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“Maia,” someone calls as a gentle knock resounds on the doorframe. I don’t immediately recognise which of the quads it is and give a hesitant smile to the man in the doorway. He’s casually leaning against the doorframe dressed in a pair of faded grey joggers and a snug-fitting, branded T-shirt. His light caramel hair is wet from a shower, and the smile he’s giving me is sweet and kind.
The sweetness rules out Christopher.
The lack of mania in his eyes rules out Ben.
“My sisters have just called, and they’re wondering if it would be okay for them to come over for dinner,” Alex says. The multiple words said indicate it’s not Seb.
I glance down at my watch, and my brows furrow when I notice the time. “It’s already six. Isn’t that a bit short notice?”
Alex comes into my room and sits on the edge of my bed. “Maybe. For our family, the fact that she called in advance was her way of being polite. We’re a large family, and wolves are very social and pack orientated. This is sort of our norm.”
“I see.”
“We can say no, little butterfly,” Alex murmurs, his eyes raking over my face as if he’s looking for a clue as to how I’m feeling.
Good luck to him, considering even I can’t figure out my feelings.
“You’re happy with them coming?” I ask, scrunching my nose up slightly.
“Yes, of course. I love the twins and their mates,” Alex says, giving me a look as if I’m the weird one. “We’ve been busy lately and haven’t seen them in a while, so it’ll be nice to catch up.”
How was I meant to know that? Their mum asked for us to go over, and Christopher absolutely shit all over that plan. I don’t know them, not really, and their family dynamics are very strange to me.
“Oh. I have no complaints. I can sit up here?—”
“No,” Alex says, shaking his head as he unapologetically cuts me off. “The dinner is to include you and Phoebe. We’re not going to hide you up here like you’re a dirty secret. If this is too much for you, then we won’t do it.”
His thoughtfulness is sweet, but my heart begins to race as I think it over. “They want to see me?” I blurt out, my voice trembling. Why would they want to meet me?
Alex nods, and his small, encouraging smile only adds to my growing anxiety. “They were really excited to meet you yesterday but didn’t arrive in time. Like I said, though, this is up to you. I give zero fucks about my sister’s feelings when it comes to your comfort. If you’re not ready, I’ll tell her to go fuck herself.”
“A bit, um, aggressive, but okay,” I say sheepishly. He laughs, which only makes the butterflies in my tummy swarm that much more viciously. “Sure. I’ll meet your sisters.”
“Their mates will be here, too. Likely the kids, too,” he says, and my eyes widen at that bombshell. How many people are we talking about here?
“Kids?”
“Talia is mated to twins, and they have a set of twins themselves—both boys,” he says as if the mass amount of multiple babies in his family is normal. Then again, I suppose that’s because it is. “They’re six and very excitable. Iris doesn’t have kids yet but is mated to triplets, so they’ll likely be here, too. Two of her mates are professional footballers, in case that excites you.”
My head is spinning, and I’m struggling to keep up with it all.
“Um, no. I don’t know much about football,” I admit, my voice small and uncertain.
Alex groans, but his smile doesn’t disappear.
“We’ll teach you,” he offers with a playful wink. “We don’t support either of her mates’ teams, so it makes for a fun time when they’re playing against our team.”
“I can imagine.” My thoughts are racing, my pulse erratic, and honestly, I think this is the first time I’ve been grateful that I never had to do this with Ryan.
My parents were gone by the time he and I got together, so he escaped the in-laws and family meetings, and well, his were not available, so we didn’t do that on his side, either. It was just us, with no judgement, no extra people to meet.
“We’ll order some food and let them know that we’re on. Do you have a preference?” Alex asks, bringing me back to the present—to the living.
I shrug, glancing over at Phoebe, who is still fast asleep and absolutely no help. “Pizza?”
“Pizza it is.” He doesn’t immediately move, and I raise an eyebrow, waiting to see what else he wants. “Come here. Please.”
“I’m already here,” I say, my words coming out breathy. Alex smirks and reaches over, lifts me under the arms, and deposits me in his lap. “Oh.”
