Page 84 of A Pack of Mistletoe
Finally, Kai opens his gift. His is the one I’m most nervous about.
He pulls out a shadow box, and inside are all the little pieces of our shared past. A photo of us in elementary school. A crumpled Valentine’s note he gave me in eighth grade. Concert tickets from high school. All memorabilia from the only part of my life before that ever really mattered—because he was in it.
He looks up at me, tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. I don’t even realize I’m crying until I feel the warmth streaking down my cheeks.
This time, Harlan lets go. I fall straight into Kai’s arms as he pulls me in and holds me tight.
“I love you, Rosie.” He says it plain and true—no frills, no hesitation. And I feel the absolute truth of it hum through the bond—warm and steady and permanent.
“I think it’s about time for your gift, Starling,” Harlan says. I turn to find him holding out a package. It’s thin and square, solid beneath the wrapping as I take it from him. I tear it open and find myself holding a hand-painted sign:
The Sterling Pack House.
Along with it is a folded piece of paper. My fingers tremble a little as I open it. It’s a deed of sale.
“You picked out a house?” I ask, blinking fast. I try not to sound disappointed, but I am. Just a little. I thought we’d pick out a housetogether.
But the guys arebeaming, and that helps me squash the feeling down.
“No, Starlight,” Harlan says, reaching into his pocket and handing me a photograph. “You did.”
It’s upside down. I frown and turn it over—and my heartsoars.
It’s the house on the lake. The beautiful blue colonial with a view of the town—just a few doors down from Clara. The one I’ve always admired. Always dreamed of.
“You can’t have bought this. It wasn’t for sale. I would’ve seen,” I say, voice shaking. I drive past that house almost every day.
“It wasn’t for sale,” Evander smirks. “Daddy just offered the owners way more than they could ever refuse.”
“Wyatt also offered them free dinners at the hotel once a week for life,” Kai adds.
Wyatt tips his cowboy hat and blushes. I amfull-onhappy sobbing at this point.
“You bought me the house? Like,THEhouse?” I manage between gasping breaths.
Now everyone looks more than a little concerned.
“We can sell it if we did wrong,” Logan starts gently. “We thought—umph!”
Logan grunts as I throw my arms around him. “I got you a watch and you got me ahouse?” I’m blabbering now, but I don’t know what else to say. It’s just... so much.
“I love the watch, Jingles,” Logan murmurs, wrapping me in his arms. As I love all over them—hugging and crying and kissing every face I can reach—the snow drifts lazily past our window. The soft glow of our little home spills out onto the quiet streets of Lakeside Point.
My forever home.
Epilogue- Rose
The new year has come and is well underway. Everything feels different in a lot of ways. I’m a bonded omega. I have a pack and a new house. The launch of the new restaurant, which will be named Rosie's (blush), at Bee Haven is on track.
But some things stay the same. Like the Book Club.
“It’s aBeauty and the Beastretelling,” Winnie announces. It’s her turn to pick this month’s book.
I do my very best not to groan. I really do. But I hate Romances. Give me a good Horror or Thriller any day. Still, some of the groan definitely slips out.
She glares at me. “You made me read thathorriblebook over Halloween,” she gripes. “I had nightmares for amonth, Rose Sterling! Amonth!”
I raise my hands in surrender. “Hey! Clara’s alpha wrote that book,” I say, though—if we’re being honest—when I picked it, we didn’tknowhe was her mate yet.
