Page 103 of Ember

“But still. Lots of people around all the time now.”

“The house is big enough that I get privacy when I want it,” he said calmly.

It was true. Even Rian seemed fine with wandering off to take a nap. It was nice being around one another without feeling like I had to give my undivided attention all the time.

“You?” He made it a question.

“Fine.” I wiggled in my seat. “Really fine with it, actually.”

“Ah, so of course, what if something terrible happens.”

I gave him the stink eye. “Stop reading my mind. I’m trying to be happy and live in the moment.”

“But someone also destroyed our nest,” he said bluntly. “Something terrible did happen. But we’re still here, and our…pack.” He paused. “Was there for us instead of making it harder.”

I opened one of my dark chocolate bars, deciding nine in the morning was late enough for a sweet snack. “That’s…true. It’s just weird being able to rely on people other than my family.”

“Now you know how I feel,” he said with a wry smirk. “What is this love and supporting help system?”

I made a face. He was joking, but it wasn’t actually funny. “You will always have me and my family.”

“I know. Just takes a little adjustment.” He shifted the blanket around himself, glaring at his laptop. “But that’s okay. The other three are adjusting around us too.”

West was right. I was happy, really happy, for the first time in a long time. I wasn’t worried anymore that Ben or Alejandro would decide that we were too much omega for them. Rian thawed out enough that I saw his wounded feelings, his fears that we would reject him and he’d would be stuck between Ben’s desire for us and his bonded omega.

It was a tangled-up mess of feelings, but it somehow all made sense.

“Do you think I should tell them?” West said causally. Too casual. I didn’t look at him; I kept opening up files on my computer. At random, starting with photos of baby ducks.

“About your shitty parents and then foster parents?” I thought about the can of worms that would open. “Not if you don’t want to.”

“But shouldn’t they know…” He paused.

“Nope.” I looked at my omega. “No one has to know the pain you’ve been through. They won’t think any less of you if theyfind out, but they’re not going to be mad at you for withholding information. If you want to share, do it. But don’t feel like you have to now that we’re in a serious relationship.”

West sighed, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. “I don’t want to talk about it. You say they won’t think less of me, but they will…change how they think of me.”

I briefly debated giving West the softer version, but decided he needed bluntness. “They won’t.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Even the part where I went after my stepfather with a knife?”

“If I were there, I would have stabbed him too,” I said vehemently. My hackles rose for teenage West, who had no one to protect him. “They won’t think less of you, any more than we think less of Rian for struggling with music. Or Ben for being blind. Or Alejandro for working long hours. Or me for being in a plane crash.”

He grunted. He didn’t quite believe me, but that was okay. It would take time for him to feel comfortable with the thought that he could let the pack all the way in.

I offered him some of my own feelings. “It was easier telling them about my parents because they didn’t push. Ever. Not when we were talking about how we met, or when they saw my scars.”

“That is nice,” West muttered. “None of the alphas act like there must be something wrong with me for not wanting to be knotted.”

“Which is how I know they’re not going to think less of you,” I said. “They accepted that you knew what you were okay with and moved on.”

West grunted again, and I let the subject drop. It was hard enough for me to move past my own baggage, my fears of loving them and them leaving me. I wouldn’t push West on his own, but I could offer him support.

I passed him some of our snacks and settled in for our normal workday. I could accept the love the universe was trying to give me. I could.

Chapter 41

Rian

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