“Good morning, peanut,” Pete said, getting to his feet and heading toward the kettle to start it for Clover’s morning tea.
I bolted over to get to it first, and he gave me an approving smile when I laid out the loose-leaf herbal tea and everything I needed to make it. We had been learning her little rituals and everything she enjoyed during the course of her stay with us. Half the point of her dads being here was to assure them we could take care of Clover, and I wanted them to have no doubt in that.
Avery set Clover on her feet, and she made her rounds, planting a kiss on each dad’s cheek and aiming closer to center for the pack. It was probably ridiculous how much I loved getting a kiss from our omega each morning. Whether we spent the night in the nest or not, it was the perfect way to start the day.
Logan quietly whispered congratulations to Clover after their kiss, and I paused, wondering why he’d said that—until Avery stretched, the fabric of his shirt shifting to reveal a bond mark on his bicep.
Holy shit.
No wonder he was acting so proud of himself.
That was big.
Huge. Fucking monumental. Clover’s first bond into our pack hadn’t been intentional, but this…she didn’t have a hint of distress over this development, which meant she’d chosen it.
Holy fucking shit. While my brain was busy screaming, I covered it up by preparing Clover’s tea.
She was going to stay.
Our omega wanted to be part of our pack, and suddenly the infinitesimal hope I had been holding on to erupted into a supernova. Dreams and plans laid themselves out in a path I could actually see now.
Avery scooped her up again after she had delivered her good mornings and carried her over to sit on the counter next to where I was stirring in honey.
“Congratulations.” I chuckled, a thousand times more nonchalant than I felt.
“Wait, what’s going on?” Parker asked around a mouthful of pancakes.
“Avery and I bonded last night,” Clover announced as she accepted the cup I’d prepared for her. She leaned against my side and purred when I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her closer. Was she really offering a whole lifetime of this to us?
“Did you know about this?” Parker whipped around to look at Logan.
“Of course I did. I felt Avery enter the bond, but it’s not my announcement to make.” He turned from Parker to Avery. “I’m happy for you, man.”
“I feel like a whole new alpha,” Avery declared.
A wave of envy almost took me out at the knees. Logan, Avery, and Clover were in a metaphorical treehouse, while Parker and I were staring up at them from the ground.
Clover cupped my cheek and drew me into a sweet kiss. “What’s going on inside your head? There’s too much brow furrowing happening.”
I snorted. “I’m happy you guys bonded, I swear. The opportunity for life with you is everything I’ve wanted since we first met.”
“But?
“Maybe I’m a tiny bit jealous that Avery was able to sweep you off your feet before the rest of us. My time will come if I can prove to you how much I love you?—”
Clover’s breath hitched and her blue eyes filled with tears. “Youloveme?”
“If you’re questioning it, that means I’ve done a shit job of making you feel it. I’ve been obsessed with you from day one, and getting to come home to your beautiful face, building a family together, is what gets me through even the hardest days. I can’t wait until you want me to sink my teeth into you.”
Clover kissed me absolutely breathless, until one of her dads awkwardly cleared his throat. She laughed as she pulled away, her hands still sweetly cupping my face. “I love you, too, and yes, your time absolutely will come.”
Parker groaned. “You’re both going to be insufferable now, aren’t you?”
“Of course I am.” I laughed. “My omega just said she loves me.”
Avery looked panicked when John rose from the table to shake his hand.
“Welcome to the family, son.”
