Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
H arper
“There’s just one little problem with this master plan,” I say, as Owen checks my seat belt for the fifth time and then finally pulls the truck away from the curb.
“Doubtful,” Daxton says, “but go ahead.”
“My mom. Your dad.”
“Ahhh,” Daxton says.
“You know what?” Owen says. “I think your mom is going to be so darn relieved to see you right now that you could confess to mass murder and she’d forgive you.”
“She might consider this the equivalent of mass murder.”
“You’re over-dramatizing this, Harp,” Owen says.
“Possibly.” I fidget on my seat. “Which piece of news do you think I should break to her first? The piece where I’m shacking up with my brother and his pack?”
“Step-brother,” all three of them correct.
“Or the bit where I confess I’m knocked up?”
“How about we focus on the bit where you’re home safe and sound and have decided not to move out to New York?” Owen suggests.
“You think that might be slightly more palatable?” I tease.
“Just a bit.”
I laugh. It is a ridiculous situation. Possibly more ridiculous than finding myself tied up by masked men. Maybe my entire life is pretty ridiculous. Or, what was the word Sylvie used … outrageous. Perhaps I ought to just embrace it. Especially if it makes me – and them – happy. Very very very happy.
Unfortunately, as we arrive back at home, the overwhelming sense of happiness isn’t enough to keep the nerves at bay.
I haven’t even unbuckled my very well-fastened seatbelt, and my mom has flung back the truck door and has me in a tight embrace.
“Oh, Snuffles, my baby! Are you okay?” She releases me and holds my face between her palms, eyes darting over my features. “You must have been terrified, absolutely terrified.”
“She managed to give one of the robbers a bloody nose, Melanie,” Wyatt tells her.
“You did?” my mom smiles proudly at me. “You were always a little fighter. Remember when you gave Andy Martins such a bad wedgie for calling your friend names that he had to go see a doctor. I wouldn’t be surprised if that boy was unable to father children.”
All three of my alphas, plus my step-dad, wince.
“Let her out of the car, Melanie,” Ethan says, taking a hold of my mom’s elbow. “I’m sure you could do with a stiff drink, couldn’t you, Harp?”
“Well … actually …” I mumble. But no one is really listening. My mom is too busy dragging me out of the truck and Ethan is asking his son about what happened.
My mom clings to me all the way inside and through to the living room, still clutching my hand as we take a seat on the sofa.
“You look pale,” she says, “doesn’t she look pale?” She stares at me in alarm.
“Well, I wasn’t feeling so well this morning.”
“Of course,” my mom says, “the flight! Daxton told me all about it.”
“Not all of it,” he mumbles, winking at me.
“But I don’t understand,” my mom says, “why didn’t you call me from the hospital? I would have come to pick you up. And how on earth did you end up down at the harbor?” My mom looks so genuinely confused, I’m surprised her brain isn’t short circuiting and smoke isn’t puffing out of her ears.
“I needed a bit of time on my own to think.”
“Oh,” my mom says, glancing towards the four men in the room, she lowers her voice, “is this about Laurent? I know you’ve been so heartbroken over him.”
“No, Mom,” I say, shaking my head as my cheeks heat. “It’s not–”
“Harper’s …” Owen begins and I close my eyes, “decided to stay in Rockview.” I let out a sigh of relief.
“You have? That’s excellent news, Snuffles.” My mom claps her hands together. “Oh, I didn’t want to let on but I’ve been so sad about you leaving. It’s been so so lovely having you home again. I didn’t want you to go.”
“Well, I’m staying.”
“Temporarily or forever?” my mom says, a little hesitantly.
I glance at the three alphas. “Forever.” I smile at my mom. “That’s why I was down at the harbor front. I went to see if that job at the Port Gallery was still available.”
“And inadvertently got caught up in an art theft,” Daxton says.
“Which turned into an inadvertent attempted abduction,” Wyatt adds.
My mom groans and wraps me in a hug again. “Thank god you’re all right. Thank god.”
I peer at Pack Stanton over my mom’s shoulder and all three of them nod at me, clearly hinting at me to go on.
This is my chance – the best chance of my mom accepting this shitstorm.
I wriggle free from her arms and take a deep inhale.
“Mom, there’s a lot more to this story – a lot, lot more – and I need you to sit and listen while I tell you everything.”
“Story?” she says. “You mean the abduction? What on earth happened?”
“No, Mom. Not the abduction. Trust me, that was all quite straight forward and not that darn dramatic when it comes to the rest of it.”
“What rest of it, Snuffles? I’m confused. What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about my life. What’s been going on in my life. Why I’ve been so …” my eyes flick to the alphas, “sad.”
“Maybe we boys should let you two have a bit of privacy,” Ethan says, beginning to stand.
“No,” I say. “Please, I’d like you all to stay.”
“Harper,” my mom says, suddenly looking alarmed again, “this all sounds pretty serious.”
“It is and it isn’t.”
I take a deep inhale, cross my fingers and my toes and then I tell my mom and my step-dad. I tell them everything. About the summer fling ten years ago. The reason Daxton stayed away at college so often and why I ran away to Paris. I tell them how all those feelings for Daxton, Owen, Wyatt – feelings I’d repressed for ten long years – had come flooding back. How we’d tried to fight it, tried to resist it. But inevitably we’d ended up back in each other's arms. And now, now we no longer want to fight it.
“Now we want to be together, as a pack,” I say.
I’ve been staring at my hands resting in my lap the entire time I’ve been talking. Now I take a sneaky peek up at my mom. She’s staring at me with complete disbelief and shock written all over her face.
“Mom?” I say, wrinkling my nose.
She opens her mouth. Closes it. Opens it. No words are forthcoming.
“Mom,” I say leaning closer, “please say something. I know you probably think this is screwed up and a terrible idea, but we truly truly love each other and I don’t think I can live if I’m not with these men. And I know there will be one hell of a scandal – plus more rumors and nasty comments. Heck, maybe most of Rockview will shun us forever, but I don’t care. I’m tired of make-doing and compromise. I want the real thing.”
“You really love them?” my mom whispers.
I nod my head violently.
She twists her head and peers over her shoulder at Daxton, Owen and Wyatt. “And do you love her?”
“More than you could ever imagine,” Owen says.
“With all my heart,” Wyatt adds.
“Daxton?” she asks.
“I’ve always loved her. I always will.”
My mom lets out a long sigh and closes her eyes. “Well … well … love blossoms in the strangest of places. Who would have thought I’d have fallen for the man whose ears I was syringing.”
“Not the most romantic of starts to a relationship,” Ethan concedes.
“The crap that man had in his ears,” my mom mutters, gazing at her husband fondly.
“So … so you’re not mad?” I ask. “You were so upset about those rumors.”
“Hmmm, yes – but mostly because I don’t like those silly old hags talking dirty about my children.”
“You said Dax, Owen and Wyatt would lose their jobs.”
“They might. But if they do, you’ll find a way through. I found a way past the ear gunk.”
“Not really the same thing, Mom.”
“You know what I mean. If you really love each other – if you make each other happy – how can I possibly be against it?” She reaches up and strokes my cheek. “The only thing I’ve ever wanted is for you to be happy, Snuffles. And I know for an omega that comes in the shape of a pack.”
“Thanks, Mom.” This time I hug her, squeezing her tight for several long moments, relieved beyond belief she isn’t kicking us out or disowning us.
“Of course, it will take a bit of time to get used to this,” she says when I finally let go of her, “and we’ll have to think carefully about how we manage the news.”
“Mom–”
“Ethan’s mom is going to have a fit. We’ll have to explain things to her. She can’t hear it second hand.”
“Mom–”
“And I think it’s best if we keep the heat situation to ourselves. Let’s try our best to stop these boys from being fired.”
“Mom–”
“Maybe if we announce the news via a party … people will be so distracted by the free food and alcohol, they’ll hardly–”
“Mom! There’s more!”
“More what?”
“More news!”
My mom swallows audibly. “Really? More?” Her eyes flick to Ethan.
“What is it, Harper?” my step-dad asks.
“I’m pregnant.”
My mom sways on her seat. “I’m sorry, I think I misheard. Did you just say–”
“I’m pregnant, Mom. I’m carrying Pack Stanton’s baby.”
“Oh jeez,” my mom says, turning green and visibly swallowing. For a moment I really think she might faint. Instead, she falls back against the sofa. “Pregnant? Are you trying to kill me? Or are we on one of those prank TV shows?” She swings her gaze around as if hunting for secret TV cameras.
“Melanie,” Ethan says, examining my face and then his son’s, “I think they are very serious.”
“We are,” Daxton says. “Harper is carrying our baby which is even more of a reason why she’s going to be joining our pack. Our pack omega.” My step-brother looks my mom square in the eyes. “And you are going to be a grandma.”
“A … a … a … grandma?” Color starts to return to my mom’s face and her eyes glaze over. “I’m going to be a grandma?”
“Yes, Mom,” I say, smiling at her. “It’s early days. I’m only about five, six weeks pregnant, but, yes, you’re having a grandchild.”
“Both of you are,” Daxton says to his dad.
A huge grin stretches across Ethan’s mouth.
“We’re going to be grandparents, Ethan,” my mom says, tears forming in her eyes.
“I think this calls for a celebration. Where’s that special bottle of champagne I’ve been saving for an occasion like this?” He stands up and pats my alpha on the shoulder. “I was beginning to fear this was never going to happen for you, son.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Daxton says flatly.
“Ahhh,” my mom says as Ethan disappears down into his wine cellar. “That’s why you’ve been feeling so sick.”
“Yep,” I say.
“Then why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“I didn’t realize what it meant until this morning. I didn’t take a test until I was at the hospital.”
My mom lets out a big puff of air. “Jeez, what a day!”
I smile over at Daxton, Owen and Wyatt. “Yeah, what a day.”