Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Alesso
“Allora, bambina,” I mutter under my breath as Leila kicks her leg out while I’m changing her diaper.
She makes a squeal coo that makes me grin as I attempt to get her diaper on correctly. God, she’s so freaking cute.
“Victory is mine,” I crow before wincing. Scooping her into my arms after fixing the snaps on her onesie, I check to see if I scared her.
Sometimes, if we’re too loud, we startle her. Instead, I find her gummy smile as I snuggle her against me and relax. It’s been five days since Lucas and Grant came back from Indianapolis, and they need to return tomorrow for a meeting.
I’m the first to agree that work is important, but I’m starting to despise it when they leave.
However, today we are moving into the “cottage” in the backyard, which means that we no longer have to deal with such a big space that’s lonely.
“It also means that you’re moving in with us,” I coo aloud to Leila.
Walking out of the living room, I head into the kitchen where everyone is congregated for breakfast. It’s not typical for us, but there’s less space surrounding Isolde and it makes her happier.
I can understand that having an exit near her makes her less twitchy, regardless of knowing that none of us will hurt her. Lucas also has a ton of security here, but no one is bulletproof.
“How long are you staying in the city?” Isolde asks, fixing a sling that’s around her to take Leila from me.
“Finish eating, topolina,” I say, shaking my head. “I’m done and don’t want to give her back.”
Isolde gives me a soft smile before nodding, and Oliver moves down the island until he’s beside me. Leila grabs his finger when he presents it to her, and Lucas replies to our omega.
“We are only staying long enough to finish my meetings. Thank fuck the lab is already made.”
“It would figure that the laboratory would be finished before the house,” I tease him.
“The house is bigger,” Lucas snorts. “The lab is the equivalent of a shed. I’m working alone, so I won’t need to worry about bumping into anyone else.”
“People are terrible,” Oliver grunts in his way of commiserating.
Grant rolls his eyes, but doesn’t deny it. “People are unfortunately part of Lucas’ job. I swear it’s the reason I have so many gray hairs.”
“I don’t see any,” Isolde says innocently, running her fingers over his shorter brown hair. “Oh wait…”
She yanks out a single strand of hair while he curses, his hands clamping over his hair while she laughs. I’ve noticed that she’s been doing that more.
No, not torturing the grumpy alpha, but laughing.
I live for it. Leila releases a squeal, and I grin down at her.
It doesn’t matter that she isn’t ours by blood, she recognizes Isolde’s presence.
I often see her trying to crane her little body around to find her, despite having limited control over it.
It’s hard to track milestones since we don’t know exactly when she was born. Isolde also called the biker alpha she works for to see if anyone has asked about her, but no one has.
Who doesn’t go to check on their child? Fuck me. Granted, that biker club is responsible for the fire through Isolde and an enemy, but to never go looking for your child blows my mind.
Some people don’t deserve children. I firmly believe that.
“By the way, all the paperwork has been filed, approved, and accepted through the Healthy Packs Organization,” Oliver says absently, kissing Leila’s forehead.
“Digital trails have been erased, and as far as anyone else knows, Alesso or I had a baby with Isolde just before we joined the pack. Lucas’ public profile is too high for her to be his, and Grant… ”
“I live up his ass,” Grant mutters as Lucas smirks.
“Not quite, but it’s certainly close enough. I’m good with that,” Lucas confirms. We decided to use my name for our official pack name, which makes an odd kind of sense.”
“You’re the only one not a criminal, outside of Grant,” Oliver chuckles.
“Pack Reid does have a nice ring to it though, doesn’t it?” Lucas asks.
“So you’re all a pack,” Isolde says in awe, chewing the inside of her lip.
“That means you’re stuck with me,” Grant says. “You can kick me out of the house, throw baseball bats at me, but I’m all in.”
If his stalking her for the past month didn’t make that quite clear, I don’t know what else could.
“I think I enjoy fighting with you,” she mutters. “Okay, ah, we have a slight problem.”
“Go on,” Oliver says, brow raised.
“Leila's getting sleepy, can I borrow your ring thing, please?” I ask. “I don’t know how to use it, but her neck doesn’t flop over as much when she’s sleeping in it.”
Isolde looks surprised, but stands with a nod, pulling the sling up and over her head.
“It keeps her warm too,” she says.
“Are you excited to move in with us finally?” Oliver asks. “I want the biggest fucking bed that’ll fit in a room, please and thank you.”
“Leila still doesn’t like to sleep alone,” Isolde sighs. “The little side bed I attached to the bed only works half the time.”
“Oh no, I have to take turns sleeping with this little angel, I’m so sad,” Oliver snorts, watching as Isolde manhandles me to fix the ring sling on my body.
I know what it’s called, but I also enjoy flubbing its name.
“You’re already so head over heels over this baby,” she says, unable to stop smiling.
“I’ve never much thought about babies with my profession,” Oliver admits. “I piss people off for a living, and I work with sensitive information. I hate babies on planes, but I adore this baby.”
“Would you, um, want more?” Isolde asks, swallowing hard.
“Only if it’s meant to be,” he says firmly, and we all nod.
“Blood doesn’t always mean family,” Grant says, surprising me. “I’ve stood through a lot with Lucas, and I’m with him a lot more often than my family.”
“I set his payments to auto schedule because he’s not allowed to leave me,” Lucas shrugs. “I need someone who isn’t fucking scared to get fired for saying the wrong thing.”
“Don’t threaten me with a good time,” Grant smirks. “I get away with too much as it is. Knowing I can’t get fired? Goddamn, that’s like my birthday and Christmas all wrapped together.”
“You’re ridiculous,” Lucas grumbles. “Isolde, you and I have slept perfectly well together with Leila. I don’t think anyone else will mind. She’ll only be this little for a season. Soak it in.”
See? No one gives a shit that we’ve stolen our little bambina. Whoever her father was, is crispier than fried chicken, and the mom is MIA. Pah! She doesn’t deserve this sweet girl.
We do, and now that’s what she is. Ours. We aren’t good people, but Leila will never want for love or attention.
“I started shopping, but I haven’t looked at mattresses yet. Oliver, if you want to go by the house and measure the room, you’re welcome to,” Isolde says, rolling her eyes as she adjusts the straps around my chest until Leila is comfortable and so am I.
“I don’t have to walk very far,” Oliver chuckles. “If you want to tell me what you want for your nest in the loft, I can order that as well. Or, we can go to the nest store downtown together.”
“There’s a store for that?” Isolde asks before shaking her head. “That’s kind of what I need to talk to you about before I get sidetracked, but I do want to go there.”
“No more side comments from the peanut gallery,” Lucas promises, pretending to lock up his lips.
Isolde smirks before getting really solemn.
“My heat. I am wearing extra heavy duty panties. Trust me, they aren’t cute,” she grumbles.
I take in her joggers and long sleeved hoody and think she looks gorgeous with her hair tumbling down her back.
“I…I have to masturbate in the shower to ease some of the heat spikes, and I’m worried that it’s going to hit anytime. It’s the wildest fucking thing because sometimes I’m completely fine. Other times, I’ll look at Grant’s chest without a shirt and want to lick up his tattoos!”
Grant looks both shocked and smug as he leans forward in his joggers and open long sleeved shirt. All of his tattoos are on full display, and Isolde is in fact staring at him as she licks her lips.
“Fuck. See?” she asks, her legs pressing together.
The four of us inhale deeply as her scent fills the room, which shouldn’t be as strong as it is while she’s wearing such thick clothing. Isolde also looks very flushed.
“Does anything hurt?” Lucas asks worriedly. “Fuck, cancel my meetings, Grant.”
“You shouldn’t,” Isolde says, shaking her head. “I don’t know if it’s going to happen anytime soon. I’m just low key freaking the fuck out about it. I have no idea if there’s a solution to this. So let me freak out and don’t try to fix it, okay?”
The four of us sit with our mouths open, because that’s almost impossible for us. We’re alphas and men. It’s ingrained in our DNA to want to fix things.
What the fuck else are we supposed to do if we can’t do that?
“But…” I trail off, completely at loose ends with this.
“What Alesso is trying to ask, badly at that, is how can we support you in this?” Lucas asks, half glaring at me. “I don’t want to be three hours away from you when your heat comes, Isolde.”
“I know,” she huffs out. Oliver pulls her into the circle of his arms, and she leans against him. “I fucking hate being scared.”
“What exactly are you scared of?” Grant asks, leaning forward on his arms. “We’ve never really spoken about it.
I will be here for you if you want me, or you can kick me out of your nest if it makes you feel better.
However, I want to know what scares you because I’m all in, even though I’ve kind of been existing on the edges for you. ”
“You’re everywhere,” Isolde says. “Grant, you can't exist on the edges if you’re bugging the trees of my house, and sending me house proofing kits.”
“I mean, she’ll be walking at some point,” he shrugs unrepentantly. “You can just use those at the cottage out back instead.”