Page 81 of Nesting With My Three Alphas
"Love," I whispered, opening my eyes to find all three of them watching me with expressions of wonder. "I can feel how much you love me."
"Now you know," Jonah said softly, "what we've been feeling since the moment we met you."
The afternoon stretched before us, lazy and perfect and utterly peaceful. We didn't leave the bedroom except for bathroom breaks and quick trips to the kitchen for sustenance. Instead, we talked about everything and nothing. Future plans, past fears, the small daily details that would make up our life together.
"I want to finish my art degree," I said at one point, surprising myself with the admission. "I never got to complete it because Marcus thought it was a waste of time, but I think I'd like to try again."
Marcus had called it a hobby. Said I'd never make real money from it. But now, for the first time, I wanted to create art not to prove a point but because it felt like mine.
"There's a good program at the community college about thirty minutes away," Micah said immediately. "Online options too, if you prefer to stay closer to home while Charlie's young."
"And Mrs. P mentioned you might be interested in teaching a beginner's class at the community center," Reed added. "She thinks you'd be perfect for it."
"You should absolutely do that," Jonah said with enthusiasm. "Sharing your gift with others, building connections in the community. It sounds perfect for you."
While Charlie's young. Like it was assumed I would be here for her entire childhood, watching her grow up, being part of every milestone.
"I think I'd like that," I said. "Creating art that's mine, not what someone else thinks I should make."
"We'll support whatever you want to do," Reed said firmly. "Career, hobbies, dreams you haven't even thought of yet. That's what family does."
That word, family, was getting easier to say, easier to believe.
The house felt different around us, charged with the energy of our completed bond but also somehow more settled. Like it had been waiting for this moment to become a true home instead of just a place where people lived.
"The house smells different," I observed during one of our conversations. "Like it's finally complete."
"Homes reflect the energy of the people who live in them," Jonah explained. "With our pack bond settled, the whole space feels more harmonious."
"Plus," Reed added with a grin, "you've been scenting everything without realizing it. Your omega is marking territory."
The primitive satisfaction that thought brought surprised me. This was mine now. This house, this family, this life we were building together.
As evening approached, I found myself thinking about tomorrow, when Charlie would return and our little bubble of intimacy would expand to include the most important person in all our lives.
"Are you nervous about Charlie coming home?" Jonah asked, apparently reading my thoughts through our bond.
"A little," I admitted. "Not about her reaction. I know she'll be thrilled. But about stepping into the role officially. Being her mom in more than just my heart."
She crawled into my lap that day at the pumpkin patch like it was the most natural thing in the world. Maybe it always was.
"You've been her mom since the day she nested in your duplex," Micah said gently. "Tomorrow just makes it official."
"What if I mess up?" I asked, voicing the fear that had been lurking in the corner of my mind. "What if I don't know how to do this?"
"None of us knew how to do this when we started," Jonah said with quiet certainty. "Parenting isn't about being perfect. It's about showing up, staying consistent, and loving them enough to keep trying even when you make mistakes."
"Besides," Reed added, "you won't be doing it alone. We're all in this together."
The burden and joy of parenting shared among four people who were completely committed to both Charlie's wellbeing and each other's support.
"I love her so much already," I said softly. "More than I thought was possible."
"She loves you too," Jonah said with absolute certainty. "Has since the beginning. You're exactly the mother she's been hoping for."
For once, I didn't flinch away from the compliment. For once, I could almost believe it might be true.
As night fell around us, as we settled back into our nest for what would be our last night alone together for the foreseeable future, I felt a deep sense of completion wash over me.
