“Auntie P, this party isn’t as good as my birthday party.” I laugh and nod.
“That’s true. Your princess party was pretty amazing.”
“Is there cake?”
“I’m not sure,” I say, walking over to the kitchen.
“Of course there's cake,ptichka.”Katie squawks like a bird like she always does with Alexi. “You can’t have a party without cake,” Alexi says. He cuts her a massive slice and hands her a fork, telling her to eat in the corner where her parents can’t see her.
“Her parents are going to blame you when she’s running around all over the place.”
Alexi laughs and wraps his hand around my waist. “Sounds like that’s a problem for them.”
I laugh, and the smile on my face nearly hurts. All the people I care about are in one room. I don’t feel sad over the people who should be filling the space, I just feel whole. For the first time in my life, I feel like I deserve the life I have, no mean voice telling me otherwise. This is my life, and it’s spectacular.
“I can kick them out though. I didn’t know you would be eager for me,malyshka,”Alexi whispers in my ear.
“Kick them out in an hour,” I say, just as ready to give him everything I promised as he is to receive. I leave him dumbfounded as I make rounds to our family and friends.
CHAPTER44
Alexi finishes cleaning up downstairs after the small party while Owen drags me to the nest. His excitement and happiness is palpable. Even if we weren’t bonded and I couldn’t sense this down the bond, his body language tells me everything I need to know.
“What has you so excited?” I ask. I know they’re both proud of me, but this seems like more.
He spins me around and kisses me. One of his hands tangles in my hair while the other holds my chin where he wants me. “Once Alexi is here.”
“Oh, are you two keeping secrets from your bonded?”
He kisses me again, and when he smiles against my lips, I nearly melt. “We just found out today. But this day was about you.”
I rub up and down his chest. The fabric is soft, but all I want is his skin under my fingertips. My hand cradles his jaw as I look at him.
“You’re different, you know?”
“In a good way, I hope.”
“In the best way. You smile more, you don’t seem as tense, you’re more confident,” I say, loving that us being a pack is what has made him this way.
“I feel like I’m finally me,” he says softly, bringing his lips back to mine. The kissing goes from sweet to passionate as his tongue slides against mine. His hands are borderline rough on my scalp as I fist his shirt to hold him close. Strawberry and citrus floods the room, and I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of his scent or what it does to me.
There’s an overwhelming feeling of belonging and how mine he truly is, just as I’m his.
Suddenly, a throat clears and breaks our kiss. Everything had been tuned out up until that moment. When I look to my left, Alexi is propped against the doorframe, smiling at the two of us together.
“I thought we were going to wait to tell her?” He arches a brow at Owen.
“I didn’t tell her.”
“Are we done being secretive yet?”
Alexi comes to stand behind me, so I’m sandwiched between the two of them. Alexi wraps his arms around me, one of them holding strong against my hip and the other holding Owen’s hand.
I face back to Owen, who is grinning. His hand is on my other hip, and I feel so deliciously boxed in. If they don’t tell me what’s going on soon, I might just say fuck it and have them both naked and ask them about it later.
“The Foxes are taking us on as coaching staff. Owen will be the goaltending coach, and I’ll be an assistant coach for power plays.”
“I’m going to be the first open Omega to be on the coaching staff.”
