There was a pause.“He’s still not allowed you to give him a mating bite, has he.”
I signaled and made the right turn down our road.“Since we found him in the woods that day, he’s had to deal with more revelations and trauma than anyone should have to in years.He’s only had weeks.There’s no reason to pressure him.”
“Were you always this stubborn?I can’t remember you being this stubborn when you were younger.”
“Vi, I’m not stubborn.I care about our mate, and he needs time.”
She sighed.“I just mean that explaining to him what the benefits would be might help ease him into the idea.People have managed that before.”
“Listen, I’m almost at the house.Why were you calling?”
“I have good news.The hunters—and Steven—have all decided to take plea deals rather than risk court.”
“That’s great news.Thanks.Marcus is going to love hearing that.I assume they’re not going to be released anytime soon?”
I heard her moving around.She was probably in her home office.“I don’t have the details of that yet.Sentencing comes later.All the elders I’ve been talking to are very invested in that, as you can imagine.”
I frowned.I had a feeling about where she was going to take the conversation next.
“Speaking of elders.We’re still coordinating with everyone who has pack members in law enforcement.Is there anything else you remember?Anything else that’s come up for Marcus?”
“I only came to when the sheriff cut me free, and Marcus has told you everything.He has absolutely no reason to hide anything from you.You understand that, right?”
“I do, but I also know that sometimes it can take a while for memories to make sense again.I have to ask, Ellie.I want to be able to protect him and you and the rest of the pack.That’s my job.”
I sighed.“Right.I know that.Sorry.”
She chuckled.“Talk to him about giving him your bite again.He might thank you.”
“There is only so much he can handle at a time, you know.”
Her voice filled with curiosity.“What does that mean?”
“That suddenly waking up as an omega is hard.Look, I’m at the house.If that’s everything?—”
“We do need to have a baby shower at some point.”
I groaned.“I’m hanging up now.Bye.”
I ended the call before she could say another word, parked, then grabbed the grocery bags.All the while, anticipation was bubbling inside of me.It hadn’t been that long, but I was missing Marcus like prolonged silence misses true laughter.
Inside the house, his warm scent washed over me, bringing bone-deep relief and making me sigh before I’d even made it to the kitchen.The boxes of Marcus’s stuff, everything he’d wanted to bring from his apartment, were still piled in the hallway, even if Dom had started bringing some of them upstairs.
In the living room, Dom was reading another parenting book while lying stretched out on the couch.When we’d moved all my stuff from medical school in, he’d told me he’d never have been able to memorize that much, but he took studying to be a parent incredibly seriously.
“Long day?”He looked at me over the book.This one was on early childhood development; not exactly light reading.
I maneuvered the bags onto the counter.“That, and I missed you.”
The corners of his eyes crinkled.“You missedmespecifically?I’m flattered.”He put the book down and came over.He nudged me away from the grocery bags and hugged me close.“So flattered.”
I’d once made the mistake of thinking of Dom as the flirty kind of alpha who wasn’t the type to stick with a relationship.But he wasn’t like that at all, not one little bit, and while I would’ve loved to be the loyal one in our little family, it was, without a doubt, Dom.
“Well, that’s not quite what I meant, but this is nice.”
I kissed his warm lips and surrendered to him pushing me up against the counter.When he’d had enough of my mouth, he found a spot under my chin he liked.I hadn’t shaved this morning, and Dom loved that kind of thing.
“Did you buy more socks?”
