I didn't wait for him to come to me. I crossed the room, stopped in front of him, and held out my hand. For a moment, Sawyer just looked at it. Then, slowly, he uncrossed his arms and took my hand in his.
His grip was firm, calloused, the hand of a man who'd worked hard his whole life. He didn't pull me into a hug—that wasn't his way—but he squeezed my fingers gently, held my gaze with those pale blue eyes, and nodded.
It was enough. From Sawyer, it was everything.
"Same time tomorrow?" His voice was low, rough, carrying that gravel-over-stone quality I was starting to love. His pale eyes held mine, steady and sure, the corner of his mouth quirking in what might have been a smile. "Stalls won't muck themselves."
I laughed, the sound wet and shaky and real.
"Same time tomorrow." My voice came out rough but warm, a smile breaking across my tear-stained face.
Sawyer nodded again, that short, sharp gesture of his, and released my hand. I turned back to the room, to the four Alphas who were all looking at me like I'd just given them something priceless.
Reid stepped forward, his hand finding the small of my back, warm and grounding.
"We should talk about how this works." His voice was gentle but serious, his dark eyes sweeping over the group. He guided me toward one of the leather couches, his touch light, giving me space to pull away if I needed to. "Set some ground rules. Make sure everyone's on the same page."
I nodded, sinking into the couch, suddenly aware of how exhausted I was. The emotional rollercoaster of the last few days was catching up with me, and my whole body felt heavy.
Kol dropped onto the couch beside me—close but not touching, vibrating with barely contained energy. Nolan took the armchair across from us, his posture relaxed, his green eyes warm. Sawyer stayed standing, leaning against the wall, but he was closer now, part of the circle.
Reid settled into the other armchair, his dark eyes fixed on me with that patient, steady gaze.
"First and most important." His voice was calm, measured, carrying the weight of authority. He leaned forward slightly, his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped between them. "You set the pace. Always. If something's too fast, too much, too anything—you say the word and we stop. No questions, no guilt, no pressure."
I nodded, my throat tight.
"We court you together." Nolan's voice was soft, his green eyes gentle. He was leaning back in his chair, his posturedeliberately relaxed, non-threatening. "But also individually. You'll have time with each of us, one-on-one, to build those connections at your own speed."
"And you can say no." Kol's voice was earnest, his amber eyes bright and sincere. He'd turned to face me on the couch, his whole body angled toward mine, his hands clasped in his lap like he was physically restraining himself from reaching out. "To any of us, at any time, for any reason. No one's feelings get hurt. No one gets jealous. That's not how this works."
I looked at them—all four of them—and felt something shift inside me. Something settle.
"Okay." My voice came out rough, uncertain, but underneath it was something stronger. Something that felt like the beginning of trust. "Okay. I can do that."
Reid smiled—soft, warm, full of a quiet joy that made my heart ache.
"Welcome to the pack, Aster." His voice was low, rough with emotion, his dark eyes holding mine with an intensity that stole my breath. The words carried the weight of a promise, of a beginning, of something new and terrifying and beautiful.
Welcome to the pack.
I wasn't part of it yet. Not really. But I was on my way.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
ASTER
I woke up knowing everything had changed. The bunkhouse was quiet around me, the other workers still asleep in their bunks, but I'd been awake since before dawn. Lying in the dark, staring at the ceiling, replaying yesterday over and over in my head.
I said yes.
The words still didn't feel real. I'd spent nine years running, nine years convincing myself that I was better off alone, that wanting things only led to losing them. And now I'd gone and said yes to four Alphas who wanted to court me. Who wanted me to be part of their pack.
I was terrified. But underneath the terror, there was something else—something warm and bright that I couldn't quite name. Something that felt dangerously like hope. I got dressed in the gray pre-dawn light, my hands trembling as I pulled on my jeans and one of my worn shirts. The bunkhouse felt different now. Smaller. Like I'd already outgrown it, even though nothing had technically changed.
Everything had changed.
I slipped out before the others woke, the cool morning air hitting my face as I stepped onto the porch. The sky was just starting to lighten, pink and gold spreading across the horizon, and the ranch was quiet except for the distant sounds of horses in the paddock.
