Page 13

I t’s Christmas Eve, and the house is a flurry of activity. Having Fiora here has been a blessing, since Dayton has been relegated to her recliner. The weather has become relentless, dumping six inches of snow within the past twelve hours, and it’s still coming down.

I have changed my mind, I no longer like the snow. Don’t get me wrong, there’s something to be said for a white Christmas, but I was content with the small amount we had yesterday. This shit is ridiculous.

The dining room table is decorated with red and white poinsettias accompanied by greens and tall white candles.

Offset against the red tablecloth, white dishes, and green plaid napkins, it’s a stunning look.

A large turkey has been cooking all day, filling the house with mouth-watering scents.

That, with the combination of cinnamon and other spices, my stomach has been rumbling all day.

Kyle’s family is here, and all of the women, save Dayton, are working like a well-oiled machine to get dinner on the table. For once, I am looking forward to being around people. The Morris’ have welcomed me in as one of their own, and it makes my heart swell.

“Crap!” Dayton’s exclamation from the living room has everyone freezing in place, all attention on her. Dropping the dish I was holding onto the tabletop, I rush to her side.

My sister stands there with a stunned expression on her face, her arms held out to the side. Looking her over, I see a puddle of water on the floor at her feet.

“It’s just water,” I comment offhandedly. “I’ll get a towel. Sit at the table, and we can get you dinner.”

Octavia Morris is the first to move. “Kyle, call Tavan,” she barks out, like a drill sergeant giving orders. “Kali, you, Cobi, and Fiora start putting this food away and cleaning up. Heywood, you start the car.”

When no one moves, Dayton’s cry of pain sets everyone in motion.

“Today, people!” Octavia yells. “These babies are coming.” She claps her hands several times before moving to Dayton’s right. “Darby, you get on Dayton’s left.”

“Tavan is getting everything ready. He was at the Genie, so be prepared for a crowd,” Kyle informs us, heading our direction with Dayton’s coat.

It doesn’t take us long to get loaded into the SUV and drive into Padston. We pull up in front of a large, Victorian-style house that is all lit up both inside and out. A tall man is standing on the porch watching us as we assist Dayton out of the car and into the doctor’s office.

Foregoing introductions, he focuses on my sister as she cries out in pain from the contractions. While I know nothing about giving birth, I do know that her roaring is becoming more frequent.

As the trio disappears into the back of the building, I fall into a seat in the waiting room area.

As Kyle predicted, several other people are indeed already here.

Everyone goes around the room, introducing themselves, causing my head to swim with all of the names.

A trio of mirror images walks in, and all I can do is blink at them.

When I find out they are Arek’s cousins, my heart sinks.

Faint yells of pain can be heard coming from the long hallway that Dayton and Kyle disappeared into, and most of the younger women cringe in sympathy.

I understand that women are meant for this, but I still can’t comprehend how something the size of a watermelon comes out of a hole the size of a golf ball.

Kali, Cobi, and Fiora rush into the waiting room a short time later, tripping over themselves at the large group assembled before them. More introductions go around the room, helping me relearn many of the names that I have already forgotten.

The door opens again, and my breath catches in my chest as Arek, Declan, and Daegyn walk in.

My eyes roam over his tall frame, giving me a better appreciation for his physique.

He’s tall, maybe six feet, two inches, give or take, it’s hard to tell sitting down.

His walnut-colored hair is cut short, and the close-cropped beard lines his sharp jawline.

His bright green eyes sparkle like emeralds as they bore into me.

It takes everything in me to hold back the urge to rub my chest as if his gaze chiseled a hole in it.

Stiffening my spine, I narrow my gaze at him, pushing my anger forward.

“Why are you here?” I bark, crossing my arms over my chest.

Arek’s mouth opens and closes, with nothing coming out, as if he is searching for the right words.

The door opening again has all heads swinging toward the newcomers.

Fiora’s sharp intake of breath diverts my attention.

Her eyes are wide, focused on the three men standing in the doorway.

All three men share similar features, hinting that they might be related.

One thing I have discovered in the brief time I have been in town is that multiple births within families are pretty common.

The guy on the right slowly moves in our direction, his attention focused solely on my friend. Dropping to one knee, he takes one of Fiora’s hands in his, placing a gentle kiss on the back as his eyes flash amber.

“My mate,” he whispers reverently as Fiora waves a hand, fanning herself as her face turns crimson. “My name is Brady Galloway.” He lowers her hand back to her lap, but refuses to let go.

“Fi—” she starts, clearing her throat before trying to speak again. “Fiora Valenhart.”

“Fiora,” Brady repeats reverently.

“Will you please talk to me?” Arek barks, drawing everyone’s attention.

Knowing he is talking to me, I give him a side-eyed glare, refusing to engage.

“What did our alpha do this time?” One of the triplets—don’t ask me which one—asks sarcastically, emphasizing the word alpha. The other two giggle, and all three earn a glare from Arek.

“Where do you want me to start?” I ask them, earning a glare from Arek.

Getting encouragement from Rhodee, Roree, and Raelee, I launch into the story of their cousin’s stalking.

Their rolling commentary and theatrics have me laughing as we all enjoy Arek’s misery.

Declan adds his comments to the conversation, as he was with Arek during many of the events leading up to the gifts.

“Enough!” Arek yells. His frustration at the situation growing more evident.

“No!” I yell back, jumping to my feet and standing toe-to-toe with him.

“I will not tolerate having a man control me. My mother controlled not only my father, but my sister and me as well. Growing up with that shit, I swore I wouldn’t put up with it,” I shriek.

My chest is heaving due to anger and embarrassment since I just aired my family’s dirty laundry in front of a room full of strangers.

“What the hell is going on out here?” Kyle yells from the mouth of the hall.

Seeing Kyle, everyone jumps to their feet, peppering him with questions about the babies and Dayton.

“We have one girl and three boys,” he says. “I would know a little more about their health, size, and weight if it wasn’t for all of the screaming going on.” Kyle’s anger is palpable, and I feel guilty for taking away some of the attention that should be focused on his small family.

“That, that, Hellion…” Arek argues, pointing at me.

Half of the room is entertained by the show we have been putting on. The other half appears mildly uncomfortable from the display.

“Is my sister-in-law,” Kyle bites out, bringing my attention back to him.

“She’s my mate!” Arek yells back.

He moves faster than I expect, planting a shoulder into my midsection and tossing me over his shoulder. Moving to the door, one of the guys whose name I can’t remember pulls it open, giving Arek a clear path out of the building.

“Put me down!” I yell, uselessly.

Arek marches us down the street, moving fast despite the amount of snow on the ground. We arrive at a small parking lot next to his family’s restaurant, Simmer Down. Pausing to unlock the car, he sets me on the ground before pushing me inside.

“Put your seat belt on,” Arek bites out before slamming the car door closed.

He presses the button on the key fob, locking the car as he moves around to the driver’s side.

I unlock it just as he climbs in, and before I can escape, he grips my wrist, holding me in place.

Arek’s grip doesn’t hurt, but it is strong enough that if I try to pry myself away from him, I will hurt myself instead.

Resigning myself to being his hostage, for now, I cross my arms and sit petulantly as he backs out of the parking space and drives away from town.