His gaze shifts to Dean, locking onto him with a silent intensity. They stare at each other for a long moment, something unspoken passing between them. Dean straightens as if he’s about to step forward, but before he can make a move, Lakelyn steps in his way.
She’s not willing to waiver.
Her body language is unmistakable—a barrier, a clear message. She might not be an alpha, but at this moment, it’s as if she’s staking her claim. She’s saying,he’s mine, and I’ll only share if he wants to share.
Dean pauses, his frustration simmering just beneath the surface, but he doesn’t push it. He just stares at Lakelyn like he’s trying to figure out whether to argue or accept that she’s not budging.
Before the tension can thicken further, Chad slowly rises from the bench. He stands tall, his trembling replaced by a quiet strength. He steps next to Lakelyn, positioning himself beside her, shoulder to shoulder, facing both Dean and me. Their fingers tangle together, and I can see the decision in his steady gaze before he opens his mouth.
“No, Alpha,” Chad’s voice is calm, though I can feel the pulse of his fear through the bond, tugging at me. “I’m the one that fucked things up.”
His gaze flickers between us—between me and Dean—as if he’s trying to find the right words. His lips part slightly, then close again, and for a brief moment, I see the vulnerability behind the wall he’s built. The uncertainty he’s been fighting all this time. But there’s also something else—something stronger—shining through.
“I need to be honest,” he says finally, his voice low but strong. “I’m not sure what I feel about all this. About finding out that we’re a scent-bound pack.”
His words hang there, and even though it feels like a punch to the gut, I nod, understanding. I’m almost positive this is the first time I’ve seen the real Chad, raw and vulnerable, his mask nowhere to be seen. It makes me want to gather him in my arms and tell him everything will be okay.
“I want this,” Chad continues, his gaze drifting to me before flicking to Dean. “More than I’ve wanted anything in my life. I want a pack…us. But I’m also scared. Afraid that it will crumble at my feet before it even starts. Afraid that I will screw it up like I screw everything up.”
The bond between us throbs with his fear, a deep, aching pulse that makes my chest tighten and my legs demand that I move. Demanding that I hold him. I can feel how much he’s struggling to keep his composure, to hold himself together in front of us. It nearly undoes me, knowing he’s feeling this much.
“I just need time,” Chad admits, his voice quieter now, but no less certain. “Time to figure it all out. To figure out how to handle this—how to handleus?—”
Lakelyn’s hand squeezes his fingers, grounding him, but she doesn’t speak. She knows this moment is his. He’s claiming it, even as he asks for space.
Dean shifts, clearly fighting the urge to say something, but he remains silent. His jaw clenches, and his eyes harden for a second before softening again.
“Take your time,” I finally say, my voice steady despite the ache inside me. “We’ll be here.”
CHAPTER 40
Dean
"Take your time.We’ll be here." Mason shifts on his heels like he’s ready to walk away and leave them both behind in the park. But every alpha instinct in me roots me to the spot. There’s no way I can just walk away from this. From them.
My musk seeps out of me, deep and earthy, a call to all of them. A signal that they are my pack, even if it isn’t official yet.
Lakelyn, standing firm, her fierce protectiveness sparking something primal in me. The way she shields Chad makes me want to pull her close, wrap her up in my arms, and kiss her senseless. She’s always had that fire, but seeing it like this—burning for him—it’s doing something to me. My pulse pounds, and I can’t shake the urge to protect her, too, even though she clearly doesn’t need it.
Then there’s Chad, standing by her side, no longer running. He’s finally facing us, facingme, and for the first time since that night, hope stirs deep inside me. He hasn’t bolted, hasn’t shut down. He’s right here, and that makes something inside me shift.
I want them both.
And the realization hits me harder than I expected.
No, it’s more than that. Ineedthem. All three of them.
Chad steps forward, Lakelyn’s fingers intertwined with his. “I’ve been rejected by people my entire life. My parents, people I thought were friends, and even you,” he says, his voice low as he glances at me. I open my mouth to deny his words, but he raises a hand to stop me.
“Let me finish,” he insists, and I can see the emotions swirling in his eyes. “I’ve never been good enough for anyone. Other alphas, even the ones on national television—” He shrugs, a bitter smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “No one ever wanted me for who I am. I’m blunt, I’m honest, and I’m probably never going to change. And I need you both to understand that. If you’re choosing to be bound to me, you’re binding yourselves to a smart-mouthed omega who doesn’t always think before he speaks.”
He takes a deep breath, the vulnerability in his stance making me hurt deep in my soul. “I don’t want to hurt you or push you away. I just… I want to be real. No pretenses. Just me.”
His gaze drops to Lakelyn, and she meets it with a soft smile, her eyes filled with that steady support she always gives him.
“And if you both can handle it,” Chad continues, his voice gentler now, “I just want to be held tonight. No bonding, no claiming marks. Just… sleeping. I spent today setting up my own place, and I want to spend the first night in my new nest—with all of you.”
Lakelyn’s breath catches in surprise, like she didn’t know he’d done that today. “You didn’t have to find a place,” she says, her voice soft, almost hurt. “You could’ve stayed with me.”
