Talk to me.
She took a deep breath.
I just keep wondering if I’m too broken. What if they accidentally get cut on my shards?
But that’s the thing about broken glass. You can turn it into beautiful art. I am here now, Sonnet. You’ve let me in. You’ve grown so much in yourself in a garden you’ve deemed unworthy, but soil is soil, sunlight is sunlight, water is water, and you. Have. Bloomed.
Warmth struck her heart, covering her cracks like a beautifully sewn bandage. The ache softened.
She turned towards Scarlett and Summer, her eyes still glassy, but a genuine smile curled on her lips. “Okay. Here’s the vision…”
Chapter 47
I think I’m officially in love with Sonnet. Or whatever.
Kai wasn’t known for being the best gift-giver. Christmas and birthdays were always hell for him, and he never even tried to buy anything for a girl he was courting. But here he was, at a jewelry store, picking up a charm bracelet and cufflinks he had hand-picked and specifically crafted in preparation for the banquet.
Sonnet wore a lot of chunky and layered jewelry, most of which she strung together herself, but he wanted something expensive and permanent. Something that, when she wore it, wasn’t just for fun, but because it reminded her of them.
The worker carefully opened the boxes, showcasing the jewelry. It was perfect. Exactly what he had asked for and encompassed Sonnet and the pack perfectly.
There were seven charms in total resting on a snake chain. There was a white goose for Goose with gold feet and a beak. The Funfetti cake for Jude was perfect: a small slice with gold and white frosting and tiny multicolored gems to represent the sprinkles. Next to his charm was Zayden’s chocolate lava cake, a similar golden base with black frosting pouring over it and a cherry on the top made with a red gem. Kai had a cherry on top of his charm as well: his black forest cake, layered with whipped cream on top. Then was Felix’s Creme Brulee, and last but not least, Sonnet’s strawberry shortcake charm. But the 7th charm on the very end was the most special and the largest. It was a golden heart with music notes written across it and, in the tiniest of writing, had all four alphas’ initials on the back.
“I can’t believe your team was able to accomplish this in such a short time,” Kai said, twirling the charm bracelet in his fingers and fiddling with the small colorful gems that hung between each charm. “Thank you so much for doing this.”
The worker, a beta in his late forties, smiled gently. “Manufacturing jewelry to be worn a lifetime is our specialty. Will you be able to carry each of the boxes, or should I pack them together nicely?”
Kai beamed. “The cufflinks are finished as well?”
“Yes, sir.” The worker opened four boxes, revealing the cufflinks, one for each alpha. Each of them received the same charm that represented their scents, as well as the heart.
“Yes, pack them all together, please.”
Happiness like he’d never felt before took residency in his chest. As he paid for his items and drove home, he thought about his mother. She’d be really proud to see how far he came and how much he’d changed. She’d be proud of them all. He knew deep in his heart that she would have loved Sonnet, even as her own daughter.
After the banquet, he wanted to take Sonnet to meet his mother. Maybe they could plant flowers around her grave together.
He hadn’t gone to see her since her funeral, but now that their pack was back on track and he had Sonnet with him, he felt his grief turn into something heavy rather than painful. With Sonnet, he felt as if he could get through anything.
“Fuck. I really am in love with her.”
Chapter 48
For so long I accepted that I had failed at being an alpha and accepted that I shouldn’t be one. However, I’m growing back into myself and I’m ready to reclaim my anatomy as leader of this pack.
It had been many months since the last time Zayden had to dress in a nice suit, slacks, and a tie. His fingers had been fumbling with the dark blue, sleek tie for the past five minutes as he stared at himself in his bedroom mirror, trying to convince himself to get it together. Tonight was important. He couldn’t risk anything going wrong, not for Sonnet’s sake, and not for his pack, either.
There was a knock at his bedroom door, and then Sonnet’s soft voice. “Zayden? Can I come in?
“Yes. I’m in my bathroom…struggling.”
Sonnet rounded into the bathroom and laughed. “Do you want some help?”
“Maybe.”
She laughed again before gently turning him towards her. Her fingers glided with ease as she fixed his tie perfectly, patting him down. When she looked up, his heart skipped a beat.
“You look beautiful,” he hummed, digging his hands into her loose-curled hair and kissing her gently over and over and over again. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop.”
