Page 13

Beth

Jensen:

On a scale of one to ten, how much do you want to murder my pack mate?

A s I looked down at my phone screen, a giggle escaped my chest. Jensen had been keeping me updated on Joey’s condition, and she was back at school and much better.

Bethany:

None of my feelings are particularly murderous.

Jensen:

In that case, would you be able to babysit Joey on a regular basis? A few days after school?

Jensen:

We were considering hiring the Heralds’ babysitter after Cullen was such an ass to you, but Joey made it clear that the only person she found acceptable to look after her is you. Given how well you get along and how amazing you’ve been to her, I have to say we agree.

Bethany:

Flattery will get you everywhere. Isn’t the school year nearly over?

Jensen:

Then I guess I better heap on the praise. Joey attends a summer school where they mostly play and do extracurriculars, but we usually take the last three weeks of August off to spend time together as a family. Also, we will pay well! You won’t have to work any other jobs.

I had no doubt that they were going to pay extremely well, given that every time I’d done something with Joey, they had thrown obscene amounts of cash at me.

Babysitting was a good job, and I was happy to take it, but should I give up the security of my other jobs on the off chance they would stick with me?

What would happen if Cullen lost his patience again?

Bethany:

I happen to like teaching ice skating!

Jensen:

Well, keep going, then. You only teach two days a week. We can work around that. Trust me, Bethany, I’m prepared to beg on my hands and knees. We are swamped with work, and our sweet, lovely, precocious child is being a thorn in our side and hates everyone except for us three and you.

Bethany:

I would say she has good taste, but she likes Cullen…

Jensen:

I mean…you’re not wrong.

Bethany:

When do you need me to start?

Jensen:

Oh, thank the lord. ASAP. Joey’s school isn’t within walking distance of the house, so I may have bought a car for you to use to pick her up.

My eyebrows rose so high that they nearly disappeared into my hairline as I stared at the screen, trying to comprehend what Jensen had just said. Did he buy me a car? Why on earth would he purchase a vehicle for me?

Bethany:

Excuse me?

Jensen:

Well, actually, it was Gideon who decided to buy the car because it was a safe vehicle, and he wanted something with high safety ratings for you to use to pick up Joey.

Bethany:

I haven’t even said yes to babysitting her yet.

Jensen:

I was hoping, praying, dreaming, making sacrifices to the gods to try and make this happen.

Bethany:

Text me the details. I have a class I need to get to.

Jensen:

Thank you, you amazing, stunning creature!

Laughing, I stowed my phone away in the bag and made my way down the hallway to my last class of the day.

It probably wasn’t smart getting more entangled with this pack, but for some reason, the thought of saying no never even crossed my mind.

Two days later, Gideon’s secretary stopped by my dorm room.

She handed me the keys to a sleek SUV that was waiting outside, as well as a house key and the security code for the pack house.

I wasn’t sure how I felt having so much information on how to enter and exit the pack house, but if it was for Joey, I would do it.

“Bethany! Are you watching me?” Joey asked excitedly as I pulled up outside her school. I had to show my ID to prove who I was in order to pick her up, but Gideon had added me to the approved pickup list.

“I am,” I confirmed. “Just one or two nights a week when your dads are working.”

She bounced on the spot. “Yes! I told them I would only be good if it was you.” She smiled conspiringly.

“Get in the car.” I chuckled. “I’m making tacos for dinner.”

Her eyes widened as she scrambled into the seat. “With lots of sour cream?”

I smiled. “With all the sour cream.”

“Perfect! Daddy Jensen never puts enough sour cream on them.”

“Well, I promise I’ll add loads ,” I assured her.

Throwing the car into drive, we headed out of the parking lot and back to the house. She was clearly back to normal after her short illness, so we could have a nice night filled with food and animated movies.

My phone pinged as I was browning the taco meat. Joey was at the kitchen table, doing her homework, occasionally shouting a question at me as I cooked. Checking my phone, I groaned when I saw the message.

Pa:

Hey, you coming home next week?

I sighed. It felt like I hadn’t been back in California that long before they were begging me to come home. They would want me home for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and any random reason.

Naturally, they always expected me to pay for the plane ticket.

Bethany:

I can’t. I’m working.

Pa:

Don’t you usually move your shifts around?

I grimaced. In the past, I had made sure my schedule allowed me to spend time with my family, but given the nature of my work with Pack Noble, I couldn’t exactly take a week off without notice.

Not that I wanted to take a week off. As much as I loved my family, they were exhausting, and I didn’t feel the need to see them again so soon. I was still recovering from the last visit. I could only handle them in small doses.

Bethany:

I changed jobs. I needed to find something that paid a bit more so I could afford tuition. Unfortunately, that means I can’t get time off as easily.

Was I making a subtle jab to my father that he refused to pay for my tuition and this was the consequence? Maybe.

Pa:

What are you doing?

Bethany:

Some nannying work.

Pa:

Oh, okay, that sounds nice.

I snorted. Of course, my father would approve of anything that meant I was acting like a traditional omega. In his mind, childcare was women’s work, so I was doing the exact right thing.

Maybe he thought I was getting practice for when I had a child of my own.

Pa:

I’m sad you’re not coming home. I can’t wait until your degree is done.

Dad:

Counting down the days.

Bethany:

Yeah. Love you guys. I’ve got to get back to studying.

I grimaced, putting my phone down. My fathers were counting down the days in excitement, but I felt like it was a looming deadline to my impending doom.

Going home wouldn’t be fun; it would be stifling.

But they were my family, and I loved them.

Family meant sacrifices.