Abigail nearly ran off the plane, excited to be back with her guys. They were waiting on her, like they promised to be, and she practically jumped at them. James caught her and spun.

“Oh, let’s never travel,” Abigail groaned as he let her go. “I want to go home.”

“Let’s get you there, love,” James chuckled, kissing her cheek. Her heart loved the new term he’d decided to use. Love. She kissed him back then turned to her other men. Antonio wrapped his arms around her and got cute, leaving a trail of kisses all over her face before claiming her mouth.

“I fucking missed you, little doe,” he growled. “I’ve been resisting the urge to send you more pictures.”

Abigail laughed at that. “People can get ahold of those, you know,” she told him, patting his chest. “And I like to think that is for my eyes only.”

“I like to live dangerously,” he chuckled, kissing her again. In a lower, husky voice, he continued with a hot whisper in her ear, “Did you think about it?”

Oh, she did. To set her mind at ease the night before, she’d thought very hard about the picture he sent. Judging by his chuckle at her blush, she gave herself away.

“Good,” he crooned.

“Naughty,” she whispered.

“I’m not the one who looked at a picture of a dick and masturbated to it,” he teased, keeping his voice very quiet.

“Oh, you!” She swatted his chest and glared at him. “You set me up.”

“I did,” he admitted, chuckling.

“Do I get a welcome back?” Thomas cut in, grinning with James at Antonio and her.

“Of course,” she answered, reaching out to him. He took her hands and guided them around his waist. He took her face gently and kissed her. It was slow and sweet. She was glad that what she had said didn’t seem to have him running scared yet. Maybe he was pretending it didn’t happen still.

“I missed you as much as they did,” he whispered like a promise.

“I missed you as much as I did them,” she replied, holding onto him.

“We need to have a talk, but first, I want to hear about how this trip went. You weren’t keen to tell me on the phone.” Thomas pulled away slowly but didn’t move very far away. He took one of her hands as Antonio and James got her bags.

“It went well,” she told them as they walked to the parking area. “A lot of talk about logistics. I can’t say too much since it’s a government agency and we met in the Pentagon.” None of that was a lie. Technically, she had the job and therefore, it went well. She wasn’t ready to tell them about the rest yet. She was practical and needed to make sure her argument against taking the job was firm before she told them her plan - or lack of plans, since she had no idea what she would do when she turned it down.

She needed to know they were okay with her making this sort of decision. Would they think she was crazy for turning down a job to stay with them? To stay in Wild Junction? This job?

“That’s good,” Thomas replied softly. “Did you get an offer?”

“Yeah, Abby! Did they offer you the job?” Antonio grinned at her.

“I have one week for a final decision,” Abigail whispered, trying to find a way to keep the conversation from going too far. “Really, guys, I’m just glad to be back and want to relax.”

“All right,” James chuckled. “We’ll bother you about it tomorrow. You just take a nap in the truck and sleep when we get home.”

“That’s a great idea,” Abigail sighed happily, smiling to him. “Who am I riding back with? None of your trucks fit all of us.”

“We borrowed a Range Rover from the Pride to get you,” James informed her, wrapping an arm over her shoulder. He kissed her cheek. “None of us wanted to miss you coming home or ride back without you.”

She loved hearing all of that. She was such a sucker for them. They were so sweet. After the Alpha male types from the SSTF with their heads up their asses, she was so thankful to be back with her wolves.

When they got to the Range Rover, she slid into the passenger’s seat, to Antonio’s dismay; he begged her to sit in the back with him. Thomas went to the driver’s seat and James ended up in the back with Antonio.

She was asleep before they left Denver.

“Abigail,” James whispered. She moaned and tried to roll into him, unsuccessfully thanks to the cutting of the seatbelt. “Abigail, baby, we’re home.”

“Oh,” she groaned, trying to sit up. The seatbelt stopped her, making him chuckle. She heard the click of it being released, James reaching over her to make it happen. She turned to him and he smiled gently at her.

“Want to just go crash?” he asked softly.

“No,” she mumbled. “I can’t completely screw up my sleep schedule.”

“Okay.” James moved out of her way and took her hand to help her up and out of the Range Rover. “What do you want to do today?”

“Sleep, but we’ve covered that,” Abigail answered, rubbing her face. “Did Antonio and Thomas already go in?”

“They got your bags while you continued to sleep. They’re probably unpacking for you. We got everything else done for you to move in while you were gone. Organizing your clothes, setting up your stuff.”

“I can’t believe I’m moving in,” Abigail giggled, remembering that part.

“I can,” James growled at her, leaning over. He slammed the Range Rover’s door closed and pinned her to the side of the vehicle. “I’m really excited about it.” Her breath caught at the intensity of his stare, the way he caged her in. Their lips were so close that she could nearly imagine feeling them. “Can’t run now.”

“No, I can’t,” Abigail replied airily. She didn’t want to.

“This doesn’t freak you out?” he asked, moving to kiss her cheek and jaw, then down her neck.

“No,” she sighed pleasantly, leaning her head back on the Range Rover.

“When we get inside, we can talk about what you’re going to do with the LA condo. And finding you a private space here in Wild Junction.”

“Inside,” Abigail repeated.

“Inside,” James growled, kissing back up her neck to her mouth. She moaned against him as his hands roamed down her sides and ended on her ass.

“Yes, you two,” Thomas chuckled. “Inside. For that, too.”

“Jealous?” he growled, grinning at Thomas.

“Should I be?” Thomas asked, crossing his arms with a smile.

Abigail shook her head. “No,” she said, smiling over to him. She already knew she loved them all equally. They were hers, for now. She hoped they remained that way.

“I didn’t think so.” Thomas uncrossed his arms and waved them to follow. “Come on, let’s get in the house. James, we need to show her the thing.”

“Oh shit, that’s right.” James’ grin turned from humorous to something softer. “We got you something.”

“I would love to see it.” Abigail giggled, poking his chest. He was still holding her tightly to the Range Rover and she needed him to release her.

James let her go from the side of the Range Rover and they all went inside the farmhouse together.

“So, you missed the gallery opening last night,” Thomas began casually, as he held the front door open for her. “I know it upset you.”

“I sent Riley a text, but I don’t think she got it. I wanted to congratulate her.” Abigail hated that she missed it thanks to a damn thunderstorm. She had really wanted to go. “You’ll have to tell me everything.”

“I’m getting there,” Thomas laughed, nodding. “We took Finn. It was fun.”

“I think I have a new best friend,” Antonio told her brightly in the living room. She didn’t like the trouble dancing in his eyes. “I learned quite a lot about our local fox yesterday.”

“Oh no.” Abigail sighed. “I was hoping for Finn to get a positive influence like Thomas or James.” She couldn’t stop a grin from spreading over her face as she said it.

Antonio narrowed his eyes at her and jumped from his spot on the arm of the couch. She squealed and darted behind James, who didn’t save her. He wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her until Antonio got to them. Antonio picked her up as she laughed and dropped on the couch, with her in his lap. She let him rearrange them until she was straddling his legs, looking into his jade green eyes.

“I just stopped James outside,” Thomas said, trying to hold back laughter. “Let her go so we can give her the thing.”

“Shit,” Antonio huffed, and moved her again. She was still on his lap, happily, but now could see the rest of the living room.

“What is this thing?” she asked, looking between them.

“This,” James whispered, picking up a wrapped, rectangular object. She knew exactly what it was with an easy guess.

“You bought me one of her paintings?” Abigail moved off Antonio, ignoring his disappointed sound.

“We did. Also, look behind you on the wall.” Thomas chuckled, pointing above her. She turned and gasped. It was a group painting of them, down to every little detail, in wolf form. It was stunning. They were in the snow, running like the wind, white powder flying behind them. She had been lucky enough to see something like this in person during their runs in the winter and to see it captured by Riley was majestic.

“Want to see what we got you?” Antonio posed the question, still staring at the wolves in the snow. “Abigail, you need to turn around.”

“Yes!” She turned in a whirl, her eyes locking on the painting. “Guys, you didn’t need to do this for me. I really appreciate it, but I didn’t get you anything in DC-”

“Abigail,” James growled softly. “Stop rambling and let us give you something.”

“Okay,” she giggled. She stood patiently as James just kept his eyes locked on her.

Thomas and James unwrapped the painting together as Antonio stood up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. The moment the last protective cloth fell away, Abigail’s breath left her in rush.

It was her. Her as a doe, but her. Her eyes were large, staring back out at her, seeming almost reflective as if the doe was real. She stepped closer to the painting, Antonio letting her go, and leaned in, letting James hold it for her. She had to get very close to see the brush strokes but something else in the doe’s eyes had caught her attention.

The ‘viewer’ was reflected in the doe’s eyes. A wolf was staring at the doe.

Abigail didn’t say anything about it, looking over the rest of the painting, silently wondering how Riley was good enough to put the wolf in the doe’s eyes. It was like that girl could see Abigail’s very soul. Abigail had options in her life and yet all she saw was her Pack.

“It’s beautiful,” Abigail whispered, full of emotion. “Gorgeous.”

“We thought so, too,” Antonio agreed, staying behind her.

“I think you can hang it up in your future office,” Thomas whispered. “Or here, anywhere you want.”

“I like the idea of having it in my office,” she replied. She would never look at it and only see her. It would always remind her that once she’s done with work, she would go back to them. She hoped, anyways. She didn’t even know what her work would be, much less if she would always go home to them.

“All right,” James chuckled. “I’m going to put it down now.”

“Oh, of course.” Abigail backed away more so James could gently set it on the floor and prop it on the wall. “It’s lovely. Thank you so much.”

“Anything for you,” James told her, smiling. Abigail remembered his words from their date and didn’t argue this time. She just wanted to enjoy it, the unadulterated love in his eyes and his words.

“What else do we want to do today?” Antonio asked, wrapping his arms around her again.

“I need to check up on Riley and let her know how bad I feel for missing the opening,” Abigail sighed.

“Send her a text and we’ll hang out. She might be free for dinner, or she could also just be very busy,” Thomas recommended.

Abigail: Hey! I wanted to say again how sorry I am for missing last night. I’ve seen the paintings the guys bought from you. I love them. You are so talented.

Riley didn’t respond soon. Abigail was pulled onto the couch by Antonio again. A movie started, but Abigail didn’t watch much of it as Antonio taunted and teased her. It had started with an innocent kiss on her cheek as he threw an arm over her shoulder. That hand started rubbing her arm and shoulder as the kiss turned into kisses on her neck.

Twenty minutes into the movie, she was being pulled into his lap. She could hear a soft laugh from Thomas. James was on Antonio’s other side and kissed her as Antonio nibbled on her neck.

“Her phone is vibrating,” Thomas interrupted, a laugh in his voice.

Abigail tried to reach for it but Antonio kept hold on her, grinning. “I’m not ready to let you run off yet,” he crooned.

James grunted in agreement, reclaiming her mouth before she could say anything.

“Riley sent you a picture,” Thomas informed them, chuckling. “Holy shit, the rocks on that ring.”

“What?!” Abigail pulled away from Antonio and James hard enough to nearly fall off the couch. Antonio barely stopped her from going back into the coffee table and floor. James turned the movie off as everyone went silent for only a second.

“Here,” Thomas mumbled, wide-eyed.

She snatched the phone, climbing off Antonio’s lap. She looked down and gasped.

It was a ring to impress, but not because the jewels were huge. Riley had taken a picture of her hand, her left ring finger. On it was a simple gold band with four small gems in it: a diamond, ruby, sapphire, and emerald. It was a gorgeous ring.

Her phone vibrated again with another picture.

“Oh. My. God. She didn’t,” Abigail muttered.

“What?” Antonio asked, looking over her shoulder. “Oh, shit. Did she marry Brenton last night?”

Abigail narrowed her eyes on the picture and wondered the same thing. It was a picture of a driver’s license, and instead of Riley Stern, it said Riley Kingson. She couldn’t have married her Alpha the night before and already have a new license. There was no way. And none of that made sense either. Riley marrying only Brenton? Abigail knew the young woman would never choose one of her men over another.

Abigail: I am really excited for you and also very confused. You married Brenton?!

Riley: No! Oh my god, no. Me and all the guys changed our last names to Kingson behind his back. He and all the other guys got us rings behind my back.

Abigail: Why didn’t I know about this? Why did you change your name?

Riley: Brenton was lonely. He didn’t like being the last Kingson. We changed that. I didn’t tell anyone since we didn’t want it getting back to him.

Abigail repeated the words to the wolves.

Thomas sighed, nodding.

“That’s cool of them,” he whispered. “With Lana’s death, he is the last biological Kingson. Riley didn’t want to marry one and leave the others out. This solves their problems, in a way.”

“It’s wonderful,” Abigail agreed. “I wish that Alpha would talk to someone, though. I had no idea he was feeling that lonely.”

“He will never sit down for therapy, Abigail,” Thomas chuckled. “But, look at that. His Pride knows how to take care of him. They’ve been together for over a year, longer than we’ve all known them. This seems like the natural progression, honestly.”

“Wait. So they’re all Kingson now?” James asked, looking around Antonio.

“Apparently,” she said weakly. “With rings. Seems about as close to a marriage as Riley is willing to get, really. It’s why I was so surprised. Marriage just never seemed like her thing.”

“And she’s not married,” Thomas reminded her.

“I see that now,” Abigail laughed. “Oh my god. I can’t believe that girl. Well, I think I won’t be seeing her for a few days.”

“Why’s that?” Thomas frowned at her.

“Please.” She looked over to him, grinning. “You think they’re going to want to hang out with other people after that?”

“I know exactly what they’re going to be doing for the next few days,” Antonio growled in her ear. “We can show Thomas.” His words sent shivers down her spine.

“Oh Jesus,” their Alpha groaned. “All right. I’m not that dense.”

“You know you wouldn’t mind spending a few days in bed,” Antonio teased.

Abigail was still looking at her Alpha, whose exasperation changed to deviousness. She took a deep breath as he stood up, leaving his recliner to come to the couch. Antonio pulled her back into his lap and Thomas took her spot.

“James, turn the movie back on,” Thomas ordered, his eyes still locked on hers.