I’m wearing one of Rhett’s college t-shirts. The wordsImperium University Water Poloare printed in big maroon colors across my chest. The hem falls to my mid-thighs and the gym shorts are also way too big, covering my knees completely. I feel like a child playing dress up.
“Thanks again for last night.” I keep my arms loose at my sides, trying not to fidget. “I know…I sort of showed up out of nowhere.” I force a small laugh. “I just—Thank you for being so nice to me.”
Myrick blinks at me, then softens. “Don’t worry about it,” he says quickly. “In fact, I’m sorry I wasn’t friendlier. I was so tired last night, I didn’t mean to come off cold.” He steps toward the counter and starts fiddling with the espresso machine. “Did you find everything?” The blond beta motions to the coffee maker. “Do you want an espresso?”
“No, thank you,” I politely decline as he turns the machine on. It whirls to life, humming loudly. “I didn’t want to risk breaking anything, so I’m sticking with toast and water.” I point to my glass sitting on the kitchen island.
“There’s orange juice in the fridge,” Myrick says as he points to the elegant, black fridge. “Or I can make you some tea.” Myrick walks to what I assume is the pantry. “I’m going to make some for Autry anyway.” He opens the door, then lets out a soft coo. “Good morning, sweet baby.” He leans down, picking something up.
“You have a dog!” I smile wide at the sight of the tiny white puppy.
“This is Dolly.” He scoops up the puppy and cuddles her to his chest. She immediately starts licking his face with uncontainable joy. “She’s still a baby—rescued her a few years ago. We keep her in here when we leave the house.”His gaze flicks toward the pantry. “I wasn’t sure how Autry would feel about dogs…”
He trails off like he’s genuinely worried it might be a deal-breaker.
“I don’t know about dogs,” I say, reaching out to scratch behind Dolly’s ear. She’s incredibly soft. “But Autry loved feeding the birds at the boarding house.”
Myrick tilts his head, curious. “Boarding house?”
“Yeah, I worked there. I’m a COC,” I say, and Myrick frowns, not knowing what that is. “Certified omega caretaker,” I tell him. “The boarding house is where they send injured omegas to recover. That’s where I met Autry.” I tell him about her broken arm and that I have no idea what happened to her. Part of me wants him to know that I have as much to learn about her as he does, but I also want to make it clear that she might not be ready to talk about it.
Myrick’s expression softens. “I feel awful for her,” he murmurs, then lowers Dolly to the floor. The puppy trots off, her tiny nails clicking softly against the tile as she disappears down the hallway. “I want to wrap that omega up and squish her tight,” he says, pulling a clear glass mug from the cabinet. “She’s so little, but she’s got this… weight to her. Like she’s been carrying something for a long time.”
I nod, swallowing hard.
“Are you sure you just want water?” he asks, grabbing a golden canister with “Tea” embossed on the side. “I can make you whatever. Latte? Cappuccino? We’ve even got cold brew.”
“That’s really nice of you,” I say, and I mean it. “But I never got into coffee.”
He stares at me like I just confessed to murder. “You don’t like coffee?”
“I know. Shocking,” I joke. “People usually react that way.”
My toast pops up behind me. I fumble around for a plate, but there are way too many cabinets. Everything is spotless and perfectly organized. I want butter, but rifling through their fridge feels weirdly invasive, so I decide to eat it dry.
Myrick starts the tea, pressing a few buttons on the coffeemaker before lifting a small lever. Hot water streams from the nozzle into the glass. The machine hums low and steady.
I sip from my tepid water, trying to gather some courage. “Hey.” My voice comes out quieter than I intend. “I just… wanted to apologize.”
Myrick turns, brows rising slightly. He looks surprised. Curious.
“I’m really sorry for the way this happened. For pushing my way into your pack,” I say. While I don’t want Myrick to hate me, I totally get it if he does. “Rhett and I made a deal without including you, and that wasn’t fair. I just—I don’t know. I feel like I bulldozed into something that wasn’t mine.”
Myrick looks at me for a long moment before his mouth curves into a tired, but genuine smile. “Charlie, you didn’t bulldoze anything.”
I frown, skeptical. “It kind of feels like I did.”
He takes a tea bag from the canister and drops it into the hot water. The liquid starts to turn a soft amber. “Rhett is my alpha,” he says simply, pulling a pink box from the fridge—Le Clare’s Pâtisserie printed across the front in cursive. “I trust him to make the right choices for our pack.”
“I get that,” I say. “But I still think you should’ve beenasked. Or at least warned. I would’ve wanted a say if I were in your shoes.”
“Listen to me.” He looks over at me, more serious now. “If you want to stay here—really be in this pack—you have to accept what that means. Alphas lead. We follow. That’s how it works. Rhett doesn’t need my permission to make a decision.”
I shift my weight, uneasy. “But don’t you get a say in anything?”
Myrick gives me a steady look. “Of course I have opinions. And Rhett listens—he always does. But at the end of the day, his word is final. That’s not me giving up control. That’s me trusting my alpha.” He places a warm hand on my forearm. “If we don’t trust the person leading us, then we’re not a pack. We’re roommates with shared bills.”
That hits harder than I expect.
