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"For her?" I looked at him and let the answer rise from my chest. "Yeah. I do."

He leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment. "I'm not so sure. I don't think we could everreallybe ready. But I'm for damned sure done with waiting."

"Then I guess we pack," I told him with a smile.

He jumped up and headed out of the sunroom without another word, but I wouldn't be me if I didn't get a few more in...

"And shave... and shower... and—"

"Goddess, Drew." He bit out, looking back at me with that exasperated expression on his face that only I could ever draw from him.

"What? If we're going to be courting our Omega we can't show up smelling like paint, and looking like a bunch of mountain men."

He laughed softly, finally, and shook his head. "You're probably right, little brother. So let's get cleaned up and on our way. It's time to go claim our girl."

I followed him out of the sunroom, eager to get where we were headed.

"I wonder if she's ever heard of Ageplay?" he asked as we walked up the stairs of our pack house. A pack house I might add that hasn't housed a pack in far too long.

"I think that once we've met her, tested the waters and spent some time with her, you and William can certainly introduce her to it."

He nodded in response. "Now I have another question for you," he told me. "What if she doesn't have anyinterestin Ageplay?"

I shoved him good naturedly. "Then you’ll find something she is interested in, and join her in that."

And that was that.

It was time to get ready, get on the road, and go join our pack.

And our girl.

Chapter 9

William

Ifelt it before I even saw him.

Annerly's presence, steady and calm in our bond, pressed up against the edges of my panic like a balm. I'm supposed to be the Alpha. The protector. But instead, my Beta, my lover, my best friend serves as the calm in the storm.

My heart hadn't stopped racing since Drew called last night to say they were on the road.

I shouldn't have been surprised.

It certainly shouldn't have come as a surprise that they agreed to Christa's conditions. Iknewthey were done with their mom as much as I knew I loved Annerly with every fiber of my being. But because of Tracy there was this poison in our bond, a poison that was too hard to get rid of.

But I needed to work on it.

Because they were coming.

Today.

I stood in the doorway of our borrowed cabin, arms folded, gaze fixed on the road leading into town like it might grow fangs and bite me. My Alpha paced beneath my skin, uncertain and restless.

"Won't be long now," Annerly said behind me, voice warm, soothing. He didn't need to say it aloud. He already felt the tension coming from me. The dread curled up tight in my chest like a snake waiting to strike.

I didn't turn around. "What if this is a mistake? Them coming?"

"It's not a mistake," he said simply. "This is how it's meant to be. You know it, love."