Page 152 of Pack Plus One

Something like love.

Caleb’s hand tightens around mine, his thumb tracing patterns on my skin. “Be ours,” he says quietly—not a question, not quite a command, but something in between. A claim and an offering all at once.

The words should terrify me. Six months ago, they would have sent me running in the opposite direction, determined to maintain my independence at all costs.

I pause, looking at all of them in turn. Seeing how they’ve all gone still. All waiting with bated breath for my answer.

“I already am,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper.

The pack moves as one, converging on the couch until I’m surrounded—Caleb’s solid warmth at my side, Jude perched on the arm of the couch, Liam and Mason settling on the floor near my feet. Their combined scents envelop me, and my heart cracks with how much I’ve wanted this and didn’t really know I did till now.

“We should make it official,” Jude suggests, suddenly serious. “Like, with actual bites and everything.”

“Jude,” Liam chides. “That’s not something to rush into. When Leah’s ready?—”

“I’m not suggesting we do it right this second,” Jude protests. “Just... soon. Before someone else tries to steal our omega.”

“No one is stealing anyone,” Caleb growls, his arm tightening around me.

“I don’t know,” I say thoughtfully. “Mrs. Finley did offer to introduce me to her grand-nephew at some point. Apparently he’s a ‘very eligible alpha with excellent dental work.’”

The collective growl that rises from all four of them makes me laugh. “I’m kidding,” I assure them. “Though the dental work part was real. She’s very concerned about genetic orthodontic issues.”

“Wise woman,” Mason nods seriously.

“See? Mason gets it,” I grin.

“Mason gets everything except jokes,” Jude teases, reaching over to ruffle the beta’s neatly combed hair.

Mason ducks, rolling his eyes. “Living with you, my tolerance for absurdity is surprisingly high.”

“Which is exactly why we love you,” I say, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of his head.

The casual admission slips out before I can censor it, hanging in the air between us. I freeze. We haven’t said those words yet—not directly, not plainly. We’ve danced around them, implied them, but never spoken them aloud.

The pack goes still, four pairs of eyes fixed on me with varying degrees of surprise and hope.

“What I mean is—” I start, fumbling for a way to backtrack.

“Don’t,” Caleb interrupts, his voice gentle but firm. “Don’t take it back.”

“I wasn’t going to,” I protest weakly. “I was just going to clarify that I meant?—”

“That you love us,” Jude supplies, his expression uncharacteristically vulnerable. “All of us. With our weird quirks and annoying habits and alpha dramatics.”

“And beta pragmatism,” Mason adds quietly.

I look at each of them in turn—Jude with his hopeful grin, Liam with his steady gaze, Mason with his quiet certainty, Caleb with his intense focus—and realize there’s no point in denying what’s become increasingly obvious.

“Yes,” I admit. “That’s exactly what I meant.”

The tension breaks, replaced by a wave of joy so palpable I can smell it in their combined scents—sweet and rich and intoxicating.

“Well, thank fuck for that,” Jude says, his irreverent response belied by the brightness in his eyes. “Because we’ve been stupidly in love with you even before you jumped into a dumpster to escape Caleb.”

“I didn’t jump,” I correct automatically. “I slipped.”

Caleb’s gaze softens as he meets mine. “Doesn’t matter,” he murmurs, his voice low and husky. “We would have loved you even if you’d landed on your face.”