Page 139 of A Broody Mate for the Human

Liam looks at me and smiles. “Welcome to the pack, David.”

Chapter forty-five

Making Amends

*RAFFY*

“Ican’tbelieveyouforgot to tell me you’re married,” I say as I approach Esme. She and Hayden are sitting together with a group of warriors and a few omegas.

Esme jumps a little when she hears my voice, turning around to look at me, her eyes wide. She looks worried, so I put my hands on her shoulders squeezing them. “Congratulations,” I say, smiling sadly. “I just wished I could have been there.”

“I wish anyone could have been there.” Hayden sighs. “It was just the both of us and Stella… and I wish I could have offered Esme more.”

“But you can have a huge party here,” one of the guards offers.

“Yeah, we like partying,” another one adds.

One of the omegas, a young redhead, smiles brightly. “My grandma and I are responsible for the kitchen, so I’m sure we can put something together. I will ask Luna Annalise!”

I look at her thoughtfully. Something about what Annie said when she welcomed Hayden rings a bell. “You must be… Mary?”

“Marilou,” she corrects me with a shy smile.

It’s nice to see omegas like her being so welcomed in a pack and hanging out with other members of higher rank. They provide to the pack like everyone else and shouldn’t be looked down upon just for not having any gifts.

Fuck, ever since I went rogue, I don’t even know if I’ll ever retrieve my gift. If it weren’t for my strength and size, I may as well be an omega too.

Seeing them all sit together and be so nice to my sister and her mate makes me come out of my shell too. Dave is the only one who knows how awkward I get when I’m nervous. It’s like I lose the ability to talk in coherent sentences and just grumble something along. But this isn’t an uncomfortable situation at all.

I shift my attention back to Marilou. “Aren’t you still in school, Marilou?” I ask her.

“She is,” one of the warriors cackles. “But our little squirrel here likes to keep the kitchen busy with her ideas.”

“The alpha said we should make sure she doesn’t overexert herself,” another one adds.

“It would end in a drama if she did.” One of the female warriors smiles. “She makes the best cupcakes. If she has a burnout, we’ll all suffer. So… bottom line is… keep the kitchen staff sane and healthy!”

Marilou blushes at being fussed over like that. “The alpha and luna approved of me going to a cooking school next year,” Marilou explains to me. She has a very natural aura to her, a bit shy but kind and warm. “I’ll be showing Hayden around tomorrow and see where in the staff he’ll fit.”

“I can’t wait,” Hayden says, sounding genuine. Esme snuggles against him, eyeing him proudly.

Seeing her and Hayden makes me happy and sad at the same time. I wish Mom could have seen her that happy. Dad, however, I know, would have never approved. He would have made her life hell and probably killed Hayden for being of lesser rank.

“Why don’t you sit with us?” one of the guards asks us. “Here, have a beer.”

I exchange a gaze with Dave, not sure how he feels about this, but he nods. I reach out my hand, accept the bottle with beer, and sit down, pulling Dave to sit down next to me. They all tell us their names, and I’m sure I will remember them… one day, but definitely not now and not all at once. The one who offered me a beer is called Noah, though.

“I’m sorry,” he shifts around nervously. “I’m not used to humans, so I don’t know what to offer you, David…”

“Are you kidding?” Dave snorts. “Give me a beer!”

“I didn’t know you were into beer,” I ask curiously.

“Jun and I and some other friends frequent a pub in town. It has the best beer and a vast variety of choices,” Dave explains.

“You’re friends with the gamma?” one of the men asks, shocked.

“We are besties.” Dave grins.