23. Luna
Luna
I take a deep breath as Ian’s knuckles tap against the wooden door.
Life has been fine without my mother in it, but there’s just this tiny piece of me still seeking her approval.
I’m wearing the blue dress that she told me not to buy the last time she took me shopping.
When Ian bought it for me the other week, it felt like kismet.
Someone who finally sees me the way I want to be seen.
My pack loves me unconditionally, and I’m not about to let anyone tell me that what we have is wrong.
“She says one bad thing, and we’re fucking gone,” Ian says, and I nod my head.
My mother opens the door, and like she has bond mark radar, she zones in right at my neck. I watch as her eyes water.
“No, Luna, you didn’t. Stewart!” she screams down the hall, and my stepfather comes bounding down the hall and takes in my pack.
“What is it?”
“Look what your son did,” she points to my neck and shakes her head.
“Fuck this,” Ian says. James and Ezra are already turning around.
“Wait,” Stewart says, walking past my mother and putting his hands on his hips. He looks at my mother and shakes his head. “Margo, can you not see how happy your daughter is?”
“I don’t care about her being happy, what will people think?”
Ian goes to open his mouth first, but Stewart shakes his head and sighs. “You know what, Margo? How about, we’re not married, so it’s not a fucking problem for you anymore?”
“Wh-What?”
“You heard me. You treat me like I’m less than, and I’ve sat by and let you, enjoying the fact that I had an Alpha too much. I’ve sat by for years as you’ve belittled Luna, and now you’re treating my son like a pervert. I’m over it. If we’re not married anymore, they won’t be related.”
I know my mouth is wide open as I stare at Stewart who just magically grew a spine. When I glance at Ian, I see how proud he is of his father.
“Dad, I have an apartment for you.”
“Great, I’ll get movers.”
“Stewart, this is ridiculous. No other Alpha is going to be with you like I was.”
“Fucking good,” he says, waving his hand.
“We can talk about this, I can come around,” my mom tries to reason with him.
“I’m not sure how someone can just stop being a selfish bitch overnight.” The gasp from all of us is audible as my mother blinks at him.
“Stewart, where is this coming from?”
“You were what I thought I needed when my wife died. Ian was already an adult and could take care of himself. I sat by and watched the way you treated Luna but kept to myself because she wasn’t my daughter.
I let you treat me like shit because you’re a female Alpha, and like you told me so many times, I should feel privileged to be with you.
But do you know what I feel, Margo? Fucking suffocated.
This is the last straw. I’m protecting me, my son, and your daughter.
I should have done this a long time ago. ”
My mom blinks and stutters as she looks at me, clearly realizing there’s no saving her relationship with Stewart, who has been paying for their lifestyle. “Luna, honey, I’m your mother.”
James’ fingers interlace with mine, and he squeezes in a sign of unity, and I sigh.
“I’m sorry, Mom. I need some space. My pack comes first.”
“I raised you! I gave you everything!”
I squeeze James’ hand, and he steps in for me like he’s an Alpha instead of an Omega. “If Luna decides to have a relationship with you, she’ll let you know. Have a nice night.”
My mom keeps talking, and Stewart claps his son’s shoulder.
“Just let me pack my stuff,” he says, and Ian nods. My mom follows him through the house, being hysterical. James still holds my hand as Ian lightly wraps his around my neck and rubs my cheekbone with his thumb.
“You okay, baby?”
“Yeah, I didn’t know Stewart had it in him.”
Ian smiles and shakes his head. “My mom would have been proud of him. He became really passive and just shut down when she passed away. I think Margo being the controlling bitch she is was what he needed at the time. I’m happy to see him stand up for himself.”
I nod and sigh as Ian leans in and kisses my cheek.
“Whatever relationship you want with her is up to you, okay?”
I nod again and tilt my chin up to give him a kiss, which he takes from me hungrily.
“I think for now, I’d like to just focus on our pack.”
“Was hoping you’d say that. I think I owe you payment.”
I smile at him. “You sure do.”
“How do you feel about Dad watching Neptune while we go on a little trip?”
“Sounds like a dream.”
Stewart comes out with two rolling suitcases as my mom runs out the door after him. “Stewart, we can talk about this.”
“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” he mutters. Ezra grabs his bags and puts them in the back as Ian takes the driver’s seat. It’s a tight squeeze with James and Stewart in the back, but it would be worse if one of the Alphas was back here.
Stewart clears his throat. “I’m sorry that took me so long, Luna,” he says. I tap his hand and sigh.
“It’s okay, Stewart.”
“It’s not, but I plan on spending as much time as possible making it up to my son’s mate.”
That’s what breaks me as I cry softly. Stewart pats my shoulder, and James rubs my thigh.
The acceptance and being called Ian’s mate from Stewart means everything to me.
I’m also a little emotionally drained from the encounter with my mother, and it just all pours out of me.
The relief of not caring what my mother says, Ian’s dad admitting he could have done more, and accepting me as his mate. It’s just all too much.
“We’ll be home soon, love,” Ezra says from the front seat. He’s turned, so he can touch my leg.
“I’m not sad, just overwhelmed.”
“I know, I can feel you down the bond.” That makes me laugh during my little crying fit, and I wipe my eyes and just let it all sink in. This is my life now.
“Luna Martinez, you better get that sweet ass over here,” Ian says as I squeal as Ezra grabs me by the waist and tosses me over the shoulder. He swats my ass as he drops me down on the cabana between James and Ian.
“I was just going to go for a little dip.”
“With no sunscreen?” Ian says, arching an eyebrow at me.
“I was gonna…” He shakes his head, dragging me to sit between his legs. I look over at James who shrugs.
“I already got the same treatment, don’t know what to tell you.”
“I have to protect all you pale babies from the UV rays. That includes you, Ezra.”
Ezra holds his palms up. He’s got on a safari hat, and I can’t help but to think about how nerdy but adorable he looks. “Mate, I put on my SPF.”
“Did you get your back?” Ian says, acting like we’re all children who can’t put on sunscreen.
“James did, calm down, daddy, damn.”
Ian scoffs at him but immediately stiffens at my back as I perfume.
Ian being called a daddy shouldn’t be as big of a turn on as it is.
I’m not ready yet. I want to enjoy time as a pack, but one day I’m going to make him a father.
For now, we can just continue being cat parents to Neptune until we’re ready.
“Better tamper that down, or I’m fucking you in the ocean,” he says behind me as he rubs sunscreen over my shoulders.
“Is that supposed to be a threat?”
“Only if you see it as one, my sweet little stepsister.”
“I’m not your stepsister anymore,” I say, and he scoffs behind me. Squeezing my sides, he kisses the bond mark on my neck before lathering me up with more lotion.
He leans forward, tugging lightly on my messy bun. “Doesn’t mean we can’t still play, little moon.”
And there goes my perfume again.
Ian groans, and James laughs and leans back onto the cabana bed, his dark hair wet from the salty ocean and pushed back with sunglasses covering his eyes.
I grab his pina colada before handing it back to him.
Our love for sugar has become a little bit of a problem for our Alphas.
Especially when James and I smoke a little bit too much and eat a ton of candy and don’t go to bed until super late. They put up with us happily though.
James gives me a smile before drinking down the rest of the sweet cocktail.
Ian rubs sunscreen into my cheekbones and the bridge of my nose, and I sigh.
But when he boops my nose, I can’t help but laugh at his antics.
It’s so fucking nice to have people who care.
Truly care about me. Sometimes negative thinking creeps up, but now that I’m out of my mother’s toxic household, I finally feel like I can grow and be me.
“James, do you want to go for a swim?”
“I think I’m going to keep my ass parked right here,” he says, and I shake my head.
When I look over at Ezra who has a beaming grin on his face and holds out his arm, I know I have a swimming partner. As soon as I’m off the cabana, he scoops me up and carries me bridal style to the ocean.
He runs through the sand, bouncing me around in his grasp until the light waves meet his shins, and he carries me through the water. Mischievous as always, he dunks us under and loses his hat in the process. I grab the soggy material and plop it on his head, and he smiles at me.
“I love you,” he says softly. I turn in his grasp so that my legs are wrapped around his waist and my hands are behind his neck, toying with the wet strands at the base of his skull.
“And I love you. This is the best trip I’ve ever been on.”
“It’s only just started.”
“What do you sneaky Alphas have up your sleeve?”
“I can’t say.” I push closer to him so that our chests are pressed next to each other. His hands are firmly on my ass, and I truly will never get enough of how these men like to throw me around like I weigh nothing.
“Please, I’ll be so good,” I say whispering into his ear and grinding against his length.
“You’re trouble, ya know that?”
“I do, so why don’t you tell me?”
“There might be a candlelight beach dinner, and we’re going to the pitons tomorrow.”
I grin and kiss his sweet little face as he holds me. “You treat me so well.”
“That’s what a pack is supposed to do, love.”
“Promise me something.”
“Anything.” He enunciates it by squeezing my ass.
“Never stop looking at me like the way you do now.”
He smiles, and the way his eyes crinkle is infectious as I smile back at him. “It’s only going to get better, little moon,” he promises.
I guess our cuteness became too much for James and Ian to handle as they wade out to be with us in the water. James is clinging onto Ian’s back, doing minimal work with his drink still in his hand and the sexiest smirk on Ian’s lips.
“You two were having too much fun without us,” Ian says, ducking down into the water, James still on his back, who holds the drink out to me, so I can take a sip.
“What's the plan for tonight?” I ask, taking one more long sip of the drink and acting like Ezra didn’t tell me the itinerary already.
“We’ll get dinner, and then I’m taking the Omega on my back and putting him on his and fucking my sweet little stepsister.”
I splash him with water, and we all start laughing.
This is it. This is what life is supposed to be like.
Having fun and loving people with no conditions or restraints.