His arm wraps around my waist, and he tugs me into his side. "No. I'm feeling the same. But this has been a dream of hers since before we met her. Now that we could afford it, we had to, you know? She deserves everything."
"Yes, she does," I murmur, watching our omega run around in her green two-piece swimsuit with a football under one arm and a smile lighting up her face. "Okay. If I pass out or die, don't let her drown, okay?"
Jay snorts and kisses my shoulder. "The drama. I'll be with you the whole time."
Vivian runs close by, her tits bouncing in the sunshine as she squeals. Silas and Kade chase after her with matching grins and a waft of lust in their wake.
"I think I'm shaking," I whisper.
Jarek hums and cocks his head at the trio. "Her scent is far more potent today. Holy shit," he whispers with reverence. "Vivie's approaching her heat and she's not muting it! This is great news!"
My cock is hard as a rock, already knowing what he says is true before I did.How did I not notice the difference?
"I just noticed too. It's okay." Jarek pulls me in for a kiss before he whistles for Vivian. She comes skipping over with a smile and rosy cheeks, making us both purr in appreciation.
Goodness I love her.
"Ready to swim, pretty Firefly?" Nodding, she grabs my outstretched hand and follows me to the shallow end.
Her breath hitches at the same time mine does as we step into the slightly chilled water. Once it's up to her belly button, I turn to her and tug my omega into my chest.
"Don't let go, Vivian."
"Never, Alpha."
Forty
Vivian
"It's nice to meet you."
The chill of the dewy grass through my leggings grounds me. Without it, I feel like I might float away in a wave of tears and sorrow.
Swallowing, I fight past the emotion in my throat. "My name is Vivian Frost. Um, I met your son last year. You don't want to know the story, but I want to tell you about after, if that's okay?"
I trail off as if waiting for a response. Soft tweets of birds and wind rustling through the trees are the only sounds to be heard, but it's enough to hold the peace for me.
"Riot, he—" I swallow a sob. "He makes me smile every day. If I didn't know any better, I'd say his mother raised him right and his fathers taught him how to be a pillar of a pack."
Reaching up, I quickly wipe a wayward tear away. "I'm sorry you didn't get the chance to see him grow up. I hope you're watching and admire the man he's become. We love him so much. Do you know that?"
Maybe they do. I'd like to believe they've been watching over him even when he's felt alone. Have they guided him in some way?
"There are five of us. We laugh constantly, tease mercilessly, support each other no matter what, and love unconditionally. I'm proud of us," I whisper. "Please be proud of Riot. He's been through so much and he's one of the best men I know."
A low thrum starts in my thighs, like they're about to go numb from sitting in the cold for a little too long. I don't want to leave. "They're waiting for me," I whimper, not having the strength to get up. What would it have been like to have met Riot's family? Why is it so hard to leave? I've never known these people, and Riot lost them too young to remember them.
"I don't want to go," I cry, digging my fingers into the earth, a wave of feeling pressing me down. The pressure draws a sob from my heart and cracks a fissure in my soul.
A tingle races up my arm and zaps my temples, making me gasp and fly back. "What's happening?" I whimper, eyes wide, taking in the group of graves I was just crying over. "You're—"Orange.
Blanketed in a soft orange hue, Riot's family gravesite hums similarly to his red tether in the bond.Is this what Riot sees when he talks about my aura?I sit for a long time, twisting my fingers through it. Each time I touch it, it jumps and twirls around my arm, then a sense of rightness washes over me.
"Thank you," I whisper, and press my forehead into the dirt. "I love you for the man you've given me. See you soon."
When I sit up, I see the final specks of the orange hue disappear back into the earth. I gulp, unsure what in the world just happened but knowing it was beautiful. I connected with a part of our family. A family bond maybe? Do those exist? Even if they don't, I think I just made it happen.
Keeping my steps light so as not to disturb any other graves, I find it easier to leave Riot's parents and find Jarek's sister.
