I was just starting to think I took it too far when she let out a laugh.
“Oh yeah, baby and I are going to keep you on your toes,” she said with a wide smile. “We have to keep our parents in line, right?”
“Exactly,” Apollo said. “I would expect nothing less.”
Phoenix leaned in closer to me as the movie started. “I’m glad we decided to keep them,” she whispered.
“Me, too,” I agreed easily. There were no lingering doubts anymore. They’d chased them all away.
The guys worked hard not to look too eager in front of our teenager, but they’d heard every word. Their proud smiles were too big to be hidden.
They should be proud. Not only had they won me over, they’d wonherover. That was more important than anything.
I lost myself in the fast-paced action movie they chose. Apparently, Phoenix wasn’t the rom-com type, which didn’t really surprise me.
When I glanced over, she had slumped to the side, her head resting against Ezra. He tucked a blanket around her and caught me looking, his eyes full of love.
“Should I take her upstairs?” he whispered.
“Yes,” I answered, watching as he shifted her slightly, somehow managing not to wake her before scooping her into his arms. Corvin was on his feet, opening doors and leading the way.
It was dangerous how quickly I was falling for this pack, how easily they showed me that I could rely on them and trust them with some of the most precious people in my life.
They treated my friends like family. They treated my niece like their own, and I knew they were going to be incredible fathers once this baby was finally in our arms.
When Ezra came back down, he took Phoenix’s seat so he was closer to me, and we finished out the movie. I was too invested to stop now.
When it finished, the guys quietly stood and cleaned up. They truly were a well-oiled machine, working together every step of the way, no matter the task.
I almost wanted to see them in action at work. If fires didn’t scare me so much, I might’ve just popped into the firehouse to watch them clean trucks.
Though, I had a feeling my alpha would have thoughts about that if there were other firefighters right alongside them. Shirtless, at that.
Maybe I should recruit the besties and we could have one hell of a lineup for promotional videos if they were willing.
“I wanted to talk to you about something,” Corvin said.
“Okay,” I said, not letting worry take over this time. That was a feat in itself, it was almost second-nature now.
“We didn’t get a chance to court you in the traditional sense. Things happened fast between your heat, then the pregnancy, and your sister throwing your life into chaos, but we think you deserve it nonetheless.”
“So, all the stuff you did to spoil my niece yesterday and me today, none of that had anything to do with courting?” I joked.
“Nope,” Apollo said. “Doesn’t count. That was necessary.”
I shook my head but motioned for him to go on. “Okay, so what did you have in mind?”
“Well, to start with, I want dates. Individual and pack dates,” he said.
“You won’t find me complaining,” I replied. “As long as someone’s here to watch Phoenix, I’m fine with it. I know she’s getting older and will demand she doesn’t need a babysitter, but for the time being we have to. At least until the situation with Cameron is cleared up, I can’t risk leaving her alone.”
“Oh, I agree,” Corvin said. “We’ll coordinate with your friends. She and Dani have been close.”
They have, and I loved Dani for it. It felt like she’d taken my niece under her wing as a crazy aunt, the kind that was loving and sweet but also wasn’t afraid to push her out of her comfort zone. It was exactly what Phoenix needed.
Plus, she loved their baby like they were related.
I think it was finally starting to sink in that this family wasn’t temporary, for either of us.
