Chapter 40
Chapter Forty
Nixie
Oh my God, I bit him! I can’t believe I bit him.
The bond between Vonn and me glows, creating warmth deep in my chest. Although I know I should be angry at myself for taking his choice away, there’s not a drop of remorse within me.
I should apologize, but I’m not sorry. And from the happiness radiating down the bond, he’s pretty pleased.
This man is kind and generous and caring, and he makes me feel invincible even when everything is crumbling around me.
Still, my inner omega can tell that something is off.
While Vonn moves about the hotel room beaming joy and bliss, there’s a slight tension under it all, but I’m unsure where the vibe is coming from.
I can’t help but wonder if Julius is upset.
Even though our relationship has been much slower in coming, I can’t say that I don’t feel strongly about him as well.
Julius is a wonderful Alpha, too. I know our bond will happen, eventually.
My eye strays across the room where Vonn is setting up a giant smorgasbord of delicious breakfast foods at a table across from the nest. My stomach grumbles just watching him, but looking around, I can’t detect my second Alpha.
“Did I sleep a day away, or isn’t it supposed to be dinnertime?” Hearing my question, Vonn shoots me a smile and opens his arms wide. My bond tugs in my chest, making me fly across the room and into his waiting arms before I can blink.
“No, it’s only a little after five-thirty, but we thought you might like breakfast in bed more than dinner.
” He rubs his cheek against the top of my head, sending warmth through my whole body.
Nothing makes me happier than wearing his scent—inside and out.
The door opens quietly, and Julius appears carrying another tray.
He pauses, unsure, at the threshold when he realizes I’m awake.
I reach one hand out, and he slowly comes toward us.
My bold Alpha’s hesitation crumbles my walls to dust.
“Well, Julius thought right. Breakfast for dinner sounds amazing.” He beams at me, as though needing the praise, and his large hand slots into mine.
Still holding the tray, he leans in, allowing our foreheads to touch.
A soft purr hums through my chest. It’s a little rusty, only used when Asher was little and needed to be soothed to sleep.
I haven’t used it in so long. Their purrs joined mine, and a blanket of overwhelming rightness swamps us.
Julius lowers his head, pressing his lips to my new bite mark, licking over it until my purr grows even louder.
“Are you mad?” Vonn and Julius’s pack dynamic is strange; neither seems to be the true leader, but I guess if I had to pick, it would be Julius. Traditionally, the pack Alpha claims their omega first, but in biting Vonn, I stole that from him.
“Never. I’ll wait like a good boy until it’s my turn. And, firebrand, I can’t wait to sink my teeth into you—when you’re ready.” The promise in his voice excites me like no other, yet something still holds me back.
“Soon. Maybe during my heat.” It’s still far away and will give us a bit more time to make sure everything is settled.
My offer sparks a flame of excitement in his eyes, and I almost give in.
But what if you need to run? Leaving one bond mate would be bad—two would be impossible. “Once Evan is gone.”
Saying his name changes the tone of the afternoon, and their soft purrs quickly turn to growls.
“Actually, the team’s lawyer had some ideas about that.” He looks at me hesitantly, but I nod, urging him to go on. I knew he was talking to a lawyer about the situation, and I had already given my blessing, but we had yet to discuss options.
“If he has any ideas, I wanna hear them. There are no bad ones. I promise at this point. I’m pretty much open to anything.
” The thick paragraphs of legalese made the lawsuit nearly unreadable.
Staring at them for hours on end made my eyes want to bleed.
“As far as I can tell, he wants full custody of Asher, based on his assertion that I stole him.”
“That’s the gist of it. Evan is accusing you of stealing him while still in the womb.
He states he had an agreement with your parents for you to act as a surrogate for him.
” Julius hoists me up, settling me on the big couch in front of the table while Vonn grabs a soft blanket.
He drapes it over my shoulders and settles in on my other side.
“I did not!” As the words slip out, fear snakes through me, coiling in my gut. While I wouldn’t ever agree to that in my right mind, what if I did during my heat? What if Evan barked me into signing?
“Honestly, Mr. Finch, our lawyer, isn’t all that concerned about it.
He says the best route is denying Evan’s paternity.
Since he isn’t on the birth certificate, he must first prove that he’s Asher’s biological father before the rest of his petition even matters.
And as a pack, it would be very possible to deny him that ability…
" Vonn’s steady presence in my chest, along with Julius’s words, sends a sudden surge of hope through me.
It allows my hunger to return full force, and my stomach growls violently.
“I like the sound of that. Tell me more.”
Julius reaches for a plate, adding a huge helping of fruit, my favorite cinnamon toast, and some bacon before passing it to me.
As he does, Vonn grabs it out of his hands, stabbing a strawberry with a fork and bringing it to my lips.
I can feed myself, but I can sense how fervently he wants to take care of me through the bond and allow him this indulgence.
“Well, you took one step today by bonding with Vonn. Now, if we submit official pack paperwork, our pack overrides any prior hold on you and your progeny. Essentially, unless Asher has a father on record when we officially become a pack, we legally become his legal parents the day the paperwork goes through. As his fathers of record, Vonn and I can deny Evans’s request.” It can’t really be that easy, right?
Julius eyes me warily, as though waiting for me to explode and level destruction his way, but I just think he’s adorable.
A giant hulk of a man is worried he might have overstepped.
I nearly giggle at his expression, knowing I really gave him a hard time when he first met Asher.
The thing is, he’s proven over time just how highly he thinks of my son.
Honestly, these men are already amazing father figures…
And when it comes to the alternative… No.
Vonn is already mine, and Julius could be mine, too. Not only that, but by following my heart, I’ll save my son’s future. I may not have finished high school, but it seems like a no-brainer to me. I accept a piece of toast from Vonn’s fingers with a happy hum and turn to Julius.
“So how quickly can we get that paperwork processed?” Their eyes widen, and they stare at each other in amusement for a moment. It goes on long enough that uncertainty wars within me. “Unless that’s not what you guys want?”
I stare at my toes, the toast suddenly turning to ash in my mouth. As I try to swallow, it gets stuck in my throat, so I reach frantically for a glass of orange juice to help it down.
My instinct to run grabs hold, and I stand abruptly, needing to get away, but Vonn stops me, tucking me into his side.
Only the joy coming from his end of the bond has me accepting it.
“It’s not that we don’t want you. We just thought we’d have to work harder to get you to agree. ” At his words, relief fills me.
Julius slides closer, placing his hands on my knees. “I know I was an ass at the start, but nothing would make me happier than being a pack with you and Asher. Before I met you, I was a complete buffoon, and now I hope to be a better man and a good father.”
Crooking my finger, I press a kiss on Julius’s lips the second he gets within reach, his fresh lemon scent reminding me of all the joy in my life.
“So, we’re really doing this?” I ask when I pull back. They nod eagerly, and we collapse into a giant bear hug.
“I’ll get Mr. Finch on it right away,” Julius promises. Something relaxes within me. I’m finally where I’m supposed to be. With two amazing men.
What could go wrong?