Page 25 of Yes Now Yes Forever

The car stopped outside a two-story red brick building with a wrought iron balcony that wrapped around the front and side. From this angle, I couldn’t see if it continued all the way around. Either way, the building was full of character and charm. A sign in the shape of a cloud had The Bailey-Rose Gallery & Art Studio written on it. Off to the side, a smaller sign over a second doorway marked it as the location of Dreams are Forever Jewelers.

“Your sister does jewelry as well?” I gasped.

Eli chuckled and shook his head. “No, her Alpha Vili is the master craftsman and visionary of Dreams of Forever. His family owns Silveda, but Vili decided he wanted to venture out on his own.”

“Ah,” I commented absently as I got out of the car, trying to wrap my head around this new bit of information since I was familiar with the luxury jewelry brand.

Still lost in thought, I didn’t notice someone had exited the building until they slammed into me. The fragrance of sweet rose with the tang of black cherry enveloped me, as did the arms of the woman grinning up at me. She had stunning dual-colored eyes—one was a seafoam green and the other a bright crystal blue. Her wavy hair was violet at the roots and melted into a soft blue that brushed just past her shoulders.

“I’m so freaking excited to meet you, Lyra,” Bailey-Rose proclaimed as she practically vibrated with excitement. “I couldn’t believe it when Crew told me about you, and it was killing me to give you guys space, but Eli promised when the time was right, I’d get to meet all of you.”

Stunned by such a warm and unexpected welcome, I soon felt all my fears melt away. There was nothing but light and love in this adorable woman who was now part of my family.

“Do I get a hug?” Fawn asked, his lower lip pushed out in a pout. “I know Lyra is stunning and irresistible, but I’ve been dying to meet my new big sister.”

Bailey-Rose gave me another quick squeeze before stepping back, turning to face Fawn, and tossing her arms wide open. “Heck, yeah, you get a hug, my cotton candy soul sister.”

I smiled so widely my cheeks started to hurt as I watched Fawn, who was a good foot taller than Bailey-Rose, scoop her up and swing her around. An arm wrapped around my hips and tugged me close. Without hesitation, I rested my head on Tanner’s shoulder, letting his warm cinnamon apple scent add to the moment.

“Have I ever told you how beautiful you look when you smile like that, starlight?” Tanner whispered.

Lifting my head, I tipped my chin in a silent request, which Tanner happily fulfilled. The kiss was simple and sweet, but it was all I needed to have my heart skip a beat. It took me a moment to understand that the overwhelming joy and love I was feeling weren’t mine alone but Eli’s as well. My gaze shifted to my bonded Alpha and found him watching Bailey-Rose and Fawn gushing over each other’s outfits. While I could feel everything going on in his mind, the only outward sign was the slight upturn of his lips and the softness in his icy blue eyes.

“Oh my God, it’s clear that we need to go on an Omegas-only outing,” Fawn announced, clapping his hands together. “Just think of all the fun we’d have shopping, going to high tea, and then topping it all off with mani-pedis.”

“We Alphas might need to talk before I’d feel comfortable letting that happen,” a man cut in.

Bailey-Rose twirled to face him with her arms crossed. “Really, Gareth? Have you met my brother Eli? Do you think he’d ever let the three people he cares about most in the world end up in a dangerous situation? Besides, I’d have Waffles with me, and he scares the poop out of just about everyone. Isn’t that right?” Bailey-Rose said in a baby voice as she squished the face of the largest dog I’d ever seen.

Waffles was tall enough that he reached Bailey-Rose’s hip, and his golden coat made me think of a lion’s mane but all over his body. He had on a red vest marking him as a service dog which Eli had mentioned to me the other day. The massive dog didn’t even bat an eye as his owner showered his face with kisses while she praised him for being the bestest boy ever. Then a much smaller dog appeared between Waffles’ front legs.

Its fur was long, soft looking, and a mixture of black and white. While this dog’s face was dainty, its ears were large and stood tall on top of its head, which had me believing it had excellent hearing. The smaller dog’s attention shifted from Bailey-Rose to me, and I knelt down to offer a welcoming hand. I watched as it cocked its head, looking at me, scenting the air a moment, then slowly approached.

“Hello,” I greeted. “You’re a gorgeous little thing, aren’t you.”

My voice had the dog’s tail wagging and its pace quickening to reach me. Instantly, its head was shoved into my hand begging for pets, its whole body wiggling with happiness.

“Would you look at that, Nugget’s never been so excited to meet a new person. Typically, our little shadow is rather shy,” a new voice commented.

I looked up and found four more men had joined our group outside the studio. The one talking to me had long blond hair and kind blue eyes. His scent was pleasant, and he didn’t feel off-putting so I guessed he was part of Bailey-Rose’s pack.

“Nugget, is that his name?” I asked as the pup stood on his hind legs, begging to be picked up.

“It is, but it doesn’t seem so odd when you know the back story,” he shared and reached out a hand. “I’m Ulysses, by the way, one of Rosie’s Alphas and a long-time Thatcher family friend. These guys next to me are Vili, Warrick, and Yun-Sun.”

“Lyra,” I said and shifted Nugget so I could shake Ulysses’ hand while nodding my greeting to the others. “You’ve got me curious, what type of back story could this little guy have?”

“Why don’t we head inside where we’ll be more comfortable,” Yun-Sun suggested.

He was tall with super short black hair and brown eyes that showed flecks of other colors in the sunlight. Something about him reminded me of Eli in the way he didn’t easily show what he was thinking or feeling. Until his gaze landed on Bailey-Rose, then there was no denying the devotion he felt for his Omega.

“Good plan, Yun,” Bailey-Rose agreed and took the man’s hand.

They escorted us through the gallery which was full of paintings that had my jaw on the floor. Every piece carried so much life and emotion I almost felt like I was intruding on someone’s private thoughts. A large barn door was opened to reveal a studio with a few workstations set up but only one showing signs of regular use. Then we were led upstairs to a loft area filled with comfortable seating that could accommodate us all. Along the back was an elaborate tea and coffee station set up to meet any person’s needs.

“Please sit, relax, we family now,” Vili urged, his words tinged with a familiar accent.

“Forgive me, but are you from Numoland?” I questioned.