Page 38

Five Years Later

The two little angels, Navy and Lola, follow me around the corner to the arcade. They whisper conspiratorially, no doubt hatching a plan to cause havoc, and I’m here for it. These two will break hearts and bust balls, just like their mothers and auntie before them, and I, for one, live to watch their daddies freak the fuck out over their shenanigans.

I smile to myself. They may not be my kids, but I love them as if they are. Our packs are close, our Omegas the magnets who drew us all together. Their bond is so strong and sure, and when coupled with the fact that most of us are already teammates within the same hockey organization, I’m happy with that. It’s like having one gigantic family. My heart is full, I have the woman of my dreams in my arms every night, and my pack is whole. What more could an Alpha ask for?

Navy giggles, peeking up at me with those innocent blue eyes that remind me so much of her mother’s. It’s still wild to me that the sad little girl who used to dress up like the sugar plum fairy, who would play doctor and bandage our wounds, who snuck around with her friends as they spied on us, now has a little girl of her own.

Fuck, I feel old.

Lola nudges her best friend, and the two share another look.

My eyes narrow. “You two are up to something, aren’t you?”

They shake their heads, giggling as if I’m not intimidating at all. Honestly, I can't blame them. After the first few makeover parties, Uncle Nixie gave up all pretense of being scary. It's hard to intimidate children who've braided your hair with daisies and served you countless cups of imaginary tea.

“There are my two princesses!” Raff calls out, and the girls take off running.

They leap into Raff’s arms, and he spins them around in circles while their laughter fills the room. My eyes catch on Elliott, leaning against the claw machine, this wistful look on her face as Raff blows raspberries on their cheeks.

Walking up beside her, I slide my arm around her back, tucking her into my side. Our size difference never ceases to get my protective instincts buzzing.

“You okay?” I murmur.

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

I’ve studied this woman for over a decade. I know her, and something’s off.

Raff sets the girls on their feet, and Elle turns to them with a grin.

“What am I? Chopped liver?” she quips.

The girls cry out “Ewww!”, but they still race over and into her arms as she kneels down to gather them close.

“Now, I know we always have something fun planned, and this time is no different.” Big blue eyes stare back at her, their bodies practically vibrating with excitement. “But it’s a surprise, and I’ll tell you about it after you’re done playing games. In the meantime…”

She turns their little faces to where Sy and Flint are walking in, the Alpha holding two Icee’s.

The girls squeal and rush my brother, who just laughs as he hands them the drinks. I’m pretty sure a sugar rush is the last thing they need, but hell. What else are uncles and aunts for?

“Here, you heathens. Take these and the cards that Uncle Sy got you for the games.”

“Yay!” Off they go, the adorable little banshees.

“Now, want to explain what all the commotion is about out there?” Sy asks, eyeing Elle suspiciously as she stands and leans back into me. “You girls set all this up. Why?”

“Guess the girls finally delivered the news.”

My head cocks to the side. “What news?”

She smiles, her green eyes sparkling. “West and Cadence are pregnant.”

“Those two are pregnant again at the same time? Lord help us all,” Raff groans playfully.

Elle laughs, but I notice she’s worrying her plump lower lip with her teeth.

“Does it bother you? The fact that they’re pregnant again?” I ask softly, rubbing circles on her back and watching for signs of an oncoming panic attack.

It’s been years since she’s had one, and she’s much better at handling them now when she does, but with such a big trigger, I want to tread cautiously.

“Not at all. I’m excited for them.” She smirks. “Did I mention West is having twins?”

We all gasp, but she simply chuckles. “You should see the looks on your faces.”

“God, she’s gonna have her hands full. And I’m not even talking about the babies.” Flint grins, obviously remembering how overbearing the guys were when she was pregnant with Navy.

I kiss our girl’s forehead, unable to keep my hands off her even after all these years. “Don’t worry. Ziggy will make sure to keep the Alphas in line when they become a bit too much.”

Elle snorts. “Or West will just bust their balls every time they utter the word hormones .”

We all cringe. Those fuckers are in for it this time.

“I’m happy for them. Their families are growing.” Elliott glances down at the worn carpet.

“They are,” I murmur, never taking my eyes off her.

When she finally looks up at me, I see something I don’t expect.

Longing.

“You’re killing me, baby doll. What aren’t you telling us?”

She clears her throat, nerves zinging through the bond as her scent sours. “Remember the night you claimed me, how we stayed cuddled up in my nest, talking about anything and everything?”

Flint nods. “Of course we remember.”

With a wide smile, Raff grabs her hand and kisses the back of it. “Best night of our lives.”

She sucks in a deep breath, her lips trembling slightly. “I mentioned that Dr. Craig sort of got me thinking about alternative paths to motherhood.”

“Yeah. We talked about our thoughts and what that might look like for our future, especially with you, Sy, and Flint all coming from adoptive homes.” Her body is tense against me, and I’m trying to quell the panic in my gut.

“Well… I got a call from a friend who’s working for a reputable agency. There’s a seven-year-old little boy and five-year-old little girl who were placed in their third foster home, but the female Omega died unexpectedly in an accident. The Alphas decided they couldn’t care for the children alone while struggling to survive, and the agency is urgently looking for a highly qualified family to take them in. They aren’t siblings by blood, but they’ve been in foster care together since they were tiny. They don’t want to separate them, and the hope is they find their forever home this time.”

Us guys share a look. The bond is a muddled mess of emotions—excitement, nerves, compassion. Personally, I’m cautiously optimistic. This might be just what our pack needs. We’re older now, settled. I retired from hockey the season after Barrett and took a job as a correspondent with a local news station, so I’m home every night with Elle and Sy. Raff isn’t far behind, with age catching up to him like it does with all professional athletes. Flint’s got another couple years at most, and he’s already been talking about the idea of being on the road less and missing his pack when he’s gone.

The idea of kids, while never something we needed for our pack to be complete, does have a kind of heart-wrenching quality, more so than ever before. Especially being surrounded by our friends’ ever-expanding families.

“What are you saying, baby doll?”

“I think maybe… I mean… What if we opened our home to those poor kids? We have so much to offer, and we’d be giving back to a system that supported us.”

The room is silent, the weight of this decision not lost on anyone, but we’ve weathered bigger storms and come out unscathed. I have no doubt this would be no different.

Sy runs his hand through his hair then pushes up his glasses. “It’s a big task. They aren’t babies. These poor kids have been shuffled through the system for years, moved from family to family. Who knows what we might be up against.”

Big green eyes stare back at him, a plea in their depths. “But who better to understand those struggles than us? We’ve got a massive support system, and you know there isn’t another pack on this planet that can shower them with the love they so desperately need more than we can.”

He nods slowly. “You’re right. We could show those kids what it means to truly be a family. To have a pack.”

Flint looks over at me, then Raff. “I’m in. I think we’re in a good place now, and Elle’s right. We can help these kids find a stable environment and loving home.”

“I’m in.” Raff crosses his arms over his chest, a smile curving his lips. “I can’t wait to teach them how to skate.”

Elle laughs. “One thing at a time, hot sauce. Don’t get ahead of us here.” She tips her head back, eyeing me nervously. “What do you think, cupcake?”

I stare down at her, enjoying the flush on her cheeks and the sparkle in her eyes. For the millionth time, I realize I’d give anything, do anything, to make this woman happy.

“Let’s do it!”

“Really?”

I lean down, bringing my mouth an inch from hers. “I love you, Elliott Mitchell. For the woman you are and the woman you’ve yet to become. If that means adding the title of mother to your long list of accomplishments, I’m all for it.”

“Eek!” She throws her arms around my neck, smashing her lips into mine as I pick her up and spin her around just like Raff did earlier with the girls.

When I set her back on her feet, she gets this sheepish look on her face.

My eyes narrow. “Baby doll, what else aren’t you telling us?”

She smirks. “I was fairly confident you all would agree, but I wasn’t above using a guilt trip if I needed to. The kids are coming for a visit this weekend to test things out. They’re being dropped off in a couple hours. Gives us just enough time to swing by the store and pick up everything we need for an ice cream bar. I figured having the girls around might help smooth out any tension. Navy and Lola love making new friends, and it will be a lot less intimidating if they get to show them around and stuff.”

Gripping both sides of her face, I growl. “Woman, you are something else.”

“And you still love me anyways.”

“Damn right, we do!”

Our pack surrounds us, excitement filling the air. No matter how many years pass or the trials we face, I will love this woman with my whole heart. She completed our pack, or at least I thought she had. Guess West and Cadence aren’t the only ones who will be adding to their brood. We will be, too.

I’ve never been more thankful than I am right now that a romantic advice column brought us all together. The day she got male will go down in history as the single best moment of my life because it eventually made her mine.