Page 154 of Pack Choice

Colten

One yearlater

“Something smells good!”I yell, as I swing open the front door and toss my briefcase onto the floor.

Of course, it’s our omega who smells good. Every single minute of every day. Even more so since we claimed and bonded her. But damn if that aroma doesn’t hit me right square on the nose every time I walk through our front door. And every time I’m reminded just how damn lucky I am.

“We’re in the kitchen, Daddy,” Harper calls and I follow my nose, finding both my girls by the counter and the kitchen in disarray.

“They’re ‘experimenting’ again,” River tells me from a stool.

“Is that what they’re calling it?” I say.

“Banana cookies with garlic and chocolate chips,” Harper tells me. “I think the vampires are going to really love them.”

“Any signs of those vampires?” I ask her, bending down to kiss the crown of her head and then wrapping my arm around Molly’s waist and kissing her on the mouth.

“Ewww, gross,” Harper says, sticking out her tongue.

“Not as gross sounding as that.” I point to her bowl.

“Hey,” Molly says, “it’s going to be delicious. Besides, I had a real craving for garlic.”

“Garlic today, huh?” River asks, as I bend to plant a last kiss on Molly’s belly and take a seat next to my packmate. It’s still early days and there’s only a slight curve to her stomach, but God if it isn’t sexy as hell already. “Maybe your little sister or brother is going to be a vampire.”

“Really?” Harper says, her eyes lighting up – as if she wasn’t excited enough about being a big sister already. Especially as the baby cousin she’d been fawning over for the last twelve months had her begging for a pack baby every minute of every day.

“Sorry, Harp,” Molly says, tossing a dishcloth towards River. “Vampires hate garlic, remember?”

“Hmmm,” Harper says in disappointment.

“This baby is definitely not a vampire.”

“How do you know?” Harper asks, her brow creasing.

“Remember we had that little conversation about how the baby ended up in my tummy?”

“Oh yeah,” Harper nods, “the special cuddle.”

“Yes, that,” Molly says, as I rub the back of my neck – sometimes I wish our daughter wasn’t quite as curious as she is. Luckily, it was Molly who handledthatconversation after River confused the hell out of the little girl with vague explanations about birds and bees. “I have only been cuddling your daddies. Definitely no vampires.”

“Although Ford does like to bite,” River says.

“What?” Harper asks.

“Nothing.” Molly glares at River who winks.

Cut it out,I tell him through the bond and he sends me back a very vivid image of Ford biting Molly’s ass as she goes down on me.

Am I missing out on something here?Ford interjects, and I hear his heavy footsteps clatter down the staircase.

“No,” I say as he enters the kitchen, dressed in paint-splattered overalls. “Molly and Harper are …” my nose twitches at the garlicky concoction, “baking.”

“Right,” Ford says, coming round to wrap his arms around our omega’s waist and nuzzle her neck.

“See,” River says to Harper, “he’s doing it again.”

“Daddy Ford isn’t a vampire,” Harper says, that familiar warmth spreading through my chest. I thought it might be weird to hear my little girl call other men that name – a name it took time for her to call me when I first brought her home from care. But instead, it’s made me love these other alphas all the more. Partly because I can see how much Molly and Harper both love them, and partly because I see that love returned tenfold. Ford in particular has been brought out of his shell by our little tornadoes.