“You said divide and conquer, right?” she asked, glancing back at us.
“It would probably be faster,” I relented, though the idea of splitting up didn’t settle well with me. My gaze shifted to Corvin who was tense now. “You and Bea? Apollo and I can handle the rest.”
He looked almost relieved at the offer, accepting instantly. “That works. You grab the electronics and the security system.”
“There’s a shop here that has exactly what I was looking for,” I reassured him.
“We’ve got the coffee maker,” Bea said as she scanned the list. “I definitely want to pick that out.”
I handed over the home-supply list before giving her a kiss. It was almost second nature, and I couldn’t resist rubbing my cheek along hers, scent-marking her before she was out of my sight.
Apollo did the same before our alpha tucked Bea into his side and led her away.
“I was thinking,” Apollo said as we made our way through the crowd to the electronics store, “I’m not sure what all Phoenix has, but she could probably use a laptop. Not just for school, but for her music. There’s some pretty good sound-mixing software she might find interesting.”
“That’s a good idea,” I said. “We can see what they have.”
Thirty minutes later we had a pile of things we hadn’t intended to get. He found the equipment he’d been talking about, along with a few more things that I desperately hoped Phoenix would love. It might break his heart if she didn’t.
After that, I spent another hour poring over security equipment, likely buying way more than we could ever need. I wasn’t willing to cut corners anywhere. I got cameras for every angle of the packhouse.
Thanks to Corvin calling the landlord that morning and explaining our situation, we got the green light to do what we needed to keep her safe.
I selected everything from motion sensors to high-tech cameras that would report every movement outside to our phones. I wasn’t sure how Bea would feel about inside cameras, so I skipped those for now, but I made sure to get enough window sensors to cover the entire place.
Bea’s eyes widened when we met up and she saw our arms full, but she didn’t argue… especially since they had their own large assortment of bags.
“Next stop, food. I’m starving now,” Bea announced, turning and leading the way to the car. “Let’s go, boys.”
There was our fiery omega.
Usually, our alpha was rigid. He liked his plans and liked to know what was going on, but our omega seemed to be changing him. Not only was he happy to go along with most of what she wanted, he drove around aimlessly until we spotted a restaurant that stood out to her.
We snuggled into the corner of the little Italian restaurant, squishing into the booth so we surrounded our omega. There was something satisfying about having her close all the time, and the way our pack’s scents mingled together. Corvin’s warm amber, orange, and smoky cedar was strong and bright. Apollo’s mocha and coconut blended perfectly with Bea’s warm caramel and toasted almonds. Then mine rounding it out with vanilla sugar, oak, and burning embers, making us the perfect blend of smoky, sweet, and earthy. It was a blend that felt like home.
A sign that this was right where we all needed to be.
“I’m home.” Phoenix’s voice rang out as she walked inside. I didn’t know if it was the hormones or being separated for two days, but I rushed forward, crushing her in a hug.
The guys were right behind me, giving her their own hugs when we pulled away. Her face was beet red and she looked uncomfortable, but I could see that she was also pleased.
“I’m so sorry that you had to go through any of that, and I’m sorry if I freaked you out,” I started, but she cut me off.
“Aunt Bea, it’s fine,” she promised. “I’m glad that you’re doing better, and I’m glad you had them to help.”
“We also made sure that the house was safe. You have nothing to worry about,” Corvin promised. “We’ll walk you through all the new stuff later, but I think Apollo has something to show you.”
That piqued my niece’s curiosity, her eyes lighting up. “A surprise for me?”
“Exactly,” Apollo said. “Come on. Your aunt helped me get everything ready.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” she said softly, shifting on her feet, battling herself.
“You act like this is your first surprise,” he teased, but when she didn’t smile, reality crashed in. Thiswasher first real surprise. Her mom never would’ve given her something like this.
She’d blame it on screens ruining their generation, but really it was because she was too cheap to buy her daughter anything that didn’t benefit herself. Even though my sister certainly grew up with plenty of what she denied her own daughter.
Phoenix’s reaction to the music programs and new laptop was everything. I don’t think I’d ever heard her scream like that before.
