18. Bea
“I’m home.” Phoenix’s voice rang out as she walked inside. I didn’t know if it was the hormones or being separated for two days, but I rushed forward, crushing her in a hug.
The guys were right behind me, giving her their own hugs when we pulled away. Her face was beet red and she looked uncomfortable, but I could see that she was also pleased.
“I’m so sorry that you had to go through any of that, and I’m sorry if I freaked you out,” I started, but she cut me off.
“Aunt Bea, it’s fine,” she promised. “I’m glad that you’re doing better, and I’m glad you had them to help.”
“We also made sure that the house was safe. You have nothing to worry about,” Corvin promised. “We’ll walk you through all the new stuff later, but I think Apollo has something to show you.”
That piqued my niece’s curiosity, her eyes lighting up. “A surprise for me?”
“Exactly,” Apollo said. “Come on. Your aunt helped me get everything ready.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” she said softly, shifting on her feet, battling herself.
“You act like this is your first surprise,” he teased, but when she didn’t smile, reality crashed in. This was her first real surprise. Her mom never would’ve given her something like this.
She’d blame it on screens ruining their generation, but really it was because she was too cheap to buy her daughter anything that didn’t benefit herself. Even though my sister certainly grew up with plenty of what she denied her own daughter.
Phoenix’s reaction to the music programs and new laptop was everything. I don’t think I’d ever heard her scream like that before.
“We’ve got a few things to set up downstairs. I’ll leave you guys to it,” I teased, slipping out of the room to help Ezra and Corvin finish setting up movie night.
Ezra had suggested a projector, and they’d found the perfect one.
The pack hadn’t been in our lives for very long, but already, I could see their marks on the house as I walked through it.
Their shoes were stacked neatly in the entry and someone’s hoodie hung on the hooks. A book was discarded on the coffee table and there were more mugs in the sink.
It was strange how much I liked it.
They even brought extra patio furniture so we had a place to spend our evenings together.
Honestly, everything about shopping yesterday and setting it all up today just proved to me that I’d made the right choice in trusting them. They were exactly who they said they were and proved it every second I spent with them.
I peeked my head out to see Corvin and Ezra making sure the projector was working. They’d installed a pull-down screen on the patio so it wouldn’t have to be a one-time thing.
Not wanting to interrupt them, I closed the door gently to give them time to finish up while I headed for the kitchen.
Apollo might’ve said he didn’t love popcorn, but I couldn’t get enough of it lately. Apparently, the baby really liked the mix of salty and sweet, though, so I opted for kettle corn this time.
After that, I grabbed down a couple boxes of brownie mix, knowing they were Phoenix’s favorite.
I whipped them up and popped them in the oven, before getting a small charcuterie board ready as well.
When everything was ready, I plated it up and carried it out to the patio table. That got my alpha’s attention, and he rushed after me, making sure I didn’t carry anything else alone.
Nobody talked about how strange it was to go from being independent to having your pack demand to take care of everything for you.
“Come on omega, let’s not stress out your alpha by trying to help,” Ezra teased as he led me over to one of the seats. He helped me settle into it before tucking a blanket around me.
Soon, I found a bowl of popcorn in my lap and a water nearby.
When Apollo and Phoenix joined us, they let her pick out the movie. She didn’t hold herself back anymore, arguing with them about genres and what she should be allowed to see.
My heart was exploding in my chest watching them together. It felt natural, like this was always meant to be.
That day her mom left her with me changed me forever.
Phoenix was now just as much my baby as the one growing inside of me. I loved her so much that my chest ached, and as dramatic as that sounded, it was the truth.
“You better not teach your sister to give me this much trouble,” I said as she argued that a three-hour movie and staying up late was fine.
Phoenix turned to me, her eyes wide. “A sister?”
“Our baby is a girl?” Corvin asked with wide eyes.
Ezra and Apollo just gawked at me.
“What? Maybe? I just have a feeling, but we can find out when the baby is formed enough,” I scrambled to explain.
That defeated them all but that wasn’t my intent.
“So, IT?” Phoenix questioned, changing the subject to save me.
“Umm,” I added with a dramatic sigh. “I guess we can.”
It took her a second to recover, but I think it was finally starting to sink in that I meant what I said, and so did they. She was ours and she always would be.
Phoenix would have a home with us for as long as she needed one.
I was just starting to think I took it too far when she let out a laugh.
“Oh yeah, baby and I are going to keep you on your toes,” she said with a wide smile. “We have to keep our parents in line, right?”
“Exactly,” Apollo said. “I would expect nothing less.”
Phoenix leaned in closer to me as the movie started. “I’m glad we decided to keep them,” she whispered.
“Me, too,” I agreed easily. There were no lingering doubts anymore. They’d chased them all away.
The guys worked hard not to look too eager in front of our teenager, but they’d heard every word. Their proud smiles were too big to be hidden.
They should be proud. Not only had they won me over, they’d won her over. That was more important than anything.
I lost myself in the fast-paced action movie they chose. Apparently, Phoenix wasn’t the rom-com type, which didn’t really surprise me.
When I glanced over, she had slumped to the side, her head resting against Ezra. He tucked a blanket around her and caught me looking, his eyes full of love.
“Should I take her upstairs?” he whispered.
“Yes,” I answered, watching as he shifted her slightly, somehow managing not to wake her before scooping her into his arms. Corvin was on his feet, opening doors and leading the way.
It was dangerous how quickly I was falling for this pack, how easily they showed me that I could rely on them and trust them with some of the most precious people in my life.
They treated my friends like family. They treated my niece like their own, and I knew they were going to be incredible fathers once this baby was finally in our arms.
When Ezra came back down, he took Phoenix’s seat so he was closer to me, and we finished out the movie. I was too invested to stop now.
When it finished, the guys quietly stood and cleaned up. They truly were a well-oiled machine, working together every step of the way, no matter the task.
I almost wanted to see them in action at work. If fires didn’t scare me so much, I might’ve just popped into the firehouse to watch them clean trucks.
Though, I had a feeling my alpha would have thoughts about that if there were other firefighters right alongside them. Shirtless, at that.
Maybe I should recruit the besties and we could have one hell of a lineup for promotional videos if they were willing.
“I wanted to talk to you about something,” Corvin said.
“Okay,” I said, not letting worry take over this time. That was a feat in itself, it was almost second-nature now.
“We didn’t get a chance to court you in the traditional sense. Things happened fast between your heat, then the pregnancy, and your sister throwing your life into chaos, but we think you deserve it nonetheless.”
“So, all the stuff you did to spoil my niece yesterday and me today, none of that had anything to do with courting?” I joked.
“Nope,” Apollo said. “Doesn’t count. That was necessary.”
I shook my head but motioned for him to go on. “Okay, so what did you have in mind?”
“Well, to start with, I want dates. Individual and pack dates,” he said.
“You won’t find me complaining,” I replied.
“As long as someone’s here to watch Phoenix, I’m fine with it.
I know she’s getting older and will demand she doesn’t need a babysitter, but for the time being we have to.
At least until the situation with Cameron is cleared up, I can’t risk leaving her alone. ”
“Oh, I agree,” Corvin said. “We’ll coordinate with your friends. She and Dani have been close.”
They have, and I loved Dani for it. It felt like she’d taken my niece under her wing as a crazy aunt, the kind that was loving and sweet but also wasn’t afraid to push her out of her comfort zone. It was exactly what Phoenix needed.
Plus, she loved their baby like they were related.
I think it was finally starting to sink in that this family wasn’t temporary, for either of us.
“Then you know I’m in. We can make plans tomorrow. I’m exhausted, and I think my omega really needs us all to sleep in my nest tonight,” I admitted.
Really, it was selfish. I needed their scents in my nest. I’d set it up and even gotten a few things when we went shopping yesterday, but it didn’t feel right yet. I had a feeling the missing piece was them.
“Your wish is our command, siren,” Corvin promised, scooping me up and snuggling me close.
I wrapped my hands around his neck, gasping as I clung tighter. His eyes were serious when they locked onto mine. “I would never let you fall. I’ve always got you, omega.”
My stomach swooped at his words. I knew he meant every single one.
We made our way upstairs after Corvin demanded the others lock all the doors, check the windows, and set the security system.
I was the first in the nest, lying down in the middle, and they effortlessly nestled themselves around me. Our combined smoky, woody, and sweet scents mixed together, and my omega finally settled.
This was exactly what we needed.
It was strange how just being close to my pack made it feel like I could breathe easier, like nothing could possibly get to me here.
I might change my mind further down the road. I liked my independence, and I didn’t want to stop going to work just because Cameron had shown his ugly face again.
But at the moment, none of that mattered.
All that mattered was that my nest smelled like my pack, my niece was tucked into her bed just a few rooms away, and nothing could get past the security they’d provided for us.
It would be easy to get addicted to them. I just hoped Cameron didn’t try and rip it away.