My lips twist slightly. “He doesn’t know about last night yet. But we are on the same page.”
Her brows raise. “You better hope he is.” She laughs before her expression softens, and for a moment, she’s not teasing, not poking fun. “So, how do you feel? About all of it?”
The question hangs in the air, and I let it settle before answering. “It’s... different. Like I’ve finally found where I’m supposed to be. But it’s still new, you know? I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
Dee’s hand rests on my arm, grounding me. “It’s not going to drop, Mason. This isn’t some temporary thing. You’ve been searching for a place to belong for years. Maybe this is it.”
Her words sink in, and I nod slowly, feeling the truth of them.
“And Landon?” she asks, her brow lifting. “You two good?”
I grimace. “He needs time. A lot of it.”
Dee nods, understanding. “He’ll come around. He loves you. And you’ve always been there for him. He’ll see it’s real eventually.”
“I hope so,” I say quietly.
She grins, the teasing edge returning. “Well, until then, enjoy it. You’ve got a pack now. And from the looks of it, they’re crazy about you.”
I laugh softly, feeling a warmth I haven’t in a long time. “Yeah. I guess they are.”
“And you?” she asks, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “You crazy about them, too?”
I smile, the answer coming easily. “Completely.”
Dee beams, giving my arm a squeeze. “Good. You deserve this, Mase. Don’t mess it up.”
“I won’t,” I promise, and for the first time in a while, I believe it.
“This deserves breakfast,” she says with a smirk. “So, are you gonna tell Ma?”
I pause for a second, straightening up, letting her words sink in. The idea of telling our mom—that’s a whole other hurdle. I grab the rag from the workbench and wipe my hands, the motion calming me just enough to think clearly.
"Eventually,” I mutter, tossing the rag aside. “Not yet, though. Gotta handle one thing at a time."
Dee’s eyes light up with amusement. “Yeah, you might wanna break it to her slowly. She’s gonna flip.”
I let out a short laugh, shaking my head. “Yeah, no kidding.” It’s not like my mom will hate the idea of me being in a pack, but I’m sure I will hear all the things I shouldn’t do to screw it up.
She claps her hands together, clearly ready to move. “Alright then, let’s go get some food. You can figure out how to survive telling Ma later.”
With one last glance around my finished room, I nod, satisfied. “Let’s do it.”
I grab my jacket from the hook by the door, and as we head out of the shop, the crisp morning air greets us. She loops her arm through mine, grinning up at me as we start walking toward the diner. The small town hums around us, familiar and comforting in its routine. It feels different today, though. Lighter. Like everything’s falling into place.
Dee looks up at me again, giving my arm a little squeeze. “You’re shining with happiness, Mase. It suits you.”
CHAPTER 34
Dean
I didn’t thinkit was possible to ride the edge of a rut after just getting through one. But that little move Chad and Lakelyn pulled yesterday has me feeling like I’m right back on the brink. It’s been gnawing at me, clawing at my thoughts. No amount of relief helped, not even when I tried to stroke it out with the image of them both tangled up together seared into my mind.
Now, restless and strung tight, heading toward the one place I know I can at least find one of them. The diner. Lakelyn’s usually working the weekend shift. Even if I have to sit at the counter, nursing black coffee for hours, I’ll do it. I don’t even care if I look desperate. I might be.
But it’s not just obsession gnawing at me—it’s more than that. They're mine. My pack. And I’ve been fighting it, shoving the truth down, too screwed up to admit that I want them—need them. I haven’t claimed them because I’ve been too caught up in my own mess to face what that really means.
What if he leaves again? What if he goes to someplace I can’t follow?
