Page 167 of The Forgotten

“Do you ever wonder what that would be like?” Flynn asks seriously.

“No,” I say honestly. “I’ve experienced some of the worst parts of humanity, and I know I wouldn’t be able to enjoy being a mother. I’d always worry about my kid being taken from me.”

“Not all families need children,” Flynn says, breathing in my scent. It makes me sad sometimes when I see kids, but I know this is the best choice for me. My omega rubs his cheek against mine, soothing me as I sit with him.

He’s also right. My pack is made up of people who shouldn’t work together, but still do. Ambrose murders shitty people on his days off when he feels twitchy while listening to pop music with my other alphas, and Taylor Swift will always be on his playlist.

The clubs he manages for Corbin are doing really well, and the restaurant is flourishing. He’s less grumpy, he enjoys what he’s doing, and he’s found his place in life.

I know that he never liked the things people said about him. He’s too intelligent to not let those things get under his skin.

Shaw grins as he watches the way kids wind between his and Everest’s legs as they chase each other, amusement glittering in his gaze from here. Most importantly? There’s not an ounce of jealousy or envy in them.

He likes the freedom he has to work from home. He can fuck me over his desk in between meetings, or have Flynn suck him off while he’s on a call. I don’t think he’d want to give it up now that he’s had a few years to settle into our pack.

“Quinn, your kid is leading the pack in this insanity!” Everest laughs, watching as they run away.

Linus kisses Quinn’s cheek as she laughs from a blanket underneath an umbrella. She’s pregnant with their second child and he jumps up to chase after the kids, pretending to be a monster.

“Will you please eat?” Caleb asks his omega, waving a plate at her. She has pink and blonde hair and is about six months pregnant. Her bohemian outfit oddly suits her, and she allows him to pop a piece of chicken into her mouth before walking over to talk to Quinn.

I swear, getting an omega to slow down for any reason reminds me of herding cats. It just doesn’t go well.

“You’re giggling,” Shaw says, sitting beside us with a plate of fruit.

“I’m having fun,” I confirm.

“Good. Be a good girl and open your mouth for me,” he says, picking up a blueberry.

“Isn’t that my line?” Everest asks, dropping to the blanket with a grin.

I’m still laughing as Shaw pops a blueberry into my mouth. The fruit is both tart and sweet as it explodes between my teeth.

“That’s a really good blueberry,” I moan.

“Apparently, Cian has some fruit bushes that are doing really well out in his orchard,” Everest says, his eyes heating as he watches me. We won’t be staying very long if he doesn’t stop looking at me like that.

“We can go pick some…fruit that is,” Shaw says, smirking.

“I don’t think public sex this close to children is a good idea,” I hiss, but my cheeks hurt from smiling.

“Baby, we said pick fruit, not gag on my cock,” Everest chuckles darkly as I shiver.

“You’re both terrible,” Flynn breathes, his cheeks full of color as he eats a strawberry that Everest places between his lips.

“You love it,” he purrs, winking.

When Ambrose walks over and offers his hand, I take it so he can pull me to my feet.

“There’s baskets down the path for fruit picking if you want to head down with me?” he asks. At my wide-eyed gaze, he looks at me curiously. “What? I figured you’d like some since you were enjoying the blueberries so much.”

The other guys snicker as they get up, and we begin to walk together.

“I suggested this, but not to actually pick fruit,” Shaw drawls.

“Oh. Ohhh,” Ambrose says, blinking at us. “I mean, I like that idea too.”

“Are you going out to pick berries?” Cian asks, walking over. He barely lets us finish nodding before he sighs heavily. “Pleasetake as much as you want. We have so much ripe fruit that we don’t know what to do with it. Aisling and my gardener have been picking fruit for the Haven, but we still have tons.”