Page 62 of A Pack of Mistletoe
“You—” I start and then stop because maybe this isn’t the right time.
“Hm?” he asks.
I swallow and decide to go for it. “You called me your omega. To your brother when we got here.”
His eyes open and he pulls back just a little to look into mine. “Yes?” he says cautiously.
“Are you…” I cough. “Are you my alpha then?”
A low sound, like a mix between a growl and a purr, rumbles up from the base of his chest. His hands land on my hips, gripping me and pulling me flush with his body.
“I have always been your alpha, Rose. You’re my mate and I was always meant to be yours. I’m sorry as fuck that I was such an arrogant asshole about the omega clause, but I’ll never be sorry that it turned out this way. I need you. We all do. Understand?”
My eyes flutter closed as I nod and he kisses my lips one more time, softer.
Clara pulls me over once I’m alone again. “Is that the reason you have a scent now, Miss Peppermint?” she teases. All of the other girls are looking at me expectantly.
I shrug and they squeal. I have to shush them but all of the alphas in the room are now looking at us after that. Once we don't explain they go back to their own conversations.
“Are you going to bond? That would make us in-laws!” Sunny claps excitedly and suddenly all of the excitement drains out of me.
“We haven’t really discussed it,” I admit.
“It’s still early. You have lots of time,” Winnie assures me. She’s always the most sensible of the group.
I can’t help glancing back at my alphas who are chatting and eating with everyone else. Where is this going? How can we make it work?
Harlan
Rose is drunk by the time we leave the house. It’s adorable. She’s tripped twice, and in the end I just scoop her up and carry her to the car. Her face tucked against my chest is almost too much to bear. Every exhale warms straight through my ribs.
Evander opens the door, and I lower her carefully into the seat. It takes a full minute to convince her to let go of my jacket. She finally releases me only after Evander promises to sit beside her while she takes the middle of the front seat and I drive. It’s a tight fit, but it works—and I get the quiet ache of having them both within reach.
My Starlight starts to snore softly against Evander’s shoulder. Our eyes meet over her head, and he sighs. “I’m so glad we found her.”
I trail my knuckles along his cheek, then down to touch her knee. “I’m so glad I found all of you,” I murmur, glancing at the back seat where Logan watches us with that sharp, hungry look that hollows me out and fills me at the same time.
When we pull up to the house, Evander insists on carrying her. I run ahead to open the door. Inside, he takes her straight to the bedroom, the rest of us following close behind. It’s nearly two in the morning. We stayed far too late—drinking, eating, playing ridiculous college party games—and it was the most fun this pack has had in years. Maybe ever.
We start stripping off coats and shoes, voices quiet and tired. Evander works carefully, trying to remove her boots without waking her, but Rose stirs anyway. Her lashes flutter, and she blinks up at us.
“Are we gonna… beyond?” she slurs, words thick with sleep and alcohol.
Wyatt chuckles. “What was that, Sugarplum?”
“Blonde,” she tries again, slower.
The room stills. Every muscle in my body goes tight. If she’s asking what I think she’s asking, we know the answer—but we’d planned to make itspecial.
Kai and Wyatt share confused looks. Evander’s mouth curves, amused. Logan catches my gaze, eyes steady—he understands exactly what she means.
Before Rose can say another word, she’s gone again, soft snores filling the space. I let out a slow breath, half relief, half longing. I don’t want that moment to happen like this. She deserves more than a half-slurred question. She deserves something beautiful.
“So,” Logan says quietly, breaking the silence, “we’re not the only ones thinking about bonding.”
The words hang heavy between us.
Wyatt sighs. “We were going to do it next weekend. Nice dinner, surprise her.”
