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Dorian was unrelenting, pointing out new places to put them, encouraging me every step of the way.

I’d never quite felt like our pack was a family until now.

Dorian was like an older brother, guiding me, refusing to let me hide away from the hard moments.

“The trees need something,” he mused. “Think you can make some lanterns on the bushes?”

I had a feeling this was more about testing my new skill rather than the lanterns themselves, but I indulged him. This time I pictured lanterns hanging on thin chains, swinging from the limbs.

They were glowing with magic, so I didn’t need to worry about causing a forest fire.

Then again, curses are involved. You never know.

“This is perfect. She’s going to love it,” he promised. “Now tell me you invited our girl.”

I looked over at him in horror, and his eyes widened before I burst out into laughter.

“Of course, I invited her,” I said. “She already agreed to the date. I texted her after I ordered the food.”

He scoffed. “You got me there, beta. Come on. Time for you to go get dressed up. You’ve got a woman to woo.”

Merrick’s hand was warm in mine as he led me out into the woods. It was the same spot that Dorian had shown me in the moonlight that night, and I wondered if he had any bearing on what was going to happen.

A soft gasp escaped me as we entered the clearing.

They’d transformed it into something truly magical. This felt like something out of a fairytale. A tent was set up with colorful sheets and blankets. The fabric parted to create a big open doorway, revealing a nest inside that spilled out of the doorway.

He had food from my favorite restaurant in one hand, the other still clutched in mine as he pulled me towards the tent.

“You did all this?” I asked.

“I may have had a little help,” he admitted. “Dorian is oddly good at pep talks, and he managed to help me realize that I can shapeshift without being forced into it. I even practiced some magic, hence all the lanterns.”

They were hanging from the trees, resting against the trunks, surrounding the tent and blankets. They added such a whimsical touch.

It warmed my heart to know that my alphas were taking the beta under their wings, giving him confidence and helping him come to terms with his magic.

“You should’ve seen his face when I accidentally turned into his wolf,” Merrick laughed.

I rolled my eyes. “Knowing Dorian, he was probably fascinated by the sight of himself.”

“You would be correct,” Merrick deadpanned. “Then I turned into Rook to enchant all these lanterns. Then Dorian and I built the nest and tent with our hands. No magic necessary."

“Oh, wow,” I breathed out. “Color me impressed.”

“Me, too,” he admitted with a soft smile as he admired the space with me.

“I needed this,” I admitted. After getting Blake back, things had been quiet. It was just hard to stop looking over my shoulder, expecting him to show up again.

Merrick gave my hand a squeeze, knowing without me having to tell him why it had been so hard. I’d struggled for a long time with the fact my family was so cold. Now, the reality was, I didn’t need or want them in my life.

In fact, I hoped he ended up in the magistrate jail as soon as possible.

“That’s exactly what I thought,” he said. “And I wanted time with my omega.”

I bit back a smile as Merrick led me to the tent. We settled onto the pile of blankets and I snuggled in, taking the takeout container he handed over.

“You’re definitely working hard to win me over, beta,” I teased. “You know I can’t resist amazing carbs.”