32. Sabs
THIRTY-TWO
Sabs
I envelop Faye in a big hug. “Thanks for letting us use your place.”
After Drax called Laz while I was having a mini meltdown last night, Faye and the Silverwood Pack offered to let us use their beach house for the whole ‘meet the parents’ shindig.
We considered asking them to our place, but neutral territory away from trophies that could potentially be used as weapons is probably best.
“Don’t get any blood on the carpets,” Laz jokes, clapping Adler on the shoulder as he and the rest of his pack pass us on their way out.
Adler laughs, running a hand through his hair. He hasn’t been able to stand still for more than two seconds all morning. His anxious energy is making me even more antsy.
Damon’s eyes narrow on Adler. “He wasn’t joking.”
“Not helping, Damon.” Faye swats him. “I’m sure Adler is already nervous enough. Don’t worry, Adler. Sabs’s family is going to love you. All of you.”
Considering the way he’s biting on his thumbnail and rocking on his heels, Faye’s words do little to ease Adler’s worries.
“And you’re sure you have everything you need?” Cole checks with me.
“Don’t worry, everyone’s house-trained, Cole.” I roll my eyes. “We won’t cause any chaos, dirty your perfect floors, or rearrange your spice rack while you’re gone.”
Cole looks panicked, his eyes darting back to the kitchen, like he’s seriously considering wrapping everything in plastic wrap to preserve his sparkling surfaces. He’s a total clean freak.
Faye pats his arm. “She’s only kidding.”
“You didn’t see the mess Sabs made when she tried to make a banana smoothie,” Cole mutters with a shudder.
“That was one time!” I exclaim. “And it’s not my fault the lid to the blender was broken.”
“It wasn’t broken.” Cole glowers at me. “You forgot to attach it properly.”
I shrug. “Same difference.”
“She is not going to touch the blender—right, Sabs?” Faye looks at me imploringly.
I briefly consider messing with him, but I’m already tense enough. I put my pinkie finger in the air. “Pinkie promise, no blenders.”
“See?” Faye curls an arm around Cole, whose posture remains rigid. “We’re going to have a great day in Forestville, then we’ll catch up with everyone later.”
“Maybe you can buy a new mop while you’re out?” I can’t resist teasing him one more time.
Since Luca and Orin are uncharacteristically quiet, I’ve been overcompensating, making extra jokes and talking nonstop to fill every silence. Although I’m not fully able to hide my nerves from Adler. Damn stupid bond.
“You’ll all be fine.” Ren, the voice of reason, says as he puts on his jacket. Like Faye, he always knows the right thing to say. “The Mavericks are great. They’ll just be happy that Sabs has found a pack who loves and cares about her so much.”
Luca braves a small smile. His hair looks a little different today. It’s usually styled in beachy waves, but it’s smoother and glossier, like he put some product in it.
Adler is wearing a button-down shirt, which is very hot but looks weirdly formal for him, and Orin’s shoulders are even stiffer than usual. Drax is the only one of my alphas who is keeping calm and has made himself at home in front of the television.
“They’re a few minutes away.” I read Mom's text, fresh anxiety swimming through me. “Is everything ready?”
“We’ve already checked everything three times over,” Orin reassures me. “We’re all set.”
We decided to lay out some light snacks, most of it baked goods prepared last minute with the help of Delilah. Nothing says ‘hooray, I accidentally bonded’ more than tiny cheesecakes and chips and dip, right?
“Please make yourselves at home.” Faye motions to the space around her. “We’re all family now.”
“Good luck, little sis!” Laz gives me a final noogie. “Break a leg. And make sure that Dad doesn’t break all of theirs.”
From the corner of my eye, I notice Adler gulp.
“Quit playing with them.” I shove him.
Laz’s face turns serious. “Yeah, he was only a cage fighter in his youth.”
Orin’s eyes almost pop out of their sockets. “A cage fighter?”
“Go!” I scowl at him. “Now!”
Faye gives me another quick squeeze before she herds her alphas out of the house like she’s cajoling a pack of wayward lambs.
“This will be fine,” I say, turning to my guys. “You’ll love my family.” Well, I hope they do… because family means everything to me.
Luca peers through the blinds. “They’re here.”
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Adler mutters under his breath, rubbing his palms on his pants.
“Is it bad that I’m enjoying seeing you this rattled?” Drax chortles, throwing a peanut into the air and catching it in his mouth.
“And to think I was just starting to like you,” Adler snaps at him.
“No arguing.” Orin huffs out a sigh. “We have to make a good impression.”
The moment the doorbell rings, they all freeze.
“You guys wait here,” I order. “And remember, don’t say anything about the bond. Not yet. We need to ease them in, okay? Charm them. Schmooze a little first.”
I head over to the door, a pit forming in my stomach from the anticipation bubbling in there.
“Sabs!” Mom’s entire face lights up when she sees me. People say we look similar with our flaming red hair and full lips, but I have Pops’s green eyes.
“Hi, Mom.”
Although my parents never found out who the biological father was of each of their kids and we see all our dads as our dads, I do have the same golden eyes as Pops. Yet I have the sense of humor as Bug and the same fierce determination as Dad.
In our family, we chose to get creative with the names for our dads.
Having Dad One, Dad Two, and Dad Three would get confusing fast. Pops was an obvious choice, and when Beckett went through a phase where he was obsessed with insects, Daddy gradually turned into “Daddy Bug” which stuck.
Honestly, it doesn’t matter what we call them.
They’re amazing, and having three dads is so much more fun than having just one.
“Freckles!” Mom throws open her arms, pulling me into a lung-constricting squeeze. She smells of home, like fresh gingerbread and brown sugar. “I’ve missed you.”
“You really didn’t need to drive all this way,” I comment as she finally releases me.
I step aside to let them all into the entryway, wanting to have a moment alone with them before we go to join the others.
“Are you kidding?” Bug purses his lips, making a sound like a deflating balloon. “If we’d let her, your mother would’ve blown all of our savings on a private jet to get here faster.”
“Finding a pack is a huge deal for an omega, Sabs,” Mom’s tone has turned solemn.
Pop’s smile turns wistful, closing the front door behind him. “I remember meeting your mom’s parents for the first time…”
“Gramps and Grandma are hardly scary,” I snicker. “And you only had to meet two parents, so I want you to be on your best behavior.”
“Us?” Bug’s eyes widen in feigned surprise. “When aren’t we on our best behavior?”
Mom sniffs. “You smell…” She smooths down my hair like she’s tidying it then tucks a strand behind my ear before her arm freezes, hovering midair. “You bonded?!”
Her shrill voice echoes around the vast foyer, and I instantly detect Adler’s fear, slicing through our connection.
“Mom…” I step back, letting my hair fall to cover my neck again. “You should probably—”
“I knew you smelled different!” She points at me. “I could smell it as soon as I hugged you.”
“Sabrina.” Dad’s eyes darken. “Is this true? Did you bond?”
“Well…” I chew my lip, nervous stones dropping to the bottom of my gut. “I mean, technically yes. But I haven’t bonded with all of the pack yet. We’re still courting.”
I don’t think I’ve ever seen my three dads look so serious before, no trace of a smile on any of them.
“Have things changed so dramatically since our generation?” Mom sucks her teeth. “You’re supposed to court first. Get to know each other. Make a decision as to whether you’re the right fit to spend the rest of your lives together.”
My hackles rise. “You were happy for Laz when he bonded with Faye!”
“That was different,” Dad huffs. “They got to know each other first.”
Mom stomps her foot. “And they were scent matches!”
“And my alphas are my scent matches, too.” I cross my arms stubbornly, feeling like I’ve reverted back ten years to my teenage rebellion days. What is it about being around your parents that seems to send you back in time?
“Scent matches?” Pops tilts his head, a divot appearing between his eyes. “Really?”
My anger ebbs a little. “Y-yes, I think so. I mean, I’ve never felt this way about anyone before—”
“Still, there is a right and wrong way of doing things.” Dad straightens his spine, drawing himself up to his full height. “Don’t these alphas know how to treat omegas with respect?”
“They’ve been nothing but good to me!” I groan, indignation hitting me square in the chest. “They’ve provided for me and even bought me a freaking disco ball for my nest.”
Mom throws her arms in the air in despair. “Bonding is about more than nest decorations!”
“When did this happen?” Pops take a step closer to me, gently clasping my bicep.
“A few weeks ago,” I confess.
Mom’s face falls as she shakes her head, her red, shoulder-length curls bobbing around. She’s not great at hiding her emotions, so the disappointment ebbing from her is palpable.
“I can’t believe you kept this from us,” she murmurs.
“I…” Guilt has me hanging my head. “I just needed a little time to figure things out first.”
Dad grips his forehead. “Unbelievable.”
“Where are they?” Pops’s eyes narrow. “We need to meet them.” Before I can respond, both Pops and Dad push by me. I scramble past them, creating a human shield to prevent them from going any farther.
“I want you to meet them, but first, can you just take a beat?” I extend my hands and arms as far as they will go, blocking their path. “Maybe shake yourself off, chill out? Take a breath?”