Chapter 7
M y father was going to kick my ass into next week no matter what Ava had to say about the situation. I’d fucked up so hard, falling into a rut and bonding Ava. She’d bitten me first…I thought, anyway. But I still bit back. She was pregnant and heartbroken and I’d fallen under the tsunami of alpha instincts I’d never had to battle before being around her.
I didn’t know anything about the sweet, beautiful mate fate had dropped into my lap, but I wanted to know everything.
“Fuck if I know what we’re going to do,” Jesse said with a sigh. “We live in three different cities and are both going to develop bonding sickness if either of us have to leave Ava early in the bond. I don’t know how to navigate that.”
“I’m supposed to go back to New York Sunday night.”
Ava cupped my cheeks, her hazel eyes bright and clear, so different from the moment we’d met. “I can feel you freaking out.”
Oh, shit. She was going to feel every single anxiety spike. The thought of stressing her out only stressed me out more.
Ava dragged me closer, wedging my face against her throat where her perfume was sweetest, her purr rumbling softly. Between the two, and her gentle touch, my anxiety melted away in record time. I let her cradle me there, my lungs filling with praline, muscles relaxing with each breath.
“You’re really, really sure you’re not mad?” I asked.
“Freaked out? Yes. Mad? No.”
An undercurrent of stress wove through the bond from her, but the longer she was held between Jesse and me, the more it calmed.
I barely knew a thing about the other alpha now bonded to my mate. He seemed like a decent guy from what I had observed, and not as combative as Luke, nor as relaxed as Micah. Jesse struck a happy medium between his other packmates. My packmates now too? I guess with bonds in place above a simple scent match, they and Ava would have to decide whether they would be part of this new unit.
Ava yawned. “Sleep? I was already exhausted before whatever the hell that heat was.”
We rearranged Ava to stretch out between us, a pillow wedged in her arms and another tucked between her knees, Jesse at her back, and me at her front. It took her no time at all to slip away, which left Jesse and me staring at each other over her.
I sensed a hint of stress from him too, but he had a much tighter lock on his emotions than I did.
“I have to go back to New York,” I said quietly. “I can’t stay here.”
Jesse pursed his lips. “You have first bond. You get to choose where we all go.”
“I only beat you by a minute for that. Ava should be the one to choose. I don’t feel comfortable forcing her to do anything.”
“That’s the right answer. I was worried I would still have to throw you over our balcony.”
I frowned. “Was that a test?”
“A little one. Had to check how archaic you are.”
“You could’ve just asked.”
Jesse shrugged, toying with a few strands of Ava’s hair. “You could’ve said anything. Better to check by handing you the power and see what you do with it. I’m not sold on New York, but I’m willing to go temporarily until the bond settles. If Ava wants to stay, I can be a paramedic there as easily as here, I would imagine. Luke and Micah…their jobs are probably fucked either way.”
“Why?”
“They’re both porn stars.”
I choked. “Are you serious?”
“Very. We have to figure out what’s happening with that so Ava doesn’t go feral if they want to keep working. She’s going to be territorial as hell with the new match settling in.”
“Her bond with us doesn’t free them up to do whatever they want?”
“A scent match doesn’t go away just because she gets bonded. They’re both my pack; they’re meant for her as much as I am.”
I stared down at the sleeping beauty between us. Her mouth was soft; blonde lashes fanned over her cheeks. Everything in me knew that she was mine.
“Would be nice if fate worked harder to find matches that at least live on the same coast.”
Jesse shrugged. “Distance doesn’t mean much if it’s who you’re meant to be with. You’d be surprised how many people come to tourist towns with the intention of getting access to as many people as possible to find their scent matches.”
“Is that why you came here?”
“Nah. Micah and I were born here. Luke is our only transplant, until you and Ava.”
My whole life was in New York. My home, my job, what little family I had remaining. I was up for promotion, and I was probably already jeopardizing that by skipping the first day of the conference. I should go tomorrow, but that would mean being apart from Ava.
“What’s going on in your head?” Jesse asked.
“Just thinking. There’s nothing for me here. Ava was already planning to move to New York.”
“We’ll see what she says about that tomorrow. I’ll stand between you and Luke when we tell them what happened or you’re gonna have a black eye to accompany you back to New York.”
“I appreciate that. What do you think we should do about Lawson? I’m surprised he hasn’t been blowing up her phone.”
“Oh, he has,” Jesse told me. “Luke took it so she wouldn’t see it. His messages have only gotten more unhinged.”
“If he weren’t the father of Ava’s baby, I would be tempted to push him off a skyscraper.”
“Legally he’s not,” Jesse pointed out.
I stared at him, not quite comprehending what he had said.
“She bonded us before the baby was born. Legally, it’s ours. Pack law doesn’t care about the biology of the father.”
“Oh, shit. I’m gonna be a dad.”
Jesse chuckled quietly. “You’re just figuring that out?”
“There’s a lot to process about all of this,” I defended. “I’ve only recently wrapped my head around the fact that I have a mate.”
I didn’t know how to be a dad. My own father was rather…lacking in that department, so at the very least it wouldn’t be difficult to be a better parent than he had been. I assumed, anyway. I desperately wanted to be better. My brain was melting over the prospect, emotions a blur, but definitely more excitement than terror. And there was still some time to adapt. A couple months at least before the baby would be making an appearance.
Jesse yawned and tucked himself closer to Ava. “Sleep while you can. Luke will probably come looking for you when he doesn’t see you in the living room when he gets up.”
Joy. I couldn’t wait to wake up to that asshole freaking the fuck out. Why couldn’t fate have matched Ava to someone more even-tempered?
I put on my pants just to be safe before trying for sleep myself.
It felt like I had barely closed my eyes when I was awoken by a string of curses and someone yanking me out of bed by my ankles.
“What the fucking fuck is wrong with both of you?” Luke growled.
“Luke, stop it.” Anxiety zinged through the bond from Ava.
“I’m not going to stop it. These idiots took advantage of you.”
Ava hurled a pillow at him, but he snatched it out of the air before it hit him. “I asked them to.”
Hurt flashed across his face, but I couldn’t bring myself to feel bad for him when I was sprawled on his floor. I got to my feet and put myself between him and Ava, Jesse shoving himself between me and Luke a moment later.
“Back off,” Jesse demanded.
Luke was red as a beet. “Fuck no. I expected this of him , but not you, Jesse.”
“Oh, so I should ignore the omega going into heat in my bed? She was hurting .”
Luke let out a feral snarl. “What the fuck do you mean she went into heat?”
I let the two of them argue, Luke losing it, and Jesse trying to explain the science. I tucked my shirt over Ava’s shoulder, buttoning enough to secure her modesty and fetching the panties she had thrown to the floor.
Micah watched in the doorway, seemingly unsure what to do with his packmates going at it.
Ava let out a sharp whine, all four of us freezing in place. “You’re stressing me out! It’s bad for the baby. Everyone not a bondmate, get out.”
“ Bondmate ?” Luke spat out the word. Jesse shoved him right out the door and closed it behind him, flipping the lock.
“We’ll talk about it later,” Jesse said through the door. “Go take a walk.”
He turned back to the two of us with a sigh and I couldn’t help but notice that he was very naked. Ava noticed too, her eyes fixed on him as he slipped on a pair of underwear from the dresser. “Sorry about him. He’s a hothead, but it won’t take him long to calm down. In theory.”
Ava burrowed against my chest, my purr coming to life at having her in my arms. “It’s okay, honey. We’re both right here.”
Jesse crowded her against me and kissed the top of her head. “I’m sorry, sweetness. I yelled a lot more than I should have.”
“I come from a really loud family,” Ava said softly. “I don’t like it.”
“I’ll tell him. Micah will get him sorted. Can I get you some breakfast?”
“I like breakfast.”
Jesse poked his head out into the hallway. “You guys still here?” Silence met his question. “All right, the place is ours for the moment.”
I got fully dressed in my suit again while Jesse made Ava and me scrambled eggs and toast. If it were my kitchen I’d be serving up eggs Benedict and fresh smoothies, but I wasn’t going to complain about Jesse’s offering. He didn’t have to make anything for me, but I appreciated that he did anyway.
“Do you have to go to work today?” Ava asked.
“I should, but I would rather stay with you.”
“I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
“You’re more important,” I insisted.
Jesse gave me what I read as a smile of approval.
“You should go to the conference,” Ava replied. “I shouldn’t keep you from your work, and I can see you when it’s over, right?”
“I don’t have to stay for the entire thing. I’m supposed to do some company networking so I need to be there until the evening, but you’re both more than welcome to come to the hotel, stay in my room, and order room service.”
She glanced at Jesse. “What are you doing today?”
“I’m supposed to have a shift in a couple of hours. I can call in, though.”
Ava pursed her lips. “I’ve already caused a big enough disruption in everyone’s lives. You don’t have to skip work for me.” She turned back to me. “I can come by the hotel when Jesse goes to work, but I don’t want to be anywhere I might run into Andrew. I’m not ready to see him.”
“Absolutely fair.” I didn’t want her to see him either.
“Is it terrible of me if I don’t want to talk to Luke right now? This feels like something he’s not going to cool down from.”
Jesse chewed his lip. “You’re not wrong. Maybe we should head over to the hotel before he gets back and he can work through his feelings for a while longer. I’ll let him know after we’ve left.”
“Do you know where my phone is?” Ava asked.
“Luke probably has it,” Jesse replied.
“Why?”
“Andrew’s been messaging and calling.”
Ava looked like she wasn’t entirely sure what to make of that, her expression flickering between hope and fury.
“You can have my phone,” I offered, pulling my personal phone from my pocket. “I’ll be fine with my work one for today.”
Ava’s face softened. “Thank you.”
I got her set up with access, adding her fingerprint ID and making sure she memorized the passcode in case that failed, and then passed the device to Jesse to add in his number.
We vacated the apartment before Luke and Micah returned. Jesse drove us to the hotel, where I quickly showered and changed into fresh clothes while Ava snuggled into the hotel bed, my discarded suit tucked between the pillows.
“Order anything you want,” I told her. “Call me if you need anything. I have to keep the phone on silent during panels, but I’ll check frequently.”
“I will.” She lifted her face expectantly and I bent down to kiss her sweet mouth, already regretting having to part with her, even if it was only for a few hours.
I waved goodbye to Jesse and indulged in one more Ava kiss. “Be a good girl today.”
She grinned. “I make no promises.”