The three Alphas exchange a look. That silent communication thing they do, where entire conversationshappen in the span of seconds through nothing but eye contact and subtle shifts in expression.
"We'd like to reserve it for a shop makeover," Tank says.
I blink. "What? But none of you own?—"
"Not for us," Elias interrupts, grinning. "For Rosemarie. She's going to have a coffee shop in the future, so we should save it for that."
My mouth opens. Closes. Opens again. "I—what—you can't just?—"
"We can," Julian says calmly. "And we are. Consider it an investment in your future enterprise."
Ruby, who has been watching this exchange with increasing delight, lowers her phone for a moment. "Wait, Rose, why didn't you just move to a bigger apartment instead of staying in that tiny place above the bakery? If you're planning to open a shop anyway, wouldn't it make more sense to?—"
"She's going to live with us," Tank interrupts, his voice matter-of-fact. "Makes no sense to get a bigger place when she'll be with us."
The words hang in the air.
I stare at him. Then at Elias, who's nodding like this is obvious information. Then at Julian, who's examining his perfectly manicured nails with studied casualness that doesn't fool me for a second.
"Wait." My voice comes out smaller than I intend. "Are you—are you guys actually serious? You want me to... live with you? Permanently?"
Tank's expression softens into something almost tender. "We have the intention of it, yes. Have for a while now." He reaches out and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, the gesture impossibly gentle for such large hands. "Save the prize for your future shop, Sweetness. You're going to need it."
"But—" I'm struggling to form coherent thoughts. "But Valentine's Day is still—we're supposed to just be temporary until—the arrangement?—"
"Fuck the arrangement," Elias says cheerfully. "We want you. All of us. For real. For keeps. For however long you'll have us."
Julian finally meets my eyes, and there's something vulnerable in his gaze that makes my breath catch. "We're not asking you to decide anything right now. We're just... making our intentions clear. So you know. So you can factor it into whatever decisions you make about your future."
My eyes are stinging. My throat is tight. I'm standing in the middle of a Valentine's Day fair, holding a heart-shaped medal and a makeover voucher, surrounded by three Alphas who just announced—casually, like it was obvious, like it was never in question—that they want me to live with them. That they want me. For real. For keeps.
Don't cry. Don't you dare cry at a cookie decorating competition. You are a badass. You are a go-getter. You do not cry in public.
A tear escapes anyway. I swipe at it quickly, but Ruby's already noticed, her expression shifting from delighted to soft.
"Okay," she says, her voice suspiciously thick. "Group photo. Right now. Before I start crying too and ruin my makeup."
She herds us into position in front of our winning display—Tank still shirtless, Elias beaming, Julian looking almost human with that soft expression on his face, and me in the center, clutching my personalized cookie and my heart-shaped medal and trying not to fall apart from the sheer overwhelminggoodnessof this moment.
"Say 'Cookie Champions'!" Ruby instructs.
"Cookie Champions," we chorus—well, Elias and I chorus. Tank just smirks, and Julian's version sounds more like a sigh of resignation than actual words.
Ruby snaps the photo. Then another. Then about fifteen more, because apparently you can never have too much documentation of your best friend's happiness.
I look at the final image on her phone—the four of us surrounded by our award-winning cookies, medals gleaming, smiles genuine. Tank's arm is around my shoulder. Elias is making a ridiculous face. Julian is almost smiling, which for him is basically the equivalent of cartwheels of joy.
And me—I look happy. Actually, genuinely, completely happy. Not performing happiness. Not pretending. Not surviving.
Thriving.
Three weeks ago, I was running from bounty hunters and sleeping in a cramped apartment and wondering if I'd ever have a real pack, a real home, a real chance at the life I wanted. Now I have three Alphas who just publicly declared their intention to keep me, a business opportunity waiting to happen, a prize that will help make my coffee shop dream a reality, and a heart-shaped medal for competitive cookie decorating.
I feel like I’m truly winning in every aspect of life.
CHAPTER 33
Broken Glass And Burning Bridges
