Two weeks. That was the compromise. Not six months chained to a pack that hadn't asked for me, not an abrupt termination with lawyers and penalties. Just two weeks. Manageable. Contained. At least, that's what I kept telling myself as I set up in the room they'd assigned me.

The space was comfortable, even charming. A first-floor room with tall windows that opened to the garden, a desk perfectly angled toward the view as if someone had guessed how much I would live there. Papers, emails, and training outlines quickly spilled across its surface as I buried myself in work.

Hours slipped by without my permission. I was so buried in catch-up work that I didn't notice the sun vanish entirely until I found it hard to read my notes in the darkness. With a groan, I pushed back from the desk and stretched, my joints popping in protest, before flicking the lights on.

"What time is it?" I muttered, realizing how stiff I'd become and how my stomach was threatening to devour my spine. I tapped my phone screen awake and groaned. Nearly nine at night. I had bulldozed through lunch and dinner.

My stomach snarled in protest loud enough to scare a small woodland creature.

"No wonder my stomach is going cannibal."

I'll see if the Omegas will be nice and let me grab something like a banana, I thought, reaching for the door. Just as my fingers touched the cool metal of the door knob, a soft knock echoed through the wood.

Ok, that's just weird timing. The door opened a crack, and Giselle's voice whispered, "We brought you something."

"We?" I asked, stepping back to let the door open further.

"Yea, all of us," chirped Eva as Giselle stepped in, looking smug as if pulling off a great caper.

Eva and Mae followed her in; Eva balancing a plate stacked with a sandwich and apple slices with determined focus and Mae clutching a juice box with both hands as if it were the most precious thing to her.

"We noticed you weren't at lunch or dinner," Giselle shrugged. The three shared a glance that immediately made me raise an eyebrow. Eva set the plate right on top of my notes. "I don't think Daddy would force you to be in here without food, we wanted to be sure you were ok anyway.

I blinked, first at the food, then at their solemn little faces. My heart squeezed in a way I wasn't ready to admit out loud.

"Thank you, ladies," I said with a genuine smile. "This is exactly what I needed."

"Are you in trouble?" asked Eva with a worried frown.

I shook my head and grabbed an apple slice. "No, I'm not. Your dad and I were able to work something out for now." My eyes slid to the oldest girl. "How much trouble are you in?"

Giselle winced.

"That bad, huh?"

"I was just trying to help," she muttered, reaching over and stealing an apple slice for herself.

"I want one too!" gasped Mae, offering the juice box for trade. With a chuckle I happily passed over a decent sized wedge.

"I know, and I know you had good intentions." I grinned. "But I will say, you put your dad in a pretty good bind. That was almost a solid contract."

"What does that mean?" asked Mae.

Giselle grinned wickedly. "Almost?"

"What does that mean?" repeated Mae, louder as if we hadn't heard her the first time.

"I built in loopholes. You missed them. That was your mistake." I tsked mockingly and grinned.

"Hmm..."

"What does that mean?" repeated Mae for the third time and I snorted a laugh.

"It means it was well made," I explained.

"Oh. Ok," she replied, curiosity satisfied.

"What are loopholes?" asked Eva, hopping onto my bed and getting comfortable.

"They're ways to get out of something. Like.... rabbit burrows," I explained. "Rabbits always have a way out if there is trouble."

"So why not just call them rabbit holes?"

Giselle groaned and rolled her eyes, flopping on the bed as well beside her sister. Mae, on the other hand, climbed my leg like a monkey and settled right in my lap.

"Can you open this?" she asked, pointing a small finger to the juice box.

"That's for Allison," cried Eva with a huff.

"It's fine," I said, laughing. "I appreciate the work you girls did to bring me this and I'm happy to share." I held out the plate so they could snag more slices before I tucked into the sandwich.