I clear my throat, looking over at my brother and Jonah.
“We want to court you,” Mack blurts out, and Shiloh blinks at him.
I pinch the bridge of my nose, that absolutely was not as tactful as I wanted it to be.
Chapter 17
Shiloh
I blink at Mack,who I’ve seen the least and heard next to nothing from since we got back from Heat Haven.
“What he means is, well, yeah, we want to court you, but we understand if you’re not ready for that. If you’re not interested, we still want you to stay here and take care of you till you get better, no strings attached” Cole says.
“Or if you just need time, we’re willing to wait however long it takes,” Jonah says.
I smile, slightly loving the way they are all stumbling over themselves. It’s quite precious watching these three Alphas navigate this conversation. It’s clear they’ve never courted an Omega before which brings me more joy than it should.
“What exactly does courting mean to all of you?” I ask.
I’m not fucking around this time.
I don’t have time to waste. I’m not living with another pack, putting my all to a relationship for them to have no intention of ever actually bonding with me. While they’ve already proven that they are better Alphas than my last pack, I need to be a better communicator. Keeping everything bottled up back in LA was slowly killing me. It took a sudden heat, a broken ankle, and a nosy Alpha to make me realize it.
But Gran was right, I do deserve better.
These Alphas could be it, but I don’t want to rush in with my stupid Omega heart only to have it broken again.
“None of us take that term lightly. We’ve never courted an Omega before, because to me it means that my intention is to work towards bonding. That this is a step in becoming a fully bonded pack,” Jonah says honestly.
“Mack and I didn’t grow up in a pack. I wasn’t even sure we’d ever have an Omega, but then you all but landed in my lap. I’m not saying I’m going to get everything right, but it’s important that I do right by you. This all goes at a speed you’re comfortable with,” Cole says.
“What does it mean to you, Mack?” I ask, worried that he doesn’t feel the same way. He’s the wildcard in this situation and even though he was the one to break the ice, he probably worries me the most about his intentions.
“That you’d be our girl, that we’d be yours. I don’t know how to be someone’s Alpha, let alone boyfriend, but I’m willing to figure it out if you let us.”
I clear my throat and nudge the soft cashmere blanket to my chin. It’s everything I’ve wanted to hear and I’m scared, but hopeful.
“My last pack…I was with them for two years and we never bonded. They got me through my heats, they provided for me financially, they never hit me,” I say, as Jonah realizes the grip he has on my one foot as I speak. He gives my foot an apologetic rub as I continue. “But it wasn’t fulfilling. I gave everything I had to make sure their pheromones weren’t out of control, that they weren’t out of control. I thought since they never raised a hand and provided me with an extravagant lifestyle, that I shouldn’t complain. There are plenty of Omegas who are in far worse circumstances than I was.”
I look down at the blanket, not daring to look at any of their faces. “The three of you have been beyond generous to me and I’m grateful, but you need to know that if you’re really interested in courting me, I don’t plan on doing this ever again. I want a pack, I want to be bonded. It feels like the more time that passes without a bond, the more painful my heats are and I just can’t do this again. I can’t give a pack my heart when they aren’t willing to give me theirs in return. So you need to be sure you know what you’re saying, that I’m truly the Omega you want. I don’t think my heart would survive if you changed your minds.”
I glance up at Cole, who nods seriously. “Then we’ll prove ourselves. But it’s official, Shiloh Hansen. You are being courted by the Sørensen pack,” Cole says.
My brows furrow as I look at Jonah.
“Why does your last name sound so familiar?” I ask him.
“Probably from my parents’ company, Sørensen Enterprises,” he says easily, and I stare at him for a minute.
The name isn’t coming to me, but now that I know his last name, I can see some Scandinavian likeness in his face, though his skin tone seems more sun kissed than it should be in a Philadelphia winter.
“So, what do we do next?” I ask, feeling like I’ve spilled my guts far too much. What exactly is the protocol after someone declares they’re courting you?
“We could watch a movie?” Mack suggests, and I give him a wide smile.
He leaves to make popcorn, as Cole adjusts me so that he’s at my back and my legs are still on top of Jonah’s lap.
They let me pick the movie, and don’t complain, neither does Mack as he takes a seat at the end of the couch.
