I layered them, overlapped them, tucked the blanket around the edges until it was a tight, safe circle. Their scents tangled together—pack, family, home. The weighted blanket went around it, and I smoothed every wrinkle, every corner like an enchantment that would keep her safe.
Dahlia watched me from her perch on the coffee table. As soon as I smoothed the last corner, she climbed down. The soft padding of her bare feet was the only sound in the room as she came to my side, drawn in by the scent of her family. The tensionfinally left her shoulders, and she stepped into the soft bundle, burying her nose into the sleeve of Dane’s hoodie as she lay on it.
“There,” I breathed, smoothing her hair. “You’re home.”
A ragged, rattling sound made me look up. Dane was right there at our side, his chest heaving as if he’d run a marathon. He looked at her, his large hand trembling as he reached out to Dahlia. His movements were slow, as if he were afraid she’d disappear, and he’d wake up to find it had been a dream.
“How?” Dane rasped, his voice breaking. He looked at me, a raw, ache in his gaze.
“Ava was going to give her away, Dane. She was going to drop her at a home tonight.”
The color drained from his face. His hands started shaking—not trembling, but full-body shaking like he’d been thrown back into that concrete room where they’d kept him and Kade as kids.
“A home.” The words were barely audible. “She was going to…” He couldn’t finish.
“She’s choosing her new mates over her own blood.” My heart broke for him.
“We were lucky to have gotten there when we did. If not for Vera…” Kade trailed off.
“It doesn’t matter now,” I said, meeting Dane’s eyes. “She’s here. I’m not running. We’re home, and we’re not going anywhere.”
Dane reached out, his fingers brushing my jaw. “I thought I’d lost everything today. When I came home and you guys were all gone… I thought my stubbornness cost me everything.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I said, my voice thick with emotion and my heart breaking for him. His hand slipped behind my neck, pulling me close until our noses touched.
“I’m sorry, Babygirl. Can you forgive me?” His voice was a plea.
“I’ll spend every day making sure you know this is where I want to be,” I murmured, kissing him. He kissed me back, his fingers sliding into my hair. I pulled away, my breathing heavy as Kade and Uriel sat on the couch, sharing the moment with us. Uriel sighed, relaxing into Kade. My gaze darted to the Alpha at his side. Kade’s arm was around Uriel’s shoulders. He winked at me, and I knew I’d succeeded. I’d made it right.
We stayed there for a long time, watching until Dahlia’s breathing leveled out. She hadn’t slept on the jet, too scared during her first flight. Her small body finally surrendering to sleep in the middle of the nest I’d built. My heart felt whole in a way I didn’t expect it could.
Dane stood, scooping her up, blankets and all. We followed him as he carried the entire nest up the stairs and into the room next to ours.
I stood in the doorway of the guest room that was now hers, with Kade and Uriel. Dane placed the nest holding his daughter on the bed. He stared at her for one last moment, then kissed her forehead before heading back to me. We moved aside as he pulled the door shut.
When he looked at me, vulnerability stared back. It morphed into lust. He didn’t look like a man who was broken; he looked like a man ready to reclaim every inch of a woman he thought he’d lost. His gaze dragged over me before shifting to Kade and Uriel. He didn’t say a word as he reached out, his large hand wrapping around the back of my neck.
“Our room,” Dane growled, sending a jolt straight to my clit. “Now.”
One
When the door clicked shut, I turned around to where my Alphas stood. The three of them hovered as their scents shifted to something darker, primal—need. Dane didn’t say a word as he cut through the distance and dropped to his knees. The top of his head stopped at my breast. He tilted his head back, his hands balled into fists at his side as those beautiful piercing eyes locked on mine.
“Thank you.”
Two words that made everything better. The air whooshed from my lungs, my shoulders relaxed, and I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, my fingers clawing at his scalp as I fisted his hair.
He stripped me. His hands possessive and rough as he removed my clothes, reclaiming the body I’d taken from him. Tears welled as my heart hurt. If Uriel hadn’t been my mate, it would have been a betrayal that could have destroyed us. It didn’t justify the fact that I’d hurt him and been lucky.
“I’m sorry,” I choked out.
He stood up, pushing me on the bed, climbing on top of me. “You’re ours—all of ours. And I’m yours. Don’t ever doubt that again.”
“Never,” I whispered.
Dane surged forward, his mouth crashing against mine. It wasn’t a gentle kiss; it was a brand. I kissed him back, my handssliding over the planes of his chest and down as the bed dipped. Uriel and Kade crowded me, one on both sides as Dane slid between my legs. He cupped my breast and lowered to suckle it. His tongue flicked over the nipple before he did the same with the other.
“Beautiful,” Uriel murmured. He was so close his breath was warm on the side of my face.
