Chapter 17
I t was beautiful . Twice the size of the home I’d grown up in, immaculately clean, well-designed, and absolutely perfect. The omega suite was cozy but still spacious with a bathroom dreams were made of and a tiny kitchenette so we wouldn’t have to go far during my heats.
It was weird to think about moving in with these men so quickly, but Luke was right. We didn’t have the luxury of time with me sliding into the third trimester. Now that the dust from all the chaos was starting to settle, we needed to make actual plans. A home that comfortably fit all of us and was designed for an omega seemed like a good place to start.
The realtor hovered nearby, answering the pack’s questions while I snooped. Part of me wished we were moved in already so I could float in the pool and take some of the baby weight off my hips.
“Do you like it?” Luke asked.
“I love it.”
His shoulders relaxed. “Good. I was pretty sure you would, but nice to have that confirmed.”
Bryce appeared at my side. “Want me to put in an offer?”
“We need to talk to the bank about getting approved,” Luke told him.
“I can buy it outright,” Bryce replied.
I was pretty sure Luke muttered, “Of course you can,” but it was too quiet to tell for certain.
“If the others are happy with it, I think it could be a nice home for us,” I said. “I’m not sure how I feel about you putting out that much money, though.”
“My money is your money, and we both need a place to live,” Bryce pointed out. “I’m going to be selling my place in New York.”
“Giving up on the city entirely?” Luke asked.
“I would buy or rent something new if we ever wanted to go back. My current place isn’t designed for the life I have now.”
I chewed my lip. “If you’re sure. I really like the house and I know if I wait much longer I’m gonna go stir-crazy trying to put down roots during pregnancy nesting.”
“I’ll take care of it,” Bryce promised.
Tension flowed out of my body. I hadn’t realized how much of it I was holding, but knowing we would have a comfortable home was exactly what I needed right now.
While Luke and Bryce discussed with the realtor, Jesse and Micah stole me away to give the other rooms a closer look.
“Are you okay with the company packing up your old apartment?” Jesse asked.
“Most of it is already packed, but I was hoping to spend a bit of time with my mom before my original move date.”
“We all have extremely free schedules.” Jesse laughed. “Why don’t we fly out to San Jose, get your apartment sorted, and meet your mom, if you want us to.”
That wasn’t a conversation I was particularly excited for, but I would have to tell her sooner or later that I was scent matched and staying in Vegas.
“She really liked Andrew, but I do need to tell her that all of you exist.”
“Your mother has terrible taste.” Micah swung his arm over my shoulders.
“Don’t I know it.”
Less than a week later, we had touched down in San Jose. I gave the alphas my apartment key, trusting that they could handle the rest of the packing while I warmed up Mom to the idea of my future without Andrew. Once I had accomplished that, I would convince her to a dinner so I could introduce everyone, but until then I had to face that beast alone.
Bryce dropped me off in their rental car, but I made him park out of sight of the house, waving to him when I heard Mom unlocking the front door.
I held my breath as I stepped inside.
Mom met me in the entryway, chatting away as she drew me into the kitchen, getting me a glass of water, and offering a container of sliced fruit while she launched into updates on the lives of people I’d gone to high school with, even though I couldn’t care less about what they were doing. This happened almost every visit, and I’d just let her talk herself out and fulfill her need for gossip.
“Not to interrupt, but could we sit down for a bit? My feet are starting to hurt.”
“Of course.” She led me around the corner and into the living room, where I froze in place. “Ava, honey, you’ll never guess who came for a visit.”
Why the fuck was Andrew in my mom’s house? Why hadn’t she told me as soon as I arrived? I hoped against hope that she hadn’t been deliberately stalling me until my ride had gone too far away for me to walk out.
“Ava, don’t be rude,” Mom chided. “Andrew flew all the way here to see you. Say hello. We’re all going to have a nice meal together and sort out this mess.”
I ignored her statement. “What are you doing here?”
“You wouldn’t answer my messages, but luckily your mother answered the phone. I had to know you were safe and she told me you were visiting this week.”
“ Mom .”
“Honey, Andrew is the father of your child. Don’t be ridiculous. He’s offered to form a pack with you, just like I told you he would.”
“No.” I stepped back. “I don’t want to form a pack with him.”
“I told my wife all about you and she’s more than happy to welcome you into our family,” Andrew said, though I didn’t believe a word of it. “Come back to New York with me like we planned.”
I shook my head, taking another step back, my heart trying to pound through my ribs. “No.”
“Ava, you’re being unreasonable.” Mom pushed me toward him. “He can take care of you and the baby, and we both know you can’t do that on your own.”
My growl surprised all of us. Mom’s mouth dropped open, but Andrew’s eyes narrowed dangerously.
“I’m leaving.” I turned on my heel, but Andrew’s hand wrapped around my upper arm with a bruising grip.
“I came all this way. The least you can do is hear me out.”
“You lied to me our entire relationship. I don’t owe you anything.”
“You’re being unnecessarily contrary. You would do well with a pack. They form like this all the time.”
“This is not how packs are supposed to form. Everyone should know who’s involved.”
“And now everyone does. Let me take care of you and our child.”
I hissed, trying to struggle out of his grip, but then Mom was there too, trying to calm me down. Panic blistered through me, charring my throat, and sending my heart into overdrive. “Let me go!”
My phone rang, but I couldn’t reach it to answer.
“Honey, just sit down. Stress isn’t good for the baby. We need to talk about your future with Andrew’s pack.”
Another call came through, my phone frantically buzzing.
“I already have a pack,” I screeched.
Both of them stilled.
“What on earth do you mean you already have a pack?” Mom asked. “When did that happen? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Andrew’s growl nearly stopped my heart. “Were you cheating on me?”
I almost burst out laughing at the irony, but terror kept me from it. “I went into heat and bonded two alphas.”
Andrew gaped. “Into heat? How?”
“I don’t know how. They said it’s common in unbonded pregnant omegas, and you never wanted to bond me so when I found my scent matches it triggered.”
“Scent matches?” Mom gasped.
“I don’t want anything to do with Andrew and his lies. I only came here to spend time with you before I move permanently to Vegas with them.”
“You can’t move to Vegas. How will I ever see you?” Mom frowned.
She hadn’t been worried about that when I’d been planning to move clear across the country. At least Vegas was a cheap flight or a one-day drive from here.
I managed to wrestle out of their grip and slammed the bathroom door shut behind me, locking it before they could push it open. My mom apparently didn’t give a shit how Andrew had treated me and I couldn’t rely on her to get out of this situation safely. I pulled out my phone with shaking fingers, seeing a handful of missed calls from Bryce and Jesse. I tapped the first notification and it called right back to Bryce.
“He’s here,” I whisper-hissed. “Help!”
“Lawson is there? Shit. Okay. Jesse and I felt you through the bond and we’re already on our way. Are you safe?”
I bit down on a whine and pulled open one of the drawers beneath the sink to block the door further. Nathan and I had always used it in lieu of a lock as needed growing up. “I locked myself in the bathroom. Mom invited him.”
“Stay in there. We’re less than five minutes away now. Stay on the call with me.”
“Okay.” Tears slipped over my cheeks. I sat down on the edge of the bathtub, staring at the door like it might burst open at any second.
“Ava, come out,” Andrew demanded.
I put my phone on mute so I didn’t accidentally deafen Bryce when I yelled back, “No! Go away.”
“You can’t seriously think a pack is going to take care of our baby. They’re going to want their own blood, not some little bastard you’re bringing with you. They might say they want you right now, but we both know that’s going to change when a baby’s around. You’re smart enough to know they’ll say whatever they need to so you’ll climb into bed with them. And you did that, didn’t you? A few pretty words and you gave them exactly what they were hoping for.”
I hadn’t realized how strong of a worry that was until it flashed hot and cold through my body. Fear sat like a burning ember in my chest.
“They won’t be like that. They aren’t like that.”
“My wife can’t have any more children. Let me take the baby and you can start fresh.”
I wrapped my arms protectively around my bump. “The baby is mine. You can’t have them.”
“Honey, he’s right,” Mom said through the door. “Don’t you remember how every man I tried to date disappeared as soon as they found out about you and Nathan?”
I refused to acknowledge the statement. I had to believe that my pack were better people.
I pressed my palms over my ears so I couldn’t hear anything else they were saying, just trying to breathe until my pack arrived to get me out of here. I would never be able to forgive my mother. I couldn’t trust her with my safety or the safety of my child if she still thought that Andrew was an ideal choice.
They kept knocking, their fists pounding against the door, and my panic spiraled higher and higher. Dizziness overwhelmed me and I had to brace myself against the sink. Luckily the bathroom was small, so the walls were close if I actually fell. They went silent, my nerves raw as the quiet felt oppressively loud after all their fuss.
My phone buzzed and I only noticed because the screen lit up.
Luke:
We’re here
Is the front door unlocked?
I’ll break through a window if I have to
Ava:
I’ll let you in
I listened carefully at the door and didn’t hear anyone directly outside it. I closed the drawer as quietly as I could and rotated the doorknob slowly so they wouldn’t hear the lock click. Peeking out, I saw Mom and Andrew standing in the living room talking. I couldn’t move very quickly, but I took my chance, flinging open the door and hustling to pop open the deadbolt.
Andrew dragged me back. “Don’t run off!”
The front door burst open, my pack forcing their way in.
“Take your hands off her right fucking now.” Luke growled, moving in like a storm, shoving Andrew back and moving me behind him in his next motion. My pack formed a protective wall between me and Andrew, Jesse wrapping me into his arms while I shook, adrenaline still pouring through my system.
“Luke?” Mom gasped.
“Let’s go, sweetness.” Jesse ushered me outside and Andrew yelled after me.
“Don’t be stupid, Ava. You know what I said is true.”
It wasn’t.
It couldn’t be.
I sobbed down the walkway, listening to the shouting behind me. Once I was secured in the vehicle, the rest of the pack came tumbling out of my childhood home and barreled into the back seat, piling in on each other as Jesse tore down the street.
Bryce and Luke had wild eyes, and Micah looked furious.
“You okay, Aves?” Luke asked.
“No.”
I wasn’t. Not even a little bit. It wasn’t enough that Andrew had betrayed me, but now my mother had very clearly sided with him and I felt like I lost a whole new piece of myself.
I could only hope that the universe was done taking from me for a while.
My breathing was still erratic as I stroked a hand over my belly. They would love the baby. Wouldn’t they?
I couldn’t imagine what I would do if they didn’t. I closed my eyes and prayed that we could all be happy together, safe and loved. I had started to think that was a possibility, but now I wasn’t so sure.