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Panting, I tear at my hair.

Why does it matter? Why did I let myself trust them?

Except, last night after Devlin rang me again, putting more pressure on me to bond with him to save the inn, I had never felt so alone.

Then Rhett pulled me under his protection.

It had been easy to buy into the dream for one night at least.

Luca had gone out of his comfort zone to build me his first ever nest.

Rhett had held me in his arms, and I’d been cocooned in his addictive scent.

And Angel…?

His touch makes me feel safe, as much as he’s brought me out of myself over the last week with his lively messages.

I am as addicted to the messages as I am to Rhett’s scent.

I feel like I’ve known these Alphas my entire life.

It was sweet how Angel tried to hide how hard his cock was against my ass.

But the kiss wasn’t about either of our desires.

It’d been the care in his get some sleep, beautiful.

It was having someone who truly takes notice of how I am, while not trying to control me.

I sigh, running my hand through my hair. I hope that Angel brushing my hair becomes a nightly thing, at least until I lose all of this.

I’m not betraying anything to enjoy this for now, right?

I stretch.

Despite waking up alone, I must admit that I haven’t woken up with this much energy in a year.

I clamber off the bed, reaching to snag Rhett’s plaid shirt off the floor. I slip it on, buttoning it up. It reaches to my thighs.

I raise the large sleeve to my nose, taking a deep breath of the ozone and gunpowder scent.

Then I wander to the window.

“Morning, Dream Tree.” I lean on the open shutters, squinting out at the oak.

The branches cast shadows across the lawn. The pale morning light catches on the bluebonnets that glisten with dew, while the butterflies drift between the wildflowers.

The air is warm, smelling of sweet, damp earth.

Then my eyes widen in surprise.

Luca is kneeling in front of a flowerbed dressed in only khaki pants. He is working with his bare hands buried deeply in the earth, pulling out weeds. His brow is furrowed with concentration. Perspiration glistens on his pale skin.

Hope opens its wings in a manner I haven’t been expecting.

Luca didn’t abandon me.

He is following through on his promise to work on the garden.