I shuffle in with my armload of wedding stuff, and Savannah takes half of it without asking, stacking it on the side table by the door. She's wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt that has what I'm pretty sure is spit-up on the shoulder, and her red hair is piled on top of her head in a bun that looks like it was done in the dark while someone was screaming.
"You look fantastic, considering you have triplets,” I say, setting down the rest of my stuff.
"I am exhausted," Savannah says cheerfully. "But also happy. Like, deliriously happy. Haven’t met my boys yet?"
"I haven't," I say, and I can hear the excitement in my own voice. "What are their names?"
"Logan Junior, because apparently my alphas have zero creativity and just combined Logan's name with junior," Savannah says, leading me toward the living room. "Then there's River, because Griff wanted something that sounded like it came from nature. And then there's Xavier, named after Theo because apparently I have the most obvious taste in naming children."
As we head into the living room, I see her three alphas taking charge of each baby. Griff is on the couch holding Logan Junior, who is tiny and absolutely perfect. Logan is pacing back and forth with River draped over his shoulder, patting the baby's back in what looks like a practiced motion. Xavier is sitting in a chair that looks like it was specifically designed for holding babies, and he's holding Theo with the kind of gentle precision that suggests he's been reading every single baby care book ever published.
"They're beautiful," I say, and I mean it completely. The boys are tiny and pink and absolutely adorable in that way that newborns are adorable even though they also look like angry little potatoes.
"They're loud," Savannah says, settling onto the armchair that's apparently been claimed as hers. "But yes, also beautiful. Come sit. Tell me about the wedding. Because I need to think about something other than babies right now.”
I settle onto the couch next to Griff, who nods at me in greeting without disturbing Logan Junior. I pull out the final seating chart and show Savannah the arrangements.
"Sixty guests," I say. "All arranged so that people who actually like each other are sitting together. The photographer has his timeline. The florist has confirmed delivery. The catererknows exactly what time they need to arrive. Everything is locked in."
"You sound confident," Savannah says, and there's something in her expression that suggests she's seeing something in me that I'm not entirely sure about.
"I am," I say, surprised to realize that it's true. "This wedding is going to be incredible. Tangle Peak and the Brownbox pack are genuinely in love. The weather is supposed to be beautiful. All the pieces are in place."
"What about Ben?" Savannah asks carefully.
“Left rehab, clearly is using again and…well let’s see if the ultimatum they gave him makes him see sense.”
“Meaning?”
“One year or he is out of his Grandpa’s will, if he isn’t clean for a whole year.”
The room turns cold, and even the babies and Savannah’s pack have gone quiet.
“Well, I can see that your pack are looking after you,” Logan winks as he says it.
Savannah smiles, and it's a real smile that reaches her eyes. "Good. That's good. You deserve pack that protects you."
"I have that," I say, and I can feel my scent shifting into something warm and happy. "I really do."
Logan Junior starts to cry, a tiny sound that somehow escalates into full-on newborn screaming that's impressively loud for something so small. Griff immediately starts doing a combination of rocking and bouncing that looks like it's some kind of choreographed dance he's learned over the past few days.
"They're very vocal," Savannah says loudly, trying to be heard over the crying. "They have opinions about everything."
River decides this is a good time to also start crying, and suddenly the living room sounds like a concert of tiny angry humans expressing their displeasure with everything. Loganimmediately starts bouncing harder, and Theo jumps up from his chair like he's been electrified.
"Welcome to my life," Savannah says cheerfully. "Three babies. Zero sleep. Approximately one million opinions from three alphas about how to raise babies."
"How are you actually holding up?" I ask, genuinely concerned. She looks happy, but she also looks like she's running on fumes and spite.
"I'm holding up," Savannah says, and her expression gets a little softer. "Honestly, I'm doing better than I thought I would. The alphas are helpful, and they’re less anxious than when I was pregnant. They’re so hands-on, and they really leave me to it, I can’t complain.”
"That's really beautiful," I say, and I mean it.
I think back to when I came over and she was pregnant, even with three babies in the room, you couldn’t tell because Savannah looks relaxed and the alphas have taken over. And although we haven’t talked about kids, I can’t wait to have some with my pack.
"Now tell me about your pack," Savannah says.
"They're being amazing," I say. "Cassian showed up at the office to help me with wedding details. Jett has been coordinating with the venue. They're protecting me, and being exactly what a pack is supposed to be."
