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“Just give me a moment,” I finally pushed out.
Ren and Joel resumed their path toward the car as Isaias’ hand stayed pressed against my chest. I continued searching my Alpha’s expression, only finding that safe space I craved so much.
A few moments later, I was ready. “Let’s go.”
Isaias smiled, dropping his hand back to his side. “You need to leave, you let me know. I know you still hate leaning but your comfort is more important than an outing.” When I nodded, he just shook his head. “I need your words, Kieran. Tell me you understand.”
“I understand.”
“Great, now let’s go eat before Ren spontaneously combusts. You’d think that he was the one we were going for.”
That put another smile on my face as we made our way to the car.
fourteen
KIERAN
I knew that everyone would have decorated for Valentine’s Day but I wasn’t expecting the explosion of reds, pinks, and whites as we stepped into The Pink Dome, a fitting name for the current colors. The hustle and bustle of small-town camaraderie made me cringe as I involuntarily clung to Isaias’ side. As much as I wanted to portray the unwavering Omega, the bombardment of scents and sounds would be my undoing. One look at Joel and Ren cradling my sons, though, brought me out of that.
Elias and Leo were silent, eyes roaming the diner, obviously intrigued with their new surroundings. If they could do it, I should be able to, right?
“Color,” Isaias whispered in my ear.
It took me several seconds to answer especially when a wide-eyed perky Beta hopped up to us. “Yellow,” I gritted out, taking a step back before returning to Isaias’ side.
Phoebe, I assumed based on the descriptions Joel had given me over the past couple of months, playfully tapped Joel on the arm. “Back so soon? Not enough caffeine?” Joel shook his head, as her eyes dipped to Elias and then over to the rest of us. “Oh, dine in? Mom! Dining in!”
Maybe I had bitten off more than I could chew. Isaias wrapped an arm around my waist, waiting for me to settle before he spoke. “Phoebe, would you mind showing us to one of the quieter corners? I don’t want to be a bother to the rest of the diner with our babies.” She giggled and nodded as she led us toward the back and around the corner. It was tucked close to the bathrooms which meant there would be a lot less noise.
“How’s this?”
“Perfect,” Isaias said.
The booth was exactly that, a deep burgundy that would easily sit the four of us. Joel scooted in first, Ren following. Phoebe watched in admiration and confusion, her nose twitching as we stepped by her. I could tell when she figured out that I was the Omega but she did well not to address it. “Do we need high chairs? No? Okay, let me just get some menus.” Her voice had quieted almost to a whisper, not knowing that the sound level was for me and not our babies.
Isaias grabbed my hand under the table, squeezing a few times as he silently asked for my color again.
“Still yellow, Alpha.” I bit my tongue, trying to drag that word back into my mouth but it was too late. I had only used it a handful of times—during sex or when I felt out of control. Isaias pulled me a little closer, raising an eyebrow as his gaze dipped to my shoulder. “Fuck no. I have to learn to deal with this shit without having the option of melting into a puddle of goo to avoid feeling.”
“A puddle of goo?” Joel joked.
“You know what I mean,” I pushed out, watching as my mates held the babies I loved so much. There was still a lingering panic that something would go wrong but for the moment, I let myself enjoy the Valentine's decorations and my mates. My nose twitched as Joel’s scent strengthened, an almost sweet addition to his before disappearing. His brows furrowed as he dug into his pocket, presumably for his phone but he didn’t pull it out. I wanted to ask what just happened but was cut off by an older woman approaching our table.
“It’s a rare occurrence that the Haynes pack shows up at my diner. Your babies are absolutely gorgeous, Alpha.” Her smile grew as it spread across her face, especially when it fell to me. “You’ve brought such beautiful life into this world. What are their names?”
She had to be Ava. There was no other explanation for an Alpha giving me the time of day like that. “Elias and Leo.”
“Adorable. What can I get you to eat, assuming you’re still hungry from what Joel brought you.”
None of us reacted, not wanting to rehash those moments. Isaias cut into order for us, choosing a smorgasbord of food rather than individual plates. Ava bobbed her head up and down with each entrée and side order, asking questions intermittently before giving us a rapid list of the drink options.
Ren ordered apple juice only after we voted the coffee, although I couldn’t blame him as I ordered the same. The other two ordered mimosas and a side of water for the table. When she left, I sagged against the cushion of the booth. Ren’s eyes shot open before he dug into the baby bag at his side. “Do you need the-”
“I’m fine, Ren,” I chuckled. I should have known that that bag held a lot more than just diapers and formula. “Really. It’s just a little overwhelming but it’s nice to have my hands free.” For the past four months, Elias and Leo had been my only focus. I hadpulled away from my pack as I gave the twins all of my attention regardless of what was happening around me. This was the longest I had gone without holding them while being awake. And for once… it was nice.
Isaias pressed a kiss to my temple as he slid his fingers firmly into my palm. “It is nice to have your hands free. So, I can do things like this.” He lifted our hands to his lips and pressed a kiss to my knuckles. This wasn’t a version of Isaias I was used to seeing but I kind of loved it.
A strange sensation grew in my chest and I held my breath, hoping and praying that I wasn’t about to start leaking in front of the entire goddamn diner. Neither of the twins had had their fill before we left and unlike most other times, I had fed them both on the right side this morning.Fuck.Each of my mates seemed to catch on at different times just before I cupped the left side of my chest. Liquid seeped into the cotton and I thanked the goddess that I had chosen to wear black.
