Xavier kicks his shin without looking away from the popcorn bowl. “Griffin! Everything makes you act like an idiot."
"I'm an alpha," Griff says, grinning. "I radiate charm."
Logan rolls his eyes as he drops into the armchair. "You two are impossible."
“How the fuck do you guys live together?” I ask.
“It’s called entertainment,” Griff laughs. Then I realize that as much as they seem to get on each other’s last nerve, they kinda love the challenge too. Then Xavier and Griff kiss each other, and then I realize this is how they play and clearly how they keep Savannah on her toes.
Whatever works for them! I guess.
Cassian catches my eye from across the room. "We're gonna have to talk about this, man."
"I know." My voice comes out low. Tight.
"You look like you're about to put your fist through the drywall."
He's not wrong. My jaw is clenched so tight it hurts. My hands are fisted on my knees.
Sharon steps out of the kitchen with a cookie in her hand, chocolate smudged on her bottom lip, her hair messy from laughing with Savannah. She waves at us with that dimpled smile that makes my alpha sit up and pay attention. Then she's out the door with Savannah, still chatting about something wedding related.
The door shuts. The room exhales.
Cassian straightens, setting down his coffee mug. "Alright. Talk time."
Pine moves away from the fireplace and crosses his arms over his chest, his tattooed forearms flexing. His voice is steady when he speaks. "We all want her. Let's stop pretending we don't."
Xavier sits on the arm of the couch, his eyes sharp behind his glasses. "She needs to be protected. The way she should have been."
Logan leans forward, elbows on his knees, his firefighter calm settling over the room. "She also needs space. And time. And people who don't push her or corner her or make her feel like she owes us anything."
Griff grins, sprawling back on the couch. "And eventually someone should knot her so good she forgets her own name."
We all stare at him.
He throws up a hand in mock surrender. "I'm teasing. Mostly."
Cassian snorts, shaking his head. "Man, read the room."
Pine's expression doesn't change but there's amusement in his eyes. Xavier mutters something about Griff needing a muzzle.
I drag a hand down my face, feeling the stubble scratch against my palm. "I wanted her even when she was with Ben." The confession pulls itself out before I can stop it.
Cassian points at me, triumphant. "See? You're not slick. We all knew."
Pine's tone goes calm again, that steady voice that grounds all of us when things get heated. "If we do this, she calls the pace. No pushing. No cornering. She decides when and how and if."
"Of course," Cassian says immediately.
Logan nods slowly. “Help her when she asks for it. Give her distance when she doesn't."
The honesty sits heavy in the air. It doesn't hurt. It fits. Like pieces clicking into place.
Cassian runs a hand through his dark hair, his gray eyes distant. "I love her voice. When she gets excited about something, she lights up. It hits me every damn time."
Pine looks toward the fire, watching the flames dance. "I love her loyalty. She shows up. Even when she shouldn't have to. Even when it would be easier not to."
My throat tightens. "She'd make us better too."
