Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
H arper
“Good morning,” my mom says, meeting me in the kitchen of the main house the next morning. “How are you feeling?” She strokes the hair away from my face. “Any sickness?”
I shake my head with a big grin. “No, actually. I feel just fine.” Maybe it’s the huge weight lifted from my shoulders or having my alphas and their wonderful scents around – pine, moss and vanilla – but I feel the best I have done in days. “How about you, Mom? How are you feeling this morning?”
“Tired,” she says. “I didn’t sleep so well.”
“Were you worrying about things, Mom? Because honestly, I’m going to be just fine. In fact, I’m going to be very happy.”
“No, it wasn’t that,” she says, giving me a knowing look, “it was all the noise.”
“Oh …” I say, “erm, sorry?”
My mom shakes her head. “No need to be really. And from what I heard, you are correct, you are going to be one very happy lady.”
“Mom!” I say giggling.
My mom begins to open cupboards and drag out pots and pans. “I’d better cook you all a big breakfast. I think you’re all going to need it. Especially those alphas. You had them working hard.”
I hop up onto one of the stools and watch her set to work.
“Can I help?” I ask.
“You can whisk the eggs.” She slides over a bowl, a fork and a carton of eggs. I pull one out and crack it against the side of the bowl and lose half the shell into the mixture. I dip the fork prongs into the egg and attempt to fish out the bits of shell. My mom shakes her head. “All the times we’ve made cakes together, Snuffles, and you still can’t crack an egg. In fact, remember that cake you baked me on my birthday when you were nine? There was so much shell in it, I’m surprised I didn’t turn into a chicken.”
“Gosh, really?” I say. “You never said anything.”
“Of course not. I was absolutely delighted you baked it for me. I think I sobbed all night about it. You’ve always been so sweet, Harper. You’re going to make a great mom.”
“If I turn out half as good as you, Mom, I will be.”
“Snuffles!” she cries, dabbing at her eyes. “You’ll have me sobbing now!”
I lower the fork. “You are okay about all this, Mom? I know it’s come as a bit of a shock …”
She nods slowly. “As long as you are happy, Snuffles, so am I. It is going to take some getting used to and we will have to endure some pretty nasty gossip, but I’ve withstood much worse, I promise you.”
“It’s not my intention to make your life difficult.”
“Difficult?” Mom snorts. “What’s difficult about my life? Choosing whether to go to yoga or pilates. My life is just wonderful, Snuffles, and a bit of gossip isn’t going to ruin that. I’m pretty mortified I got all silly about it before.”
“But …” I say, hesitating and chewing on my lip, “your life hasn’t always been wonderful. It must have been hard being a young single mom. It always seemed hard.”
“Did it?” she says, sounding genuinely surprised. “I remember it being just magical. I loved being a mom – I still love being a mom. It’s the best decision I ever made.”
“You don’t regret it, then? You don’t wish things had turned out differently?”
“Not at all. I think my life has turned out just fine, Snuffles. I wouldn’t change it for the world. And now I’m going to get to be a grandma – which I’m going to love even more. Even if I am far too young.”
“Far too young,” I laugh, lunging across the counter and wrapping my arms around her.
“Pack Stanton?” Molly says, her eyes so wide, I’m concerned her eyeballs may actually pop out of their sockets. “As in your brother’s pack?”
Somehow Molly heard on the grapevine that I hadn’t caught that flight to New York before I’d had the chance to tell her. Next thing I knew she was standing on my doorstep demanding answers.
“Step-brother’s pack,” I correct, pouring us both out a glass of homemade lemonade. We’re sitting on the back porch enjoying the fall sunshine.
“And you’re joining his pack?” Molly says, shock all over her face. “As their omega?”
“Well, not as their cleaner,” I mutter.
“I knew you had the hots for each other,” Molly says, shaking her head in confusion, “that much was obvious. You were practically eye-fucking each other the entire time at that welcome home party.”
“We were not!”
“But I thought that was just a sex thing. Something to get out of your system. I didn’t think it was serious. I didn’t think there were feelings involved.” She takes my hands in hers. “And you need the feelings, Harper. Good sex is exciting, satisfying, hot – all those yummy things – but you need the whole shebang for things to work out in the long term.”
“There are feelings,” I say. Pause. Then add: “And a baby.”
Molly stares at me. “I beg your pardon?”
“I’m having a baby.” Molly’s eyes drop to my stomach. “Not right this second,” I clarify.
“You’re pregnant?”
“Yes, about six weeks.”
“You never told me.”
“I only found out in the last few days.”
Molly drags her gaze from my stomach back to my face and wrinkles her nose. “Is this why you’re joining the pack? You know things don’t work that way anymore. Just because you’re having their baby – it is theirs right?” I nod. “That doesn’t mean you have to shack up with them.”
“I want to shack up with them.” I grin at her. “I really want to shack up with them – for the baby and the feelings and the really, really great sex.”
“Wow,” Molly says. “Wow.”
I knock her on the arm. “Molly!” I cry. “If I can’t convince you this isn’t odd, dysfunctional, and disturbed, what chance do I have of convincing anyone else?”
“Erm, thanks?” she says.
“You know what I mean.”
“I don’t think it’s odd or disturbed. Like I said, there’s an obvious connection between the four of you. I just hadn’t appreciated it was emotional as well. But if it’s there, I’m happy for you, Harper. I really am.”
“So you’re not going to disown me, or, you know, gather a horde of local villagers and hand out pitchforks?”
“Harper, I already knew you were a freak. It’s why we became friends.” She winks at me. “Okay, so you’re a whole lot more freaky than I realized, but I like it.”
“Thanks, Molly,” I say feeling calmer.
“Plus, now people will be too busy gossiping about you to worry about me.”
“Urgh,” I moan, “the gossip. It’s going to be bad, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but you didn’t need me to tell you that. Anyway, sweetie, the birth is going to be much worse than the gossip. That’s the thing you should be worried about.”
“Really?”
“Yep, it’s awful. Absolutely hideous, and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying.”
“Oh god,” I whimper.
“But,” Molly says, with another smile, “it’s totally worth it when they hand you your baby.”
I peer down at my stomach. I can’t wait for that moment.
“Have you told your mom?” she asks, peeking towards the house.
“Yep.”
“Annnnnd? How did she take it?”
“Surprisingly well considering three weeks ago she was freaking out about these exact same rumors. I think the prospect of knitting booties and baby snuggles is proving a strong pacifier.”
“Yeah, people will do a lot for baby snuggles, trust me.” Molly claps her hands again. “Oh, I’m going to have to get pregnant again quickly and then we can be pregnant together and do all the baby things together.” She starts counting on her fingers. “My next heat is due in one and half weeks.” She grins at me. “Actually, I’m in need of a babysitter for that. Fancy some practice before the real thing?”
“Maybe?” I swallow.
“I mean, Mitchell still isn’t sleeping through the night plus his first couple of teeth are now through. He’s enjoying testing them out – especially on people. Little Harper is thrilled. She says it proves he’s a vampire.”
I stare at her, pretty sure I must be pale as the fluffy clouds above us.
“I'm joking, Harper,” she says, laughing. “My sister-in-law is going to have them.”
“I probably should get some practice in …”
“Not with Mitchell. I don’t want to put you off.”
“Mitchell is adorable.”
“He is. He is also a handful. You need to build up to that. Start with the newborn babies that cry a lot but also sleep a lot and can’t move, talk or bite!” Molly grins at me. “I’m so excited for you, Harper.”
I grin back.
Mom and Molly are on side.
Now it’s just the rest of the city to convince.