Page 57 of Surprise Mother Pucker

“I know that, deep down, you're a good man, Storm, but the last year or two, you've been more concerned with your cock than anything else. I'm dead serious when I say this is your last fucking chance. If you do not get your shit together, then I want you the fuck out of this pack.”

The idea of being kicked out of my pack was abhorrent. The process of leaving a pack involved chemical medication that was very dangerous. We had never even joked about it before, but as I looked at the dead serious expression on Eli's face, I knew he wasn't messing around.

When had I allowed myself to veer so far off course? When did having a bit of fun at college turn into becoming a disgrace to my pack? When had I become the very thing that I despised? I’d had the nerve to rant about the father of Sunny's child, yet I was no better.

It dawned on me that I wouldn’t even blame Eli for wanting me out. For the first time ever, I was seeing myself how they saw me, and it was a pretty ugly sight.

I nodded. “I know, and that shit changes. Today.”

Was I even capable of being better—my pack probably didn’t believe so. Kennedy certainly wouldn’t. All I knew was I had to do something. I had to try.

Chapter 24

Kennedy

“Here, let me carry her,” Charlie said as he gently plucked the baby out of my arms, gazing down at her with those blue eyes that looked right through me. I had been trying to carry Charlotte and several bags up the stairs into my apartment, and Charlie insisted on doing it all.

“Thank you,” I sighed. “I'm absolutely exhausted. I'm sorry I'm not exactly good company right now.”

Charlie shrugged. “Considering everything you've been through in the last hour alone, I would be surprised if you were full of energy. Plus, I’m happy to just be around. I don’t need conversation, as much as I love it.”

I unlocked the door to my apartment and turned on the lights. “This is me.”

“Is this student housing?” Charlie asked as he glanced around. His face held no judgment, but still, I started to panic. Charlie and his pack lived in a fancy apartment, with the newest appliances and freshly painted walls. My apartment was falling to pieces, and most of my appliances were older than me.

“It’s not. You are not allowed to live in student housing with a child, so while I was pregnant, I worked as much as I could and saved, and this is what I could afford.”

“That’s amazing. You did it all on your own… I would have failed, multiple times, no doubt.”

“Oh, I failed at times, I assure you.” I laughed. “Here, let me take Lottie. I’m sure she needs a diaper change,” I said, holding out my hands.

Charlie looked between me and my baby. “I can change her if you want.”

“You know how to change a diaper?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He chuckled. “My younger cousin has a baby, and a few summers ago, she decided she was going to give me a boot camp on how to change diapers and feed small humans. Granted, he was a little younger than our Charlotte here, but I think the mechanics are the same. Actually, since my cousin had a boy, he straight up peed on me while changing him.”

I resisted the urge to laugh, biting my lip. “I’ve heard that boys tend to do that.”

“What about this munchkin?” he asked as Charlotte reached out a hand and started touching his face.

“I can't say she's ever peed on me, but she certainly tries to roll off the changing mat every single time. I kind of regret teaching her how to roll over now.”

“Charlotte! You trying to roll away from your mama?” Charlie asked in an overdramatic voice.

I snorted. He was a natural with her, bobbing her up and down as he spoke to her, his facial expressions large and engaging.

“Yes, she always tries to escape during diaper-changing time, but the moment it’s time for the evening routine, all she wants to do is snuggle up to me.”

“Well, we can’t blame you for that, can we?” Charlie asked the baby, kissing the top of her head as she smirked up at him.

I took a deep breath. “I’ll change her,” I said, plucking her out of Charlie’s arms. “It's not that I don't appreciate your offer, but I just want to take care of her myself at the moment.”

Would he be angry that I turned down his offer? It was the first time an alpha had ever offered to change my baby. Most men hearddiaperand ran for the hills. I was fairly certain Eli and Micha had done their fair share of diaper duty while I was sick, but I hadn’t witnessed it.

“That’s completely understandable. How about I order some food, considering you didn’t get a chance to eat at our place? I’ve heard there’s a good Mexican joint on campus—what’s your poison?”

“Steak burrito,” I said before my mind could process my response. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted the burrito badly—my stomach was audibly growling at the idea of it—but the take-out place was pretty fancy. It catered to the kinds of students who had unlimited money on Mommy’s and Daddy's credit cards.

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