Chapter Twenty-Four
Henry
We make our way to the Kaye household, the three of us walking in a silence that hums with unspoken words.
My mind, though, is anything but quiet. Each step brings me closer to the threshold of a life I’ve spent the last few months imagining.
A life with Leila. The thought rolls through me, and for a moment, I’m startled by the wave of anticipation that comes with it.
The anticipation is not just for life with her but for the life that she harbors within her.
And yet, what surprises me most is not the idea of fatherhood or marriage, both of which I yearn for, but how natural it feels that I’ll share this future with Luke and Ryan.
I glance at them, walking beside me, two men whose ties to Leila are just as strong as my own.
There’s no bitterness in it, no resentment at the thought of them being in her life alongside me.
It should bother me. Sharing her should sting like a wound, but it doesn’t.
Instead, it settles like a strange kind of peace.
Maybe this is what love really is. Not the small, possessive thing I once thought it to be, but something far bigger and more expansive.
Something with room enough for all of us.
As we near the house, I can feel the weight of it pressing down.
Anticipation and a kind of giddy fear twist inside me.
Augustus will know soon enough. He’ll see what we see.
And with his blessing, the life I’ve wanted with her, the life we all want, will inch a little closer to reality. I can’t help but smile.
As we’re led into the fireplace room, the scent of polished wood and old furnishings clings to the air, grounding me in the moment.
It’s strange how the familiar smells of the Kaye household, once comforting, now seem charged with the weight of what’s to come.
Augustus Kaye sits near the fire with Cassie beside him.
He stands the moment we enter, concern already etched deep into his features, his eyes searching our faces for answers before we’ve even spoken.
“How is she?” His voice cuts through the room with an urgency that demands reassurance. He’s on edge, and rightly so.
Ryan steps forward, quick to ease the tension that has clearly settled on Augustus. “She’s fine. She’s a strong girl,” he says, resting a hand on Augustus’ shoulder, gently guiding him back to his seat. The gesture is casual, almost brotherly.
As Augustus sinks back into his chair, the hard lines of worry across his face soften, though his eyes are still restless.
They flicker between us, Ryan at the bar, pouring himself a scotch with the ease of someone who’s been here many times before; me, standing rooted in the middle of the room, feeling the weight of the moment; and Luke, beside me, stiff and silent, his usual stoic confidence replaced with something like hesitancy.
“I’m glad to hear she’s stopped isolating herself. When you told me she came out of the room over the phone, I can’t tell you how relieved I was,” Augustus says at last, the relief in his voice tinged with lingering concern. “Her mother’s passing… it took such a toll on her.”
Ryan takes a sip of his drink, wincing slightly as the alcohol bites. “Yeah, it did. It would rattle anyone. But she’s strong.” He swirls the glass, the liquid catching the light in lazy spirals, his voice steady but distant.
“I can’t wait to see her.” Augustus leans forward slightly. “Why didn’t she come with you?” His gaze locks on Ryan, waiting for an answer.
There’s a pause, a beat too long. Ryan meets his look but says nothing, his expression tightening as if weighing his words. Then, to my surprise, it’s Luke who speaks, his voice low and even, though it carries a detached quality that makes the room feel colder.
“The doctor advised rest. She’s been through a lot, and it’s best if she eats and sleeps properly.”
“Doctor?” Augustus repeats, the calm slipping from his face as his eyes widen. “I thought you said she was fine. A doctor for what?” His voice cracks slightly, the worry surging back with full force. Even Cassie, quiet until now, moves uneasily, her mouth opening as if to ask the same question.
Before she can, I step in. “She is fine,” I say, my tone measured.
The words are meant to soothe, to slow the rising tide of anxiety in the room.
I pause, just long enough for the calm to settle, before I press on.
“The doctor said she was malnourished and exhausted…” I let the sentence hang, watching their faces, knowing the next words will change everything. “She’s also pregnant.”
“Pregnant?!” Augustus and Cassie’s voices collide, a stunned echo of disbelief that lingers in the air between us.
Ryan gulps down the rest of his drink, the sound of glass hitting the table slicing through the heavy silence that has settled over the room.
He exhales, a satisfied breath escaping him as if he’s been waiting for this moment.
“Yeah. She’s pregnant,” he says, his voice cutting through the shock still hanging in the air.
“You shouldn’t be that surprised, Augustus,” he adds, smirking.
“You gifted me that vacation house, remember? Right when she’d be there, in the thick of her heat. ”
Augustus’ face moves away, his expression momentarily faltering, almost bashful under Ryan’s teasing. He looks like a kid caught with his hand in a cookie jar.
Ryan’s grin widens, a gleeful spark lighting his face as he seizes the moment. “I’ve offered a family unit. We’ve come to make our intentions known. We want to marry Leila. I think you’d agree that we’d make very good mates for her.”
Augustus looks at us, his surprise deepening.
I can see in his expression that he hadn’t expected this.
The idea that Ryan and I would willingly agree to share Leila and form a family unit together hadn’t crossed his mind.
But as he studies our faces, the sincerity, the earnestness of our intentions seems to settle into his thoughts. He can see the truth of it.
Cassie’s voice, soft yet commanding, breaks through the room like a breeze cutting through the tension.
“I think it’s wonderful,” she says, her words carrying an excitement that bubbles just beneath the surface.
“I know what it’s like to be in a family unit with mates I love.
If Leila wants this, I can only see good things coming from it.
” Her tone is filled with joy, a kind of happiness that comes from someone who has seen the path ahead and knows it leads to fulfillment.
There’s a long silence, the room holding its breath, and then Mr. Kaye speaks.
“I hadn’t imagined the two of you…" he gestures to Ryan and me, “…in a family unit together. Even now, it’s surprising. But I can see that you mean it, that you would be good mates for my daughter. You’re both among the best Alphas, strong enough and capable enough to protect her.
If this is what makes her happy, then you have my blessing.
” His voice is steady, a calm acceptance settling over his words, but there’s also a quiet relief that follows them.
The weight of his blessing washes over me, and a sense of peace and rightness fills me.
But something tugs, a small unease that I can’t ignore. I speak before I even fully realize what I’m about to say. “Not just Ryan and me. Luke, as well.”
Mr. Kaye’s eyes widen, snapping to Luke. He looks stunned, speechless, and for a moment I can’t read the expression on his face. Luke, standing beside me, avoids his stare, he fixes his attention on the floor, refusing to meet Augustus’ gaze.
“Luke knows her better than any of us,” Ryan adds, stepping in smoothly, his voice gentle but firm. “He’s been by her side for years. He’s protected her and cared for her.”
Cassie’s excitement breaks through again, her smile unwavering. “Have you all spoken to her about it?” she asks, her voice bright, already anticipating the answer.
“I have,” Ryan replies. “But Henry and Luke need to talk to her, too.”
Ryan’s right. I haven’t spoken to her about this, not in the way I need to.
The thought of it sends a jolt through me, not of anxiety but of anticipation.
Just thinking about her and the conversation we’ll have fills me with a quiet thrill.
“I should do that right away,” I say, already moving toward the door.
Ryan follows close behind, tapping Augustus on the shoulder as he passes.
But Augustus’ attention hasn’t left Luke, who finally looks up to meet his eyes.
I glance back, catching Luke’s determination, and for a brief moment, I wonder what’s going through his mind.
Then I hear Augustus’ voice, steady and firm. “Luke… a moment.”
As I step outside, the door closing behind us, I feel a swell of optimism.
Luke has carried his feelings for Leila in silence for too long.
Maybe now, with Augustus, he’ll finally speak his mind.
The thought fills me with an unexpected warmth.
He deserves to be heard, and I can’t help but feel happy for him.
The glee inside me only intensifies as my thoughts drift to Leila.
Cassie’s excitement still lingers in my mind, how she beamed at the idea of her sister having her own family unit.
I could see the happiness that filled her when she spoke of it, and it reminded me of how content she is with Ares and her other mates.
Ares, too, never looked happier. The thought of being settled and belonging to a family unit of my own with Leila at the center sends a ripple of warmth through my chest.