starting to worry. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." I glanced toward the nest room, where I could hear the low murmur of the alphas talking amongst themselves, probably about me. Jin-ho must have been the one to contact her — he'd mentioned handling work logistics when I first arrived. "I'm sorry I didn't reach out myself. I've been dealing with some... personal things. But I'm okay. I'm safe."
"Personal things." Mina repeated, and I could practically hear her eyebrow raising through the phone, skepticism dripping from every syllable. "Personal things that required complete radio silence for almost a week? You know I'm not just your manager, Keira. I thought we were friends."
Guilt twisted in my stomach. She was right — Mina had been more than just a work contact over the past two years. She'd fought for my projects, celebrated my wins, talked me through creative blocks at midnight.
"We are friends." I said quietly, meaning it. "It's just... complicated. I promise I'll explain when I can."
Mina was silent for a moment, and when she spoke again, her voice had softened. "Okay. I'll hold you to that." A pause, then she shifted into business mode. "Now, about your deadlines. I know your main priority is the SIREN project — and don't worry, Jin-ho assured me that's still on track, said you two have actually been making progress — but you had a few smaller commitments too."
"The Somi track." I winced, remembering. That one had been due days ago.
"Four days ago." Mina confirmed, her voice firm but not unkind. "I managed to buy you some time, told them you had a family emergency. But there's also the AURORA situation."
"AURORA?" I sat up straighter on the couch. I'd done a B-side for them last year — one of my smaller gigs outside the SIREN contract.
"Their comeback title track — the producers want a rewrite on the bridge. They specifically requested you." Mina's voice turned businesslike, all professional efficiency, the tone she used when she was in full manager mode. "Apparently the main songwriter loved what you did with their B-side. Said you have a gift for emotional bridges." Another pause, weighted with expectation. "Can you turn something around in the next two days? I know it's tight, and I know you're focused on the SIREN work, but this could be a good opportunity. AURORA is getting bigger, and having your name on their title track?—"
"I can do it." The words came out before I could second-guess them, my professional instincts kicking in despite everything."Send me what they have and I'll take a look today. I'll get you the Somi revisions by end of week."
"Thank god." Mina exhaled heavily, relief flooding her voice like a dam breaking. "I knew you wouldn't leave me hanging." She paused, and her tone shifted to something more careful, more probing. "So... working with SIREN is going well? Jin-ho said you've been staying at their dorm while you recover. That's... unexpected."
