The room went quiet. Then Garrett's hand finally closed the distance to rest on my ankle, warm and grounding through the blankets.
"We can be," he said softly. Making me give a sigh of relief. "As long as you need."
"I'll make breakfast," Oliver offered, a bright smile on his face as he gave me his full attention, "Pancakes?"
"I'm not ready to leave the nest yet," Levi said immediately.
"I was talking to Daphne." Oliver gave a huff of laughter, as he shook his head at Levi’s behavior. Though he had a smile on his face, he was more amused.
I found myself smiling. "Pancakes sound good. But maybe... in a little while?"
"In a little while," Oliver agreed. He shifted, settling more comfortably against the headboard. "We're not going anywhere."
We stayed like that for over an hour. At some point, the careful distance between us dissolved. Levi ended up with his head on my shoulder, making soft sounds of contentment every time I shifted. Garrett's hand moved from my ankle to my calf, a warm weight I didn't want him to remove. Micah stayed mostly still, but his shoulder pressed firmly against mine, and when I leaned into him slightly, he didn't pull away.
Oliver watched it all with soft eyes, occasionally reaching over to brush hair from my face or squeeze my hand. They talked quietly among themselves sometimes, mundane things, like what groceries they needed and whether the back fence still needed fixing. Normal, everyday pack conversation that somehow made me feel more included than any grand gesture could have.
I drifted in and out of a doze, warm and safe and surrounded, my omega purring with a satisfaction I'd never felt before.
Pack, it kept murmuring.Ours. Home.
Eventually, my stomach growled loud enough to break the spell.
Levi lifted his head, grinning. "Was that you or me?"
"Me," I admitted, embarrassed. "I barely ate dinner last night."
"Then pancakes are definitely happening." Oliver extracted himself from the nest with careful movements, making sure not to disturb the structure. "Anyone have requests?"
"Blueberry," Levi said immediately.
"Chocolate chip," Garrett countered.
"Plain is fine," Micah said. "With adequate maple syrup."
Oliver looked at me expectantly. "Daphne? Tiebreaker."
I considered it. "Can we do all three?"
"A diplomat." Oliver's smile widened. "I like it. Give me twenty minutes."
He disappeared out the door, and Garrett stretched, joints popping. "I should help him. He always forgets the bacon."
"Go," I said. "I'm not going anywhere." Garrett paused at the edge of the bed, looking down at me with an expression I couldn't quite read. Then he leaned in and pressed a kiss to the top of my head, quick and almost shy, like he wasn't sure it was allowed.
"Good," he said. "Don't." Then he was gone, and it was just me, Levi, and Micah.
Levi immediately shifted closer, filling the space Garrett had vacated. "Is this okay? I can move if?—"
"It's okay," I assured him. "You're warm."
He beamed like I'd given him a compliment instead of stating a simple fact. "I run hot. It's an alpha thing. Or maybe just a me thing. Micah's always telling me I'm like a space heater."
"Because you are," Micah said mildly. "It's useful in winter. Less so in summer."
"You love it." Levi teased back, eyes lighting up with mirth.
"I tolerate it." Micah snapped back, though there was no heat behind it. I listened to them bicker with a warmth spreading through my chest. This was real. This was a pack. Not the performative stuff Trinity had accused me of, not some manipulation or desperate grab for attention. Just... people who cared about each other, making space for one more.
