“I’ve just never had a good experience with doctors,” I finally said.
“It’s so fucking unfair how you’ve been treated,” Henry said. “But we won’t leave your side tomorrow.”
“Promise?” I whispered.
“Promise,” Bear said, tightening his grip. “You know you belong to us, little omega? You’re ours completely and we’re never letting go.”
I wanted his words to be true more than anything, but I was still waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“I know you feel it,” Henry said as he gently rubbed my back. “That we’re meant to be together. You’re scared to believe it, which is understandable. Just don’t push us away. We’re with you, darling.”
“We’ll take it one step at a time,” Bear said, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “And before you know it, you’ll be all better and we’ll live the rest of our happy lives together.”
His words created a lump in my throat, and I swallowed tightly around it. The tiniest seed of hope grew inside me that the picture he painted of the future—one where I wasn’t sick and we were all happy together—could come true.
“Wow, Bear. That was sappy,” Henry said.
I choked out a surprised laugh and turned towards him. He just smiled and gave me a wink. He’d broken the emotional tension, and I was so grateful for it.
“What about…” I hesitated, biting my lip.
Bear pinched my butt cheek hard, and I let out a shocked squeak. “What’s that for?”
“Stop trailing off like that,” he snapped. “We want to hear what you have to say.”
A smile tugged at my lips at how grumpy he sounded. “Fine. What about Liam and Gray?”
“What about them?” Henry asked.
“They hate each other,” I said.
“Nah, they don’t hate each other,” Bear said.
“They’re always on the verge of a fight. I thought things had gotten better, but then they were back at it today. I want them to get along.”
Henry sighed. “They were being fucking annoying this evening. They’re just so similar.”
“If they actually got past their shit, imagine how insufferable they would be as a united force. You’d never get away with anything dangerous,” Bear said.
“You know, on second thought, maybe things are fine how they are,” I said.
Henry laughed. “You don’t mean that.”
I huffed. “No, I don’t. I know they’re trying to get along for me, but I want them to actually like each other.”
“It’s not your responsibility to change how they feel,” he said gently.
“But how can we be a pack if they don’t like each other?”
Bear froze beneath me, and Henry inhaled sharply.
“What?” I asked, my heart pounding. “What did I say?”
“I just like hearing you talk about us as a pack,” Bear said.
“Oh.” My cheeks heated. “Is that… is that what you want?”
“Of course it fucking is,” Henry said, startling me with his intensity. “What do you think ‘I love you’ means, darling? We’re not going anywhere.” His crystal blue eyes met mine, and it was like he could see into his very soul.
