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“She’s a bitch—no, that word isn’t strong enough!”

Bethany ran a hand through her hair, pacing, her frustration palpable. She had just recapped her conversation with Joey, and my stomach was twisted up in knots.

Jensen and Cullen were both sitting on the sofa, appearing various degrees of queasy. Cullen’s elbows were on his knees as he hung his head in shame, his hair sticking up at odd angles from the number of times he had run his hands through it while Bethany had been talking.

The usually relaxed and laid-back Jensen was clenching his jaw so hard, I was surprised he hadn’t popped a blood vessel yet.

They looked just how I felt.

Was this our fault? Because we had waited to tell Joey ourselves? Bethany was almost halfway through her pregnancy, and we had been keeping it under wraps. We had wanted to ease Joey into it and protect her, but somehow, we had managed to fuck up.

Bethany chewed on her thumbnail, a behavior she only did when stressed. “I did everything I could to reassure her, but there’s only so much I could say. I didn’t want to start talking about how I was going to be in Joey’s life forever whenwehadn’t even discussed who I am to her. Hell, we haven’t even clarified whatweare.”

“What we are?” Cullen asked, confused.

“What are we? We’ve been doing thisthingfor months now, and as much as I’m enjoying it, we need to be clear with each other, because it impacts that sweet little girl upstairs.”

What did she mean, she wanted to know where we stood? Wasn’t that crystal clear? At least it was to me.

“We are family,” I said simply.

Bethany rolled her eyes with a huff and glared at me. “Thank you, Captain Obvious. I’m having your baby. We are forever going to be linked. But what does that mean aboutmyrelationship with Joey?”

“We’re dating, aren’t we?” Jensen asked.

“I think?” She threw her hands in the air as she continued pacing. “I don’t know if we are together or if we’re just fucking because I’m pregnant with your child. The last thing I want to do is overstep when comforting Joey because I’m not a permanent part of your lives.”

“Of course you’re a permanent part of our lives!” Jensen said, staggering to his feet and approaching Bethany. She didn’t pushhim away this time as he grasped her by the upper arms, looking her dead in the eye. “We are together. There is no doubt in my mind about that. We’ve been working so hard to consider Joey in all this, I think maybe we failed to have a few conversations. Given what happened with her mother, we just want her to feel secure. The last thing we want is another mother figure in her life who leaves. Don’t you dare think that doesn’t also mean you’re ours.”

Bethany cocked an eyebrow, some of her confidence fleeing her expression, her scent still a little burned. “Do you think I’m going to leave?”

I shook my head. “No, but I can’t help it. Our pasts make us doubtful.”

“But I’m not going anywhere. I want to be there for Joey, but I need to know what my role is. Are we together? Are we on a path to me becoming part of this pack? Or am I simply a bang nanny who just happens to be carrying your child?”

My eyes shot up at that term as I promptly choked on thin air.

A bang nanny?

I didn’t know that Bethany even knew of that phrase.

“The fuck?!” Jensen exclaimed.

Cullen growled, striding over to Bethany, pulling her into his arms. “I’m not afraid to say it. I’m in love with you. I’m fucking terrified because that means I’m vulnerable, but I don’t care.”

I was a bit jealous, because both of my pack mates had held her and I had yet to. My hands itched to touch her.

She was mine.

Bethany stared at Cullen with a shocked expression. “You love me?”

Cullen nodded. “Yep. You most certainly aren’t a bang nanny. You are sweet, kind, and fucking fierce. I’ve loved you since the moment you slapped me, omega.”

His lips crashed down on hers in a frenzied kiss. He was devouring her. Her hands fisted in his shirt as he pulled her as close as possible; any closer, and they would fuse together.

“We’re supposed to be having a serious conversation, not making out like teenagers.” I tried to sound severe, but the humor in my voice was impossible to miss.

Jensen was beaming at the two of them. That moron had been in love with her for years. “I also love you, but I feel like Cullen stole my thunder a bit there.” He laughed. “Maybe we’ve been working so hard to keep it from Joey that we kind of kept it from ourselves?” He turned to me before looking back at Bethany. “I can’t even pinpointwhenI fell in love with you, because you just keep knocking me off my feet. You’re so fierce and independent, but also soft and sweet. You think stinky cheese is amazing, but are terrified of mushrooms. You’re an adorable paradox, and I am obsessed.”