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“We’re having a baby,” he said in awe. The hand on Lennon’s nape shook. “Fuck, a baby! What if I’m not any good at it?” he blurted out, a montage of times he’d over reacted running like a film reel through his head.

Lennon’s warm chuckle came with a beautiful smile that lit up his eyes. “You’ll be wonderful, I know it, and before you ask, it’s because you’ll ask that hard question aloud.” He pressed his cheek to Kodi’s. “There’s no guarantee in life about anything. But we both have great parents to help guide us if we get stuck. And I have my trusty paddles.”

Kodi snorted out a laugh, then lost his amusement when what Lennon had said sank in. Kodi hadn’t met Lennon’s parents, just heard a lot about them. God’s we’re going to have to meet the parents. What if they don’t like me?

His animal half was quiet, and as the thought was there, it came out. “What if they don’t like me?” During the relationship with Andrew, they’d never gotten to their parents’ meeting. Kodi was flying blind on this.

Lennon’s head tilted as he stared intently at Kodi. “Who? My parents.” At his nod, back was the smile that made Lennon glow with happiness. “They’ll love you because I do. So… we’re telling people about our relationship?”

Why didn’t he say about the baby? “Of course, what about the baby?”

“I’d prefer to wait until we get the next lot of blood tests… just in case the doctor is wrong.”

Did he sound hopeful? His stomach did a flip at the reasons for that, and Kodi managed to keep his thoughts to himself. His wolf was sure Lennon was pregnant, and he’d lay odds Lennon’s bat was too. He tucked away the niggle of worry at Lennon’s reluctance.

“Then we’ll wait until you’re ready. To be clear, though, was that a yes to being mine?”

“Yes. I’m yours.” He was bold and beautiful when he smiled at Kodi.

Heart batting at his ribs with the wealth of emotions at how fucking lucky he felt, he wore a huge grin. “Are we going to see my parents?”

Chapter Thirty-Six

Lane

“You need to stop worrying over this my love.” Derick slipped an arm over Lane’s shoulders, bringing him to a stop. The fire crackled in the stove, the warmth seeping through his slacks and cashmere sweater. The weight of Derick’s touch grounded Lane usually, but he hadn’t been able to settle—not fully—since overhearing the conversation between Booker and Kodi.

He glanced up into eyes that he had initially thought were cold. The icy blue could freeze hell; Lane had witnessed it when Derick became furious. Those eyes now held nothing but affection.

“Did we fail him, Derick?” It was Lane’s biggest fear for any of his sons. Lane had been failed so badly by his family he had vowed never to be like his parents to his children.

“My love, we have done our best to love and support our children. Give them a firm foundation to stand on their own. We can’t control body chemistry. It’s an unknown force we can’t fight. You know this.”

“We can,” he said stubbornly, “at least try to ensure Kodi has the right person who understands him.”

Derick’s chuckle was full of amusement. It brushed Lane’s hair as he came in and kissed his forehead. “Is this because Lennon and Kodi aren’t rushing to tell you they are dating? Or that he hasn’t mentioned the house he’s buying?”

Lane blushed, a heady wave of heat that colored his cheekbones. “No…”—one brow arched and Lane huffed out—“not exactly.”

“We did our best, and we got Kodi the help he needed when the drugs weren’t working for him. He’s found his own way to deal with how his brain works. They told us he’d struggle without those pills to ‘calm his brain’, and they were wrong because you were patient with him. Loved him. His brothers showed him he could be himself. You don’t need reminding how proud you were of how Booker laid it out about the differences between him and Silas and you. We can do no more,” Derick stressed, if not with affection.

“I think I need to have another chat with Lennon—”

Lane found himself facing Derick as his silver brows drew together, showing he wasn’t on board with Lane’s idea. “Leave the boy alone. You have six men mated and dating our sons that you handpicked, and a beautiful granddaughter, let it be enough.”

“Kodi and Jupiter—”

Derick didn’t let him finish and kissed him in the way that often made him forget his own name. He was breathless and aroused by the time Derick released him. His eyes were wild with lust. “I can think of better things to do with our time this morning.”

Lane giggled like a teenager as Derick didn’t give him time to get his bearings. He lifted him up and Lane slung his legs around Derick’s waist and gave a breathless moan when their groins met and Derick’s large hands slid under his bottom. Lane’s arms slipped around his husband’s neck, and he dived in for another kiss.

He would blame the loss of blood from his brain for the fact he didn’t hear anyone approach, but he heard the gasp.

“Please, can’t you do that in private?”

Dazed, Lane found his lips released and Derick looking decidedly uncomfortable while lowering Lane to the ground. It took another second to catch up when he turned to find Kodi was standing in the room with a nervous-looking Lennon gawping at them. “This is a nice surprise.”

“I bet it isn’t,” Kodi muttered under his breath.