"Because we're idiots who don't notice things until we need to impress someone," Garrett muttered, but he was smiling.
"Speaking of impressions," Micah pulled out his phone, tapping through what looked like a list. "Menu for tomorrow. Levi's handling appetizers and sides—focaccia, roasted vegetables, some kind of salad. Oliver, you're doing the steaks. Garrett's on grill duty for vegetables. I'll handle dessert."
"You're making dessert?" Levi raised an eyebrow suspicion on his face at the thought of Micah baking something. "Since when do you bake?"
"I don't. I'm buying dessert from Mrs. Chen." Micah's expression was utterly unapologetic. I almost laughed but kept it at bay. "She makes better pie than any of us, and I'm not too proud to admit it."
"Practical," I approved, letting myself laugh as I asked, "What kind?"
"I was thinking apple, but I'll ask Viola tomorrow. She seems to know Daphne better than we do—she'll know what Daphne would actually enjoy versus what she'd just politely eat." He told me as he gave a small grin.
The thoughtfulness of it struck me. This was why we worked as a pack—we each brought different strengths, different perspectives. Micah's strategic thinking meant he was already three steps ahead, considering details the rest of us might miss.
"Six o'clock," I said, looking around at my pack. "We have less than twenty-four hours to make sure everything's ready. Not just the house, but us. Our expectations, our approach, our understanding that tomorrow could go a hundred different ways."
"Pep talk time?" Levi asked with a grin, shifting to rock on his heels before making himself stand still.
"More like reality check time." I moved to sit at the kitchen table, and the others followed, taking their usual positions—Garrett across from me, Micah to my right, Levi to my left. Pack positions, established without discussion over years of meals and meetings and moments just like this.
"Tomorrow, Daphne walks through that door," I began, making sure I had all their attention. "Scared, wary, probably already looking for reasons to bolt. She's going to tell us something that happened—something that rattled her enough that she felt she needed to tell all of us together. And our job is to listen, support her, and make her feel safe enough to stay."
"Without overwhelming her," Micah added, throwing in his own commentary.
"Without overwhelming her," I agreed, giving him a glance before looking at each one of them. "Which means we need to be aware of our presence, our scents, our tendency to crowd. Four Alphas in one space can be a lot even for an Omega who's comfortable with pack dynamics. For Daphne, who's been alone for five years, it could be completely overwhelming."
"So we give her space," Garrett said, understanding. "Let her choose where to sit, how close to get, when to engage."
"Exactly. And we don't all try to solve whatever problem she's bringing us. We let her tell us what she needs, and then we respond accordingly." I looked at each of them in turn, a stern look on my face. "This isn't about proving we can protect her or fix her life. It's about proving we can listen and respect her."
"Even if every instinct is screaming at us to fix whatever's wrong," Levi said quietly, though we all heard it. I didn’t blame him though.
"Especially then." I stood, feeling the weight of my role but also the rightness of it. "This pack works because we choseeach other, because we respect each other's strengths and weaknesses. If we want Daphne to choose us, we need to show her that same respect."
Micah was nodding, his mind clearly filing away the points as I spoke up again.
"Most importantly—" I looked around at these men who'd become my family, my pack, my brothers. "We remember that no matter what happens tomorrow, we're in this together. If she says yes to courting, we share that victory. If she says no, we share that disappointment. But we stay united."
"Pack first," Garrett murmured, the phrase we'd adopted as our unofficial motto.
"Pack first," we echoed together. The kitchen fell into comfortable silence, each of us lost in our own thoughts. Tomorrow would be pivotal, one way or another. The moment when Daphne would either take another step toward us or decide we were too much, too complicated, too risky.
I thought about her on that porch, the way she'd looked at me when I'd told her she was worth everything. The tears she'd blinked back, the vulnerability she'd let me see. That woman wasn't ready to run. Not yet.
She was ready to try.
"Alright," I said, breaking the silence. "It's late, and we all have work tomorrow before Daphne arrives. Garrett, you're on mill duty with Dad—he wants to meet her sometime, by the way. I am sure he told your Dad by now too. Micah, you've got the quarterly reports to finish. Levi, you're handling the supply order for the barn project. And I'm meeting with the contractor about the final inspection timeline."
"Normal day until six," Levi confirmed, his lips twitching into a smile.
"Normal day until our lives potentially change forever," Micah corrected with dry humor.
"That too," I agreed, because this dinner tomorrow could change everything about our dynamics and life. It all depends on where Daphne wants to go from here. "Get some sleep. All of you. That's an order."
They dispersed, Garrett and Micah heading upstairs while Levi stayed behind to set up the coffee maker for morning. I lingered in the kitchen, looking around at this space we'd created together. Strong bones of an old house, filled with new life and possibility.
Tomorrow, we'd find out if there was room for one more.
My phone buzzed again—my father, with his impeccable timing.
