“Yeah. I mean, since I can’t actually carry my own. I’ll admit, I’ve always been a little jealous of shifters, especially after seeing how happy Jordan’s been since he got mated and pregnant.”
“Good,” Dad says, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. “Because your mom and I are hoping for grandchildren soon and wanted to make sure you were both on board with that.”
“Well, I’m not sure howsoonthat will happen considering neither of us are even dating at the moment,” I reply. I cast a discreet glance at Ty. “But definitely on board.”
Lydia quirks her lips slightly as she looks at my dad.
Dad gives her a similar smile. “Your mom’s been itching to have a baby around here. You know how she gets. Why do you think she likes the maternity ward so much?” Dad chuckles. “Of course we want you both to find the right person before children come along. We just wanted to know.”
“Oh. Okay.” Tyler’s voice is a little sullen as he pushes his chair back from the table. “I think I’m going to head up to my room. I’ve got more work to do. Congratulations again, Mom.”
“Thanks, honey.”
Tyler stands and glances at me for a brief moment before leaving the kitchen.
Lydia and Dad look at me, almost expectantly.
“What?”
“Nothing,” Lydia smirks. “Just waiting for you to go after him.”
Shit, do they know something?
My heart lodges in my throat and I knit my brow, trying not to let the panic show.
“You’ve always taken care of him, Alex.”
“He’s a grown man. He doesn’t need me to take care of him. And I don’t rush after him every time.” I cringe inwardly at how defensive I sound.
Dad lifts both brows.
“I’m his older brother. I can’t help it.” I’m searching for more words to justify my past actions, but worry that anything I say will possibly give away more than I want to right now.
“We know,” Dad says, that knowing smile teasing the corners of his mouth again.
I hike a brow. A strange silence falls over us as I push back from the table. “Okay, now you’re weirding me out, so I think I’ll just go upstairs now and make sure Ty’s okay.”
They just watch me as I leave and escape the awkwardness engulfing the entire room. I hear my stepmom’s voice as my foot hits the bottom stair, and I pause to listen.
“Well, pretty sure they won’t be disappointed if it works.”
“Something tells me we’ll know very soon if it does,” my dad says.
I blink, trying to make sense of the conversation, but give up. I’m buzzed thanks to four glasses of wine, and my dick is pressing against the inside seam of my jeans in a very obvious way distracting my slightly inebriated brain. Heading up the stairs, I swing by Ty’s room.
His door is ajar, so I knock and nudge it open. Bare-chested and wearing only his pajama pants, Ty is sitting on his bed Indian-style with his head in his hands, his fingers shoved into his hair, with various history books spread open around him.
“Hey, man. You okay?”
Tyler lifts his head. “Yeah, just trying to finish this paper. It’s for my final grade.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t be trying to do it after two glasses of wine.”
“You’re probably right, but I need to get it done.”
“Which class?”
“Medieval French Literature.”
