“You told me once,” Cole said, his voice rough now. “That no one else had to understand your pack and your choices. But unfortunately, your choices had consequences. Now we have fathers who know nothing about us and made us feel like they didn’t care. I like the idea of having a place of our own, but I didn’t want it like this.”
“What other choice do we have, son?” Karina pointed out. “If I’m still living here, then it’s still my place, not yours. You wouldbe simply sharing it with me and would never get to truly make it feel likeyourhome.”
I fucking hated that she was trying to make sense now.
“Our lawyers already began the change of ownership. No one is going to force you to take this place over, but look at what we’re giving you,” Hayes said, putting a folder on the table and tapping it in that pretentious way of his. “Sign it when you’re ready and we’ll get the ball rolling.”
Just like that, they were walking away. What a fucking reunion. If we did take this estate over I was changing the fucking deed. We had enough money and contacts to make it happen.
He stood, clearing his throat. “Thank you for dinner, sweetheart, but I think I’ve had enough.” He gave us one last look before he walked away.
“How could you?” was all I said, before standing up and holding my hand out for both of my omegas. They didn’t hesitate to put their hands in mine before we turned around.
“Wait,” Julian pleaded, but it was Ellis that stood, rushing over so he was standing in front of me. I was tall enough now that I had to look down at him.
“What?” I demanded. “What could you possibly say to fix this?”
“I’m sorry,” he said with a sigh. “I never wanted to stay away as much as we did. We let our need to prove our worth and build our finances keep us away from you. I think we, at some point, convinced ourselves that you didn’t need us. And I’m sorry for that, son. To both of you,” he said pointedly, looking back at Cole.
“Then maybe it’s time you stopped running away and started fixing things instead,” Aspen said, raising her eyebrows. “Take it from a kid that grew up without parents who cared. It takes its toll. You’ve done damage, and now your job as parents, eventhough your children are grown, is to show them that you care enough to fix it.”
She turned and let us guide her away before stopping. “Karina, I’ve enjoyed my time here during the holidays. I hate that it’s ending on this note, and I truly hope you all consider your children for once.”
With that, we left them.
We tried to watch a Christmas movie to distract ourselves, but my mind was latching onto the one thing that could distract me from this entire encounter, and that was the festival.
The Christmas Extravaganza was only two days away, and as much as I liked time at home, I just wanted to make sure that it went off without a hitch.
Aspen practically demanded that we share a nest tonight, knowing that both Cole and I could use the companionship. I adored her for thinking of us the way she does.
But as soon as the others fell asleep, I snuck away, opening my laptop and spending time going over the finer details of the festival. I loved this community, and even if my life was busy, I didn’t want to let my work suffer for it.
I expected one of the omegas to find me here working, but it was Cole who walked in late that night, exhaustion lingering in his eyes.
“What do you think of all this?” he asked, his voice rough with sleep as he dropped down on the couch, staring into the dwindling embers of the fireplace.
“I think it’s bullshit,” I said.
“Mom had a talk with me about how no one else had to understand their relationship. I thought it was to encourage us to embrace ours, not to use it to justify her leaving. Part of me understands her need to be with them, but why couldn’t they do that here?”
“She said it was temporary. Maybe we were too mad to listen to reason,” I voiced the doubts that had crept in over the quiet hours I spent out here.
“It wouldn’t be the first time. We were so mad at them as teenagers we didn’t want to hear their excuses. That was it, and they never pushed,” Cole said with a sigh.
“Do you remember the summer when I turned sixteen?” I asked, closing the laptop and giving him my full attention now. We needed this.
“I do. It was the summer before I told you I wanted to start the magazine,” he said, his smile faltering.
“When I ruined everything,” I muttered.
“You didn’t. I just had such a good summer, and when they left at the end of it, and then you did, it was just a heavy blow.”
He took a breath before letting himself lean into the memories.
“I remember you had just turned sixteen, and the dads were there the entire summer. I always wondered why they stuck around…”
“Mom, probably,” I guessed. “She probably told them they had to. We were getting into trouble more and more.”
