“My father…” I take a shaky breath. “He’s an Alpha who thinks being Alpha means control. He treats my mom like property, as if she doesn’t have a say in her own life. He makes every decision for her, from what she wears to whether she can leave the house. And she… she just takes it. I swore I would never let anyone do that to me.”
Norah’s hand finds mine, squeezing.
“So, when you tell me to invite three Alphas into my space, into my business…” My voice cracks. “All I can think about is losing myself. Becoming someone else’s possession.”
She lets the silence linger a beat before she asks softly, “Have they given you any reason to think they’d treat you like your father treats your mom?”
The question knocks the breath from me. Images flash unbidden—Beau’s cocky grin softening when I panicked, Simon’s steady voice explaining my fever, Levi’s quiet patience as he brushed my hair after the heat broke.
None of them pushed. None of them bit me, even when I begged. They were careful when they didn’t have to be.
I shake my head, my throat tight. “No. But that doesn’t mean?—”
“It doesn’t mean they won’t,” she finishes gently. “I know. But it also doesn’t mean they will. You’re not your mom, Wren. And they’re not your dad. You get to choose. Every step of this, you get to choose.”
The weight of it makes my chest ache.Choice. A word I’ve spent my whole life clutching at like it could slip away at any moment.
Norah squeezes my hand again. “So maybe give them a chance to show you who they are outside of bed, outside of heat. Invite them to the pop-up. If they act controlling, you’ll see it. If they don’t…” She tilts her head. “Then maybe you’ll finally believe that not all Alphas are the same.”
I lean back, staring at the ceiling, my thoughts a tangled mess. She makes it sound so simple. Too simple. But the truth is, she’s right about one thing—the longer the café stays closed, the more I bleed money. And a pop-up at her shop might keep me afloat.
“Okay,” I whisper, more to myself than her.
“Okay?” She grins.
“Okay,” I say again, firmer this time.
Norah beams, victorious. “Then it’s settled. We’ll clear space tomorrow. And Wren?”
“Yeah?”
“Pizza first, life decisions second. Always.”
I laugh, but it comes out shaky, because underneath the warmth of her teasing, I know the truth: inviting the Alphas will mean facing them. All three of them.
Not just the way they made me burn in bed, but the way they could burn me alive outside of it.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Levi
The little brassbell above Miss Thea’s door jingles when I step inside, the familiar smell of dried herbs and polished wood hitting me right away. The shop is warm, lit by the soft, golden glow of lamps, and shelves are stacked high with jars, bundles, and little bottles of tinctures.
“Levi Maddox,” Miss Thea says from behind the counter, peering at me over her glasses. She’s wearing one of her long skirts, the kind that brushes the floor, and a shawl with embroidered roses. “It’s been too long.”
“Evening, Miss Thea.” I grin, tugging off my cap and shaking off the chill. “Ma asked me to pick up her tea. You know the list.”
Her eyes twinkle. “She always does. And I always keep them ready, because I know you’ll be late picking them up.”
I chuckle, leaning on the counter while she disappears into the back. The shelves are filled with dried lavender, peppermint bundles, and sage sticks tied in neat twine.
She returns with a small paper bag, neatly folded at the top, and hands it over. “Chamomile for her sleep, ginger for her digestion, peppermint because she says it makes her house smell fresh. And—” She reaches into her apron pocket, pulls out a tinypacket. “This is for you. Boneset tea. For your long shifts. Keeps the body from locking up.”
“Thank you.” I take it, surprised. “How much do I owe you?”
She waves me off. “You keep saving lives, Levi. That’s payment enough.”
I know better than to argue with Miss Thea, so I nod, tuck the bag under my arm, and head back out into the evening air.
