She’d never even aspired to be this happy, hadn’t dreamed of a life that would be full and free and fascinating. As a matter of fact, her life looked nothing like she’d expected, and that turned out to be exactly what she needed. Bianca watched her new plans unfold with delight, her confidence growing each day as she settled more into the woman she was becoming.
The new Bianca was quickly carving out quite the place for herself in the world. Pack Bonnycastle had publicly praised her match to a “pack of American heroes”, shamelessly playing up the whole “country, family, football” angle, and satisfying their societal ambitions by touting their new connection to the Clifton-Merriwether dynasty. The two families had thrown an elaborate mating ceremony at Bonnycastle Privé, which Bianca and Callum had offset with a much more tasteful and intimate reception at Crown Hall.
Though she’d strategically included many of Smyrna City’s most influential people in the invitation (she had an event rental and planning business to promote after all), Bianca found that she also had enough friends to ensure the night was actually a joyful celebration. She danced with Dawn and Serenity, laughed and traded embarrassing stories with Chloë and Aunt Dolly, and got teary-eyed with Irene and Teresa.
The waterworks continued when Bianca’s brothers surprised her with a heartfelt speech and the very unexpected gift of an all-expenses paid honeymoon to Jeju Island. Bianca danced with each of them and thought she might’ve finally felt what the traditional walk down the aisle and father-daughter dances had meant to evoke. When she said goodbye to her brothers at the end of the night, she made them promise to visit and call more often.
“You’re still a bossy little thing,” Michael had teased, but they’d all promised. And they’d kept that promise in the almost-year since.
And so had the rest of their little circle of friends and family, filling Bianca’s downtime with dinners and game nights and weekend trips. Not that she had much downtime. The business was absolutely thriving, and Bianca was thriving right alongside it. The omega self-defense classes were such a hit, both at Crown Hall and at the community center, that they’d had to add more sessions. They’d expanded their outreach to include a career services program for veterans, dubbed the Old Guard, which partnered with the New Guard, the pack’s mentoring program for disadvantaged young alphas.
The security business itself had more contracts than they could handle, and they were planning to bring several vets from the Old Guard on full-time soon. Vanguard Custom Furnishings was likewise booked up, with a growing waitlist of eager clients ready to spend absurd amounts of money on Van’s creations. Bonnycastle Charities continued to flourishunder Bianca’s leadership, and she enjoyed stomping between her fifth and second floor offices in her stilettos and watching people scurry out of her way. Most of the building was still sparsely populated at present but that would change when they opened up for new tenants that summer. They already had enough signed leases to fill at least two more floors.
Avant-Garde Events was growing as well, keeping Bianca, Callum, and the Tweedles busy with invigorating creative planning sessions and frustrating conversations with clients with bad taste. Alicia had posted a video of herself giving an unsolicited and insincere speech at Pack King’s mating reception that had backfired spectacularly by going viral and making Crown Halltheplace to hold your event. Bianca was having a blast turning people away when they annoyed her.
Which is why she was unsurprised when King swaggered into her office with his lecturing face on. Callum, who sat perched on the edge of her desk reading over her shoulder, hummed a tune that sounded suspiciously like a death march. Bianca suppressed a smile. Arguing with King was her second favorite pastime.
“Somebody’s in trouble,” Dante crooned, sauntering in behind King and taking a seat in front of Bianca’s desk. She fought the urge to stick out her tongue at him. Dante grinned like he could read her mind.
“Did you call Miss Catherine ‘old and boring’?” her pack leader demanded, quirking an eyebrow at her and sending a delicious chill down her spine.
“No, I told her that if she wanted her daughter’s mating party to please her old, boring friends, then she was on the right track,” Bianca replied calmly. “However, if she wants an event that’ll show her daughter’s new in-laws what’s what, she needs to stop quibbling with me about particulars and let me do mybloody job.”
“It’s honestly a part of the experience, King,” Callum chimed in. “Being insulted by Queen B is a badge of honor at this point.”
Bianca hid a smug grin. King couldn’t argue with that. Callum had posted a video of Bianca bluntly advising Dawn on an upcoming event, and his followers had loved the combination of Bianca’s sharp wit and Dawn’s guileless cheer. After that, Callum had made a habit of capturing Bianca’s verbal takedowns and had used them to turn her into the internet’s mean best friend. Bianca made a point to complain about the videos, but she didn’t actually mind.
And Callum knew it, of course. Nobody could read her quite like he could. Nobody understood her like he did, not even King. Bianca hadn’t been prepared for the extraordinary experience of being mated to another omega. She couldn’t fathom a life without him and was glad she didn’t have to.
“Queenie, stop flirting with me. I can feel you falling more in love with me by the moment and it’s very hot.” Callum winked at her, making butterflies swirl low in her belly. “If we didn’t have a client in fifteen minutes, I’d have you on that fancy antique sofa riding my face.”
Bianca blushed and turned away, ignoring the warmth in her belly. “You’re not helping yourself with that type of commentary, pet. Besides, I think King came in here to fuss at me, and I am trying to look repentant.”
King chuckled, the sound skittering along Bianca’s spine and worsening the ache in her core that had begun in response to Callum’s teasing. Their pack leader sat down in the empty chair next to Dante, stretching his long legs out in a way that made her want to crawl between them. It never ceased to amaze her how her body responded to these incorrigible men of hers.
“You’re not sorry, and I’m not fussing, just following up. Teresa said Miss Catherine called to increase her budget for the event, after she finished complaining about you.” King smirked, and Bianca couldn’t help but lean toward him, hoping for a full smile. “I knew Teresa would just put the next meeting on your calendar and wouldn’t tell you about the earful she got in the process. Will you please try to be nicer when you see Miss Catherine again?”
Bianca wrinkled her nose. “Of course, I’ll try. As long as she tries not to be an idiot. But if she was rude to Teresa, I’m going to get a lot meaner.”
Teresa had gradually grown fond of Bianca and was surprisingly skilled at diffusing her temper if none of her mates were around to handle that task. Bianca thought of the receptionist as another aunt figure, much like Dolly and Irene, and she was fiercely protective of her aunts. Dolly loved to argue and didn’t need defending, but Irene and Teresa were two of the nicest people on the planet. Maybe it was because they were betas and not hotheaded omegas like Bianca and Dolly. Either way, if someone messed with them, Bianca would make that person pay dearly.
King gave her a knowing look. “Teresa is fine. She said Miss Catherine just wanted to vent about you, but she wasn’t rude. No need to defend her honor.”
Callum leaned down and kissed Bianca’s forehead, wrapping her in the heady scent of French toast and maple syrup. “Our girl is so protective. I can’t wait to see how she is about our babies. Come on, boys. Let’s knock her up.”
Bianca rolled her eyes. Callum’s baby fever was ridiculous. None of them were in a particular hurry to expand their family, not with the business growing like it was, but Callum had been bringing it up moreand more often. To be honest, Bianca didn’t hate the idea, but she wasn’t going to tell him that.
“Nobody’s knocking me up until after you’ve incubated at least one of their giant offspring, so that I can witness the horrors of pregnancy up close and decide if I’ll allow you people to subject me to it,” she said dryly, rolling her eyes again at his dreamy expression. “And you don’t even like cleaning up after Lilith and Luci. How can we trust you to change diapers?”
Lucifer lifted her head at the sound of her name, her nub of a tail wagging excitedly. Adopting the huge rottweiler had been Daniel’s idea, and Callum had adamantly joined the big blockhead’s campaign. Lucifer had been abused and discarded, and Bianca had fallen in love with her immediately, despite pretending otherwise. Now, the dog spent most of her daytime hours napping in Bianca’s office.
Callum waved the question away. “That’s why there are five of us. There’s always someone else available to take care of the grunt work.”
King sighed. “You’re spoiled as shit, Trouble. Not that Countess is much better. Y’all should take Luci for a walk before your next meeting. She’s getting lazy.”
Luci woofed quietly—either out of excitement at the prospect of a walk or in denial of King’s accusation. She was a good dog, only barking when she suspected danger and learning dozens of commands quickly, but she also had a little sass to her, which Bianca loved. Plus, she peacefully coexisted with her reptilian sister, mostly ignoring Lilith but seeming to enjoy watching the snake roam her enclosure. Sometimes, both animals joined Bianca in her nook nest, Lilith curled around her neck or crawling overhead while Luci warmed Bianca’s feet.
“We don’t have enough time to walk and get freshened up before our meeting. We can’t get mussed. Sorry, Luci!” Callum said, withoutsounding sorry at all. “It’s a new client, so we need to make a good impression.”
