Chapter 15 #2
“Sir!” Malcolm‘s jaw drops. Introductions have been made by this point, and I can tell the alpha is annoyed. “We have our shit together, thank you.”
“Well Caleb and Lars don’t,” Aine says, settling back. “Look at how far away Nova is sitting from the both of them. Get your heads out of your asses. I don’t think my granddaughter is someone who suffers fools easily, and I just met her.”
The only reason we’re spread away from her is because Hollis is stuck like a human barnacle to her. I can’t complain though. I won’t. At least not outside of my head.
“To be fair, we both met you when you were a day old,” Kevin amends, eyes soft as he remembers.
“You’ve both done a lot of growing up since then.
Hollis and I both agree that the time of families meddling in arranged marriages is past. I’m very proud of how she’s grown her match making career.
Both of you work in the community in some way or another.
Delivering babies isn’t for the faint of heart. ”
I love how he made sure to give them both equal amounts of attention. Kevin Edwards is no slouch in the grandfather business. I wish his kid had gotten the same message. Hollis and Nova’s parents are both inattentive at best, and neglectful at their worst.
“I suppose it isn’t,” Nova says with a small smile. Hollis and she are fiercely holding hands, refusing to let go of the other. “I wanted to do something that celebrated life, especially when I didn’t want to.”
There’s so much sorrow in her voice, I want to wrap my arms around her. The only problem is that our relationship isn’t at a point where I can forcibly move Hollis from her sister’s side.
She’ll probably punch me if I tried. Since Lars and I were the ones who taught her how to fist fight, I know how much that would hurt.
It might be worth it.
Nova unconsciously rubs her wrists, and suspicions fill my mind not for the first time about suicidal ideation. The way she sounded just now seemed too sad to be just a passing thought.
“The packs that she works with adore her,” I murmur instead of stupidly voicing inside thoughts. “She’s going back to work tomorrow.”
“I think that’s too soon, but babies won’t wait,” Hollis mutters. Apparently she has no problems with voicing inside thoughts.
“Too soon why?” Aine asks.
Nova flushes harder than I’ve ever seen, and Hollis bites her lip. Yeah, as normal as heats are, talking about them with your newly found grandparents may be stretching it.
“Also, does it have anything to do with the bite mark I’m seeing?”
Aine smirks as she sees how uncomfortable her granddaughter is, while Kevin gently elbows her.
“There’s nothing to be ashamed of,” she says with a shrug. “Heats happen. Did anything odd happen though?”
“I had a seizure,” Nova mumbles. “It was a really messed up heat, let’s just say.”
“It’s not too late to put Caleb and Lars down like dogs in the backyard,” Kevin reminds gently.
Fuck me.
TYDE
I’m freaking the fuck out as I’m allowed entry into a very affluent foyer. Everything is done in marble, shades of whites, grays, and purples, yet I couldn’t care less. I have a fancy house, I’d happily sleep in Nova’s van if it meant I was with her.
“They’re just in here, sir,” the maid says, her hair covered with a white cap as she walks me into the living room.
“Nova,” I say roughly, my eyes on her adorable space buns, waiting as she turns to face me.
Standing, she rushes toward me and jumps into my arms. My hand grabs her ass to lift her higher, while the other arm wraps around her back.
“It seems like you’ve found something you lost,” I murmur into her hair as I hold her tightly to me.
“And you are?” A gentleman on the fat couch sitting next to a much smaller woman both stand, his eyebrow arched.
“Hers,” I state, unable to do much about my first impression of myself. I’m assuming these are her grandparents and I’m royally fucked.
Nova is still holding tightly to me, so I move my hand so it’s no longer on her ass cheek and more hiding from view. Striding over to her grandparents, I hold out my hand in an effort to salvage this.
“Dr. Tyde Stewart, sir,” I say.
“I suppose both introductions suffice,” the woman chuckles. “I’m Nova and Hollis’ grandmother, Aine, and this is Kevin Edwards.”
Her grandfather shakes my hand, appearing amused.
“I got excited,” Nova squeaks.
“There’s nothing wrong with that, darling. Is this your bonded alpha?” Aine asks.
Nova lifts her face to smile at me. There’s tear stains on her cheeks, and I take back the hand I’m shaking with to rub them away.
“It is,” Nova murmurs.
I’ve never been more happy to have been bitten during a blow job. My omega grins at me, mirth in her gaze, and I chuckle under my breath. Knowing her, she definitely heard that thought.
“Come back here with my sister, Tyde. I don’t care if she stays in your lap, but you’re too damn far away,” Hollis calls out.
I recognize her voice from earlier and turn to walk over. Nova slides down my body, while I sit down next to Hollis and pull my omega into my lap. Glancing over at her, I notice that Hollis’ eyes look slightly unfocused and her smile is a little lopsided.
“How much pain medication are you on, Hollis?” I ask softly.
“A lot,” an alpha with red hair mutters.
“Nova shouldn’t feel my broken bones,” Hollis simply says. “This way, she’s safe.”
Getting comfortable in my lap, Nova carefully takes her sister’s hand again.
“You’re not wearing finger splints,” I notice.
“They’re annoying,” Hollis replies. “I’ll put them back on when I get home.”
“We’ll visit for a little longer and then make sure you’re able to do that,” Aine says, giving Hollis a mock glare as she sits back down. “There’s been a lot of excitement today.”
Kevin leans over and piles some food on a plate before handing it to his omega.
“Please eat,” he says. “We missed our meal due to the excitement, and we both get cranky if we let it go for too long.”
Aine winks at me before taking a bite of a finger sandwich, humming under her breath as she chews. Kevin looks smug and happy, and I decide that being with Nova forever wouldn’t be a terrible thing at all.
“How was breakfast otherwise?” I ask her.
“It was actually really nice,” she says with a smile. “The food was incredible, and the company wasn’t half bad.”
Caleb snorts at that and I shrug. I’ll take it as a win. Rome wasn’t built in a day, after all.