Page 104 of Storm

I shift closer, my free hand coming up to grip his shoulder, feeling the solid muscle beneath the fabric of his shirt. His black pepper scent is sharper and envelops me completely now, mingling with my dark chocolate in a combination that feels surprisingly right.

When we finally break apart, both breathing harder, his forehead rests against mine, our eyes closed, sharing the same air. His hand remains in my hair, gentle yet possessive, while our other hands stay clasped between us.

"I didn't expect that," I admit, a small laugh bubbling up from somewhere deep inside me.

"Didn't you?" Jonathan asks, pulling back just enough to meet my gaze. There's a warmth in his green eyes I've never seen before, a softness that transforms his entire face. "I think some part of you has been fighting this since the beginning. Just as I have."

"Fighting attraction to the enemy," I muse, though the word 'enemy' no longer fits. If it ever truly did.

"Fighting the inevitable," he corrects gently.

The sun has nearly disappeared now, the last rays painting the sky in deep purples and blues.

"What happens now?" I ask, genuinely uncertain. The dynamics of our strange pack are complicated enough without adding this new development.

"That's up to you," Jonathan says, his thumb brushing across my knuckles where our hands remain joined. "I'm not asking for promises or commitments. Just... openness to possibilities."

The words surprise me, so different from the controlling alpha I first met. "I don't know what I want," I confess. "I care for you all. It's all so complicated."

My eye catches on my forgotten book, the cover showing a mockingjay pin—a symbol of defiance that became something more. A reminder that even in the cruelest systems, there's room for change, for choice, for love.

"Life usually is," Jonathan agrees, no judgment in his tone. "But we have time to figure it out. Together."

Together. Such a simple word, and yet it holds so much meaning here in this mountain home we've created. Together, not as alpha and omega forced into roles by society, but as people choosing their own path.

"Together," I echo, the word feeling right on my lips.

Jonathan smiles, a real smile that reaches his eyes and transforms his entire face. In that moment, I catch a glimpse of the man he might have been without the weight of the Kingsley name, without the burden of a system that demands perfection and obedience.

"We should go in," he says, though he makes no move to release my hand. "It's getting cold."

"In a minute," I reply, shifting closer until our shoulders touch. "I want to watch the stars come out."

Jonathan's arm wraps around me, pulling me against his side where I fit surprisingly well, despite our difference in size. His warmth seeps into me, a shield against the growing chill of the mountain evening.

As the first stars begin to appear in the darkening sky, I feel something settle in my chest. Contentment I never expected to find in Jonathan Kingsley's arms. Whatever happens next, whatever complications our unusual pack arrangement brings, I know that this moment, this connection, is real.

And for now, that's enough.

Chapter29

Storm

"This is the one where she falls in love with the vampire, right?" Fox asks, settling deeper into the cushions of the oversized couch.

I shake my head, unable to hold back a laugh. "That's Twilight. This is The Notebook—where she falls in love with the poor guy her parents don't approve of."

"So many forbidden love stories," Fox muses, tucking his legs beneath him as Alex dims the lights. "Hard to keep them all straight."

We've established a new routine this past week. Movie nights in the cozy media room. It's become our sanctuary, a place for the three of us to unwind while Reed handles security issues and Jonathan works in his study. Rook and Frankie usually join us, but tonight they're off exploring some hiking trail Frankie discovered.

"You'll like this one," Alex promises, sliding onto the couch beside Fox. "It's a classic."

The media room is my favorite space in the house. All plush couches and soft throw blankets, the walls lined with bookshelves filled with everything from classic literature to steamy romance novels. It's warm and intimate, nothing like the sterile white walls of the Omega House.

I curl up on my end of the sectional, drawing a blanket over my legs as the movie begins. Fox nestles against Alex's side, the alpha's arm draped casually around his shoulders in a gesture so natural it makes my chest ache with something like envy. They fit together so perfectly, their bond obvious in every casual touch, every shared glance.

As the movie progresses, I find myself less interested in the story and more fascinated by watching Fox and Alex together. The way Fox unconsciously leans into Alex's touch, the way Alex's fingers absently stroke Fox's arm. It's intimate but not sexual. Comfortable.