Chapter 15
There are few things that I love more in this world than brunch.
Waking up before the rest of the house on a sleepy Sunday morning, going out for a quick walk with my girl, then coming home, cracking open some eggs, frying up some delicious artery-clogging meats, and maybe even busting out the waffle iron.
Sunday brunch was my family’s tradition when I was growing up.
On days when the weather was good, Mama would take me to the park while Mom stayed home and cooked up a storm.
Dad tried to help her, but she was very particular about how things were done, so he mostly awaited her orders and was on cleanup duty.
Thinking about all four of us sitting around the dining table while Mom and Dad traded good natured barbs and Mama asked me about my latest obsession—which varied from week to week—feels like being wrapped up in a warm hug.
Our family had our issues, namely putting a fuckton of pressure on me to succeed when I got older, but love and connection were always in abundance.
That’s the kind of pack I want, and for the most part, we have it. Or at least we could, if we’d put a little more effort into spending time together as a unit.
It’s been way too long since our last pack brunch. We’re due for one, and I could sure as hell use a huge meal and a gallon of coffee after that marathon of a heat.
I should probably go ask River and Ambrose if they’re free for a meal together, but after I almost walked in on them mid early morning fucking a few weeks ago, I’ll just make the food and save it for leftovers if they don’t want to eat it.
My mind wanders as I pour batter into the waffle iron, my work set to the sounds of the coffee pot gurgling and Dolly snoring. I’d hid the coffee maker from Ambrose in an attempt to get him to chill out on his caffeine addiction, but I doubt either of us will be able to resist it now.
Dammit, now I’m thinking about it again. All my thoughts since I got home keep drifting back to the heat. To Camille. To how good it felt to be there for her, beyond how mind-blowing the sex was.
That’s another reason I’m up making brunch instead of lazing about in bed.
If I stay up there, thinking about her, I’ll get hard and my poor dick can’t take me jerking off right now.
I had to ice my crotch when I got home yesterday, and I almost cried when Dolly kept putting all of her weight directly on my balls when I was giving her apology cuddles.
My junk is out of commission for the foreseeable future.
I wonder if Ambrose is faring any better. I should put some pain relievers at his spot at the table so he doesn’t have to reach up to get them. Poor guy is probably feeling his almost fifty years today.
Though I gotta give it to him—he held his own, and then some during the heat. Dude was locked in. Makes me wonder if he’s like that all the time. If he has River call him Daddy…
My cock perks up a little and I wince both in pain and confusion. I don’t want to think about what Ambrose and River do. It’s none of my business. Even if Ambrose is hung like a horse.
I try to shake the image of him using said giant cock on Camille before I make things worse for my poor, abused dick.
It’s not weird that I thought it was hot to see them fucking, right? Watching two attractive people having sex and enjoying it would turn anyone on. I’m not a perv for thinking about how well Ambrose uses his dick.
Dolly’s happy bark startles me out of my thoughts, and I look up from where I was mindlessly washing off some blueberries to see the man in question, looking sleep-rumpled and stiff.
Not stiff like that. My eyes drop to his crotch. Wow, how did I never notice his massive dick print before?
Dude, stop looking at his junk!
Thank fuck he’s too busy bending down to scoop up Dahlia to notice me staring at his crotch. Dolly’s tail thumps and she gives his chin a few kisses, looking at him adoringly.
“Hey, sweet girl.” He laughs as she lets out an excited whine in reply. “I know, I know, I missed you, too. Who is the best girl?” Her head cocks like she’s unsure of the answer, even though he’s asked that a million times. Ambrose beams at her. “You are!”
I chuckle at his clear adoration for my girl. For a man who wasn’t sure about me adopting a dog, he sure is obsessed with her. It helps that Dolly is the best dog ever. She’s a little crazy, and sometimes I swear she intentionally runs over my toes when she’s wearing her wheels, but she’s the best.
River sidles into the kitchen behind Ambrose, crossing his arms over his chest. “I don’t know about that. Miss Dahlia, despite my warnings, turned your shoe into a chew toy.”
“Dolly! How could you?” I gasp in mock horror. She turns to look at me, tail still thumping against Ambrose’s arm, oblivious to any of her past wrongdoing. “One of these days, I’m going to cook you up for our breakfast sausage.”
Ambrose gasps and clutches her to his chest. “Don’t listen to him. Who cares about a stinky old shoe, anyway? You’re a good girl. Your daddy doesn’t mean it.” He kisses the top of her head and sets her back down to go scoot over and greet River.
Normally I’d keep up the joking, but I’m frozen to the spot at Ambrose saying “daddy” again.
That’s it, sweetheart. You’re being so good for Daddy.
“Dude, I think those blueberries are clean,” River says, giving me a bemused look.
I jolt and turn off the sink, setting the colander down. “Right.”
“You’re making brunch?” River asks, taking his glasses off and wiping them on the hem of his shirt to get rid of Dahlia’s nose print from her enthusiastic morning greeting. “I thought you’d still be in bed. The only reason Ambrose came down was because the coffee scent was torturing him.”
I bet it was. I appreciate the fresh-brewed aroma a lot more than I ever did before, though it pales in comparison to Camille’s scent.
“Yeah. Figured we could all use a good meal and a chat. It’s been a while.” I try to keep my tone casual and not too needy, but I miss them.
Who knew you could miss people that live in the same house as you?
Ambrose nods. “That’s a great idea.”
“Yeah, we have a lot to catch up on.” River smiles, but his words sound a little ominous.
Oh shit, is he mad about Ambrose helping with Camille’s heat?
I was pretty shocked when the older alpha actually showed up, but they have an open relationship, so I figured River was cool with it.
As soon as we had a moment to speak while Camille was resting, Ambrose told me I hadn’t shut off our bond properly, so we kept things locked down on our end.
I hope he’s not mad about that slip up too.
I finish up cooking, putting a few bits of bacon in Dolly’s food dish so she’ll stop hanging out right under my feet and tripping me. River and Ambrose set the table, get us all drinks, and start cleaning up what they can.
Moments like these, when we’re working in tandem so well, make me understand why we’re a pack. There’s no asking what to help with or pretending to not know where to find something. We’re all grown ass men, not shitheads who weaponize our incompetence to get out of doing things.
We settle into some friendly chatter as we eat, but there’s an undercurrent of tension, like we’re all waiting for someone to bring up the elephant in the room. Except I’m not sure it’s the same elephant for each of us.
River brings a sausage link up to his mouth and my horrible brain replaces it with Ambrose’s dick. I almost choke on my water.
River quirks a brow at me. “You okay, dude?”
I cough and nod, my cheeks heating. “Yep. Totally great.”
Dolly lets out a little whine, and Ambrose looks down at her, shaking his head. “No begging, angel. Your daddy already gave you some.”
I sputter, half-chewed waffle bits scattering across my plate.
Dammit, I can’t handle someone calling me Dahlia’s daddy after what I witnessed during the heat. Especially when Ambrose says it.
“Seriously, what’s up?” River asks, narrowing his eyes at me.
“I don’t know, maybe we should ask Daddy.” I blurt the words before I can think better of them, and cringe when Ambrose’s face flushes a deep red.
River looks between us. “Daddy?” He sounds bemused rather than like it’s something he already associates Ambrose with, so there goes the theory that they use it in the bedroom. Not that I was still thinking about that.
Ambrose groans. “Dammit, Jackson. I couldn’t help it. My alpha took over, and it just came out.” He gives River an apologetic frown. “I wasn’t sure if you wanted to know about the… details. But I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”
Shit, me and my big mouth. It’s not cool of me to tease him about what happened during the heat. Especially if it’s a sore subject with River.
I worry we’ve upset River, but he shakes his head and laughs. “It’s fine. Unless…” His grin spreads and he waggles his eyebrows. “Did you call him Daddy?”
“What? No! Gross. I mean, technically I did, but it was to tease him. Not because he was acting like my…” I clear my throat, trying not to show why the thought of calling Ambrose “Daddy” has me so flustered. “No.”
Ambrose shakes his head. “Definitely not. We didn’t do anything together. Other than when we both were, uh, helping the omega at the same time.”
River makes a noncommittal sound. I think that’s the end of that conversation, but after a moment of silence, he reaches out and squeezes Ambrose’s arm.
“You know you don’t have to call her ‘the omega’.
It won’t bother me if you use her name. I said I wanted you to help with her heat, and I meant that. ”
Ambrose looks back at him with a soft frown. “I know, love. It’s just… I’m worried if I think about her by name, it’ll make it harder if she doesn’t want…” There’s a surprising amount of pain in Ambrose’s voice as he trails off.