Chapter 42

CHAPTER 42

I stare down at the oatmeal with complete disgust.

Bram sprinkles cinnamon on top, but it doesn’t do shit for me.

“This looks like prison food.”

“It’s not prison food, it’s healthy food,” Bram says.

I glance over at Max and Ethan, the two who are more likely to give into what I want, especially if my eyes well up just a little.

“Don’t even, Sloane,” Max says, looking away.

Dammit.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have told you till the baby was born so I could eat whatever I want.”

All the men blink at me.

“Okay, too soon for concealed pregnancy jokes. You know, a lot of people don’t even find out they’re pregnant until now?” I say.

“Eat your oatmeal, liefje .”

I smell the slop. Nope, absolutely fucking not.

My stomach whirls, and I’m jumping off the stool and running to the trash can where I throw up the water I drank that morning and what little was in my stomach last night.

Max rubs my back, and I hear him complaining to Bram.

Ethan comes over with a warm washcloth and wipes my face. Poor guy has been on morning sickness duty for too long.

“Maybe just let her eat what she wants in the morning. It’s when she usually gets sick.”

“Or all the time,” I say, closing the trash and going back to my stool and pushing away the affronting breakfast .

“Fine, for now until this passes,” Bram agrees.

Max and Bram share a look, and I wonder what they could possibly be conspiring in what little time they’ve had alone since last night.

“What?” I ask, happily eating my chips and dip first thing in the morning.

The baby has great taste.

“We have a few minutes before we leave for practice, but we wanted to discuss something with you, both of you,” Max says.

“Is this about how you two want to fuck each other but won’t?” I ask, scooping a hefty amount of dip on my chip.

“Wait, what?” Ethan asks.

Both of the Alphas look at the ceiling, like I’ll ever forget what I witnessed. Plus, I definitely will continue to push this button until they start kissing more.

“No, we can talk about that later,” Bram waves off, and I smile.

“We want to formally become a pack before we tell your family,” Max says. “My mom and Ethan’s dad will immediately be excited and over the moon. But your dad, I just feel like coming to him as a more united front may soften the blow a little,” Max says.

“Formally, as in submitting with the state or as in bonding?”

“Both,” Bram says. “All of us,” he says, glancing at Ethan. “Especially now that we know it’s safe,” he says, looking at my bond mark.

It’s a silvery sheen against my skin. I can tell that Bram is jealous but nowhere near the jealousy I used to see from him with Max.

“You leave for some away games in two days,” I say, glancing at Max.

I cuddled so hard with him last night, and I might be having an internal fit about him having to go to work today. My rational mind understands he has an important job and he doesn’t want to leave me, but my newly bonded, outwardly pregnant mind needs him here to hold me and tell me he loves me repeatedly.

He must realize all my feelings as he comes behind me on the stool and wraps his arms around me, kissing the top of my head.

“I know you need more from me right now. That’s why Bram wants to wait till we get back.”

Bram is clutching the countertop like he wants to break it but nods his head.

“I wish it were the offseason.”

“Me too. I hate that we have to be away from you right now,” Max says on the top of my head.

“Max and I should bond before you leave,” Ethan says confidently.

He’s been so patient, so understanding of my wants and needs, I’m proud of him for expressing his. Ethan’s cheeks heat as he rubs the back of his neck.

“I just think that I’m here with Sloane more, and if we’re connected in that way, it would help everyone feel more at ease. Plus, it’s inevitable anyway, isn’t it?” Ethan asks, glancing over at Max.

“I think that’s a great idea,” Max answers, and I nod my agreement.

When I glance back at Bram, he looks like he’s pouting. I sigh and round the island and wrap my arms around my sweet, needy Alpha.

“Such a patient Alpha,” I say, and he swats my ass hard.

“Don’t push me, Sloane. The only reason I’m waiting is because I know you need more nesting time with your Alpha after bonding.”

“So thoughtful,” I say, and he swats again.

Now all I want for breakfast is a heaping size of Alpha dick, but Bram is pulling away from me and grabs my face to give me a kiss.

“Speaking of nests,” Ethan says.

“Right,” Bram says, shaking his head. “The contractor is coming next week to discuss what you want. We’ll be home in time. I think we’ll need to make more adjustments to accommodate our new life,” Bram says.

I can’t help myself as I wrap my arms around him and squeeze even tighter.

Bram kisses the top of my head, even though I know my scent is going haywire and all I’m doing is tempting him. I kiss Max next as they leave for practice.

“It’s just you and me, kid,” Ethan jokes as the Alphas leave.

“How do you feel about being an absolute menace?” I ask him. If I don’t stay busy today, I’ll contemplate looking up the news about us online. Maybe I need to find a hobby because I know my pack is right, I can’t keep putting myself through reading those articles.

I feel freer now that everything is out on the table, and I’m not going to do anything to mess this up.

Ethan grins, and God, he’s beautiful.

“I was born to make their lives exceedingly difficult.”

“Perfect,” I say, grabbing his hand and dragging him to the basement.

Ethan is sweating and panting, considering he won’t let me help with much as he puts the mattress on the floor.

I’m not allowed to even use the ladder to string up the lights. He does let me make the bed and cover it with every single pillow in our house—which is an exceedingly large amount. Maybe I have a pillow problem, but right now it seems to be working to our benefit.

“Sweetheart, what’s the plan here?” he says, wiping sweat off of his brow.

It’s cool in the basement, and fortunately, the walls are mostly finished. The floor is still concrete, but I had Ethan steal rugs from the living room and the bathroom to make it more cozy in here.

Ethan hasn’t questioned anything from me until this moment. I suppose I did have him move a lot of shit. I shrug my shoulders, and Ethan comes into my space, grabbing my hips.

“What is it?”

“Your bonding should be special,” I say, trying not to cry.

The crying is out of fucking control.

“I don’t need anything special. I just want to be connected to all of you.”

“This is what I would have wanted for my first bonding… well, kinda,” I say. It is definitely a hodgepodge nest, but it is cozy and sweet.

Ethan searches my face. My connection with Max and Bram may be a basic instinctual need—one rooted in feral desire. But Ethan? Ethan’s my best friend and knows me better than my Alphas do. Even without a directly linked bond, Ethan knows what’s going on with me.

“It’s perfect,” he says, not judging me or questioning me.

I get to control this; I get to enjoy this. I may not have had my dream bonding with Max, but I can ensure that he and Ethan do.

Maybe it’s also a need to do something sweet for my Alphas too.

I do think I have some serious spankings in my future, and maybe a lifetime of dealing with “remember when you hid your pregnancy from us” lectures. But this, creating a soft, sweet space for Ethan and Max, I can control that.

“You know I want you here, right?” he says, kissing my face and holding me close.

“I know. I want to be here when it snaps into place.”

“I never in a million years thought I’d have this,” he says, his hand rubbing over my stomach.

We haven’t talked much about how we feel about the pregnancy, just the anxiety of hiding the secret.

“You’re going to be a great dad,” I tell him, and I mean it.

His hand snakes over my belly, and he looks down at where his hand is like he can see our future child.

“You really think so?”

“I wouldn’t have chosen you otherwise. You’re soft, gentle, and kind, Ethan. You love me in a way that I dreamed of, and I know you’ll do the same for our baby.”

He rests his head against the top of mine and just holds me. I feel guilty that I’ve been so wrapped up in being pregnant and when I would tell the Alphas that I didn’t consider some of Ethan’s inner turmoil.

“Dave was the best dad I could have asked for. I’ll do everything I can to be half of the father he was to me.”

“Is that why you never cared about the biology?” I ask.

“I mean, the chances of me, the Beta, being the father are slim to none anyway. It doesn’t matter who the baby gets their DNA from. This is my kid too, and I’ll love them so fucking hard.”

I laugh and put my hands up the back of his sweaty shirt. His skin is sticky with sweat.

“We need more blankets,” I tell him, making him laugh.

“Your wish is my command.”

I swat his ass as he leaves the basement, and I look at all the work I made him do.

This is going to be perfect.