Page 138 of Knot Like Other Girls

"Still."

I sigh, knowing this is one battle I won't win. Cole's hypervigilance isn't something that can be argued away. It's too deeply ingrained, too much a part of who he is now.

"Alright," I concede. "But if you change your mind, I've got watch. You can stand down, soldier."

Cole's mouth quirks slightly at the corner that can still move. "Noted."

I settle back against my pillow, feeling the solid warmth of Roman's back against mine. The early morning light is growing stronger now, filtering through the curtains in pale violet streaks. Soon, the others will be waking up. This quiet moment between Cole and me will disappear into the busy rhythm of the day.

But something has shifted. Some wall has lowered, just slightly. A bridge extended between us that wasn't there before.

"Troy," Cole's voice is barely audible now, pitched so low that only I could possibly hear it.

"Yeah?"

His eye meets mine across the dim space between us. "Thanks."

One word. Just one.

But from Cole, it might as well be a novel.

I nod, understanding everything he isn't saying. The gratitude isn't just for our conversation, or for my reassurance. It's for accepting him as he is. For being pack when he thought he'd never have one. For helping him find his way back from the darkness he'd buried himself in for so long.

"Always," I whisper back, meaning it with every fiber of my being. "That's what pack's for."

Cole's eye holds mine for a moment longer. Then he gives me a slight nod and returns his watchful gaze to Bella.

I close my eyes, feeling the gentle pull of sleep tugging me back under. The last thing I see before I drift off is Cole's arm tightening protectively around our omega, his hardened face peaceful in the growing dawn light.

And for the first time since I've known him, he looks like he's home.

CHAPTER 39

BELLA

Iwake up to warmth.

Not the stifling, artificial environment of Braxley's penthouse, but the living, breathing warmth of bodies curved protectively around mine.

For a moment, I keep my eyes closed, savoring being completely surrounded by my alphas. Their scents mingle in the air, enveloping me as snugly as the blankets.

The mattress dips slightly beside me. Without opening my eyes, I know Cole is getting up. His scent recedes slightly as he moves away. I resist the urge to reach for him, to pull him back into our nest of tangled limbs.

Instead, I crack one eye open, watching through my lashes as he moves silently across the bedroom. Dawn light filters through the curtains, bathing everything in gentle blue. His muscular silhouette is outlined against this backdrop as he carefully opens the door and slips out, avoiding the creaky floorboard that Troy had tripped over last night.

I miss him already.

The realization runs through me that has nothing to do with the cool morning air slipping beneath the blankets where Colehad been. I'm not just observing their pack from the outside anymore.

Somehow, impossibly, I've become part of it.

Beside me, Roman stirs, his arm tightening momentarily around my waist before relaxing again. His breath is warm against the back of my neck, steady and deep. Troy sprawls like a giant puppy, one leg thrown over my leg, his hand draped lazily on Roman's arm. Savva looks dignified even in unconsciousness, stretched out along the edge of the bed on his back with his head turned slightly to the side, long hair spilling over the pillow like an auburn halo. And Liam, protective even in sleep, has ended up near the foot of the bed, as if guarding me from the door.

My pack. The notion feels both foreign and natural at once, like a word in a language I've never spoken but somehow understand.

I absorb the reality of where I am. In a remote cabin in the mountains, tucked away from the world, surrounded by five alphas who, by some miracle, are all my scent matches. Just yesterday, I'd been trapped with a man who couldn't even bring himself to touch me, preparing to sacrifice my happiness for my family's financial security and social aspirations.

Now, everything has changed. I've changed. The thought sends both excitement and terror racing through me.

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