Chapter 32 #2
The next caller goes live. “Oh my God, oh my God, it’s actually him! The voice! The sexy, panty-dropping voice. You’re the one who called in that one time weeks ago! Please, I’m literally begging you, just read a shopping list, a phone book, anything.”
Slater chuckles, the sound rich and so sexy. “I appreciate the enthusiasm. That’s quite the description.”
“It’s accurate, though,” the caller insists. “Can you just say something else? Anything?”
“Sure.” Slater leans closer to the mic. “To everyone listening tonight, treat the Omegas in your life with respect and genuine care. They’re not prizes to be won or objects to be controlled. They’re the best thing that will ever happen to you if you’re lucky enough to find your match.”
The chat is now just keyboard smashing and heart emojis.
We continue for another twenty minutes, taking calls, answering questions, laughing together. The guys take turns saying things into the microphone, and each time one of them speaks, the chat loses its collective mind all over again.
Finally, I check the time and realize we’ve gone over by fifteen minutes. “Okay, everyone, we’ve been at this for over an hour, and I need to wrap up. But I promised you one more surprise announcement, and I might as well come completely clean since you now know so much about my life anyway.”
I pause for dramatic effect, my heart racing, suddenly nervous about sharing this.
“I’m pregnant.” I grin like crazy just saying it out loud. Last week, I took a test, and I cried with absolute happiness when I saw the two lines on the test stick.
The chat explodes again, this time with congratulations, celebration, and excited screaming in all caps.
“But no more questions about it tonight,” I say quickly, already feeling overwhelmed by the reactions. “Save them for tomorrow’s show. For now, I’ll just say we’re very happy, very excited, and slightly terrified because none of us have any idea what we’re doing.”
I smile at my men, who are all beaming with unmistakable pride and joy.
“Good night to all my heat seekers out there. Stay warm, stay safe, and remember—you’re worthy of love and respect exactly as you are. This is The Heat Line, signing off.”
I switch off the equipment and immediately turn to my men, who swarm me with hugs and kisses.
“You were incredible,” Mason says, carefully pulling me into his arms like I might break.
“I think you’re a legitimate celebrity now,” Dylan adds, grinning widely. “You’re going to need security soon.”
“Oh, don’t be crazy,” I protest, but I’m smiling.
“Well, we have you to thank for our business exploding,” Jasper says, leaning against the desk. “In the last week, since people have tracked down who we are and what we do, Wilde Charters has been completely booked solid for the next twelve months. We’ve had to turn people away.”
“Wait, are you serious?” I ask, eyes wide.
“Mostly women’s groups wanting to support us. Book clubs. Sororities. Bachelorette parties. We’ve had to hire two additional boats and crew just to keep up with demand. You single-handedly made it more successful than it’s ever been.”
“That’s amazing for all of us!” I throw my arms around all of them—or try to, as it’s awkward with four large Alphas and my need to hug everyone at once.
“Speaking of us,” Mason says, his hand moving to rest gently on my still-flat stomach. “How are you feeling? Any nausea? Fatigue? Dizziness?”
I laugh, leaning into his touch. “I’m fine. Just tired from the show and the adrenaline crash. But also?” I grin mischievously. “I’m absolutely starving for a bacon sandwich. Like, desperately, intensely craving crispy bacon on toasted bread with lots of butter.”
“Oh, I would love that too,” Dylan says immediately, already moving toward the door.
“Bacon sounds perfect right now,” Jasper agrees.
“I’ll make them,” Slater offers.
They all rush with me toward the kitchen, talking over each other about what to add to the sandwiches, whether we have fresh tomatoes, if anyone wants cheese, debating crispy versus regular bacon.
I lean against the kitchen island, watching them move around our huge kitchen, working together seamlessly to make food, laughing and teasing each other, and my heart feels so full it might actually burst.
I help them make the sandwiches. Well, mostly I sit on the counter and supervise while they do all the work because they absolutely insist that I need to rest and not stand for too long.
And as we eat together around the kitchen island, bacon grease dripping down our chins, laughing about the most ridiculous memes people made from the Reed video, planning tomorrow’s radio show topics, debating baby names even though it’s way too early, I feel something settle in my chest.
I spent so long investigating the wrong people, chasing the wrong story, convinced I had to do everything alone to prove my worth.
Turns out that the best story was the one I wasn’t looking for at all—four Alphas, a pack, and a future I never knew I wanted until it grabbed me by the heart and refused to let go.
And now? Now I get to keep them.