Page 100 of Holly Jolly Heat
"You're not the only one who can capitalize on changing industry standards." He smiled slightly. "If we're going public with pack bonds affecting professional work, might as well acknowledge I have skills that translate to business."
"I don't—" I stopped, processing. "You started a business. Because of last night."
"I started a business because last night proved there's a market for it. Several creators reached out asking if I'd consult on their security protocols. Seemed foolish to ignore demand."
Through the bond, I felt his satisfaction. He'd found a way to protect people professionally, to turn his instincts into income.
"That's actually brilliant," I admitted.
"I learned from the best." He squeezed my shoulder as he passed, heading to get plates.
"This family," I muttered, but I was smiling.
We ate breakfast, all of us together, pack and family intermingled until I couldn't tell where one ended and the other began. Lucas and Josh discussed streaming strategy. Ro and Maya debated camera angles. Dex and Bill compared recipes while Janet orchestrated everything with the efficiency of a general.
This was pack. Not just the four of us, but the family we were building around us.
"So," Janet said eventually, when the food was mostly gone and everyone was lingering over coffee. "What's next? For you four. For the pack."
I looked at my alphas. We hadn't actually discussed this, what came next, now that we'd survived the crisis.
"We should probably talk about logistics," I said. "Living arrangements. Professional boundaries. Long-term planning."
"There she goes," Lucas teased. "Straight back to logistics."
"Someone has to plan."
"Let's plan together," Ro suggested. "After breakfast. All of us. Figure out what pack life actually looks like going forward."
"I have a client call at ten?—"
"Which gives us an hour," Dex said. "Plenty of time to discuss the basics."
Through the bond, I felt their determination. They wanted to plan our future. Together. Right now.
"Okay," I agreed. "After breakfast, we talk about next steps."
"Good girl," my mom said approvingly. "Now, who wants more pancakes?"
An hour later, we were back in my childhood bedroom, the nest still occupying most of the floor, having what might have been the most important conversation of my life.
"Okay," I said, settling cross-legged in the nest with my laptop. "Let's tackle the practical stuff first. Living arrangements."
"Seattle," Lucas said immediately. "My streaming setup is there. Ro's equipment is there. My lease is up in three months anyway."
"Don’t you live in an apartment?" I asked. Thanks to my research before I took Lucas on as a client, I was well aware that they each had their own place, but none of them, to my knowledge, were big enough for all of us to move in together.
"We'll get a new place. Something that’s big enough for all of us." He looked at me. "Something that works for you, Michelle. What do you need? Home office space? Client meeting areas? Somewhere you can have professional separation when you need it?"
I blinked. He'd thought about this. About my professional needs, not just pack convenience.
"I need office space, yeah. Somewhere I can take video calls with clients. Somewhere that looks professional, not like I'm working from my bedroom."
"So we look for a three-bedroom," Ro said. "One for our nest. One for your office. One for Lucas's streaming setup. Maybe a place with a good common area for when clients visit."
"That's going to be expensive in Seattle."
"We can afford it," Dex said. "Between Lucas's income, Ro's production work, my new consulting business, and your management fees, we're financially stable. We can afford the space we need."
