Page 20 of Yes Now Yes Forever

They had no way of knowing these were tears of relief instead of the usual sadness I’d been overwhelmed with for so long. It was just as Pascal explained, my true pack was here for me no matter what. Now it was my turn to accept their help, which was being freely given to me.

“I’m so sorry,” I managed to get out as I tried to slow my heaving breaths. “I didn’t understand…” Pausing, I shook my head. “No, I didn’t want to understand. Somehow, I’d convinced myself it was safer to simply expect people to leave me, so what would be the point in giving them my heart?”

Hands grasped my waist, and I was lifted off Pascal and found myself standing in front of Eli, who was smiling sweetly. Gently, he used his fingers to comb my hair back and out of my face. “There is no need to apologize, my sweet petal. Trust between a pack and its Omega isn’t something that happens overnight simply because we’re scent matched. It doesn’t help matters that our pack has been under attack since the unfortunate meeting with Mr. Noble at the Scent Matchers headquarters.”

I frowned at his choice of words. “What do you mean? Has someone intentionally been giving out personal information about us?”

“Yes,” Eli admitted, letting out a heavy sigh, and looked past me to the others. “Mira Chambers took it upon herself to use the court of public opinion as a weapon. Jonathan, my lawyer, had an investigator looking for the sources who leaked things to the press. Turns out there was only one person, Mrs. Chambers herself.”

Tanner crossed his arms as anger flashed in his eyes. “Doesn’t that seem rather overkill for being sued? It’s not like you were intending to send her to jail. Worst-case, she’d lose her job on top of having to pay for damages against you and your sister.”

Eli grunted as he tucked me to his side and kissed the top of my head. “I think this conversation should wait until we’ve had dinner. On my way home I picked up some pizzas, so I suggest we eat them while they’re still hot.”

As if on cue, Fawn’s stomach growled loudly enough for us all to hear. His cheeks flushed as he slapped his hands to his stomach. “I guess it wants to make sure I didn’t skip dinner like I did lunch.”

Needing no further encouragement, everyone headed for the kitchen, grabbed everything we’d need, and settled around the table. It would seem Fawn wasn’t the only person who was hungry, as the only sound to be heard was moans of delight as we dug in. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but sitting here watching everyone eat felt right. In a way, I was experiencing what I imagined people who put on glasses for the first time felt. Nothing had changed in the world around me except for my ability to view it differently.

I’d never noticed the blanket of warmth that surrounded the table as the guys started rating the best pizza toppings. The last time I could remember experiencing this feeling was when my parents were alive. My fathers would come home from work loudly announcing their arrival, which was my cue to race from the kitchen where I’d been helping my mother to greet them. I’d been given the important role of ensuring they took their shoes off and put on their slippers. It was something my mother had put into place shortly after bonding so my fathers would remember to leave work at the door. Now, here I sat with my own pack wondering what silly rules or traditions I might bring into our family.

“Hey, you okay?” Pascal asked as he placed his hand over mine.

Shaking myself out of my memories, I smiled but knew it wasn’t convincing. “I was remembering something about my childhood I’d forgotten about. It appears that with my memory of that night coming back allowed me to remember more of the happy days as well.”

“Is that a good thing?” Pascal asked hesitantly.

I nodded as I slipped my hand out from under his so I could lace our fingers together. “My childhood was filled with many wonderful moments. The reason my mother took the loss of my fathers so hard was because of how madly in love they were. Mother was a woman who liked order and to keep things tidy, but my fathers made sure she never forgot to enjoy life.”

“I love hearing you talk about your fathers,” Fawn announced, his chin propped on his hands, looking rather adorable. “Every time you bring them up, your expression becomes so soft, and your eyes sparkle. Promise me you won’t hold back sharing stories about them, I want to know everything.”

The rest of the guys nodded in agreement, and I could tell they meant it. My pack wanted to know whatever version of my parents I could give them. My chest ached with how loved I felt with such a simple request.

“I promise,” I whispered, proud that I’d managed to get that much out with how tight my throat felt.

Fawn winked at me before changing the topic and giving me a moment to pull myself together. “Well, lie-lie, we’ve now eaten. Any chance you might be willing to share more about what you’ve learned today?”

Eli pushed his chair back from the table, then stood and poured himself a drink from the wet bar. He glanced at everyone else as if to ask if they’d like a drink.

“I’ll take one of whatever you’re pouring,” Zachary said as he settled back in his seat.

Tanner shook his head, but what surprised me was Pascal’s nod of agreement. I didn’t see any problem with people drinking or choosing not to for whatever reason. However, Pascal struck me as someone who didn’t like not being in control of himself. Of course, one drink wouldn’t get the man trashed, he had enough muscle mass on him that it wasn’t a concern. Yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that the only reason my Alphas were drinking right now was to help keep their tempers in check.

Eli passed out the glasses and handed one to Tanner. “It’s something I used to make for my sister since she couldn’t drink but didn’t want to feel left out.”

“Thanks, man,” Tanner said as he took the rock glass and sipped the golden liquid. His brows shot up as he went back for a second bigger taste of the drink. “Damn, this is good.”

“It’s ginger beer, lime, and mint,” Eli shared, crossing one leg over the other, trying to appear relaxed. “If you want more ideas for alternatives, Warrick, one of my sister’s Alphas, owns a bar and has made it his mission to find the best mocktails. He should be at the studio tomorrow when we go to visit.”

“Whose studio?”

“We’re visiting your sister?” Fawn and I said at the same time.

Eli grinned as he took another sip of his drink as if he enjoyed teasing us. “I know the past week we’ve been keeping a low profile and giving all of us time to rest after all that’s gone on. That being said, I feel like it’s time we got out of the house and did something fun. When I talked to Bailey-Rose this afternoon, she offered to do a fun art class at her studio. She knows better than anyone what it feels like to be cooped up. Plus, her studio is safe and a place where no one has to worry about the press bothering us.”

Fawn squealed and shimmied his shoulders in what I would call a happy dance. “This. Is. Gonna be amazing,” Fawn announced in a sing-song voice and finished it off with a flourish of jazz hands.

None of us could keep from smiling as we watched how excited Fawn was. I’d heard so much about Bailey-Rose from Eli and his mother that I felt like we’d already met. Yet I also felt a little nervous. I knew how much his little sister meant to him. What would happen if we didn’t get along? There was no doubt Bailey-Rose and Fawn would be instant friends, but I was older and less carefree. What if I had a panic attack and was unable to get in the car?

Goddammit, why couldn’t I ever simply be excited about something? What was wrong with my brain? Why did I always jump to the worst-case scenario first?