21. Juliette
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
juliette
One second, I’m wrapped up in Wyatt’s arms in the shower. The next, I’m sitting at the bar in the kitchen, watching Beck teach our little girl how to make French toast while Wyatt brews a pot of coffee and Kash squeezes oranges for juice.
It’s all so normal …even if Kash is ignoring me and Wyatt keeps shooting me filthy looks that very clearly say he’s remembering me naked and can’t wait to get me that way again soon.
Now I get why Elliott is always smirking and West and Cadence swoon over what always seemed like the most mundane things. Those tiny moments are huge if you’re with the right person. When you’re the focus of someone’s attention and love, it truly changes everything .
Case in point: two hot men working hard to prove, with every word and gesture, that I’m it for them.
If that isn’t enough to have me swooning, watching Beck with Charlotte damn near has my ovaries exploding.
He’s patient, gentle, loving, everything a daddy should be and more.
As he steps behind her—both of them in aprons—his much larger body dwarfing hers as he supports her hand so she can flip the toast, my heart feels bigger than my whole damn chest can accommodate.
Tears well up at the sheer magnitude of my feelings, and it’s pointless to try to stop the spillage.
Quietly, I head for the bathroom to take a second to get myself under control.
Walking over to the sink, I splash a little cold water on my face in an attempt to cool my heated cheeks.
This is my every dream come true, yet there’s terror skimming just beneath the surface.
Putting my entire world into someone else’s hands is one of the single biggest risks I’ve ever taken, and that’s sayin’ a lot for a woman who has done some really risky shit.
“Hey. Everything okay?” Beck’s voice murmurs from the doorway.
Meeting his worried eyes in the mirror, I nod, worried I’ll lose it all over again if I try to speak.
He must see it written all over my face because suddenly he’s there, spinnin’ me around and tuggin’ me into his arms. I hold him to me like his touch alone can heal all of the broken pieces that I’ve held together for so long on my own.
“Did I do something wrong?” he whispers against my hair.
“No,” I choke out. “It’s just…more than I ever could’ve hoped for. Charlotte deserves this.”
He pulls back, cupping both sides of my face. “You deserve this too, little mama. I’m just so damn sorry it took me this long to make it up to the both of you.”
His lips are tender when they press into mine, a deep purr rumbling his chest, and for a long moment, I simply let him comfort me. I didn’t realize how badly I needed this until right this moment. Just an Omega being soothed by her Alpha. Now, I finally understand the appeal.
“C’mon. Kash took over with Charlotte, and I don’t trust him not to burn breakfast.”
A chuckle escapes. “He never was very good in the kitchen. His grandma, God rest her soul, had so much patience with us any time we’d ask to help her. One time, Kash burned pasta.”
Beck smiles, smoothing hair off my damp cheeks. “How in the hell did he do that?”
“We wanted to make dinner for his grandparents, and we thought spaghetti would be easy. Sauce in a jar was simple enough for me, but when it came to the noodles, Kash didn’t fare as well. Forgot to put water in the pot. They ended up ordering us all pizza instead.”
His laugh sparks my own, and for a second, everything that’s going right and all the rest that could go wrong are forgotten.
“How old were you?”
“I was nine, and Kash was eleven.”
“He doesn’t ever talk about those years.”
I bite my bottom lip, glancing at the door like I can see the man beyond. My voice is a mere whisper when I say, “Because I hurt him despite thinkin’ I was protectin’ him.”
It’s the first time I can really look back at those years and see it clearly without my own hurt clouding my view.
Not only did I not have a choice, but I was worried about what my father might do to Kash if I disobeyed.
Of course, he would never hurt him physically, but when it came to his only daughter and the child of the man he despised, he’d go to great lengths to ensure we were far out of each other’s reach by any means necessary.
“Have you tried talking to him? Explainin’ your side of things?”
A harsh laugh slips out. “We’re like fire and gasoline. Any time we get too close to each other, there’s a risk of getting burned.”
Beck’s hand slides along my jaw. “You just spent twenty minutes in the same room, and the house is still standin’.”
My lips part as I realize, with some shock, that he’s right. And hadn’t I already decided a talk was long overdue?
“Just remember, things change. We grow older, if not always wiser, and sometimes it takes a different set of circumstances to alter how we see things. Give him another chance. If not for you, then for our little girl who’s already claimed him for herself.”
His words pack a powerful punch. Hearing him so easily claim our daughter, then in the next breath admit what I’d already come to realize—Charlotte may love her daddy and Wyatt, but she’s formed a connection with Kash that I would be cruel to try to break.
I would never force her to do what my daddy did all those years ago. She’s free to explore her connections with all of the guys, even Kash, regardless of where I stand with him.
“Okay. I’ll try.”
He leans down, brushing his lips against my forehead before he pulls back and stares down at me with a hint of apprehension in his eyes. “Need you to know that you’re mine, little mama. From now ‘til forever. No matter what comes our way.”
My heart is pounding in my chest. In the grand scheme of things, I’ve known these men all of a few days, yet I’m already so deeply in love that it’s terrifying. I could hold back those words, but what would be the point? He deserves to hear them just as much as Wyatt did earlier.
“I love you, handsome,” I murmur, my bottom lip only trembling slightly. “I just needed to tell you that. I?—”
His eyes flash and his nostrils flare. In seconds, I’m lifted into his arms and squeezed against his broad chest while his lips smash down on mine. Both of his hands splay out against my back, his heart thumping rapidly against my chest. When he withdraws, his smile is slow and sensual.
“I love you so much, little mama. I knew from the moment I sat down next to you in that bar that you were meant to be mine, and I’m so goddamn grateful I’ve been given this second chance to be yours.”
His lips take mine again in a bruising kiss that has my toes curling and my whine rushing from my throat.
“I want nothin’ more than to be inside you right now, but that will have to wait until I can cajole my brother into occupying our daughter for a bit. Not that it will take much.”
I grin, pressing another brief kiss against his lips before he reluctantly sets me down. His hands grip my hips as his eyes trace over the freckles on my face. If we don’t get out of this room right now, I’ll no doubt give in and let him fuck me right here against the bathroom counter.
“C’mon, handsome. I’ll make the wait worth your while.”
His soft moan makes me clench my thighs together. “I’ll hold you to that. Now, let’s go salvage breakfast.”
I giggle. “Definitely, because I’m starved.”
He leads us out of the bathroom and down the hall to the kitchen where Charlotte’s stern voice reaches us.
“No, Mr. Kash. You have to flip it…” Charlotte holds Kash’s much larger hand, helping the Alpha turn the toast over on the pan. “Like that. Good job.”
“What would I do without you, jelly bean?”
Her little hands go to her hips. “You’d have burned the toast like the last one.”
His laughter fills the room, and my belly tumbles into a free fall. Her scent is more vanilla than tart apple, and mixed with his stronger espresso, it creates a combination that is stirring up something strong inside me.
“Then it’s a good thing I’ve got you here now, huh?”
She turns, staring up at him despite her place on the top step of the stool. “You’ll always have me because Daddy says we’ll be pack even if you don’t bond my mama.”
My gasp is ridiculously loud in the quiet of the moment that follows my little girl's statement, drawing the attention of the two people in front of the stove. Kash’s shocked eyes meet mine, and for a moment, no one says a word.
He takes in my face, no doubt still slightly flushed from earlier, then his gaze dips to my lips which are puffy from Beck’s kiss.
They linger there a moment before quickly darting back up to my eyes.
His pheromones flit through the air, hitting my nose, and I’m forced to swallow down a whimper.
“Is the food done yet?” Wyatt asks, breaking the tension as he walks into the room carrying an extra chair he must’ve grabbed from the small office down the hall.
Kash spins around, breaking the contact, and quickly pulls the toast off the griddle. “Yeah, this was the last one. Why don’t you help me carry everything over to the table?”
Beck guides me over to a seat, pulling out my chair and gently sliding it in, before he leans down and presses his lips against my ear.
“Exactly what I said. Things change, little mama.”
He straightens and takes his seat as his words whirl through my head. I had to have imagined whatever the hell that just was, right? Surely, Kash wouldn’t be looking at me with what looked a hell of a lot like longing .
No. Nope. Not possible. He hates me.
My cell phone rings, jarring me out of all the confusing thoughts assaulting me. When I see Daddy’s name flashes across the screen, I stare at it for a long moment, dread building.
“What is it, hotshot?” Wyatt asks as he sits across from us, setting down a stack of plates.
“It’s my father,” I murmur, still holding the phone like it’s a bomb ready to detonate.
“Answer it.” Kash’s voice surprises me, and when I look up, I watch as he gets Charlotte settled into a chair with a pillow under her since we don’t have a booster over here. “We already know what this is going to be about. Might as well get it over with.”
He’s right, of course, but still, I hesitate. Then Beck’s hand gently lands on my thigh, a reassuring presence that grounds me.
“He’s right, Jules.”
With a deep sigh, I tap the button, putting it on speaker.
Does not facing him alone make me a coward?
No, bitch. It makes you smart, Elliott’s voice murmurs in my head.
“Hi, Daddy. How’s the trip goin’?”
“Don’t play innocent with me, Juliette Rosemary Callahan!
” he barks, making me flinch. Beck’s grip just tightens on my knee, reaffirming that he’s right here with me.
“We cut our trip short because I believe you have some explainin’ to do, young lady.
Meet me at the house. Your mama and I are fifteen minutes out. ”
It’s like I’m that little girl again, listening to her daddy’s orders without thought or question.
Except I’m not. I’m a grown-ass woman. A mother.
An Omega with a pack —even if it’s not official yet.
With all the shit I’ve recently discovered on replay, I push my shoulders back and take a deep, even breath before I exhale.
“We’re actually in the middle of breakfast right now. How about we come over after we finish and clean up? I can’t wait to introduce you to my new pack.”
A growl slips down the line, echoing in the silence of the small dining area.
Charlotte’s shoulders droop at the Alpha’s aggression, but before I can snap at my father, Kash is there, slipping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his side.
Her arms go around his waist, and she buries her face into his shirt.
Things change, indeed.
“Mason, really,” Mama chides. “Stop acting like a neanderthal. Juliette, that sounds great, honey bun. Enjoy your breakfast, and we’ll see you soon. Can’t wait to meet these boys I’ve heard so much about.”
“Thanks, Mama. See you in a little bit.”
Before Daddy can get another word in, I hang up the phone, my eyes darting to Beck’s then Wyatt’s. “Look, you don’t have to?—”
“Don’t even finish that sentence, little mama,” Beck drawls.
“My brother’s right, Jules. We already agreed we’re doing this. It’s time we meet your parents and grandmother.”
“I’m going with,” Kash says, placing a quick kiss on the top of Charlotte’s head.
My stunned gaze flies to his. “Do you really think that’s wise?”
His jaw muscles clench, but he gives me a small nod. “I’m not letting my pack go alone. Your father needs to understand we’re a unit, even if…” His gaze falls to Charlotte, then back to me. “Even if you won’t wear my bite. But don’t worry. I can handle Mason. Compared to Jack, he’s a cuddly koala.”
“Better they see right from the start how this thing is going to go and get used to the idea, because now that we have you, I won’t be waitin’ long to claim you as mine . Hope you know that, little mama.”
How has this become my life?
Welcome to love and the shit storm it brings with it, sweetie , Elle’s mocking voice says.
If we make it through the next few hours unscathed, I’m going to need some sangria and girl time stat.
Too much has happened in the last few days, and I need to unload it all within the safety of our group chat so my friends can assure me that this is real life and I haven’t fallen into one whopping immersive hallucination.