Chapter 18 Before #2 – Connor #2
We sit there for a long time just enjoying the scenery, but this time it’s a companionable silence I know we both enjoy. After a while I hear her stomach rumble, making me laugh lightly. “How about we go to my parents for dinner since we’re so close?”
“That sounds good.” She knows my mom always makes enough and we’re there almost every Sunday for family dinner. It’ll just be a surprise going there during the week. Even so I text my mom the heads up we’re coming.
“Honey! Are you okay?” My mom immediately rushes to Thea as we come in.
I probably shouldn’t have given her the cliff notes version of what happened over text.
My mom has always been protective of Thea since they met.
Especially when Thea’s parents passed away within a year of each other around the time we finished college.
My parents made a point to make sure she knew they loved her as their own daughter no matter what.
It was of course not the same as her own parents, but I know Thea loves them like they’re her own parents.
“Come in, I’m making dinner now and tell me what happened,” she says as she walks into the kitchen, Thea and I following along. Thea looks at me pleadingly. I know she doesn’t want to rehash it herself, so I will.
“Mom, why don’t we wait until the dads are home and I’ll tell you all at once.” I give my mom a look and gesture to Thea behind her back.
My mom’s eyes soften and she murmurs, “Yes of course. Thea, can you help me with some of this?” I silently thank Mom for giving Thea something to do so she won’t ruminate in her head about today.
Time passes quickly and one by one my dads come home.
First my Papa, Mateo, an alpha who teaches engineering at a state university nearby.
He must not have an afternoon class since he got here early.
He greets my mom and Thea first before coming over to sit at the table with me.
While my mom and Thea cooked, I was doing a little bit of work on my phone.
“Mijo.” He claps me on the back as he gives me a hug. He begins to ask why we came over but I let him know we’ll talk once everyone’s here. I haven’t told my parents about the flowers or notes attached that she’s been getting. I think we both wanted it to just go away on some level.
My beta father, James, arrives next. He works in finance like I do. He’s followed shortly by my alpha dad, Max, no doubt coming home from the local gym he owns.
We all sit down pretty quickly and begin to eat when, of course, it’s my dad Max that asks, “Okay what’s going on? Did something happen?” He may very clearly be my bio dad based on how close we look alike but I definitely take after my other dads, especially when it comes to patience.
I quickly run through what’s been happening the last month since our boating trip and then what happened today with Thea’s boss.
“Why didn’t you mention this sooner?” Max asked with more of a hurt tone than I expected.
Thea looks to me. I know she’s still shaken from the day and likely wants to curl up in her nest at this point.
I sigh. “At first we thought it was a wrong delivery but the notes were specific and clearly for Thea. We both just wanted it to go away if her job would have stopped the deliveries.”
“I know you both are upset about how the company handled it but it’s ultimately not their fault,” James says.
I emit a low growl at that, which Mateo lightly slaps me upside the head before saying, “You do not growl at anyone seated at this table.” Despite his stern tone, Thea lets out a small laugh that seems to break some of the tension.
“You should report it to the police,” my mom suggests.
“We have nothing to go on; anyways I quit today so hopefully it’s the end of it,” Thea says suddenly.
My parents all exchange looks in the way parents seem to know how to do.
I wonder if I’ll be able to do that with my pack when we have kids.
I can’t wait to see Thea pregnant. I know she’ll look like even more of a Goddess than she already is.
“You should have a record of the timeline of events with the authorities in case anything else happens.” Max’s voice snaps me out of my ill-timed daydream.
“You’re right, but maybe we’ll wait in case it does stop.
If we receive another note or delivery we’ll report it,” I say, knowing it’s the right way to go.
My dads all nod and my mom gets up and hugs Thea tightly, saying something too low for me to hear but I don’t miss Thea’s little sniffles as she nods her head to whatever my mom is saying.
“Don’t worry honey, none of us will let anything happen to you,” Max says in his usual harsh tone but with a softened expression I only ever see when it’s my mom or Thea he’s addressing.
The rest of the night goes as well as it can; we talk about everything else but the stalker issue.
I hate even referring it as that in my head.
Thea needs this to be over with, I can only hope her leaving that trash company will end it.
She eventually ends up playing gin rummy with Mateo, which everyone but them hates.
I never get tired of seeing how at home my omega is with my parents.
“Stop staring,” my mom whispers as she sits next to me on the couch. Even at twenty-eight she can always make me feel like a kid being caught doing something wrong. “Don’t worry, it’ll be alright.”
“I really hope so. I just have a weird feeling I can’t shake and I’ve never felt so rattled as I did today hearing her panicked and not really being able to do anything to fix it,” I say quietly so Thea can’t hear.
“You showed up, were there for her when she needed you. You alphas always think you need to fix every problem or you failed your job,” she says and I don’t miss the side eye she gives my dad Max.
“Being there, as someone to rely on, in moments of need is just as important as ‘fixing’ the problem. Just continue what you’re doing, you can’t go wrong. ”
Other than when her parents passed away, we haven’t had anything serious come up until now.
Even when that happened, I remember feeling helpless, especially as a kid just out of college.
Well we both were, thank the Gods for my parents.
They really took the lead during all that and helped Thea work through her grief.
Her and Mateo would spend hours some days playing card games.
I think it helped distract her. I wanted so badly to bond her during that time, just to know how she was really feeling so I could help her better.
I told my dad, Max, that and he rightfully called me out on how bonding is serious and should be done from love and bonding during this time in Thea’s life could do more damage than good.
He may be the outwardly stern alpha but he really is sweet deep down.
My mom was probably the biggest help during that first year after college and their deaths.
We had lived with my parents during that time and she was likely sick of all the men in the house.
It was rare but there were a few times growing up that my mom would say something along those lines and then plan a weekend away with my aunts.
It was hilarious seeing my dads during that time.
They were like lost puppies. Wait. Am I like that with Thea?
We really haven’t been apart long especially since we started living together right after graduation.
I guess that’s a thought for another time. It’s time I got my omega home.
“Connor?” Thea says tentatively. We’re curled up in her nest for the night, she’s facing me, her head snuggled into my chest, our legs tangled together in the way we both love.
“Yeah, Sweetness?”
“I love you.” She pauses before continuing, “Will you bond me?”
I don’t mean to tense but I do and she feels it immediately and lets out a defeated sigh.
“I know, you want to wait until we find the rest of our pack. But what if it’s just us.
I don’t want to wait forever for something that may not happen and after today.
” She stops as if she can’t discuss the main issue even with me.
I move us enough so I can look at her. “I love you more than anything. I would’ve bonded you our first year of dating if my dads hadn’t talked some sense into me.
You’re right. We shouldn’t put something so important on hold for a maybe.
But I just know we have more pack members out there.
” I laugh. “I actually think we’re gonna end up with a big pack.
You deserve all the love in the world and I want you to have it.
Bonding at the same time as our future pack will help solidify us as one unit. ”
She still looks defeated. I know part of this push is because of what happened today and kind of what my mom said her needing that security.
Maybe she needs the security of a bond. We’ve been together nearly eight years at this point, she’s right that we shouldn’t keep holding off.
“How about this—if we still don’t find our pack by our anniversary we bond. How does that sound, Sweetness?”
Thea smiles brightly. “That sounds perfect!” Who knows what will happen, but I do feel lighter knowing in a couple months I’ll finally be bonded to my omega.
It’s been a struggle whenever she brought it up over the years only for me to keep holding it off.
I just didn’t want it to be some kind of obstacle when we find our pack.
I wish I found my pack via school and friends growing up or in college like most people but nothing ever felt right.
The only deeper connection I’ve ever had is Thea, my omega, my mate.
I couldn’t ask for more and I’m going to stop waiting to finalize our bond.
Maybe I should plan a trip to make it special. She deserves that.