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"But what if—" she starts, then stops.

"What if you decide you want to stay in that world?" I finish. "Then we'll figure that out together. All of us. Because Lila, I'd move to LA tomorrow if that's what you needed. We all would."

"I'm scared," she admits.

"Of course you are. You'd be crazy not to be scared of facing something that hurt you." I stroke my thumb across her knuckles. "But fear isn't a reason not to do something. Sometimes it's a compass pointing toward what matters most."

"What if I'm not as strong as you think I am?"

The question breaks my heart, because I can hear echoes of Dustin's voice in it.

"Then we'll catch you if you fall," I say simply. "That's what we're here for."

The sound of the front door opening interrupts us, followed by Dean's cheerful voice calling out, "Morning! I brought donuts from Maeve's!"

Lila starts to pull her hand away from mine, but I hold on gently. Not possessive, just present.

"We should tell them," I say quietly. "Together."

She nods, wiping her eyes with her free hand just as Dean appears in the kitchen doorway. His smile falters the moment he sees her face.

"What's wrong?" he asks immediately, moving toward us with focused concern. "Are you hurt? Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine," Lila says quickly, but her voice wavers. "Just... processing some things."

Callum appears behind Dean, taking in the scene with those steady eyes that take in everything without judgment. His gaze moves from Lila's tear-streaked face to our joined hands to the tension radiating from both of us.

"What kind of things?" he asks, his voice gentler than usual.

I look at Lila, giving her the choice to explain or let me handle it. She takes a shaky breath and squares her shoulders.

"I got invited to the Cinema Excellence Awards," she says, her voice stronger now. "My last film was nominated, and as one of the producers, I'm expected to attend."

Dean's eyebrows rise. "That's... that's huge, right? Like, a really big deal?"

"It is," she confirms. "It's exactly the kind of thing I would have been excited about two months ago. But now..."

"Now you're not sure if you want to go back to that world," Callum finishes, his voice understanding rather than judgmental.

There's no surprise in his tone, no shock or dismay. Just steady acceptance that problems have multiple facets and solutions require careful consideration.

"Exactly." Lila's voice gets smaller. "And I've been hiding it from you because I didn't know how to explain that I'm terrified of what I might discover about myself if I go."

Dean drops into the chair beside her, reaching for her other hand with automatic care. "Hey, whatever you discover, we'll deal with it together. Right?"

The simple certainty in his voice, like there's no question that we're a unit, makes Lila's face crumple with relief.

"That's what Julian said," she manages. "He said you'd all come with me if I decided to go."

"Of course we would," Dean says immediately. "I mean, I've never been to anything fancier than Maeve's anniversary party, but I clean up okay."

"We all do," Callum adds gruffly, settling against the kitchen counter. "If you're there, we'll be there."

Watching them respond without hesitation, no questions about logistics or cost or whether they want to spend a weekend surrounded by Hollywood politics, makes my chest tight with something that might be pride or gratitude or love so fierce it threatens to overwhelm me.

This is why it works between us. Not because we're the same, but because we all love Lila enough to step outside our comfort zones for her.

"You'd really do that?" Lila asks, looking between the three of us with wonder. "Come with me to Los Angeles? Deal with reporters and photographers and all the circus that comes with these events?"

"Sweetheart," Dean says, his voice soft with affection, "there's nowhere you could go that we wouldn't follow if you wanted us there."

"Besides," Callum adds with the hint of a smile, "someone's got to make sure you don't get overwhelmed by all those Hollywood types. That's what packs are for."

Pack. The word hangs in the air between us, weighted with meaning none of us have been brave enough to voice until now. But here it is, stated like simple fact. We're a pack. All of us together.

The word seems to break something loose in Lila. She stands abruptly, moving around the table to wrap her arms around my neck. I rise to meet her, pulling her close as she presses her face against my shoulder.

"Thank you," she whispers against my neck. "For helping me figure this out. For not being afraid of the hard conversations."

"That's what I'm here for," I murmur, stroking her hair. "Among other things."

She pulls back to look at me, her eyes still bright with tears but clearer now. More settled.

"I want to go," she says, and there's strength in her voice that wasn't there an hour ago. "I want to face it."

"Then we'll go," I say simply.

"All of us," Dean confirms, rising to wrap his arms around both of us.

Callum joins the embrace without hesitation, his solid presence making the circle complete. For a moment we just stand there in Lila's kitchen, holding each other and the weight of the decision we've made together.

As I breathe in the mingled scents of our family, green apple and white musk, toasted marshmallow, cedar and sawdust, bergamot until we smell like home, I realize my fear was backwards.

I was afraid she'd remember who she used to be and decide we weren't enough. But watching her find her courage, seeing her choose to face her past with us beside her, I understand that she's not going back to being Lila James, movie star.

She's going as Lila, our omega, our pack member, our love. And she's taking us with her, not because she needs protection, but because she wants to share every part of her life with the people she's chosen as family.

Including the parts that used to hurt.

"This is going to be interesting," Lila says finally, her voice muffled against someone's shoulder.

"Interesting is one word for it," Callum mutters, but there's affection in his voice.

"I call dibs on helping pick out your tuxes," she adds, pulling back to look at each of us in turn. "If we're doing this, we're doing it right."

"Should I be worried?" Dean asks with a grin.

"Probably," she says, but her smile is bright and real for the first time in days. "But you'll look incredible, so it'll be worth it."

As we untangle from the group hug and settle back into our chairs. Dean unpacking donuts, Callum making fresh coffee, Lila wiping happy tears from her cheeks. I catch sight of my reflection in the kitchen window.

I look different. Lighter, somehow. Like I've been carrying weight I didn't realize was there, and it's finally been lifted.

For the first time since I moved to Honeyridge Falls, I'm not afraid of being too much. Not afraid of wanting too deeply or caring too intensely or analyzing every detail until I understand how all the pieces fit together.

Because Lila loves how my brain works. And Dean and Callum accept my intensity as part of what makes our pack stronger.

Maybe I was just waiting for the right people to be complicated with.