“You’re a beautiful girl, oh my.” My mom smiles so big I know her heart is about to burst. “And you! Come here and hug your momma.”
She’s embracing me before the words are even out of her mouth. She’s an affectionate person, always has been. That’s probably why it’sso easy for me to distance myself from the softness. I always had it in my home, but I clearly took it for granted.
“Come on, come on! Let’s go in.”
I glance to my left and find Jesse hugging his own mother and dads. Even if I’m angry with him right now, I can’t stop checking on my pack mates, and I don’t want to take Veda to our home. Not that this will mean anything, but my mother’s hands are back on her, and they are halfway to the path leading to my parents’ cabin.
“Jacinta, I’m taking the girl first,” Mom says to Jesse’s mom, good-naturedly.
“There’s no stopping you, Anne. I know it.”
Jacinta laughs and shakes her head, already moving to the other side where her cabin is. Jesse nods at me, letting me know he doesn’t mind that Veda is following us.
I need to have a conversation about that kiss, but this is not the time. I can’t make this situation worse than it already is. Derrick joins me with a pat on my back, and I swing my gaze away from Jesse to my brother.
“They were kissing?” His eyebrows raised. “I heard Marshall whispering.”
The fucking news will spread like wildfire. My face must have shown everything I’m feeling, making Derrick chuckle and squeeze my shoulder in solidarity.
“Everything will be okay, Brother.”
There’s nothing I want more than to be okay, but as time rushes past, it demands the truth to be revealed. It’s not my fault that Veda doesn’t know who she is, but it feels like my responsibility.
As we enter my parents’ cabin, I’m overwhelmed with nostalgia. Everything always looks the same. The same smells, the same pictureson the wall. It soothes me a little, and my shoulders drop for the first time today.
“Son!” Dad doesn’t wait before his arms are around me.
He’s always been the tallest of the pack. Now we’re the same height. He chuckles when we hug, and I feel bad that I don’t go back home as much as I should. He steps back and goes for Derrick, as Pop comes in and hugs me. Pop’s smile is a knife to my heart because it always reminds me of Derrick’s. Before the accident, it used to be like this.
Free. Though, since Veda arrived, I’ve been seeing it more and more. I hate to notice how much happier my brother is around her.
Last, Pa comes in. He’s quiet like me, eyes scanning from me to Veda and Derrick. He was the hardest one to lie to when I was younger. Pa doesn’t miss a thing, and of course nothing has changed. I can almost see the gears turning inside his head.
“Hey there, son. Long time, no see.”
“Sorry, Pa. Ranch is hard work.”
“It sure is.” His eyes shine, leaving his true meaning in the air.
My stomach flips, and I disguise my unease with a cough. I’m forty-one years old, and I still wince under my father’s stare. He moves thankfully to Derrick, and I let my little brother deal with that stare on his own.
“Now, who do we have here?” Dad says, taking in Veda.
“This is Veda Darling,” Derrick introduces.
“Why, son, when you go find yourself a darlin’, you go all in.” Pop chuckles, extending his hand to Veda. “It’s an absolute honor to meet you, ma’am. It's been a long time since we laid our eyes on an Omega.”
“It’s a goddamn miracle.” Pa nods.
Veda looks around with nothing but confusion shining on her pretty face. “I’m sorry? I don’t-I don’t know what you mean. Omega?”
Oh fuck.
Veda’s question moves inside the room, leaving every parent shocked in its wake. This is not how I imagined telling her. Though I have no right to say a word, I didn’t plan this at all, and that knowledge eats me alive.
“Mom,” Derrick says quickly, his eyes full of meaning when he takes Mom in. “Don’t you want to show Veda around the township? So much to see.”
Mom jumps into action. She’s the opposite of her mate. Her smile opens wide, and she’s quickly beside Veda, taking her arm into hers.
