Page 9 of Holly Jolly Heat
Maya smacked his arm. "Read the room, dude."
But he wasn't wrong. If I was going to have a professional crisis, at least it was with alphas who sent thoughtful gifts and respected my boundaries and hadn't shown up on my doorstep demanding I acknowledge the bond.
My phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number, but I recognized it now as Dex's from the text he'd sent three days ago.
Dex: Hope the packages arrived. No pressure. Just wanted you to know we're thinking of you.
Then, from Lucas's number:The plant's name is George. He's very low maintenance. Like me.
And finally, from Ro:If the gifts are too much, tell us. We're figuring this out as we go too.
I stared at the three messages. Three alphas, reaching out but not pushing. Making their interest clear but giving me space. Courting me the way I needed to be courted, with respect and patience and understanding.
"What are you going to do?" Maya asked, peering at my phone.
I looked at the gifts. At my family watching me with various expressions of support and curiosity. At my phone with three messages from three alphas who were trying so hard to give me what I needed.
And I thought about the past three days. About working remotely, managing Lucas's channel, corresponding with Ro about production schedules, never mentioning the elephant in the room. About lying awake at night fighting my omega's demands. About the suppressants that weren't working anymore because my body knew what it wanted.
About running, again, from something that scared me.
I'd run after Dad died. Thrown myself into school, into building my business, into becoming so professionally successful that no one could ever say I was just an omega. I'd run from emotional vulnerability, from dependence, from anything that might make me lose control.
And three days ago, I'd run from Pike Place Market.
But I was so tired of running.
"I'm going to text them back," I heard myself say.
Mom's face lit up. Maya squealed. Josh pumped his fist.
Bill just smiled. "Good girl. What are you going to say?"
I opened a new group text, added all three numbers, and typed:
Michelle:Thank you for the gifts. They're perfect. I'm in Cedar Falls for the week—needed some space to think. But I'm not running anymore. We should talk. All of us.
I hit send before I could second-guess myself.
The responses came almost immediately.
Lucas:YES. When? Where? I can be there in 4 hours.
Ro:Lucas, breathe. Michelle, take the time you need. We can video call if that's easier.
Dex:Or we come there. Whatever you're comfortable with.
I looked at my mother, who was trying very hard not to look smug.
"They want to come here," I said.
"Of course they do. You're their omega." Mom patted my hand. "The question is, are you ready to let them?"
I thought about my business, my reputation, my carefully constructed walls. Then I thought about three alphas who'd sent me thoughtful gifts, who'd been patient when I ran, who'd made it clear they weren't giving up.
I thought about Lucas's dimpled smile, Ro's intense dark eyes, Dex's quiet strength.
I thought about the word "home" and realized it didn't have to mean losing myself. Maybe, just maybe, it meant finding the missing pieces.
