Page 70 of Claimed By My Exiled Alphas
“But you weren’t,” I said.
“No. I was being accurate about long-term environmental costs. But accuracy doesn’t matter when people are committed to a specific outcome.” He threw his spare attempt and actually got it, knocking down the remaining two pins. “Oh. That worked.”
“Yes!” Hollis and I both cheered, and Cassian looked surprised by the genuine enthusiasm.
“It’s just a spare.”
“Two in a row now. You’re on fire.” I ordered a round of sodas from the snack bar. “We’re celebrating your hot streak.”
We kept playing. Hollis maintained his steady competence. I had a few good frames and several mediocre ones. Cassian slowly, painfully improved through what I could only assume was sheer analytical determination.
“Question,” Hollis said during the seventh frame. “How are we actually doing with the pack formation? Beyond bowling, I mean.”
“Good, I think?” I knocked down seven pins. “My time with Talia has been great. And you two seem like people I’d genuinely want to be friends with.”
“Same,” Hollis agreed. “Though I was nervous about it initially. Three alphas coordinating around one omega seemed complicated.”
“It is complicated,” Cassian said. “But manageable if we communicate clearly and don’t let ego override common sense.” He paused. “Which is easier said than done, but I’m trying.”
“We’re all trying,” I said. “That’s what matters.”
“Can I ask something potentially awkward?” Hollis looked between us. “How are we handling the physical relationship aspects? I know we discussed boundaries at the coffee shop, but that was theoretical. Now that we’re all actively dating Talia, how do we make sure nobody feels territorial or threatened?”
Good question. I’d been wondering about that myself.
“Honestly, I haven’t felt territorial,” I admitted. “I mean, I know you’re both seeing her romantically. But it doesn’t make me want her less or feel like I’m competing. If anything, knowing she has you both when I’m not always available because of my shifts makes me feel better about the whole thing.”
“I felt jealous once,” Cassian said quietly. “Last week when I saw Hollis and Talia at the bookstore. They were laughing about something, and she looked so relaxed and happy. And my immediate instinct was possessive anger that someone else was making her happy.”
“But you didn’t act on it,” Hollis observed.
“No. I recognized it as an instinct, acknowledged it, and let it pass. Because logically, I want Talia to be happy. If Hollis makes her happy, that’s good. My possessive instincts don’t override her wellbeing.”
“That’s really mature,” I said, meaning it.
“It’s really difficult,” Cassian corrected. “But necessary if this is going to work.”
“I worry about balance,” Hollis admitted. “Making sure she gets equal attention from all of us. That nobody’s monopolizing her time or making the others feel neglected.”
“Hence the Sunday check-ins,” I said. “If someone’s feeling neglected, that’s when we address it.”
“Theoretically.” Cassian knocked down six pins. “But will we actually be honest if something’s bothering us? Or will we perform being okay because we don’t want to cause problems?”
That was uncomfortably insightful.
“I vote for honest,” I said. “Even if it’s awkward.Especiallyif it’s awkward.”
“Agreed,” Hollis said. “We’re building something unconventional. We can’t do that with conventional communication patterns.”
“Then we commit to honesty,” Cassian said. “No matter how uncomfortable.”
We finished the game. Final scores had Hollis and me winning by a significant margin, though Cassian’s gradual improvement was genuinely impressive.
“Drinks at The Tap?” I suggested. “Cassian’s buying, per our agreement.”
“I’m buying for two people. That seems like I’m being penalized for poor bowling performance.”
“That’s exactly what’s happening. It’s an incentive to improve for next time.”
