My shaking returns, growing in intensity until I’m practically vibrating in Shepherd’s arms. I have to face him.My father.The man who tortured my sister and me. Speaking about the things he did to me, the things he’s forced me to witness… It’s going to take a toll on my mental health. I’ve avoided talking about those memories for good reason. They deserve to be buried and never see the light of day.
But the only other option is to risk his going free. And there’s no chance I will ever allow that to happen.
“Thank you, Lilah.” I choke out the words between my clattering teeth. The rest of the conversation turns to white noise as I lose myself in the whirlwind of emotions slowly destroying me. Fear, anger, worry, loss. They crash inside me, a million tiny cuts burning me from the inside out.
Something soft presses into my hands. It takes several long blinks to bring the worn, purple giraffe into focus. Kaitlin leans against my side, head resting on my shoulder, and tiny handpatting my back. “It’s okay, Mommy. My papas promised they won’t let Daddy gets us no more. We’s safe.”
A purr rumbles behind me, the sound stuttering slightly at Kaitlin’s confidence. She sounds so sure, trusts them so much. I wrap my arm around her and hug her tight. “You’re right, Little Bug. We are safe here with our new pack.”
They can’t protect us from everything, but I know they’ll fight for us, and that’s enough. I can fight, too. To keep this darling little family we’ve built. I won’t let Colin take this from us.
Back-to-back doctor’s appointments the day before Halloween was a bad idea. Not only is the city packed with people running last-minute errands to prepare for tomorrow, but my little man had to get shots this morning. He was cranky and ready to be at home, not stuck sitting in the waiting room at my obstetrician’s office. Thankfully, my postpartum appointment went much quicker than his pediatric checkup. I’m officially cleared to return to all physical activity, no more limitations or taking it easy.
The timing is perfect because tonight, Manny is taking Foster out to a local club to go dancing. So after Kaitlin goes to sleep, it’ll be only my Alpha and me. A man whose fingers have traced circles on my thighs all morning, driving me crazy. I can finally ask him the question that has been looping in my mind for the past few weeks.
When we get home, Kaitlin pulls me into another tea party, distracting me for a few hours. Still, time drags by. Even after Foster and Manny leave, both looking delicious in their tightslacks and form-fitting dress shirts, I find myself glancing at the clock every five minutes.
“You’re distracted today,” Shepherd comments as we work side-by-side in the kitchen, making burgers and fries for dinner at Kait’s request.
Heat crawls up my neck and face, and I stammer over my words. “J-just a lot to think about.” Technically true, but I can’t admit where my thoughts really are. That would be way too embarrassing. Eyeing me skeptically, he hums before focusing back on the burger patties.
How does Foster flirt with this man? He’s so intense I can barely keep my thoughts straight, let alone form a coherent sentence.
Maybe that’s my nerves talking. I’ve never been with an Alpha. Even during the trip to Miami, where I snuck away to lose my virginity, I chose a Beta. Knots scared me then, but the thought of taking this Alpha’s knotdefinitelydoesn’t scare me now. It makes me weak in the knees. To be so full, stretched to the point of pain… I shouldn’t crave that sensation the way I do, should I?
Do Betas normally want an Alpha to knot them, even though their bodies aren’t made to take them? I should have looked it up.
“Mommy, can I has more juice, please?” Kaitlin calls, sliding into the dining room in a pair of her new fuzzy socks from Grandma Brooke. She came to see our new house yesterday and brought the kid’s gifts. I adore how sweet she is to them.
“Dinner’s about done, Princess. Go wash your hands while we make plates, okay?” Shepherd tells her, adding a reminder to use a towel to dry them.
I fill her juice and grab water for Shepherd and me while he places our food onto the table. He plasters himself against my back, nose pressed to the sensitive skin below my ear. “Ican smell your arousal, Wildfire. It’s driving me crazy knowing you’ve been walking around all day turned on.”
Mortification washes over me when I realize I forgot my feelings would be evident in my scent. One he, an Alpha, would be more tuned into than another Beta. But then I feel his hard length pressed into my back, and need replaces my embarrassment.
“Be patient, and in a few more hours, I’ll take care of your pretty pussy.”
A moan slips from my lips, but he quickly swallows it. The brief, deep kiss does little to save my ruined panties or quell the pulsing between my legs, but it works to hide the noise from Kait. “Yay, burgers! Thank you, Mommy, Papa Shepherd! So yummy!”
Shep’s tongue flicks down the skin of my throat, his breath puffing against me before he steps away. “Yummy, indeed.”
Fates save me, I might combust if this man doesn’t shut his mouth.
The next two hours are full of teasing touches and heated looks. His knuckle brushing down my spine on my way to the bathroom to get Kaitlin bathed. A finger twirling a strand of my hair as I sit under his arm watching another princess movie. Feather-light kisses on my shoulders, wrist, and neck. Any excuse to touch me, he takes it.
AndI’m. Freaking. Losing. It.
By the time Kaitlin crawls to my side and tells me she’s sleepy, I’m so wet I’m afraid it will be visible through my sleep pants. “Let’s get you to bed,” I rasp, standing on wobbly legs and opening my arms to her.
She pushes her lip into a pout and looks at Shepherd. “Papa, carry me?”
He easily agrees, sweeping her into one arm and rubbing his prickly stubble against her cheek to make her laugh. His handcups my ass as he squeezes past me. Boldness sweeps through me, and I return the favor, earning a blinding grin. One full of promise.
While he takes Kaitlin to brush her teeth and climb into her princess bed, I gather our cups and drop them in the sink. The only thing left to do is check in on my little man. He’s still sleeping soundly, lost to the white noise machine Omen’s pack bought us. I grab his monitor, double-checking that it’s charged, and the volume is working when I get into the hall.
Peeking into Kait’s bedroom, I swoon when I see Shepherd tucked beside her, reading a bedtime story. Her little eyes are so heavy that they keep slipping shut. I’m not surprised when she’s snoring halfway through the book. “Sweet dreams, Princess,” he whispers, tucking the blankets around her after he slips off the mattress.
My heart races as he stalks toward me. The tension between us is stretched so taut, I know it’s seconds away from snapping. “Mine.” The word rumbles from his chest and strikes me like a bolt of lightning, surging from the top of my head straight down to my core. His shoulder meets my stomach, and he lifts me, carrying me up to the second floor and into our bedroom.
