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“Don’t worry about the windows,” Dason said, following my gaze to what lay beyond the glass. “We’ll take care of blocking the sunlight before morning.”
I nodded, sad that I wouldn’t get to enjoy the beautiful view when the sun crested the horizon. The pang in my chest hurt, but the mystery of the house overshadowed it for now.
Beyond the living space lay another room at the back of the house—a kitchen with dark gray cabinets with golden handles, white marble countertops, and wooden stools positioned behind a wide island. The blend of materials was perfect, elegant, rustic, and cozy.
I trailed my fingers across a long wooden table that sat before a set of double doors that led to an unfinished deck. There were no decorations on the shelves, no chairs at the table, and the living room was sparse with only a couch, but I immediately felt at home in the space.
Kota was checking out the fireplace while Axel plopped onto the couch, testing out the cushions. Jolon leaned against the front door, surveying the pack. Syler came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. I smiled up at him and relaxed into his hold, loving how good it was to be in his arms. Syler gave the best hugs, and that translated to any way he could put his arms around me.
Chayton walked up to Dason and nudged him with his shoulder, looking smug.
“I think she likes it,” Chayton remarked.
“Do you?” Dason stood in the back of the living room with a wide stance, arms crossed, as he watched me intently, cataloguing my reaction.
“Are you kidding me?” Syler let me go as I moved into the kitchen to explore, touching the counters, the cabinets, the fridge. “This place is incredible. But I don’t understand…” I rounded the island and leveled Dason with a look. “You said this place was mine. That” —I shook my head— “doesn’t make sense.”
“I’ve been building it for the last couple of years.” Dason glanced around. “It started as a side project. At first, I was just going to put a cabin on the land, but as soon as I started designing it, I knew it had to be bigger. Over the years, the layout grew, and this is what I came up with.”
“You built this place?” I gaped, and I was sure my mouth was hanging open like a fish. “As in designed it, nailed the nails, and hung the door kind of built it?”
“I had help.” Dason shrugged. “I hired a crew for some of it.”
Chayton cocked his head at Dason and raised one dark brow.
“And Chayton. But yes, I built it. It’s not done,” he cautioned, rubbing the back of his neck suddenly. “The upstairs still needs flooring in places. A few of the doors aren’t on their hinges, it needs some paint, and it’s lightly furnished. I didn’t expect to bring you here so quickly.”
I crossed to Dason. I didn’t want to ask, but…
“Were you building this place for Mara?” My heart squeezed at the thought, but I couldn’t sleep here if the answer was yes.
“No.” Dason shook his head resolutely. “No. I swear it. I was building this place for myself, and then as the project grew, I knew I was creating a pack home. A place we could eventually settle into with our mate. The girl in my head, the one I was building this place for, she didn’t have a name or a face until I met you. She was just a figment of my imagination, a promise for a bright and happy future for my pack and me. I wanted that future so badly I almost fucked it up, but I swear to you, you’re the first woman to cross that threshold.”
The guys had grown quiet as everyone focused on the way Dason took my hand, his fingers cupping mine as he held it between us.
“I swear to you…”
“I believe you, Dase.” His magick tingled like tiny fireworks against my skin as I was drawn to him like a magnet. The intoxicating scent of soap, spice, and man mixed with the rich essence of his blood until my gums ached, but I held my fangs in check. With the fingers of my other hand, I lightly traced his knuckles.
“So, you like it?” Dason’s posture straightened, his chest puffing with a vulnerable pride that hinged on the hope I’d say yes. His gaze flitted around the living room, seeing flaws in the craftsmanship I’d never see or even look for.
I hoped my adoration showed adequately on my face. “I love it.”
An internal warmth filled me up like I’d drank an entire mug of coffee. It trickled through my chest and heated my cheeks until I was sure the guys would be able to see the glow from the outside. Every day, these men showed me how much they cared for me and how much they’d give up to make this pack a family. For the first time, maybe ever, I didn’t feel adrift in the sea of my own life. These men had thrown me a life preserver, given me a raft, and now they’d built me a boat that was headed toward the shore on the horizon. I smiled and squeezed his hand.
“Do you want to see the rest?” Dason tugged me toward the stairs, but Axel, who was already whooping with excitement, bounded off the couch and beat us to the staircase, taking them two at a time.
Pulling away from Dason for a minute, I strode to Jolon with a big smile on my face, pressing myself against the tall, hard line of his body. My hands went to his chest and a crooked smile pulled at one side of his mouth. I wanted to lick the dimple that dipped in his cheek.
“What do you think, Alpha? Do you approve of this home for your pack?” I murmured. Jolon’s light blue eyes smoldered.
“What the pack wants is inconsequential. I approve of this home for mymate. Dason’s done well,” Jolon replied.
“But do you like it?” I bit my lip, wondering if he would be happy here or if he would prefer to live somewhere else. We hadn’t talked about permanent homes. We hadn’t even been able to get past the blood bond to the mate bite that would seal our futures together—not that it would have made a difference with magick daggers floating around and disgruntled exes. Still, this was a big step. One that had been tossed into our laps.
Jolon’s hand settled on my hip while the other toyed absently with my hair. He didn’t make eye contact as he spoke, the dark strands wrapping around his finger garnering his full attention.
“Syler and I grew up as orphans,” he quietly admitted. “When we escaped the last orphanage we ever stayed in, we lived wherever we could that was safe and dry. We spent a whole month in our animal forms just to have a place to sleep and food to eat. When we got back onto our feet, we lived a rather nomadic life. Our last home was the nicest place we’d ever had, and it was leagues below this. Just a flat with two bedrooms, brick walls, and a balcony that was barely worth the standing room.”
