Chapter 35
“ T hanks for coming with me.”
“Are you kidding me?” Ava grinned. “I am always down to lovingly fuck with Luke.”
Ava was too cute. Micah had let me borrow his car for our errand and Ava was wiggling happily in the front seat.
“Do you know what his favorite color is?”
“Blue, last time I checked,” she replied. “How obnoxious are we going?”
“I briefly contemplated a neon orange car,” I said. “Seems less mean if we get him something in his favorite color and then we can get a stupid license plate, maybe some ridiculous bumper stickers or seat covers.”
“And fuzzy dice for the mirror,” she added.
Our errand had a practical side on top of getting Luke a new vehicle since he was the only one of our pack who had never had one brand new. With the baby so close, we needed a vehicle that would fit all of us, so we were on the quest for a van that would work for us for at least a couple of years.
I helped Ava out when we arrived at the dealership and she waddled at my side into the building where an enthusiastic petite omega approached us. “Hello and welcome. My name is Lynn. What can I help you with today?”
“We need a pack family vehicle and a personal car.”
“Absolutely. Come have a seat and tell me what features you need. I’ll see what we have available.”
That part didn’t take too long and soon Lynn was showing us around the stock in the parking lot. We knocked several off the list immediately when Ava had too much difficulty getting in and out, but Lynn pivoted and found some that were easier for my omega to navigate. Once Ava had made her selections on the van, we switched over to Luke’s car.
“It has to be ostentatious,” said Ava. “Something that would turn a head if you saw it going down the road.”
The shimmering primary blue Mercedes they had in stock had Ava’s eyes gleaming. It was a bit on the cheap end for what I would’ve picked out for myself, but I was pretty sure Luke might’ve fainted if we rolled up with a Lamborghini for him.
Luke was bigger than I was, both in bulk and height, so I made sure everything was roomy for me. They had a whole line designed specifically for alphas, and I was pretty sure this one would suit him just fine.
Ava was giggling at her phone.
“What are you up to?”
She turned the screen toward me, where she was busy customizing a seat cover that had Ava’s Alpha emblazoned on it in electric blue embroidery. She opened up another tab and showed me a bumper sticker she had designed online that read Bryce Is The Coolest .
I choked on a laugh. “He’s going to hate that sticker so much.”
“That’s the best part!”
“I had no idea you were secretly a menace.”
“The more comfortable I get, the brattier I become. Prepare yourself now.”
“Noted.” I swept her into a kiss, caramel nuttiness bathing my tongue. “Anything else you want to get? I can get you a car today too, if you want.”
“I’m okay. I’m kind of enjoying the passenger princess lifestyle while being this pregnant. We should definitely order car seats for all the vehicles, though.”
“I already did that last night. I found one where you can get multiple bases so we can have those installed in every vehicle. The carrier itself is removable and also converts into a stroller.”
“That’s so fancy. I was just gonna order, like, six carriers.”
“We can definitely have some extras on hand as backup, but this seemed like the easiest option.”
Ava snuggled up against me. “Thanks for being such a good alpha, Bryce.” She kissed me sweetly. “The best alpha, honestly. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t been such a wonderful person from the start.”
Her words warmed me down to my toes. I’d been craving unattainable approval for so long it was a whole system shock when I finally got it from another source. My beautiful omega thought I was a good alpha. That was something new I could strive for: being the best alpha, partner, packmate, and eventually father I could be.
“I have to be the best alpha for the best omega.”
Her face scrunched up adorably. “I don’t think I’m the best omega. Maybe the best chaos bringer.”
“Pretty sure your alphas get to decide if you’re the best omega, and I’ve decided. No arguments allowed.” I tapped the tip of her nose with my finger to undo the scrunch and stole myself another kiss. “Have you decided what you want for a push present?”
“I get a push present? I have no idea. What do people normally get?”
“Jewelry, cars, trips. Anything you want is probably within my means to get.”
“Oh. How about something with the pack birthstones and one for the baby?”
“That can definitely be arranged. Are you giving me free rein on the design or do you want something specific?”
“You pick.”
With that and the vehicles squared away, I took Ava for lunch at the Paris hotel. She stilled outside of it when she realized where we were.
“Something wrong?”
“Andrew and I had reservations here the night everything exploded.”
“I can cancel them and we can go somewhere else.”
Ava shook her head. “I’m not going to let him ruin it. I’ve been wanting to try their crème br?lée forever.”
Once we were inside, amid the lustrous decor, we ordered a few appetizers so Ava could graze without the pressure of a full meal. She told me all about her life growing up, Nathan and Luke being part of her earliest memories. She talked about her mother’s terrible choices in men and how frustrating it could be to have a parent who went all out for everyone around them but wouldn’t put that same energy into their own children.
“Don’t get me wrong, I am so glad that Luke was able to lean on her as a mom figure, but I always wondered where that person was when I needed her.”
“I unfortunately feel the same about my own father. He would make time for all his business contacts, all his friends who are of the same echelon, but do you think he came to any of my school plays, track meets?”
“I’m gonna guess no.”
“Meetings and colleagues always seemed to need him more than I did.”
“I’m sorry he wasn’t the father you deserved. Let’s make a pact,” said Ava, extending her hand to me. “We’re gonna do better for our kids. Every single event: birthdays, recitals, doesn’t matter what. If it’s important to them, it’s important to us.”
I took her hand in mine and kissed her knuckles. “I would make that pact a thousand times over.”
The server fortuitously came over with Ava’s crème br?lée, a mountain of spun sugar sitting on top to disguise my surprise.
“It’s so pretty!” Ava set the spun sugar aside on the extra plate provided, her whole body freezing when she saw the gold ring with a glittering tanzanite sitting atop her dessert. Her gaze whipped between it and me several times. “Bryce…is that?”
“An engagement ring? Yep.”
“But we’re already bonded.”
“I want to do things right, Ava. I want you to know you’re chosen . And I want you to choose me, too.”
Tears slipped over her cheeks and she shakily held out her hand.
“I haven’t even properly asked yet.” I laughed quietly. “Ava Malone, I love you. Will you be my wife as well as my bondmate?”
“Y-yes!” It burst out of her like a firework, joy radiating through the bond. “Oh my god. I love you too.”
She was so beautiful, her smile bright and her scent sweet as I slipped the gold onto her finger.
“What’s the stone? Not a diamond?”
“I can get it changed,” I offered immediately.
“No, no, it’s beautiful. There’s so many shades of blue and purple.”
“It’s tanzanite. I know diamonds are more traditional, but we’re not exactly a traditional pack. I thought something with more color would suit you better, plus it’s actually rarer than diamond.”
“I love it.” She turned her hand in the dim light, the stone catching the light as she examined it.
“I got these too.” I slid the velvet box toward her that contained a set of gold bands, all our names engraved on the insides. “I wanted to have them on hand, for if the others asked you when they were ready, or if you wanted to ask them.”
“These are so cute.” She plucked one out. “Bryce, these are perfect. Can I put yours on you?”
“Of course you can.” I held out my left hand, adoring her little giggle when she slipped it onto my finger and kissed my knuckle just above it.
“Do the others know you were planning to ask me?”
“We had a conversation this morning while we made breakfast before you were awake.”
“And they’re all cool with it? Even Luke?”
I barked a laugh. “Micah and Jesse were totally fine with me asking. Luke wasn’t over the moon or anything, but he knows I love you, and he wants you to have anything that makes you happy.”
“Sounds like Luke.” Ava laughed. “Could I have the rings? I think I’d like to ask them myself when it feels right.”
“You absolutely can. You’re ready for that with all of them?”
Ava fell silent for a moment, staring at her ring. “I never thought I would be able to love anyone else after Andrew ripped out my heart, but you’re all proving me wrong on that front. I think it would be difficult not to fall for every one of you. I’m not brave enough myself to be popping the question to the others tonight, but I’m pretty sure I would say yes if they asked.” She curled her fingers around mine. “We’re building an amazing life together and I’m more than happy to commit to that even without the bond. I’ve soaked up more love since meeting you than I think I did my whole life before that. I’m just glad you feel it too, that I’ve given you enough hope that you wanted to ask me.”
She sniffled and took a moment to whack through the sugar topping of her crème br?lée as if to give herself time to think. That was completely abandoned when the first spoonful passed through her lips, her eyes widening.
“Is it good?”
“I never want to eat anything else,” she said with a laugh before offering a bite to me.
We worked through the dessert, talking quietly while she alternated her own bites with feeding me tastes.
“Thank you for taking me out today.” Ava snuggled at my side as we made our way back to the car.
“You’re more than welcome.”
“Want me to stand in front of you when Luke sees the bumper stickers we ordered for his car?”
I laughed. “Maybe let’s not tell him until his car gets delivered.”
“Spoilsport.”
“You’re going to keep life very interesting, aren’t you?”
Her enormous grin was all the answer I needed. I didn’t care what chaos ever made its way into our lives; Ava was it for me and I could only thank every god I’d ever heard of that she felt the same.