“I should be asking you that, Sev. You were the one that was shot.”
He thrummed low in his throat, the look on his face murderous. “I saw you when you came in, Rai.” He didn’t expand on that, which I was happy about. I was going to avoid the memories as best I could. The cuts on my chest had scabbed and soon enough there’d be no trace of them at all. On the outside, anyway.
“I’m fine. Happy to be home. Relieved it's all over.”
Seven’s hand rubbed my belly and the cubs kicked against the pressure. We sat there in silence a little longer, just appreciating the quiet moments and the fact we were both alive.
Finally, Seven stood stiffly. “I’m sick of being in a fucking bed.” He shuffled to the ensuite, and I crawled out of bed too. Struggling to drag my sweats up my legs, I grunted with effort until Seven returned, and together we got dressed.
I knew we were at Finlo’s parents house—I recognized the decor—and that brought up something I’d purposefully not been thinking about. Our beautiful home was gone, the one my two Alphas had built with their own hands. The first place we’d made love, where we’d taken our matebond vows, where the cubs were conceived. Where we were all so fucking happy. I swallowed hard, and the scent of my sadness had Seven slowing. He turned and wrapped me in his arms and I rested my forehead against his chest.
He was more intuitive than any of us gave him credit for though. He kissed my head. “We’ll rebuild it, Omega. As a Pack. It’ll be our home, with little touches of us all. A big playroom for the cubs, and that fancy kitchen you’ve always wanted. Maybe a conservatory for our Omega. A proper workshop for Gatlin, and the best nest you can think of, Rai. It will be our dream home, all the more because the Pack that is living there is a dream come true for me.”
Big fucking romantic. “Love you, Sev.”
He kissed my forehead and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “Love you too, Omega. Now, let’s get out of this fucking room. I’m so done with being an invalid.”
We walked out of the spare room and down the big marble halls of Finlo’s family home. I could hear the soft murmur of voices and as we walked past what was the family room, I noticed Leisel and Luisa playing on the floor. Leisel heard our approach first, jumping up to stand in front of Luisa like a little protector. It made me smile.
But as soon as Luisa saw us, she was on her feet and sprinting toward us. She slammed into my thighs, and I wrapped her up in a one-armed hug. “Hey, Little Bit. I’ve missed you.”
She just nodded against my knees. I wanted to pick her up and snuggle her but I knew my body would protest.
Seven however, didn’t seem to have the same worries, or maybe he just didn’t care. He leaned down and scooped the cub up into his arms. She burrowed her head into his chest and squeezed him back.
“Mommy said you're a sleeping princess,” Leisel said in a small voice, and it made me smile. I could imagine Seven as Sleeping Beauty.
He shifted Luisa to one hip and I saw him grimace in pain, but he didn’t put her down. I held out a hand to Leisel, and she grabbed it. “You look better, Uncle Raiden,” she said softly. “I snuck in to look at you and I was worried you were going to die.”
Her lip wobbled, and I squeezed her to my side. “I’m tougher than that, I promise.” I ruffled her hair. “Thanks for looking after Luisa for me.”
Leisel shrugged like it was no big deal. “Mommy says she’s my cousin now. That you are going to make her mommy your mate because you all make the kissy face at each other.”
I raised an eyebrow. “The what?”
She clasped her hands under her chin, opened her eyes real wide and puckered her lips. It was a ridiculous expression, and I burst out laughing. Terra was ridiculous, but her kid was cute as hell. “You really are the best kid, Lees. You know that, right?”
“Yep.” She even popped the P. She skipped ahead of us as we entered the huge informal sitting room, and there were people everywhere. As soon as Ellar saw Seven holding Luisa, he strode over. “Seven Huxley-Grey! You’ve just had surgery,” he chastised softly, reaching out and grabbing Luisa with soft hands. He pulled a funny face at her. “Naughty Papa Sev.”
Everyone in the room stilled, looking at Naja. She just gave us a soft smile and raised an eyebrow.
Ellar cleared his throat and ushered us further into the room. “It’s good to see you guys out of bed, but you have to take it easy.”
I grabbed his hand and pulled him to me, kissing him softly. “I was scared too, El. It’s okay now. You did the right thing.”
He froze and his whole body shuddered with emotion. “You almost died, Raiden. I would never have forgiven you if you’d done that.”
I pulled him tighter against me. “Never again, Beta. Never.”
He stepped back, his hand brushing my stomach, like he was saying hello to our cubs. He stepped away. “Go and sit down, the both of you. We’re going over plans for the new house.”
Seven gave him a grumbling kiss on the cheek. “Don’t fuss.”
“Eat a dick, Sev. You almost died, so I get to be as fussy as I like.”
Seven leaned forward and murmured something in his ear that made Ellar flush. I was almost positive he said, “I’ll make you eat my dick, Beta.”. I walked over to sit down between Gatlin and Naja, and they both shifted closer to me like they needed comfort.
Seven was right. Our house may have burned down, but our home? It was safe and sound right here.
