Page 62 of Claimed By My Exiled Alphas
“Thank you,” I said finally. “All three of you. For being willing to try this. For being mature and communicative and actually considering what it means instead of just following instinct.”
“It helps that you were honest about what you wanted,” Hollis said. “That took courage.”
“We’ve got this,” Jace added. “It’s going to be complicated and messy sometimes, but we’ve got this.”
“Yes,” Cassian agreed. “We do.”
They went their separate ways, Hollis to his apartment above the bookstore, Jace to his evening patrol shift, Cassian to whatever he did in that house on Ridge Road. And I drove home alone, processing everything that had happened.
We were really doing this. Four people who barely knew each other, choosing to build something unconventional because it felt right. Choosing trust over fear, communication over competition, possibility over playing it safe.
I had no idea if it would work. But for the first time since Vincent had destroyed my career and my confidence, I felt like I was moving toward something instead of just running away.
And that was enough for now.
Inside my cottage, I made chamomile tea and settled onto my couch with the book Hollis had given me last week. But my mind kept drifting to the afternoon. To three very different men sitting around a table talking honestly about feelings and logistics. To the way they’d actually listened to each other instead of competing. To Cassian making lists and Jace making jokes and Hollis offering quiet wisdom that seemed to settle everyone’s nerves.
My phone buzzed with three separate texts.
From Jace:That went better than I expected. Looking forward to next Sunday.
From Hollis:Thank you for today. For trusting us with this.
From Cassian:I’ve never been part of anything like this. But I want to try. We’ll make it work.
I typed back variations ofthank youandgoodnightto all three, then sat holding my phone and trying to process the fact that I had three alphas who were actively choosing to coordinate instead of compete.
Three men who saw my complications and wanted me anyway.
Three different kinds of strength that might actually work together instead of canceling each other out.
Tomorrow we’d wake up and this would be real. Tomorrow the town would start talking and we’d have to navigate being public in a small town where everyone knew your business. Tomorrow we’d start the actual work of building a pack.
But tonight, I let myself feel hopeful. Let myself believe that maybe, possibly, this unconventional arrangement could become something beautiful.
I fell asleep thinking about three very different men who’d all said yes to trying. Who’d all been nervous and honest and willing to do the work required to make something complicated actually function.
Thinking that maybe I’d finally found the kind of support that didn’t come with strings attached or expectations I couldn’t meet.
Thinking that maybe, just maybe, I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
Chapter 18
Cassian
Ichanged the reservation three times before settling on the Italian place in Millbrook. Too formal felt like I was trying too hard. Too casual suggested I wasn’t taking this seriously. The compromise was a family-owned restaurant with excellent food, reasonable atmosphere, and enough distance from Hollow Haven that we could have an actual conversation without the entire town watching.
Tuesday evening, five days after the coffee shop meeting. Long enough that we’d all had time to process what we’d agreed to, not so long that momentum could stall. Strategic timing, I told myself. Not nervous planning.
I arrived at Talia’s cottage at six forty-five, exactly fifteen minutes early as planned. It gave me time to settle my nerves before she came out. I’d dressed carefully, dark jeans and a charcoal button-down that my former personal shopper had insisted brought out my eyes. Then I’d felt ridiculous caring about that and almost changed. Kept the shirt anyway.
The door opened at six fifty-eight and I forgot why I’d been anxious about anything.
She wore a deep green dress that hit just above her knees, her auburn curls loose around her shoulders. Simple gold earrings caught the porch light. Not fancy, but intentional. Like she’d thought about this too.
“Hi,” she said, and I caught nervous energy underneath the greeting.
“Hi yourself.” I opened the passenger door of the Explorer. “You look beautiful.”
