15. Juliette #2
“What he forgot to mention is that he’s as obsessed with you as I am.” Beck winks as Wyatt playfully punches his shoulder. “But back to you. Tell us what you want in a pack, little mama. Let us make your dreams come true.”
I stare at him, speechless and maybe a little shell shocked. Is this what it’s like to be love-bombed? But this isn’t a romance novel where the girl’s dreams all come true. This is real life, and things like this don’t just… happen . Right?
“What changed?” I whisper, this itchy feeling of uncertainty crawling along my skin.
“You said you would never drag an Omega into a lifetime of hell, and now that I know that Jack Ford is the Devil in the background, things make a fuck-ton more sense. But he’s still very much in the picture, and I’m not willing to become some pawn in his sick vendetta against my family. Or Kash’s for that matter.”
Wyatt leans forward. His smile is gone, and there’s an intensity in his stare. “Kash wants nothing to do with his father, hotshot. He’s got nothing against you or your family.”
My snort is almost drowned out by the bass, but my eye roll is impossible to miss.
Sure. That’s why he’s not here with you.
“He’s right, Jules. Kash’s issues are his own. He would never put you in the line of fire against his father.”
I’m not so sure about that, but I’ll let it go… for now .
“But that doesn’t answer the question. What changed?”
He stares into my eyes, giving my hand a squeeze. I hadn’t even realized he was still holding it, or that he’d interwoven our fingers.
“We have. We’re older. Stronger. Jack Ford doesn’t scare us anymore. We can protect you from anyone and anything that comes at us. I couldn’t have said the same back then. That’s why I walked away.”
My eyes fall to the table, my mind reeling.
There were so many things I thought I’d want to ask if I ever saw him again.
Now, with him sitting across from me and him holding onto my hand like he’s worried I might be the one to walk away, I find that none of it matters.
The fact that I now know who his pack members are and all that entails… Well, it explains a lot.
But can I do this? Let them court me, knowing that I’m walking a dangerous path that puts me closer to the feud-lines than I’ve ever truly been.
My father will likely have a fit. Mama will worry over Daddy and his blood pressure.
Gran and Hudson, however, will be elated, even if Kash isn’t part of the deal.
Charlotte… Well, I’m pretty sure she’s going to be jumping for joy. She loves these men already. Even Kash.
If I do this, I have to do it on my terms. That’s what they’re asking me, isn’t it?
What I want? When was the last time someone took the time or cared enough to do that?
Before I can stop myself, words slip from somewhere deep in my heart—years’ worth of unspoken dreams bubbling up to the surface and out into the real world.
“You asked me what I want…”
They nod.
I take a deep breath in and exhale, pulling up my big girl panties and taking ownership of my life.
“I want nights spent in the back of a truck bed where the only lights we can see are the stars above us. I want to build a life not shadowed by buildings and concrete, but where we can grow and laugh together, miles away from everyone and everything. I want breakfasts in bed, late nights around a campfire talking until the sun comes up. I want something beautifully rugged, maybe a little unruly, but soft as a bed of bluebonnets. I want to know that if I fall, you’re there to catch me, and that if the roles are reversed, I’ll be your safe place to land.
I want…” My breaths are shaky as my eyes drop to the table, adrenaline and nerves making me as skittish as a scared filly.
Beck grips my chin with his thumb and forefinger, urging my eyes up to meet his. “What else, little mama? Tell us.”
“I want men who love my daughter unconditionally. That teach her how a pack should treat their Omega. Men that see and love me for me . Not because I’m a Callahan.
Not because I’m some pampered Omega. Not because I’m a rodeo star.
Because I’m just me. Jules . The woman who’s tired of trying to please everyone else.
The one who raised her daughter on her own.
The one who cries herself to sleep some nights because it always feels like loneliness is my only constant.
The one who has somehow managed to keep it all together when all she really wants to do is fall apart.
If that’s too much baggage for you, then this will never work, but I thought you needed to see exactly what you’re signing on for before making any decisions.
I’ll settle for nothing less and want nothing more. ”
The two men share a look, their expressions something I can’t quite put a name to.
“Deal.” Beck’s thumb brushes against the back of my hand.
Wyatt straightens in his seat. “Agreed. Deal.”
“W-what?” I rasp.
“We agree to your terms and some you didn’t even spell out because now that we’ve gotten a glimpse into your heart, we’ll handle it with care.”
Wyatt is off his chair and shifting my body until he can step between my knees. My hand is still held tight in Beck’s grip, but his brother doesn’t seem to mind. The Beta’s thumb swipes a tear I hadn’t realized I’d shed from my cheek.
“And for the record, I was enamored with JJ Wilde, but I’m falling for Jules Callahan. Just so we’re clear there. How anyone can see anything but the real you when you’re in the room is beyond me.”
“Wyatt—”
“Shhh. Let me finish.” Eyes skimming over my face, his hand raises to slide along my jaw. “You will never feel alone again because we won’t let you.”
His lips touch mine, and I swear to Christ it’s like a jolt of current runs through my body, jumpstarting my heart. The same one I thought was broken and dead in my chest. He kisses me like a man in love, and a whine slips free.
He pulls back, his breathing erratic as his forehead presses against mine. “Sorry. That’s not what tonight is about, but you make it damn difficult to keep my head on straight.”
He isn’t the only one with their head spinning, that’s for damn sure.
“Before Wyatt gets too far ahead of himself…” Beck’s stern voice is at odds with the small grin on his face. “I have one condition I’d like to discuss before we make it official.”
My belly flips, and I retreat from Wyatt’s comforting presence just enough to have a clear head. “Okay. What is it?”
“No matter what happens between us, I want to be a part of Charlotte’s life. I’ve…” He clears his throat, eyes darting away for a moment before they come back and meet mine with a determined glint. “I’ve missed so much already. I don’t want to go another day without her knowing me.”
The warmth blooming in my heart heals so many cracks I wasn’t even aware had formed.
“I’d never keep her from you. You’re her father, Beck. She deserves a chance to get to know you, regardless of what does or doesn’t happen between us.”
“When can we tell her?” he asks almost shyly.
I grimace. “Um…about that…”
“What is it?”
“She kinda already knows.” When his eyes widen, I rush to explain. “I was confessing to Gran when Hudson walked in with her. I didn’t know they were standing there. I had this whole plan with the two of us and?—”
“Hey, it’s okay.” His strong hand cups my cheek. “That’s perfect. That means I don’t have to go another second without claiming her as my own.”
“Really? You’re not upset?”
His excitement has sweetened his tart blueberry scent, adding more than a hint of spiced whiskey and vanilla. “Not one damn bit.”
“I really am sorry…about everything.”
Wyatt’s hand rubs soothing circles on my back. “There is nothing to be sorry for. From this moment on, all of that is in the past. We have an entire future to figure out now.”
“Okay.”
“So, we’re doing this?” Beck asks.
I swallow down the rush of words that want to spew out, detailing all the reasons this is a bad idea. Instead, I let my freshly beating heart have a say.
“Yeah. We’re doing this.”
I just hope none of us regret it later.