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He looked amused. “I have to run some errands in town. Do you want to come?”

“You’re going to let me leave?” I gestured around us.

“Zephyr knows where we’re going. Besides.” Terran cracked his knuckles. “If someone tries to touch you, I’ll just punch their lights out.”

My younger brother was usually the most laid-back of all of us, but he could be bloodthirsty when he needed to be. I looked at his shoulders. Almost a head taller than me, he was broad in the chest, and he had biceps for days. He liked to spend his free time working out or running, not that he needed the extra work.

“Ughh, fine.” I rolled my eyes. “No need to remind your sister that you’re ripped.”

“I’m not that ripped,” he said.

The poor boy actually meant it too. I shook my head, deciding I wouldn’t argue with him about his biceps having little, smaller biceps. Zephyr was taller, but Terran was built stockier.

I followed Terran to his truck, excited about the sudden field trip. I jumped into the passenger seat and held up my phone. “I’m going to let my pack know I’m going on errands, or they’ll all flip their collective shit when my GPS moves.”

I decided to allow the “find my location” feature on my phone, just in case.

Terran pulled out of the gravel parking lot. “Your pack?”

“Yes,” I said, typing into the group chat to the mother hens that I wasn’t being kidnapped, just running errands.

“Your pack?” he repeated and it took a minute to sink in.

Not “the” pack. My pack.

He was grinning like Christmas had come early. “It seems like the key to finding alphas you liked was adding another omega.”

“No. Yes. I mean, the key was they weren’t douches who acted like their knot was the only thing going for them.” I shoved his shoulder. “And they like West just as much as me.”

“Good,” Terran said. “I’m glad you’re happy.”

“Me too,” I said, some worry creeping in. I was happy. Deliciously happy. If something happened, I would be crushed.

It wasn’t even that I was worried they would leave me. I tried, and failed, to picture something that would make them break up with me.

I’d had a panic attack in front of them, I had my nest destroyed, and through everything they were supportive and sweet.

“What are you worrying about?” My brother nudged me. The window was down, and the salty spray of the ocean was wonderful on my face.

“Everything,” I replied immediately.

“We’re going to find out who destroyed your nest and then take them apart piece by piece,” he said.

“I mean…” I swallowed hard, fiddling with the hem on my jacket. “What if something happens with my pack? I’ve never been…this attached to so many people before.”

“I’m wounded,” Terran said with a grin.

“Brat.” I shoved his shoulder again. “I mean lovers. I’m stuck loving all of you. But being stalked is reminding me too well that I can’t control all the bad stuff that happens in life.”

Terran sucked in air between his teeth. He was quiet for a while, and I suddenly hoped that whatever person or pack he wound up with would let him think as long as he wanted, instead of talking over him like his ex did.

“You can’t control everything,” he said finally. “Your issue isn’t with being in love.”

In love. My heart squeezed at the thought. I might as well chuck my heart into the ocean and hope the fish didn’t eat it.

“Your issue is with life itself.” He gestured around us. “You’re going to love people, and you’ll open yourself up to loss. Something you know too well.”

“You too,” I said quietly. Hating that somehow I managed to bring up our parents and make my baby brother sad. “You lost them too.”