Chapter 17
Violet
“Everything okay?” Aiden’s voice jolts me out of my inner thoughts. He places his hand on my thigh, giving it a squeeze.
I smile over at him. “I’m okay. Just a little nervous.”
We’re on our way to the OBGYN to see the baby for the first time. I’m excited, don’t get me wrong, but I know the moment I see them and hear their little heartbeat, everything will be more real.
“Everything is going to be okay.” He glances over at me, giving me a warm smile before looking back out to the road.
It’s weird, but after yesterday, I woke up today and it just felt like we’ve been a pack for years.
We all slept in the pack bed, no one wanting to be apart after the scare the guys had yesterday. Others might think they overreacted, but with what they’ve been through, it makes sense.
They’re afraid I’m going to leave again, and I hate that they’re living with that fear. As much as I tell them I’m not going anywhere, words won’t help. It won’t take that fear away. I’m hoping with time, they’ll see it for themselves when I’m still by their sides three, five, or ten years down the road.
They haven’t been able to keep their hands off me all day. And not in a sexual way.
When they woke up and saw I wasn’t in bed, they came into the kitchen to find me making pancakes.
Aiden wrapped his arms around me and we talked as I moved around the kitchen, him stuck to my back the whole time. Then Thomas pulled me into his lap and fed me. I smiled and rolled my eyes, but I let him do it anyway. I loved it all. Being pampered and taken care of made the Omega in me preen. I’m needy, what can I say? Pregnancy hormones just add to it.
They’re not the only ones who are afraid of being left behind. Anytime someone looks at them, I want to go over and claw the person's eyes out. We stopped at Nolan’s cafe, and there were a few women fluttering their eyelashes as they said hi. I went up to my Alphas and pretty much pissed all over them.
Nolan made a comment that the whole town was going to be talking about how we have an Omega now, all with an amused look on his face.
Aiden beat me to it by telling him, ‘Good, let them talk; they all need to know’.
The whole ride to the clinic, Aiden has his hand either tangled with mine or on my knee while Thomas has his arm flung over the seat, his hand resting on my shoulder as he plays with my hair.
Looking over my shoulder, I find Nolan watching with a grin on his handsome face. He winks, and I bite my lip, smiling back.
We spent hours last night cuddled on the couch, getting to know one another.
I found out that Aiden is forty-two, born and raised in Snow Valley, while Thomas and Nolan came from surrounding towns a few hours away.
Aiden likes to build, and has always done so since he was a kid. He worked on the land with his father, and it turns out that Aiden’s fathers and grandfather built the house they live in and everything on the property.
Sadly, one of Aiden’s fathers passed away when he was eighteen. His mother didn’t want to be surrounded by the consistent memories of what they built together, so her pack moved into another house. But they still live in Snow Valley, and she’s eager to meet me.
It also turns out that he has a younger sister around my age.
Thomas is thirty-nine and an only child like me. Both of his parents are alive and well, living in his hometown a few hours away. He doesn’t have a bad relationship with them, but they’re not close. His parents are Betas with no pack and do a lot of traveling when they’re not home, which is usually for the summer.
When I asked the guys how they met, Nolan said he had just turned twenty-one, moved away from home, and wanted to start over. So he came to Snow Valley and worked at the ski resort.
He met Aiden there when his company was hired to help with the expansion. They flirted and started talking.
But Aiden wasn’t the only guy Nolan was flirting with.
Thomas was a ski instructor and worked with Nolan on occasion.
They all started talking and hanging out; one thing led to another, and they started dating. A year later, they made their pack official and started their lives together.
A little while later, Thomas stopped working at the resort when he ended up hurting his knee. But it gave him the push he needed to open the hunting goods shop that he had been dreaming about for a while.
A few years after they got it up and running, it was Nolan’s time to make his dream come true, and that’s how The Hearty Bean was started.
It’s pretty new, only been open for a few years, but business has been booming. Snow Valley is a very popular tourist destination, and it’s the only real coffee shop within miles, apart from the few diners they have in town.
“You think the girls are having fun?” I ask, looking over to Aiden.
“Yes,” he chuckles. “I told Tessa to make sure they have a good time.”
Tessa is the younger sister Aiden mentioned. She’s twenty-four and is a single mom of a little girl. I haven’t met them yet, but Aiden showed me photos. She’s the cutest little thing with long, brown, curly hair.
The way Aiden talks about his niece makes me really hopeful this baby is a girl, because I know he would be the best girl dad. Okay, they would all just make amazing dads to any of our kids, boy or girl, but still.
From what Aiden told me about his sister, Tessa sounds like a badass Omega. Not only is she a single mom, but she worked her ass off while raising a baby to become a mechanic. She works at the only body shop in town.
Aiden said his father owns it, but Tessa didn’t just get the job; she had to work hard and prove herself.
He laughed when he told me his father tried to offer her the job right out of high school, but she refused, wanting to earn her place just like everyone else.
I respect it. I love it when Omegas prove we’re more than just baby makers and housewives.
“So...” Thomas pulls me back out of my mind as we turn off the main road. “Once Little Bean is born and older, what do you want to do?”
“What do you mean?” I ask, turning to look at him.
“Job wise. Unless you want to take a step back from working. We’re not hard up for money, so if that's what you would like to do, we’re fine with that, too. Whatever you want.”
“What if I want to be a stay-at-home mom and pop out a whole litter of babies?” I grin.
His eyes grow lidded, and I bite the inside of my cheek when his Alpha pheromones hit me hard, making me clamp my thighs together. Thank god for scent-blocking panties.
“Then I’m behind you on that one hundred percent.” His voice is thick and husky.
“Damn it,” Aiden groans as we pull into a parking lot. “I don’t want to meet our doctor with a hard on.”
“Sorry,” I laugh, knowing I’m hot-boxing this car with my perfume.
“Don’t be.” He inhales deeply, groaning as he lays his head back against the headrest, eyes closed.
“To answer your question, I’d like to stay at home and raise our kids.” I shrug. “Back when I was just getting to Calling Wood as a student, my plan was to get my education and work for a few years before settling down to start a family. As time went on, I wondered if that was even going to be a possibility for me, seeing as how I thought I was broken.”
“You're not broken,” Thomas insists.
“I know,” I tell him, giving his hand a squeeze. “Anyway. It made me think. And I decided that if I was to finally get my heat and be able to have kids, I wanted that. I did end up losing hope, though.” I shift in my seat to look forward as tears sting my eyes. “Until I met you guys.”
We’re all quiet, sitting here in comfortable silence until I speak again.
“I’ve worked for the past five years and love my job, but I’m ready to be a mom. So, I’d like, if you guys are okay with it, to have a baby with each of you?” I ask, taking my seat belt off so I can turn my body around. “If you're okay with knowing. And I’d like them one after the other, maybe a year break in between so I’m not pregnant for three years straight.” I laugh.
The three of them look at each other, smiling so damn wide I think I’m going to cry.
“Sounds perfect to us, Sweets,” Nolan says. And yup, there goes a tear.
Aiden gets out of the car and makes his way around to my side. He’s opening the door and scooping me up in his arms before I even have time to think.
“Hey,” I laugh. “What are you doing?”
“Carrying my baby mama,” he replies, placing a kiss on my forehead as he continues to walk with me bridal style.
“Don’t fight it.” Nolan chuckles as he joins us on our left.
“If it wasn’t him, it would have been me,” Thomas chuckles, joining us on my right.
“You’re all crazy, you know that, right?” I ask, muttering.
“We know,” Aiden chuckles.
I sigh, not bothering to fight because, who am I kidding, I love it.
“Now, can you let me down, please?” I question when we’re in the building.
“Fine,” Aiden grumbles as he places me on my feet.
“Hi,” the nurse greets us with a friendly smile. “How can I help you today?”
“We have an appointment at two. Well, not us, she does.” Aiden points to me. “Our Omega. She’s pregnant.”
“Congratulations,” she laughs. “What’s your name, dear?”
“Violet Hart,” I tell her.
She looks down at the computer and frowns. “No Violet Hart here. We do have Violet, but not with that last name.”
Aiden clears his throat. “It should be under Violet Wheeler.”
“Ah, there we are. Violet Wheeler. If you fill out these forms, we can get you back into an exam room.”
She hands me the forms, and I’m still confused as I look up at my Alpha. “Really?” I sigh.
“You're going to become a Wheeler anyways,” Thomas responds in his defense. “Why not start now?”
“Crazy, I tell you. Crazy.” I shake my head.
“I don’t know how to tell you this, Sweets. But this is only the beginning. You remember how they were when they found out you were their scent match?”
“Yes...” I say slowly.
“It’s gonna be like that, but worse. They’ve just been on their best behavior because they’re afraid they might scare you off again. Now that they know you're here for life, all bets are off.” This asshole is grinning like a fool.
“I think I’m second-guessing this touchy-feely stuff,” I mutter as I go to take a seat in one of the chairs, but Thomas pulls me down into his lap, wrapping his arms around me.
“No take-backs. Sorry, you're stuck with us,” he chuckles, kissing my cheek.
“You're lucky I don’t want anyone else but you three,” I say playfully and begin filling out the paperwork.
Once I’m done, I hand it back to the nurse.
Heading back to sit with my guys, I grin when I see how out of place they look. Not in a bad way; it’s just that they’re big guys, and this waiting room isn’t very large. Small town and all, I guess.
“Alright, Violet. We can take you back now,” a nurse says, stepping into the waiting room. All three of my guys are on their feet and following behind me in a second.
As we follow, excited butterflies erupt in my belly.
I’m about to see my baby. Everything is about to become real.
“Come on. Take a seat,” she instructs, pointing to the chairs for the guys. She turns to me. “The doctor will come in and ask you some questions, do a little check-up, and then I’ll take you back for your ultrasound.”
“Okay.” I nod nervously.
She smiles and leaves me be. The moment she’s out of the room, I start to pace.
“Violet, baby, are you okay?” Aiden asks, concern in his voice.
“No. Yes. Maybe. I don’t know,” I say, throwing my arms out, sounding a little hysterical. “What if something is wrong? I didn’t even take a test to find out I was pregnant until around three months along. Most people find out at what, six weeks?”
“Shhh,” Thomas says, standing up and coming over to me. He stops my pacing by placing his hands on my shoulders. “You said you saw a doctor before you left, right?”
“Yes.” I nod.
“And they did an ultrasound there. They said everything was fine. Right?”
“Right,” I breathe out, my heart pounding in my chest. I forgot about that for a moment. The only reason I didn’t hear or see the baby was because I wanted to experience it with the guys. “You're right. I’m being stupid.”
“Not stupid.” Aiden joins us, gripping my chin to have me look up at him. “Don’t talk about my Omega like that,” he growls playfully.
I huff out a laugh, smiling. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be,” he murmurs, leaning in to press a kiss to my lips. “You're nervous. That's normal. This is all new and a little scary. Big feelings are going to happen.”
Swallowing hard, I look between the two of them. Seeming to sense what I need, the two of them sandwich me between their bodies, and I instantly feel calmer. Their scents fill my nose, and the rumbling of their purr is like a calming blanket being placed over me.
I breathe in and out, leaning into Aiden’s chest as Thomas hugs my back. “Thank you,” I whisper.
“Always.” Aiden kisses the top of my head.
“We got you, baby.” Thomas kisses the same spot.
My eyes flick over to Nolan’s, fear that he feels left out filling me. But he smiles softly at me and gives me one of those winks that make my heart beat just a bit faster.
He’s totally getting a day all about him soon.
The doctor comes in, asks me all the basic questions, gives me a quick check up, and then leads us down to the ultrasound room.
Laying down on the bed, the tech puts some of the cool gel on my belly and brings the wand up.
The way the room is set up, I have Nolan holding one hand, Thomas holding the other, and Aiden behind me, resting his arms against the exam bed, his hands tangled in my hair as he gives me the best massage. It’s so relaxing that it takes the stress away while we wait until they take all the photos they need.
“Alright, who's ready to see their little one?” the tech asks, and my eyes snap open.
My attention goes to the big screen up on the wall. It’s been turned off this whole time, but she flicks it on and the screen is the inside of my belly.
She moves the wand around, which has me gasping, my hand flying to my mouth as my eyes water with happy tears.
There's a full-body view. Little head, body, arms, legs, hands, and feet. “They're perfect,” I whisper, my voice cracking.
“Our baby,” Aiden says in awe.
“Holy shit,” Thomas says, his voice choked up. “We made that.”
“I’m so fucking happy.” Nolan sniffs. Their reactions make everything better.
And as a cherry on top, the sound turns on and then we hear it: the whooshing sound of our baby’s heartbeat.
“Wow,” we all collectively say, becoming transfixed and almost hypnotized by the sound.
Once I’m all cleaned up, the tech gives me some photos to take home and says we’re good to leave.
We all head out to the car, this comfortable silence between us as we all process what just happened.
When we get into the car, I sit there and keep staring at the first photo of our baby.
“This is really happening,” I whisper, looking up at my Alphas. “I want you to know I’m so happy. I know how we met was kind of wild...” I laugh, wiping at a few fallen tears. “And the time afterward that wasn’t fun for anyone. But I don’t regret it. I don’t regret meeting you, for making this baby, or being your Omega.”
I put my face in my hands, trying not to let the tears fall.
“We got you, baby,” Aiden says, rubbing my back.
“I know I’m being silly.” I breathe in, trying not to cry more. “But I’ve just... I’ve felt so lonely for so long. I’ve spent years thinking I’d never find a pack, never be loved, wanted, or needed.” The dam breaks, and I’m sobbing now. “Then I met you three, and I had the best week of my life. And for the longest time, I thought I lost it all.”
“You didn’t lose us,” Thomas’ gruff voice insists.
“I know,” I breathe, wiping at my face. “I know. And I need to stop letting the past creep back in. What matters is where we are now and where we’re going to go together.”
“Violet,” Aiden says, gripping my chin. The intense look in his eyes makes my heart race. “You’re ours. For life. You're it for us. You’re the dream we’ve had for so many years... come true. You have no idea how much better you're making all of our lives. We want you. We need you. We crave you. Not having you isn’t an option for us.”
My damn heart explodes. Because they have no idea how much I needed to hear that. I’m not broken. I have three amazing men, a pack who wants me, and a baby on the way.
“I–I think I’m falling in love with you all,” I laugh, because it’s crazy, isn’t it? How could I love three men I hardly know?
But I know my heart, and I know how it feels. Maybe it’s the scent bond heightening the emotions, or maybe it’s the pregnancy hormones; either way, it doesn’t matter or change how I feel.
“Good,” Aiden’s eyes darken as a long, rumbling growl sounds in his chest. He leans forward and brings his lips to mine. “Because I’m fucking crazy about you, Little Omega. I’m obsessed and I’m falling in love with you too.”
I whimper against his lips as he kisses me. The car quickly fills with my perfume, making all of them groan.
When I break the kiss, panting, Thomas takes my face. “I love you, baby girl,” he rumbles before kissing me just as deeply.
My head spins, and I’m sporting a goofy grin. When I turn to look at Nolan, he’s gots a matching one. He leans in to say, “You already know I’m so far gone for you, Sweets,” he chuckles. “I fell in love with you the moment I saw you at the store.”
And just like that, I know deep down in my heart everything is going to be okay.
Now, the real adventure begins.