Page 38 of Traveler (Soulbound #1)

Aly

Move-in day comes fast . One minute, I’m trying to process everything that has happened, and the next, I’m stuffing my new life into boxes. The dorm has been my home for months, but it isn’t really mine. Not like this new place will be.

Viv sit’s cross-legged on my bed, a bag of gummy worms in one hand, watching me pack with an unimpressed look. "You’re just now getting to this?"

I scowl, shoving a sweater into a box. "I’ve been busy, okay?"

She pops a gummy worm into her mouth. "Busy brooding."

I grab a book from my desk and chuck it at her. She catches it with one hand—annoyingly graceful, as always—and flips through the pages. "Ooooh, reverse harem. This tracks."

"Not brooding," I correct, snatching the book back. "Processing."

"Uh-huh. Processing… sure"

Before I can argue, the door swings open, and Xander waltzes in, dramatically belting the first line of Since U Been Gone at full volume.

"Oh no," I mutter.

"Oh YES," Viv cheers, tossing a pillow at him like it’s a rose for a rockstar.

Xander snatches it mid-spin, grinning. "I heard there was a packing emergency, so I’ve come to save the day."

"More like You smelled free pizza," I say, pointing to the box I have on my desk.

"I’m allowed to be here for both." he replies, grabbing a slice and hopping onto my desk like a king surveying his kingdom. "Now, what’s the plan?"

"The plan," Viv says, stretching out dramatically, "is to make Aly’s move as chaotic as possible."

I groan. "Or—and hear me out—we could pack efficiently and quietly so I don’t lose my mind."

Xander gasps. "Boring."

Viv tosses a hoodie into a suitcase—unfolded, of course. "Unacceptable."

And just like that, all hell breaks loose.

Xander grabs a pair of my socks and puts them on his hands like puppets. "Hello, I’m Responsibility, and I’d like to make this easy!"

Viv snatches another pair and makes hers talk back. "And I’m Chaos, and I say we make this a dance party."

Before I can protest, Xander grabs my speaker, scrolls through my playlist, and hit’s play. The first notes of Shut Up and Dance blast through the room.

"Oh, come on," I groan, but they are already gone.

Viv spins me in a circle, cackling, while Xander dramatically lip-syncs on my desk. Halfway through the chorus, he trips over a shoebox and tumbles off, landing in a heap.

Viv and I gasp.

Then we erupt into laughter.

"Are You okay?" I manage between wheezes.

He gives a thumbs up from the floor. "Still fabulous."

Somehow, amidst the singing, dancing, and questionable packing methods, we make progress. Kind of. Clothes are shoved into bags, books are thrown into boxes, and Xander finds my old diary, which I have to wrestle from his hands before he can read my very embarrassing middle school poetry.

By the time we finish, we’re exhausted, the pizza is gone, and the room looks eerily empty aside from Vivianne’s stuff on her side of the room...

Viv flops onto my bed. "Well, I hope Your new place has better lighting. This dorm made You too moody."

"Excuse You," I say. "I was moody way before I got here."

Xander throws an arm around my shoulder. "And we love You for it."

I sigh, looking around. The amount of change over the last few months is getting to me. But hopefully this will be the last move I make for the next free years.

"Alright," I say, stretching. "Who’s carrying the heaviest box?"

Viv points at Xander. "Him."

Xander points at Viv. "Her."

I roll my eyes. "I should’ve packed You two in a box."

And with that, we drag everything out, still laughing, still singing, if You can call the screeching Viv is doing, singing.

By the time we finish stuffing the last box into the car, the guys are already outside, waiting with their own piles of luggage. All of the guys are moving in today as well. Even though I haven't technically completed the bonds I can’t deny that I want it to happen soon. Xander whistles, hands on his hips. "Damn, Aly, how did You fit this much stuff in a tiny dorm?"

I shoot him a look. "Magic."

Viv snorts. "No, just poor organization skills."

"Okay, rude."

The drive to the house is short. The second it comes into view, my breath catches.

The house is massive, built from dark wood and stone, with towering windows that gleam in the afternoon sun. A wraparound porch stretches along the front, lined with rocking chairs I can already imagine us using on lazy weekends. The surrounding trees give it a sense of privacy, which Jared so crudely pointed out would be useful. Perv.

Viv lets out a low whistle. "Damn. This is nice."

Vin grins, slinging an arm around my shoulders. "Only the best for our girl."

The front door is already open, courtesy of Saul, who insists on getting inside first. "Come on, we've made some changes, so it feels more like our space."

As soon as we step inside, my eyes go wide.

The high ceilings make the place feel even bigger, and warm wooden beams stretch across them. The open kitchen has wooden countertops and an island big enough for all of us to crowd around. And the living room-. A massive stone fireplace stands as the centerpiece, just waiting for Christmas and too many blankets. The space that was one hundred percent a bachelor’s pad now looks like an adorable cottage. It’s perfect.

Viv claps her hands together. "Alright! Where’s my designated best friend suite?"

Xander flops onto the couch, sighing dramatically. "Yes, where is our suite? You didn’t think You’d escape us just because You got a fancy new house, did You?"

I roll my eyes. "If You claim a room, you help unpack."

Xander groans but doesn’t move from the couch. "Fine, I'll be emotional support."

Unpacking is pure chaos.

Saul and Alex immediately get into a heated argument over the best way to set up the couch.

"It should go against the wall!" Saul insists, arms crossed.

Alex shakes his head. "No, we should angle it so we can see both the fireplace and the TV."

"It’s a couch, not a chessboard!"

Meanwhile, Elliot keeps stealing my books to "organize them"—which really means flopping onto the floor and reading them instead.

"Elliot," I warn, snatching a book from his hands. "You’re supposed to be helping."

He blinks up at me innocently. "I am helping. I’m making sure Your books feel loved."

Viv cackles from the kitchen, where she is stacking plates in the cabinets. "Oh yeah, super helpful."

Carion, still adjusting to being around everyone, hovers near me, shifting boxes and making sure I’m not overwhelmed. Every time I turn around, he’s there offering me water, pulling heavy things out of my hands, or just watching me like I might disappear if he blinks. The difference in him since we've completed the bond is intense. Note to self: ask him if he's okay later. Oh, don't look at me like that the poor guy has been through a lot and is currently acting more like Elliot than himself.

"You, okay?" he Mumbles after catching me zoning out.

I exhale, glancing around at the absolute disaster unfolding in my new house. "Yeah. It’s just… a lot."

He nods, offering a small smile. "We’ve got time. No rush."

I squeeze his hand in thanks before turning to stop Xander from trying to slide down the stair railing like a child.

"Xander, if You break Your face, I’m not taking You to the infirmary."

"I shall reap the consequences!" he calls as he slides down, barely sticking the landing before raising his arms like an Olympic gymnast.

By the time everything has some semblance of order, we’re exhausted. The kitchen is stocked, the bedrooms are claimed, and our clothes have found new homes—sort of.

Alex flops onto the couch, victorious. "I told You the angle was better!"

Saul groans, burying his face in a pillow. "I’m too tired to argue."

Viv stretches her arms above her head. "So… celebratory dance party?"

Xander perks up instantly. "Finally, something useful." he grabs my speaker, scrolls through my playlist, and hit’s play. The opening beats of "glamorous" blast through the house, and within seconds, Viv and Xander have me in the middle of the living room, twirling me around like a rag doll.

Elliot abandons his book to jump onto the couch, air-guitaring wildly. Saul, despite his exhaustion, starts nodding along. And even Carion, lets himself be pulled into the mess, laughing and dancing wildly in a way I can only describe as a fish attempting to be sexy? Totally need to get him dance lessons.

I spin in a circle, arms thrown wide, and let the moment sink in.

It already felt lived in. Like home.

I sighed, stretching my arms before making my way upstairs to my room— our room.

The massive bed was calling my name, and the second I flopped onto it, I knew I wasn’t moving for at least ten hours. My body ached, and sleep was already pulling at me when I heard the door creak open.

Jared is the first to join me, stretching out beside me and pulling me against his chest like he’s been waiting all day to do it. His hand slides up my back in slow, soothing circles. "Tired?"

"Exhausted," I mumble into his shirt.

Elliot wanders in next, book still in hand, glasses slipping down his nose. He perches at the foot of the bed, completely absorbed in whatever he’s reading. "You have terrible shelving organization," he mutters.

I crack an eye open. "Are You seriously critiquing my bookshelf right now?"

He doesn’t even look up. "Just saying. We need a system. Genres, alphabetical order, by author—something. This chaos is unbearable."

Barrett enters next, rolling his eyes as he takes his spot near the headboard, arms crossed. "You’re lucky she lets You reorganize anything at all, nerd."

Elliot just hums noncommittally, flipping a page.

The bed dips as Carion slides in behind me, his warmth instantly comforting as he tucks himself against my back. "I think her book system is fine," he Mumbles, voice laced with sleep.

Jared scoffs. "You just like anything she does."

Carion presses a lazy kiss to my shoulder. "Accurate."

Alex is the last to enter, hair damp from a shower, rubbing at his eyes as he collapses dramatically onto the bed. "Why did no one tell me moving was this exhausting? I think my muscles are permanently sore."

"Sore from all the ‘supervising’ You did?" Barrett grunts.

"Supervising is hard work," Alex shoots back.

I huff a laugh, stretching my legs out beneath the blankets, enjoying the way the bed fills with warmth. Alex sighs, rolling onto his side. "First night in our home. How does it feel?"

I take a deep breath, letting it sink in—"Perfect," I murmur.

Before I can ask where the rest of the guys are, my eyes grow heavy, and sleep finally takes me.