48. Jack

Chapter 48

Jack

A s I step out of the car, I spot Lily and Max near the barn, surrounded by a small forest of potted apple trees waiting to be planted. Lily's face lights up as she sees me, and I smile back, my heart filling with such warmth. God, I love her.

"Jack!" she calls out, waving me over. "You're just in time. We're about to start planting these babies."

I make my way over, kissing Lily softly before nodding to Max. "Looks like quite the project you've got here."

Max grins, hefting a shovel over his shoulder. "My grand plan for an orchard. Lily is about to supervise and boss me about a bit."

Lily rolls her eyes good-naturedly. "Oh, please, like you aren't dying for a bit whip-cracking."

"Oh, I am!" Max says enthusiastically, and I chuckle.

I've had a hard day pushing myself to catch up on all the jobs that I neglected while I was worrying about Lily and then the mating, but I'm excited to get this done. There's something satisfying about working the land, about creating something with your own hands. Plus, the idea of having our own little orchard is undeniably appealing. Hopefully, we can expand it to include all kinds of fruit that Lily can sell in the shop.

"Okay then," I say, clapping my hands together. "Where do we start, boss?"

Lily's eyes twinkle with amusement at the title. "Well, we need to dig the holes first. They need to be about twice the width of the root ball and just as deep as the root ball is tall."

Max and I exchange a glance. "She knows her stuff," Max comments.

"She does. She's a natural green thumb."

She beams, and I ruffle her hair before I pick up a shovel.

"I'll mark out where each tree should go," Lily continues, "and you two can start digging. Sam should be here soon to help out, too."

We get to work, Max and I competing to see who can dig the fastest while still maintaining the proper dimensions. It's hot work, and soon, we're both shirtless and sweating.

I catch Lily watching us appreciatively. "See something you like, princess?" I tease.

She laughs, not even bothering to deny it. "Always. But just making sure you're doing a good job," she says with a wink.

As we work, I reflect on how much has changed in such a short time. Just a few weeks ago, I was living a life of longing and what I assumed was unrequited love, focused on my work and my pack brothers. Now, here I am, planting an orchard with the love of my life and my best friends. It's surreal in the best possible way.

"Hey, Jack," Max calls out, interrupting my thoughts. "Bet I can dig three holes before you finish two."

I grin, always up for a friendly competition. "You're on, mate."

We dive into our work with renewed exuberance, dirt flying as we race to outdo each other. Lily watches from the sidelines, shaking her head in amusement as soil cascades down over her, covering her hair.

"Hey, watch it!" she exclaims, shaking her hair out with a laugh.

About halfway through, Sam arrives, back from his shift. "Sorry I'm late," he calls out. "Got held up at the station."

"Never apologise for being a hero," Lily says. "You're just in time for the fun part."

Sam looks sceptically at the holes we've dug and the remaining trees. "This is the fun part?"

Max chuckles. "Trust me. It's more fun than it looks."

As Sam strips off his shirt to join us, I feel a surge of pride. This is my pack. My family, and we're building something so special together, quite literally.

We fall into a rhythm, digging and planting, with Lily supervising and offering guidance. It's hard work, but there's laughter and easy banter flowing between us.

"So, Sam," I say as we work on planting one of the larger trees. "Any exciting rescues today?"

Sam grins. "Well, I did have to rescue Mrs Harris' cat from a tree again. That thing's got a death wish, I swear."

We all laugh, picturing the scene. Mrs Harris' cat is notorious in Keeley for its tree-climbing escapades, but we all know that she encourages him just so she can have Sam go around. It's sweet, and I love it.

"Speaking of elderly ladies, Mrs Higgins came by the shop today. Wanted to make sure I was being properly taken care of by my ‘handsome and manly' alpha," Lily snickers with a look at me.

"Handsome and manly, eh?" I say, puffing out my chest. "I can live with that."

"Yeah, real handsome and manly," Max grouses and loses his footing, stumbling and nearly falling into one of the freshly dug holes. Sam and I grab him just in time, all three of us ending up in a tangled heap on the ground.

Lily's laughter rings out across the field. "My brave, graceful alphas," she teases, helping us up one by one.

As we dust ourselves off, we laugh. It feels good to be silly, to let loose after the stress of the last few weeks.

Surveying our newly planted orchard, I feel a sense of accomplishment wash over me. We did this. Together.

Lily stands back, surveying our work with pride. "It's perfect," she says softly. "Thank you all so much."

I wrap an arm around her waist, pulling her close. "Anything for you, princess."

Max and Sam join us, and we stand there for a moment, admiring our handiwork. Twelve apple trees, standing tall and proud, the beginning of our very own orchard.

"You know," I say, breaking the comfortable silence, "in a few years, we'll be out here picking apples. Maybe with our kids running around."

We haven't really discussed children yet, but why not now?

Lily turns to face me, her eyes shining. "I'd love that," she says softly.

The moment is heavy with emotion, and I can see Max and Sam exchanging meaningful glances. We all want the same thing, and it's good to know that we are on the right track to getting everything we wanted.

"You know what this calls for?" Sam says suddenly, breaking the tension. "A celebration."

Max grins. "I like the way you think. BBQ?"

"I'll grab the beers," I offer.

Lily laughs, clapping her hands. "BBQ it is. But you're all showering first."

As we make our way back to the house, playfully shoving each other and arguing over who gets to cook the steaks, I'm struck by how right this all feels. The farmhouse, the shop, the gardens, the orchard, our little pack. It's everything I wanted with Lily.

Later, as we sit around the outdoor table, the smell of grilling meat in the air and cold beers in hand, I look around at my family. Max is animatedly describing a scene from his latest writing to Sam, who's listening with rapt attention. Lily is curled up in my lap, her head resting on my shoulder.

"Happy?" I murmur into her hair.

She lifts her head, meeting my eyes with a smile that could outshine the sun. "Incredibly," she says, leaning in for a kiss.

As our lips meet, I silently thank whatever twist of fate brought us all together. We may have had a slow start, and there are undoubtedly challenges ahead, but in this moment, surrounded by my pack, I know we can face anything.

"So," Max says, pulling us out of our moment, "what's next on the farmhouse renovation list? A vegetable garden? Maybe a greenhouse for tomatoes?"

Lily's eyes light up at the suggestion. "Oh, a greenhouse would be amazing! Not just tomatoes, but think of all the exotic flowers I could grow!"

Sam chuckles. "I think we've created a monster. Next thing you know, we'll be turning the whole farm into one giant botanical garden."

"Would that be so bad?" I tease, nuzzling Lily's neck. "We could charge admission!"

"It's not a bad idea," Max says, returning to his banking ways as the wheels start turning.

The evening is spent laughing, planning, and dreaming. As darkness falls on our little slice of paradise, I feel a profound sense of contentment.

This is home. This is family. There's nothing we can't overcome with love, laughter, and maybe a few more apple trees.

As the night winds down and we start to clean up, I pull Lily aside for a moment. "I can't wait to have babies with you." I kiss her, pouring all my love and devotion into it. When we break apart, we're both a little breathless.

"Me too," she murmurs, and I know that look in her eye. Her arousal hits my senses, and I growl softly. She returns it with a purr that is possessive and thrills me down to my very soul.

We head inside, our little family on its way to being complete and happy. We're a loving and true pack now. And nothing can change that.