Page 77 of Mating With My Grumpy Alphas
"Thank you for letting us," Wes replied.
As evening approached, we fell into a routine that felt like we'd been living together for years instead of hours. Rhett cooked dinner with the focused attention he gave to everything that mattered. Elias organized vitamins and supplements, explaining the benefits of each for heat support. Wes adjusted environmental controls and checked that everything was positioned for optimal comfort.
"How are you feeling?" Elias asked as we finished eating, and I knew he wasn't asking about my general emotional state.
"Different," I admitted. "More aware of everything. Scents are getting stronger."
"Timeline?" Wes asked.
"Tomorrow, maybe tomorrow night," I said, recognizing the signs my body was giving me. "The early symptoms are definitely building."
"Are you nervous?" Rhett asked gently.
I considered the question seriously. "Not nervous exactly. Excited, maybe? For the first time in my life, I'm looking forward to a heat instead of dreading it."
"Good," he said firmly. "That's exactly how it should be."
As we cleaned up dinner and prepared for the evening, I found myself hyperaware of every interaction. The way Wes's hand lingered on my lower back when he passed behind me. How Rhett's scent grew richer when I smiled at him. The way Elias tracked my movements with the focused attention of someone monitoring important data.
They were all responding to the changes in my body chemistry, their alpha instincts recognizing what was coming and preparing accordingly. But instead of feeling observed or pressured, I felt cherished. Protected. Anticipated in the best possible way.
"Oh, no! I can’t believe I didn’t think of it. I should probably call Hollis tomorrow," I said as we settled in the living room afterward. "Make sure he’s able to get help for my shifts I’ll miss." I couldn’t believe I’d gotten so lost in the thoughts of bonding and heats that I’d forgotten about my job.
“It’s already taken care of," Elias said, and an overwhelming sense of relief and gratitude swept through me. "I hope you don’t think we’re pushing our way into places we don’t belong. Pack support is important in times like these, but if it’s too much just say. You can set boundaries with us if you need to."
Pack support. The casual way he said it, like that was just how things worked now, made my chest warm with belonging.
“No. Thank you. Honestly it’s a relief to know that I don’t need to worry about it right now. That I have you all to help. I promise to say if anything ever feels like too much though.”
As the evening wound down, we faced the practical question of sleeping arrangements. The night before at Elias's had been about exploration and discovery. Tonight felt different. More domestic. Like we were establishing patterns that would shape our daily life.
"The nest room is ready if you want privacy," Wes said carefully. "But you're also welcome in the main bed. Whatever feels right."
I looked between all three of them, seeing nothing but patience and acceptance. No pressure, no expectations. Just the quiet offer of comfort in whatever form I needed.
"The main bed," I decided. "I want to wake up with all of you again."
The smiles that spread across their faces were brilliant and warm and full of anticipation for the future we were building together.
As I settled between them in Wes's king-size bed, surrounded by their warmth and scent and the steady sound of their breathing, I realized that home wasn't a place. It was a feeling. The feeling of being exactly where you belonged, with exactly the right people, building exactly the life you were meant to live.
Tomorrow my heat would probably begin in earnest. But tonight, I was just a woman in love, falling asleep in the arms of three alphas who loved her back. It was the most ordinary and extraordinary thing in the world. I never knew home was something you could build with other people until they handed me the blueprints to forever.
Chapter 28
Rhett
The morning air in the barn was crisp enough to see my breath, but I was working up a sweat anyway. Not from the physical labor of organizing Willa's photography equipment, but from the way her scent was starting to change. Deeper, richer, with an undertone that made my alpha instincts sit up and take notice.
Her heat was coming. Soon.
I'd moved her camera cases out here temporarily while we figured out the best setup for her studio space, and now I was second-guessing the decision. Everything she owned smelled like her, but faintly, like she'd been holding back from really claiming her belongings. It made me want to fix that somehow. Make sure she knew she could scent whatever she wanted, mark her territory without fear.
The sound of footsteps on gravel made me look up from the lens case I'd been needlessly rearranging. Willa stood in the doorway of the barn, backlit by morning sun, wearing one ofWes's flannel shirts over her own clothes. The sight hit me like a physical blow.
"Morning," she said, but there was something tentative in her voice that made me study her face more carefully.
"You okay?" I asked, setting down the equipment and giving her my full attention.
