Page 43 of Holly Jolly Heat
She left, and Ro and I looked at each other.
"Your mom is?—"
"A menace. I know. I warned you."
"I was going to say 'delightful,' but menace works too." He headed for the door, then paused. "Michelle? For what it's worth, I think you're already letting us in. You just don't realize it yet."
He left before I could respond, and I sat there processing.
He was right. I was letting them in.
I'd gone location scouting with Ro. Baked cookies with Lucas. Let them both into my safe spaces, my town, my family home, my carefully guarded life.
I was letting them in, and the sky hadn't fallen. My business hadn't collapsed. I hadn't lost myself.
Maybe Maya was right. Maybe I was finally being human instead of just being professional.
Maybe that was okay.
What wasn’t okay was dinner. Dinner was chaos.
The entire family plus pack, all crammed around the dining table, passing dishes and talking over each other and laughing. Bill had made his entire comfort food spread. Pot roast, mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, and fresh bread.
I sat between Ro and Lucas, which felt both natural and overwhelming. Dex was across from me, next to Josh, patiently answering questions about security protocols and equipment management.
"So," Janet said, in that tone that meant she was about to meddle, "Lucas, you mentioned your grandmother in the stream. Is she the one who taught you about pack dynamics?"
"Mom," I said warningly.
"What? I'm making conversation."
Lucas didn't seem bothered. "She did, actually. She and my grandfather had a really strong bond. They taught me that pack is about support, not possession. About making each other stronger, not smaller."
"That's beautiful," Janet said. "And rare. A lot of pack dynamics these days are, well, not great."
"We're aware," Ro said dryly. "It's part of why Michelle is concerned about the professional implications."
"Professional implications," Janet repeated. "That's one way to describe fated mate bonds with your clients."
"Janet," Bill said, going for scolding but he was laughing. "Let them eat."
But Lucas was looking at me, his blue eyes soft. "We are aware it's complicated. And we're willing to navigate whatever complications come up. Right, Michelle?"
Everyone was looking at me now. My family, my pack, all waiting to see what I'd say.
I could deflect. Make a joke. Change the subject.
Or I could be honest.
"Right," I said quietly. "We're figuring it out."
Lucas's smile could have lit up the entire room.
Dinner continued, conversation flowing easily. Maya told embarrassing stories about my teenage years. Josh demonstrated his newfound streaming knowledge. Dex and Bill bonded over cooking techniques. Ro and Janet discussed the best spots in Cedar Falls for filming.
And I sat there, surrounded by noise and warmth and belonging, and realized something terrifying:
This felt like home.
