Chapter 43
Bayleigh
I stand there with them, the cold whipping around me, freezing me to my core. My body shivers, and Lincoln catches it.
“Fuck, you’re cold.” He tries to sign but fails miserably, signing refrigerator instead of cold. Thank God I was able to read his lips.
“I am,” I tell them. “Come inside with me. Meet my parents.” I’m not really asking them, but I hope they say yes.
“I’d love to. We…um…brought some food too.” Korbin gestures back toward the bag he left sitting on the porch steps. “Some pasta. Nothing fancy.”
A smile spreads across my face as my eyes shift between the three of them, lingering on each of them for a brief moment.
They want to meet my parents. But do they realize that I’m going to be introducing them not as the alphas I’m seeing, or the ones I’m courting.
No, this time I’ll be introducing them as the men I’m letting into my life.
The alphas I’m giving my heart to. The ones I’m trusting to cherish it and keep it from breaking ever again.
Lincoln takes my hand as the other two fall in place beside me, and we make our way up to the front door. Korbin stops long enough to pick up the bag from the steps. The walk seems to take longer than it should. Maybe because each step causes the knot in my stomach to tighten more.
The scents of the three alphas surrounding me, fills me with safety, happiness and comfort I never knew I needed. I only hope my father likes them as much as my mother. She had the opportunity to meet them briefly when she dropped items off to me at their house.
They follow me inside, their scents reined in—still there, still them, just softened so they don’t overwhelm me.
Instinct thrums beneath their skin. Milton checks the space first, sweeping the entryway with a soldier’s habit.
Lincoln hovers just behind my shoulder. Korbin shifts to my right, every movement calibrated to keep me steady.
My mom notices all of it from where she sits on the couch and smiles like she’s just won the lottery with sons-in-law.
“It’s about time the three of you showed up here,” she says warmly with a wink. The guys make their way over to her, each reaching out to shake her hand as if they were mild-mannered guests instead of three alphas trying to make a good impression.
My father, as I expected, isn’t quite as immediate with his acceptance. He sizes them up the way any father would—arms crossed, brow raised, that “hurt my daughter and I’ll bury you myself” energy radiating off him.
I see Benton, standing in the entry to the kitchen, pretending like he’s not judging…but he absolutely is. The snarling expression on his face tells me everything I need to know.
But the guys handle it seamlessly.
“I heard you’re a fantastic cook,” Milton says immediately, sitting down beside my mother.
“Oh, I do okay.” She blushes. My mom legitimately blushes, and they begin having a conversation about recipes.
“So are you a hockey player, too?” my father asks Lincoln. “I don’t recall seeing you on the ice with these two..” He gestures toward Milton and Korbin.
“No, sir. Korbin got all the talent. I can play, but nothing near good enough to play professionally. I’m just an electrician, and I own my own business.”
My father lets out a harumph. “Just an electrician. Son, that’s a noble profession.
One that will carry you through the rest of your life.
Hockey is temporary. At some point their bodies will give out, and someone younger and better will come along and take their place.
Then where will they be left? Never say just an electrician. ”
“Thank you, sir. I’ll remember that.” Lincoln looks around the room, his eyes taking in everything. “There’s some amazing woodwork in here.”
Immediately he won his good graces with my father.
Korbin keeps pace with every question my parents ask about their career, family, and injuries, remaining steady and respectful.
“Can I put that food in the refrigerator, son?” my father asks, eyeing Korbin as he shifts the bags in his hands.
“Yes. The three of you can join us for dinner and have that later. Make it a midnight snack. I know how young men need a lot of food.”
They try to resist, but my mother is having nothing to do with it. My eyes keep drifting up to Benton in the doorway and the way he’s glaring at Korbin.
I quickly sign to him.
Benton, please come in and join us. Try to be friends with them.
He replies. I can’t. I’ll be polite and play nice. But I’ll never be friends with them. Especially after what they did. Or did you forget the whole matchmaker news blast?
I can see my parents’ eyes watching me, then looking at him. If they didn’t have questions before, they will now.
It was a misunderstanding. They didn’t know there was going to be a PR release, and they never planned to be matched with anyone. They want me. They chose me.
Lincoln moves closer to me, tipping my head up to him. “Is everything okay?”
I nod. And begin signing. My mom translates out loud for the three of them.
“She says, Benton didn’t know the matchmaker meeting was a misunderstanding.” She raises her eyebrow in confusion as my father shifts in his seat.
My guys must sense the shift, and Korbin opens his mouth to speak, my mother signing for him, thankfully so I know what he’s saying.
“The PR rep for our team hired a matchmaker to form packs for our players, to keep them out of trouble. We did have a meeting this morning. But we had no intention of letting them pair us up with an omega. I take a breath, then continue. “We know who we want, and that’s Bayleigh. Earlier this morning, we went and officially registered as a pack. Lincoln, Milton, and myself. We told the matchmaker she could go to hell. We already have an omega we plan to court.” He looks at me and smiles, a true smile, and my heart melts.
Lincoln clears his throat and addresses my father. “Of course, we were planning to ask for your permission, sir.”
“Well, now that we have that cleared up, dinner should be done. Let’s eat.” My mom signs enthusiastically as she speaks, standing up and heading to the kitchen.
Dinner was a tad awkward. Benton sat as far away from Korbin as he could, but glared at him the entire time.
Lincoln worked on his signing as he spoke, and I could see the look of approval in my parents’ eyes.
Milton and Korbin aren’t as versed as Lincoln is with sign language, but they did try. Poorly. But I loved it.
By the time dinner is over, I feel like my parents are dangerously close to adopting them, should our courtship not end on a positive note.
When Milton offers to help my mom with the dishes, I think she’s going to pass out, and my dad laughs at what Lincoln’s saying. Benton just watches like he’s ready to murder the three of them.
It should make me relax. It does a little. But it also stokes the heat low in my belly, this awareness of the three men who’ve circled themselves around me like planets orbiting their sun. And I am that to them.
I sit there content, ready to share more about myself with them.
When the last of the dishes are done, I sign.
I want to show them my room.
My dad raises his eyebrows. My mom has a beaming smile. Benton leans back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest.
“I would normally say no. But since they’re officially courting you and, well, you spent a few nights at their place, I guess it’s okay.”
I stand quickly, moving over to my father and wrapping my arms around his neck. He kisses me on my cheek, and I squeeze him harder.
I lead them up the stairs—heart pounding, mouth dry, skin buzzing.
When we get to my room, I open the door, allowing them to enter into my private space.
And everything changes.
The air thickens instantly, charged, electric.
Their scents rise—not aggressive, but instinctive, responsive.
Lincoln’s sandalwood scent slides around me like a blanket.
Milton’s grapefruit-sweet heat presses low in my spine.
Korbin, steady and grounding, stays near the door, his peach scent drifting over to me.
I swallow, throat tight as I speak out loud. “I… need to ask something.”
Lincoln steps closer, his voice soft. “Anything.”
But it’s Milton I turn to. The words shake out of me, soft but certain.
“Would you… help me through my heat? With Lincoln?”
Milton freezes.
Then his entire body reacts. His scent bursts—heavy grapefruit hits me head-on. His jaw flexes. My hearing aid catches what I think is his growl vibrating deep in his chest, the kind that curls low between my legs.
Milton steps fully into my space and kisses me, hungry, claiming. A rush of heat spirals through me, and I stumble backward right into Lincoln’s waiting chest.
Lincoln steadies me with a soft purr against my neck, lips brushing along my skin.
My perfume spikes embarrassingly fast, flooding the room, sharp and sweet and impossible to hide. I can feel my panties dampening with my slick. My cheeks burn from their attention.
He takes hold of my chin, tipping it upward so I’m looking right at him. “Hey, we'll take good care of you. Very, very good care.”
I tilt my head to the side and see Korbin still watching from the doorway, eyes warm, a small approving smile tugging at his mouth.
“I’m gonna give you three a minute,” he says when he sees me watching him. Then he slips into the hall, pulling the door mostly closed behind him.
He left. I wanted to ask him to join as well. I know we’re not as close, but he did say he wanted to court me. That he wanted to be with me.
Is he having second thoughts?
Milton regains my attention and tells me. “Don’t, Baby. He may have just needed to use the bathroom. He wants you. Let’s sit down.”
Lincoln takes hold of my hand and guides me over to the bed. We sit down, each of them taking a spot on either side of me. They’re sitting so close to me I can feel their body heat.