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“Perfect! Now, there’s one last point I wanted to discuss. You mentioned in your application you were open to having children but with some caveats?” Her brow furrowed. “Most alphas want to start a family, so I just wanted to check.”

“Well.” I swallowed. “I was hoping I could take a few months, maybe a year, to get to know them before children become a concern. I have Milo, and it feels weird to jump straight into making babies…”

“Oh! That is totally understandable.” Callie’s face brightened, and she nodded enthusiastically. “I will ensure that whoever you are matched with is aware that you want to start a family but want some acclimation time first.”

“Thank you,” I said gratefully.

“Do you have any other questions?” Callie asked.

I bit my lip, trying to decide if I should ask the question that was running through my mind.

“Would it make a difference if Milo wasn’t biologically mine?” I asked in a soft voice.

Callie paused. “What do you mean?”

“Before I explain, I want to say that he is my legal child. I fully adopted him, but he is the son of my best friend who passed away. We became friends when we started college together. Her family disowned her when she got pregnant, so she was on her own. The sperm donor wasn’t interested.”

“Oh no.” Callie frowned.

I nodded. “I was with her when Milo was born, and for those first few weeks, we did everything together. I was basically his second parent, and I promised Jilly that I would look after her son if something happened to her. Of course, I never expected something to actually happen. But when she went to one of her postpartum checkups, there was a car accident, and… yeah.”

“Summer, that is so terrible. I’m sorry.” The heartbroken expression on her face was genuine.

“The sperm donor signed his rights away in an instant, and I was able to legally adopt Milo. For all intents and purposes, he is my son. I just wonder if that’s going to change things in regards to this situation.”

Callie shook her head. “I wouldn’t think so—after all, like you said, he is your son. That is a conversation you can have with your alphas down the line.”

She shifted in her chair before continuing. “Not to be crass, but do you know if you’re capable of having children? That’s the only thing I can imagine causing an issue. If a pack believes you are able to have a child because of Milo and you cannot… though we can help you with that. We can book you a doctor’s appointment for fertility testing and overall health, anyway. We like to ensure all our clients are healthy before entering any arrangements.”

“Well, I’m a student, so there’s no way in hell I would say no to a free health check.” I chuckled.

Callie picked up her planner and flicked through a few pages. “In that case, we shall book you an appointment with a doctor near you as soon as possible.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it.”

“So… I think I have everything I need!” She was still so bright and cheery, clapping her notes closed and standing with a wide grin. “You’ll be hearing from us soon.”

I followed her up, shaking her hand when she stretched it out. It really hit me. I was doing this. I was trying something I told myself I never would.

I just prayed that it worked out for both Milo and me.

Chapter 2

Tobias

Family dinner was always chaotic. Four alphas crowded around our small dining room table. Voices talked over one another while dishes clanked and we passed food around.

We needed to get a larger table, but we’d been putting it off. Still, it was the best kind of chaos, and incredibly familiar.

“You have grading to do tonight?” I asked Noah as he sat down, setting his drink on the table.

He nodded, shoving a piece of garlic bread into his mouth. “Yep, but I can put it off for a day or two. Several students are late, as always,” he said, rolling his eyes.

Noah was a history teacher and loved his job, despite the regular complaining.

“Well, if you need to stay late tomorrow, we can carpool,” Emmett said, taking his seat. His tiny law office was only a few minutes’ walk from the high school, so they often shared a ride.

Conversation flowed naturally, with typical complaints and a win here and there. The food was tasty, and the company was unmatched. I laughed as Noah finished a story about an annoying parent, and Emmett helpfully offered to sue the guy for something.