"Even if it's not what we want to hear."
"Especially then."
He starts walking toward the kitchen door, and we all fall into step behind him. I'm still fidgeting, cracking my knuckles again as we move through the house.
"One more thing," Sergio says, stopping in the hallway. "Whatever happens with Callum, whatever Jessica decides about us, we don't lie to her. About anything. Not our feelings. Not our intentions. Not the fact that every single one of us would burn the world down to keep her safe if she asked us to."
"She didn't ask," Pedro points out.
"She might," I say, following behind them. "And when she does, I want to be ready."
Nacho's the last to move, straightening his uniform one final time. "What exactly do we do when he arrives? When Callum shows up Friday?"
I answer first, the words coming easy. "I stand at that front door and I don't move. He doesn't get past me. Doesn't get near her."
Nacho nods. "I document everything. Every word. Every threat. Building a case."
Pedro straightens his shoulders. "I monitor her health. Make sure she's eating, sleeping, taking care of herself."
We all look at Sergio.
He's standing in the kitchen doorway, backlit by the hallway light.
"I lead," he says simply. "I speak for the pack. I stand between her and Callum when she needs a shield. And I make it crystal clear that this isn't a negotiation." He pauses. "It's a goodbye. The only one he's going to get."
I feel something settle in my chest. The anxiety that's been churning since she walked through our door finally going quiet.
"Anyone else hungry?" I announce. "Because I've been stressed for like three hours, and stress makes me hungry, and I know for a fact there's leftover lasagna in the fridge that Jessica made yesterday."
Pedro's head snaps up. "She made lasagna?"
"With extra cheese. And garlic bread." I'm already heading toward the kitchen.
"I watched her make it. She hummed while she cooked. It was adorable and also made me realize I haven't had a home-cooked meal in actual years because all I eat is takeout and protein bars."
"You own a kitchen," Nacho points out. "I own a room with appliances in it. That's different from a kitchen."
My voice echoes from down the hall.
"A kitchen is where magic happens. Where omegas make lasagna and hum and accidentally make four alphas fall even harder in love."
"We're already in love," Sergio calls back.
"Then we're falling into deeper love. Is that a thing? It feels like a thing." I open the refrigerator.
"Oh my God, she labeled it. She labeled the lasagna with reheating instructions. Sergio, I'm going to cry into this pasta."
"Please don't," Sergio says. "Your tears will make it soggy."
In three days, we're going to show Callum exactly what happens when he comes for someone we love.
"Let's go tell her," Sergio says, turning toward the hallway.
I follow, my brothers falling in step beside me. My boots are still tracking mud. My flannel's still covered in sawdust. I probably look like I've been up all night, because I have.
The house is quiet around us. Jessica's scent gets stronger as we approach the guest room. Her sweet omega scent is warm and inviting, mixing with my sandalwood and sawdust from the henley she's wearing.
She's awake. I can tell by the subtle shift in her scent.
