Page 64 of Sold to Three Alpha Kings

He stands, offers his hand. “Come with me.”

I hesitate but eventually take his hand.

He leads me to his study, a room I’ve never been inside before. Dark wood, tall windows, and a heavy desk stacked with papers I don’t try to read.

He opens a drawer and pulls out a pouch, considerably heavier than the one I lost, and presses it into my hands. “Here.”

“Huh?” My eyes widen in shock.

“It’s yours. Take it.”

My heart stops, breath hitches. “Chris, I can’t—”

“You can.” He closes my fingers around it. “Spend it however you want. On anything you want. You don’t need permission, and you don’t need to justify it to me or anyone else.”

I stare down at the pouch, throat tight. “This is too much.”

“It’s not nearly enough, considering what you lost wasn’t really about the coin.” He holds my gaze, steady. “You lost the one thing that made you feel like you had some control over your own life. Now, I can’t undo everything that’s happened to you. But I can make sure you never have to feel that particular kind of powerlessness again.”

I don’t know what to say to that. I don’t trust my voice not to break if I try.

“Thank you.” My voice is barely above a whisper.

He leans in and presses a kiss on my forehead.

He must have told Wayne and Sinth about my situation because before the end of the day, they both show up in my room at different times. They don’t come empty-handed, and before the sun sets, I already have so much money that I’m not sure how to spend all of it.

That evening, the three of them sit with me in the nest, no urgency to any of it, just quiet company and the fire crackling low.

Wayne tells some ridiculous story about a fishing trip gone wrong that has me laughing so hard I clutch my belly.

Sinth leans against my shoulder, content just to listen. Chris sits close, closer than he would have dared a month ago, his hand finding mine at some point without either of us commenting on it.

I look between the three of them—Wayne’s grin, Sinth’s quiet steadiness, Chris’s hand still holding mine like he’s afraid to let go now that he’s finally allowed himself to reach for it.

Something in my chest, so long braced for disappointment, finally lets itself rest.

I don’t know how to untangle everything I feel for each of them yet. I don’t know if I ever fully will.

But sitting here, warm and surrounded and, for the first time in longer than I can remember, genuinely wanted, I let myself stop trying to solve it tonight.

Chapter 18 - Wayne

I throw another party. Different this time.

No wild drinking contests. No brawls in the courtyard. Just food, cool music, and enough warmth that Charlize might actually enjoy herself without needing to recover from it after. I planned this one carefully. That’s new for me too.

“You’ve outdone yourself,” Sinth says, looking around the hall.

Lanterns strung low. Long tables instead of scattered chaos. A quieter band than usual, something meant for talking over instead of shouting through and dancing recklessly.

“I have layers, brother,” I tell him. “Deep, unexpected layers.”

We’re standing at a corner with wine goblets in our hands.

“Sure you do,” he replies, a small smile tugging at his lips.

Chris arrives late. He’s never on time for things like this. If it’s not a serious event, don’t expect him to come earlier.