Page 112 of Surprise Mother Pucker

“I’m going to stop you right there,” Charlie thundered. “We have given you access to our home and allowed you to look through our things. You are not stupid enough to try and take a child out of the arms of her omega mother, who you have been causing considerable stress to with your line of questioning, are you? A heavily pregnant omega, at that?”

“I am well within my right—” she started to say indignantly.

“No, you’re not. Now, we have cameras in all the common rooms of this house, and we will happily give the footage to your superiors, if you want to claim Kennedy is being uncooperative.”

“Well…if you're not going to cooperate any further, I guess that's all I can do for today. My office will be in touch shortly,” she snipped as Charlie happily led her to the door.

He didn't even bother to say goodbye; he simply closed the door on her and locked it before returning to the kitchen, where I was sitting on one of the chairs with Charlotte in my lap, desperately clutching my baby to me. All the emotions I'd been working so hard to contain over the last twenty minutes came bursting out in the form of messy, body-racking sobs.

It was one thing for my academic career to be in danger, but for the custody of my daughter to be at risk? That was a whole new level of terror gripping my chest. What could I do? Could I take Charlotte and run? They would find me if I did that. With the new baby due soon, I would never be able to get far.

I didn’t know how long I sobbed for, but Charlie pulled me into his arms at some point. Charlotte was plucked out of my arms as Storm tugged me against his chest, stroking my hair and repeatedly telling me everything was going to be okay.

My pack had come home, but I had been so busy sobbing, I hadn’t even noticed.

Despite their support, I couldn't imagine any way the situation could get worse.

Chapter 44

Storm

Child protective services?

Child fucking protective services?

I had been angry at Lorna before—pissed, even—but now I was livid.

Seeing the woman I loved and the mother of my child fall apart at the idea that our baby could be taken from her was utterly soul destroying. I was an alpha. I was meant to protect her, and clearly, I had failed.

Kennedy had eventually sobbed herself to sleep, and Micha had carried her to the nest and was snuggling with her while the rest of us spoke. We had all rushed home the moment we received a text from Charlie saying that someone from the government was at the apartment.

Charlie had recounted the worker’s attitude and questions, and all I could think about was how badly I wanted to punch someone.

“I’m not leaving Kennedy’s side now,” I insisted. “No more classes or practice. If I have to repeat a semester, then so be it,” I growled as I paced the living room.

“I think we are in agreement there,” Eli said. “I'm sure the university will be happy if you're willing to do a few more semesters because it means you can play hockey for longer.”

“This needs to end, and it needs to end now—I’m going to the university tomorrow and demanding to see that footage. If I tell them it's putting my child's well-being at risk, they will have to do it, won't they?”

Charlie nodded. “It might be worth telling your teammates as well. As much as I hate to admit it, you hockey players have a lot of sway at the university.”

“I’ll call Roman today.” I nodded. “He has more sway than any of the other players, and he understands, since he has a son with his omega.”

“I’m going to check on Kennedy,” I said, stalking out of the room. This was a mess of my own making, and I had no clue how to stop it.

She was already passed out in the nest, wrapped up in a pile of blankets. Her face was red and blotchy from the tears, and I hated the sight more than anything. A deep self-loathing settled in my gut as I looked at how my choices were hurting my omega. Micha was also fast asleep, curled up with her.

As much as I wanted to crawl into the nest, I was the last one who should have been comforting her at that moment.

I was going to find a way to fix the mess, come hell or high water.

Taking a few steps into the nursery, I gazed at Charlotte as she slept. She looked so serene, so perfect. I had been given a gift in the form of Kennedy and Charlotte, and I was messing it up. The question was, how could I make it right? If I confronted Lorna, I doubted it would go well for us. Unfortunately, I was familiar with her particular kind of bitchiness.

She would do whatever it took to win. In her fucked-up mind, I was the prize. Judging by the way I was failing my pack right now, I didn't think that was the case.

Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I clicked the familiar contact and lifted the phone to my ear. Sunny answered in two rings. “Have you convinced Kennedy to marry you yet?” she asked.

“No,” I said, my voice sullen. “Sunny…I fucked up.”

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