Page 36 of Claimed By My Exiled Alphas
“They really saw me, you know? They could see that I needed help and they gave it without strings, without an ulterior motive, and somewhere along the way I started to accept that maybe I needed it. Then as soon as my eyes were open, it was like… bam! I realised I might be a person that actually wanted things as well.” She met my eyes steadily. “Turned out the answer was all three of them, which felt ridiculous and greedy and completely overwhelming.”
“How did you get past that? The feeling of wanting too much?”
“By realizing it wasn’t too much if they all wanted it too.” Kit leaned forward slightly, her expression earnest. “That’s the thing about pack dynamics in this community. They’re normal. Accepted. Celebrated, even. Multiple alphas choosing an omega together isn’t some scandalous arrangement here, it’s just how some families form.”
I thought about the three business cards, the three different men they represented. “But how do you even begin that conversation? ‘Hi, I’m interested in all three of you, hope that’s not weird?’”
Kit laughed, warm and genuine. “Something like that, yeah. Though in my case, they figured it out before I did. I was trying so hard to choose between them, and they basically sat me down and said ‘we’ve talked about this, and we’re all interested, so stop torturing yourself.’”
“They talked to each other first?” The idea made my stomach flip in ways I couldn’t quite name.
“Yeah. They were all close before I came to town so it was impossible for them not realise what was happening. So they decided to have an honest conversation about it rather than compete.” Kit’s smile turned fond. “Saved me from a lot of unnecessary angst, though it was terrifying when they brought it up.”
I stared at those three business cards, trying to imagine Jace and Hollis and Cassian having that conversation. “But these three don’t know about each other. I don’t think, anyway.”
“Maybe not yet. Or maybe they do and they’re being respectful of your timeline before saying anything.” Kit shrugged. “Point is, however it happens, someone eventually has to be honest. In my case it was my guys. In yours, it might need to be you. But that’s way down the line. Right now, you’re just trying to figure out if you want to get to know them better.”
“I do,” I said quietly. “Want to get to know them better, I mean. All of them. They’re each interesting in completely different ways, and I keep thinking about them when I shouldn’t be.”
“Why shouldn’t you be?”
“Because I just got here. Because I’m supposed to be focusing on my business. Because I spent the last year recovering from a relationship that nearly destroyed me.” The reasons tumbled out easier than I expected. “Because being interested in three people simultaneously feels greedy and complicated and like I’m setting myself up for disaster.”
“Or,” Kit said gently, “you’re recognizing genuine connections when you feel them and not forcing yourself to choose arbitrarily between them. At least not yet, when you barely know any of them.”
The observation settled something anxious in my chest. “So I can just spend time with all three without it meaning something specific?”
“Of course you can. You’re not committing to anything by getting to know people.” Kit took another bite of cinnamon roll. “Best advice I can give you? Take it slow. Get to know each of them individually. Figure out what you’re actually feeling before you worry about what it all means. A real alpha will work to his omega’s timeline, not push for more than you’re comfortable with.”
“Even if my timeline is ‘I’m not ready to think about anything serious and just want to see if these friendships could be something more’?”
“Especially then.” Kit’s voice carried absolute certainty. “The right people will meet you where you are. And if any of them push for more than you’re ready for? Then they’re not the right people, no matter how attractive or helpful or interesting they seem.”
I took a bite of cinnamon roll, letting the flavors ground me while I processed her words. “You make it sound simple.”
“It’s not simple. It’s terrifying and complicated and requires more honesty than you’d think possible.” Kit’s frankness was refreshing. “But it starts with being honest with yourself about what you want, even if that’s just ‘I want to see where this goes without pressure.’”
Through my kitchen window, I could see her house down the street, where three alphas and one omega were raising two children together in what seemed like comfortable chaos. Evidence that this kind of family could work, could thrive, could be exactly as normal as Kit insisted it was.
But they’d gotten there somehow. Through honesty and risk and probably a lot of difficult conversations.
“Thank you,” I said, meaning it completely. “For the cinnamon rolls and the advice and for not making me feel ridiculous for being confused about all this.”
“We’ve all been there.” Kit stood, finishing her coffee. She pulled her phone out of her pocket before passing it to me. “Here’s my number if you want to talk more. And seriously, don’t overthink it. Spend time with them, see how you feel, be honest about where you are. The rest will figure itself out.”
I transferred her details into my phones and then passed it back with a smile. “Maybe next time we can chat with wine?”
“I like the sound of that.” Kit reached forward and hugged me. “And if you want to feed me too, I’m not opposed to being your tasting guinea pig for the new bistro. I hear through the grapevine that you make a killer risotto.”
I shook my head in surprise knowing that information could only have come from one place. “Small towns,” I sighed.
“Gotta love em.” Kit laughed as she headed to the door and I saw her out, realising that I’d just made a friend and felt more settled in one place than I ever had before.
After Kit left, I sat with my coffee and those three business cards and Kit’s words echoing in my head.A real alpha will work to his omega’s timeline.
My phone sat next to the cards, those three messages still waiting for responses. Three invitations to spend more time together, each one offering something I genuinely wanted.
What did I want? Setting aside all the excuses of it might be complicated or impractical or too much too soon, what did I really want?
