Track 7 Home

I didn't imagine my homecoming like this.

And believe me, I've imagined it a whole fucking lot. Coming back to Sorrel. It almost always centered on me surprising her at work, because I know that's where she spends most of her time. In my head she's crying and throwing herself at me and hugging me and I'd sink into her embrace and feel settled for the very first time in years.

Since the last time I hugged her, held her, smelled her.

Home at last.

Imagining this homecoming, being able to come to her free and clear, no longer tied down by contracts or missions, it's all I've thought about.

To where the guys on my team called me obsessive, pussy whipped. Though can you be pussy whipped if you haven't been inside said pussy? I don't know. But I do know that I don't care that they gave me a hard time about it.

I've never really cared about anything or anyone but Sorrel. Leaving her here seven years ago was the greatest mistake of my life, but I needed to be able to offer her more than I could give her. I thought the military was the way to do it.

If only I knew then what I know now.

I went looking for my pack, because I certainly didn't have one in Lake Kilrose. If I was meant to be with any of the other alphas and betas in our tiny town, I would have felt it by the time I turned eighteen. The only person I found that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with was Sorrel.

My parents' pack met in the military, fell in love there and I thought maybe I could do that too. Find the rest of the people I'm supposed to build a life with.

Find a pack to offer Sorrel.

I never did.

I love the guys on my team, would trust them with my life—would trust them with Sorrel's life—but I never really clicked with them as a pack. The girl standing in front of me now is a huge reason for that. I don't want a pack without Sorrel. Hell, I don't really want a pack at all. Just her.

She's all I've ever wanted.

I came back with the idea that it would be enough. Me and her growing old together, loving each other until we're gray haired and bent.

But now here she is, surrounded by the freaking Cordova Pack—Liam Cordova literally has his fucking face buried against her neck—and I think I might have waited too long. It might be too late.

"Gage?" she whispers, aqua eyes wide like she can't believe what she's seeing.

My mouth curls into a small smile, the one I save just for her. No one else. "Yeah, biscuit. It's me."

Out of the corner of my eye I see Liam Cordova mouth the word ‘biscuit' like he thinks it's adorable. But I don't take my eyes off my girl. Mine. Always has been.

Sorrel lets out a choked noise and then in a flurry of movement she's in my arms, her curvy body pressed against me, her sweet lavender and clean linen scent reaching me through the ever present fried food smell that clings to her skin. My eyes slip closed as I press my cheek into her hair, not even bothering to hide that I'm scent marking the shit out of her. I need this, need her to smell like me, like I need air in my lungs.

Her fingers dig into my shirt and her nose nuzzles into my neck, her soft breaths puffing out to brush my skin.

"What are you doing here?" Her voice comes out choked with tears and that's unacceptable, so even though it kills me, I pull back, and cup her pretty face, smooth my thumbs over her cheeks, wiping away her tears as my forehead drops to hers.

"I'm home for good, biscuit." Another choked sound leaves her as her eyes shine with tears and a beautiful smile graces those lips I've dreamed about ever since I enlisted. Since before I enlisted.

Her hands wrap around my wrists, holding me against her as she breathes, "God, I missed you. So much."

My chest swells and I get a little dizzy at her words. "Missed you too." The words come out growled, but I couldn't mean them more.

"Sorry to break up the reunion," one of the alphas I found her with says. "But who are you?"

Sorrel laughs, a bright happy sound and slides her fingers up to lace with mine, pulling away from me, but leaving our hands linked as she turns to face them. "This is Gage." She beams up at me and I'm helpless to do anything but grin back. "He's my best friend."

My smile dims as my stomach swoops. Friend. Right. Because I've never told her how I actually feel about her. About how I love her, want her, need her. My entire time overseas, I lived for her, for her letters and the rare video chat, the care packages she sent every month without fail. She's it. All I'll ever need.

"Friend?" Liam Cordova says, like he knows it's bullshit.

Sorrel cheeks go a little pink and her hand tightens on mine. "Yep. We've known each other since elementary school. We were inseparable until-" she frowns as she cuts off. Sorrel doesn't like to think about my time in the military, even though that's been our reality for the last seven years.

"You know about the Stillwell pack?" Grayson Cordova asks, seemingly out of nowhere, while Rafe folds his arms over his chest in a menacing fashion. But I don't give a fuck, because at the mention of that fucking pack, my alpha lifts its head and roars.

I turn to Sorrel. "What about them?"

"Stopped in to meet the beta that my omega will not quit talking about and found Stephen Stillwell harassing her. She's been resistant to telling us why he felt the need to do that."

Sorrel's looking at the toes of her worn converse, obviously avoiding my gaze. "You told me you had it handled, biscuit. You told me not to worry about it, that you'd paid them back."

She sinks her teeth into her bottom lip and scuffs her shoe on the worn wood of the dock. Actually, now that I look around, everything looks a little worn: the paint on the building, the sign proclaiming it the Snack Shack, the tables and chairs lining the dock, Sorrel herself. Which is unacceptable.

"I do have it handled," she mutters.

"Sorrel." By which I mean don't bullshit me.

"Gage." I'm not.

"Sorrel." Tell me the fucking truth.

"Gage." Jesus, you overbearing prick, I am telling you the truth.

"Fuck, you guys are cute." Liam chuckles. "You just had an entire conversation only using your names, didn't you? Adorable."

Sorrel looks up at him, and then at me with a sigh. "I didn't want you to worry—I don't want you to worry. Because I'm handling it, paying off a little at a time, whatever I can. I'm making a little extra on the side that goes to them."

"Why do you owe them?" Rafe asks, shifting on his feet restlessly, like he's holding himself back from going after the assholes right now.

Sorrel shakes her head. "Not me. My parents. They borrowed money from them a while back-"

"During the pandemic," I cut in.

"Just enough to keep the restaurant afloat. They thought when the world opened back up that they would make it all back. We've always been popular. We're the only restaurant actually on the lake. Everything else is in town, and in theory, it should have been easy. But the terms-"

"Were shit," I cut in. "The Stillwell pack took advantage of their desperation and has been capitalizing on it ever since."

Sorrel cuts a look at me. "The interest was too high. I've been paying it for years, but I've hardly made a dent."

"Why aren't your parents helping to pay it off?" My brows raise at the hard edge in Liam's voice. I wouldn't have expected that from America's sweetheart omega.

Sorrel's frown deepens, and I wrap my arm around her to pull her into my body, offering her support. But she doesn't answer, so I do it for her. "They passed away about five years ago." Right in the middle of her sophomore year at university. Right in the middle of my first deployment. I couldn't get to her for months and I'll never forgive myself for that. That she had to handle her grief and everything else that came from their loss alone.

But never again.

"Car accident," Sorrel adds, quietly. "I inherited the restaurant and the debt."

Grayson furrows his brow. "From what I overheard this is more than them just pressuring you to pay up."

My head whips toward my girl. "What?"

Sorrel won't meet my eyes, a sure sign that whatever she says next I'm going to hate. Her cheeks go pink and her nose wrinkles. "They've made it clear if I agree to join their pack, they'll forgive the debt."

"No," I growl. "No. No fucking way. You know how they are, Sor. You know how they treat betas. Like slaves." She's not actually thinking about doing it, is she? Considering it? She wouldn't. She can't. "Over my dead fucking body, biscuit."

The men around us must agree if the rumbles hitting the air are any indication.

Sorrel pins me with a look, pure sass and exasperation. "No, Gage. I'm not thinking of doing that. I would sell the place before I would join their pack. It doesn't keep them from pressuring me, though."

"That stops now, lovely," Liam says, cutting me off from saying the same thing. He motions between himself and the rest of his pack. "We'll pay off whatever you owe."

"What? No!" Sorrel protests at the same time as I do.

"Hell no. I'll pay it off." Or I'll at least pay off enough that it won't be such a huge, looming number. I'll never leave her side and keep them from ever talking to her again. Any conversations about the restaurant will go through me. Never her.

She's dealt with them alone for far too long. It's time for them to have a chat with someone their own size who will not be intimidated by them.

"We'll handle it, sweet thing," Grayson insists, making my jaw clench and my teeth grit.

"No one is paying them off but me," Sorrel says loudly, cutting off the argument that was about to happen between us alphas. "Thank you, Grayson, for the offer, but I don't want you to pay them off. I don't know you well enough to allow you to do that for me." He opens his mouth to argue, but Liam places a hand on his lower back, leaning up to whisper something in his ear. Sorrel watches them before she shifts to look up at me. "I promise I have it handled. It's tight, but I'm making the payments."

"It's the middle of summer, Sor."

She rolls her eyes. "You finally learned the seasons, Gage? I'm so glad the army was good for something."

"Sorrel," I growl. "Are you going to be able to make the payments in the fall and winter? When business drops?"

She sighs. "I've made it work for the last five years, Gage."

That just makes my scowl deepen. I have to keep myself from hunting down Stephen Stillwell right now and pounding my fist into his face. "Well, I'm here now, biscuit. You don't have to make anything work. That's what I'm for. To take care of this shit for you."

"It's what we're for," Rafe Cordova interjects and I have to keep from slamming my fist into his face, too.

I suspect that he'd give me a run for my money if we ever do throw down. I've watched the video of him taking down seven would-be kidnappers by himself. Actually, if he sticks around, I might like that, like testing myself against him. The man is a beast. But I am too.

Grayson, the man wearing a full fucking suit in the middle of summer heat, lifts a hand and does a little twirling motion. "Turn around, sweet thing."

I bite back the growl that wants to crawl up my chest and instead focus on Sorrel as she spins on her heel until she's facing me and reaches behind her to hold up her shirt. I look down at her, confused, as Gray squeezes out some kind of gel onto his finger. Sunscreen? But that doesn't make sense. Why put it on under a shirt?

"What?" Sorrel doesn't meet my eyes, teeth sunk into her bottom lip, as the other alpha touches my girl in a place he should never touch. Only I should. I dip around her until I can see what he's doing, intent on getting him to stop, so that I can take over if I need to, but what I see freezes me. "What the hell is that?"

Sorrel forces a laugh. "It's just a burn, Gage. I got too close to the grill. It's not as bad as it looks."

"You don't know how bad it looks, conejita ," Rafe murmurs, expression filled with rage that he wipes clean the second Sorrel glances over at him.

"True," she concedes, her smile still forced. "But I've had a lot of burns before, it's part of the job, so I can tell it's not that bad. Just from the feeling."

"What happened?" I ask, fisting my hands to keep from throwing the alpha away from my girl. The Cordova pack isn't one you want to fuck with, and Sorrel seems cool with them, so I just have to suck it up for now.

"The Stillwell prick assaulted her in her restaurant," Grayson says, before bending over to blow against the gel to help it dry. Goosebumps pop up all over Sorrel's skin despite the heat, and she shivers. I don't know if the red haze that falls over my eyes is because of Grayson's words, or because Sorrel's nipples pucker, pressing against the fabric of her t-shirt in reaction to another man.

Probably both, if I'm honest.

"He did what?" I hardly recognize my voice and if the startled look Sorrel gives me is any sign, she doesn't either.

She shakes her head as she strokes her fingers over my forearm to soothe me. It almost works. Almost. "It was nothing, Gage. I'm fine."

"It's not nothing, biscuit," I grit out. "How many times has a member of the Stillwell pack assaulted you?"

She laughs. Fucking laughs , a soft, embarrassed sound that sets my teeth on edge, because I know whatever she's about to say is not the truth. I cut her off before she can lie to my face within fifteen minutes of me being back with her.

"Tell me the truth, biscuit."

Her mouth snaps shut and her eyes narrow into a glare. "Don't command me, Gage Wagner. I'm not a soldier on your team."

"Answer the question, conejita ." I hate that Rafe has a nickname for her, that they all do, apparently. I should be the only one who has a nickname for her. I'm the one who has been her friend since she was six and I was seven and she looked at me with those big aqua eyes and I was done for. Slayed by tan skin and thick lashes, an innocent smile on those full lips.

I didn't know what it meant back then, but I sure as fuck know what it means now.

She's mine.

No one else's.

Sorrel sighs. "You all are pains in my butt, you know that? It's nothing I can't handle. I promise you. If it was, I would go to the cops, and they'd be arrested."

I make a noise of disagreement. Stephen Stillwells's daddy is the police chief and I have no doubt if Sorrel went to him with accusations of assault, he would gladly sweep it under the rug. Sorrel knows it too, which is why she's been keeping these little visits from the Stillwell pack under wraps. She's saying this for the Cordova Pack's benefit. They have no idea what Lake Kilrose is really like.

Liam lets out a relieved breath, taking her at her word, while Gray and Rafe exchange looks that tell me they understand this is bullshit. They must be smarter than they look.

Grayson Cordova shifts closer to us, closer to Sorrel, and brushes the tips of his fingers over her forearm. She shivers. I pretend not to notice how her nipples pucker and press against her tight t-shirt. Rafe is not as much of a gentleman as I am, and it takes everything in me to not yank my girl behind me and growl at him to stop eye fucking her before I throat punch him.

Something tells me Sorrel won't be pleased with me if I do that.

Rafe's brown eyes flick up to meet mine, a smug smirk on his lips, a brow arched, like ‘what are you gonna do about it?'

I let out a breath and release the coiled tension in my muscles. Because the answer is nothing. I will do nothing. Now. Doesn't mean I won't beat the shit out of him later.

"Are you able to leave?" Grayson is asking as I turn my attention back to Sorrel.

She shakes her head. "No. It's just me and Annie here."

"What time are you done?" Liam asks, bouncing on his toes in anticipation of spending time with her. I can't even blame him for it. But something in my gut twists. I want to spend time with her, alone, without these men trying to take her from me.

I've been away from my girl for seven long years, with only the occasional visit on leave. I deserve to have all of her fucking attention.

Her head tilts as she considered, glancing over at the dock and the crowd there, then up to the lake. There's never been a set closing time for the restaurant. When her parents were running the Shack, they would stay open until the lake was quiet, which was usually well after dark, especially if they were open and had beer.

The locals like to sit on the dock and drink as the moon rises and reflects off the water.

Her teeth sink into her bottom lip as she looks back at the Cordova pack, still nestled into my side. Then she tilts her head back and looks at me, a genuine smile pulling at her lips. "Well, with Gage home, I think I can safely shut down in like an hour to celebrate." She squeezes me tighter against her, turning slightly to wrap both arms around me. "Everyone will understand once they know he's back in town."

I bend and press my lips to her forehead, wishing like hell I could kiss her smiling mouth instead, but I refuse to have our first kiss be in front of three assholes and half of Lake Kilrose.

No, I want to take my time with her, savor her taste and the heat of her.

I need to show her just how much she means to me, and to make sure she wants me too.

Liam sighs, happily. "God, you're both so fucking cute."

"Is it okay if we hang out here while you finish, conejita ?" Rafe asks. "I'd be more comfortable if we did."

Sorrel's aqua eyes flick to the poorly concealed shoulder holster. "I'm sure they won't be back today," she says carefully. "Stephen will be licking his wounds."

"I'm not sure that makes it any better," Gray says, and I can't stop myself from making a noise of agreement. "Wounded animals lash out, sweet thing. We don't want to risk him lashing out at you."

Sorrel frowns and takes a deep breath, then puts that fake smile on her mouth and nods. "Sure, you can hang out. The dock is really nice at this time of day. I can grab you some beers, if you want." There's a ding from inside the restaurant, that I know means Annie needs help in the kitchen, and Sorrel shifts out of my grip. I don't want to let her go. Not right now. Not ever.

"Gage, can you show them to a table?" she asks. "I'll throw some sweet potato fries in for you."

My hand comes up to cup her cheek. "You don't have to do anything for me, Sor. Just finish up for the day."

She cocks an eyebrow. "Oh, is that all? Just close up my business for the day, hmm?"

I grin. "Yeah, exactly. Nothing too big."

She laughs and pushes against my stomach. I hope she can feel the muscles under there; I hope she likes the feel. I hope she wants to run her fingers and her tongue over them. All for you, baby. Everything I am is all for you.

"Go find a table," she orders, and my mouth twitches into almost a smile.

"Yes, ma'am."

She darts away from us, dark wavy hair escaping her bun, ass looking so fucking good in her jean shorts.

Liam moves closer to me, but not too close. "She's really fucking beautiful, isn't she?"

I grit my teeth and nod, even though I want to snarl at him that she's mine. Will always be mine and he can't fucking take her from me.

But that's the thing. I think he can. So fucking easily.

For years, I've been biding my time, making sure Sorrel is who I truly want to spend the rest of my life with, giving her a chance to find someone else if she wanted to, reassuring my parents that my feelings for her weren't some teenage crush fueled by hormones. I've waited, I've been patient, I've built a nest egg large enough to give her the life she deserves.

It's just my luck that now, as I'm ready to be with her, to tell her how I feel about her, to promise forever to her, to mark and bite and claim her, now the Cordova pack is here too.

Billionaires.

Famous.

America's sweetheart omega.

Sorrel's adolescent crush that lingers today.

They could give her a life that I can't even fucking imagine.

But I'll be damned if I'll give her up without a fight.