Glancing into his cool, aquamarine eyes, I can’t hold back a smile. “Free to be yours.” His lips smash to mine, fingers digging into my hair and tugging as he steals the breath from my lungs. A terribly masked cough has us breaking apart. Warmth crawls up my cheeks as I turn to see Shepherd watching us with a heated expression.
“Well, Hannah, the hard part is over! It helped that your ex never showed up, but his absence is still concerning. The protection order against him is still in effect. I’ll file for it to beextended at least through the first year of your divorce.” Lilah stares out into the crowd, lips pinched tight. She’s right that Colin not being here is alarming, even if it benefited us.
He showed up at our apartment, but couldn’t make the court date? No, he’s planning something. He has to be.
“He already broke the order once,” Shepherd reminds us. “We won’t let it happen a second time.”
Lilah nods, and glances at her watch. “I have to run, but I’ll call you later this week. The paperwork process moves much more slowly than the initial court dates. We might not see the results for several weeks. Don’t worry, the outcome won’t change. Go celebrate. Start living your life without the constraints of the cult.”
I pull her into a side hug and thank her for the hundredth time since we met. She shakes Shepherd’s hand and waves to Foster before disappearing into the crowd, likely rushing to her next court appointment.
“Mommy? I hungry,” Kaitlin tugs on the bottom of my dress, her bottom lip pushed into a pout. Foster swoops her into his arms and blows a raspberry on her cheek. She giggles and throws her arms around his neck to do the same to him. It doesn’t work and leaves a slobbery wet spot on his skin. I reach up and wipe it away, biting my lip when he winks down at me.
“Let’s go get you something to eat, Princess. What sounds good?”
“Ice cream!” Her tiny eyes snap to mine, pleading silently.
My head shakes, laughter slipping through my lips when Foster hits me with the same expression. “After we eat something more filling.”
An arm wraps around my waist, guiding me toward the exit. It’s the first time Shepherd has really touched me. At least when I wasn’t breaking down. I lean into his side, wrapping myself in his bergamot scent. “You did great in there,” he whispers,brushing his hand up and down my back with the perfect amount of pressure. Heat warms my cheeks with his praise. My flushed skin earns me a hum of approval that has me peeking up at him from beneath my lashes. What does that sound mean?
He grins at me for a few seconds before he looks away, keeping a watchful eye on our surroundings. It’s sobering to see him still in bodyguard mode, reminding me that this win against Colin is only the beginning. My divorce and custody battle are only the first step to securing the future my children and I deserve.
A future with them, our pack. I want it more than anything.
Chapter Eighteen
Today was amazing.We needed this win. She needed it. Our Beta has been wracked with worry, wondering when her ex-husband would sweep in and take them away from us. Now, he can’t. He lost all the rights he had to his children, and the divorce guarantees he has no control over Hannah either. She has her first taste of freedom, and I cannot wait to watch her thrive in it.
After the hearing this morning, we’d taken our girls out to lunch to celebrate. That trip had led us to a nearby arcade, where we spent hours playing games with Kaitlin. She’d won enough tickets to shock the attendant working at their prize booth. Luckily, they have a loyalty card that allows us to save part of it for next time.
She was sleepy and ready for a bath by the time we made it home. We’d slipped into their room to tuck her in while Hannah was reading her the first of her dozen bedtime stories. From the silence behind their door, I don’t think our princess lasted for all of them.
Slipping into the closet, I throw on a pair of athletic shorts and join Foster in the bedroom. He’s sprawled face down in the middle of the bed. Thick black curls drip down his neck, still wet from his shower. I grab a towel and crawl onto the mattress tohelp him dry his hair. Sleepy eyes peek up at me, and he gives me a tired grin.
“Go to sleep,” I urge, tugging the sheet up to cover his body. I leave the bed long enough to drop the towel into the laundry basket in the closet. Halfway back to the bed, I hear the faintest knock on the door. The hesitant sound has my cock hardening in my shorts; it knows who’s waiting on the other side.
Hannah’s cheeks are flushed the prettiest shade of pink when I swing the door open. “Hi.”
“Hey, Wildfire.”
She darts her eyes into the room, her blush deepening when she sees Foster on the bed. He’s more awake now, leaning on one arm as he watches us at the door. “U-um, I wanted… Kaitlin is settled for the night, and I grabbed this baby monitor when we were at the store the other day, so I thought maybe…”
A grin spreads as I listen to her stumble over her words. I step back, leaving room for her to walk past me. She hesitates, darting another glance at Foster. “C’mon, Angel! Get your pretty ass in my bed so I can cuddle you!”
I take the monitor from her hands and place it on the bedside table on my side. Like hell I’ll be waking her up if Kaitlin needs anything. Hannah needs a good night’s sleep. She’s been struggling since her ex showed up last week. The only decent night’s rest she’s had was the one we spent in the fort. That changes tonight.
“Mmmmm, you smell so good,” Foster mumbles, tucking his face into her neck. She turns onto her side, his arms cradling her stomach. Her shirt rides up her back, revealing the way her sleep shorts stretch over her hips. The too-tight material has to be uncomfortable as hell, so I grab one of my shirts and offer it to her. The relief as she carefully slides it on and ditches the shorts has me biting back a scowl.
Why didn’t she say anything about her sleep clothes not fitting? We could have bought her new ones, or lent her one of our shirts sooner. Stubborn woman.
With a sigh, I flip off the lights and crawl into the bed beside them. I usually sleep behind Foster, but with Hannah here, I’d rather feel her pressed between us. Her head slips onto my shoulder as I settle in beside her. Faint notes of cherry and almond mix with Foster’s lemon tart, the scent comforting and familiar. I can’t wait to have our bedroom smothered in her scent, so intertwined with ours that no one could ever pick the notes apart.
“Good night, Alpha.”
Smiling into the top of her hair, I tuck her and Foster closer. Yeah, I could get used to this.
“Night, Wildfire.”
