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Tony chuckled and traced his thumb along my throat. “Don’t overwhelm her.”
“But that's what I do best.” Hana gave me a sassy smirk. I was already well acquainted withthatconcept.
“I think I need to look around without five sets of eyes staring at me,” I said. It was way too much pressure with everyone watching me. “I also definitely need to be fed before any ‘overwhelming’ happens.”
“I guess that's fair,” Hana said and patted my butt. “Upstairs with you then. Tony can make us pancakes.”
My mouth instantly watered. “Am I allowed to help?”
Hana cupped my cheeks and kissed me deep and slow. “You can help.”
The rush of emotion almost set me off again. “Really?”
She combed her fingers through my hair. “Yeah. If you accept your room, then you’re not really a guest anymore. You’re one of us.”
One of them.
One of the pack.
I threw myself at her, and she caught me without stumbling. It seemed silly now to have worried that at one point she never liked me.
“Group hug again!” Billie yelled. The pack gathered around us, and I breathed them in. They really were like a gourmet coffee shop and bakery.
They smelled like home.
“After we eat, I think we should christen my room,” I said. “Break in the bed.”
Billie chuckled. “I have thought of very little else since I put in the order for it.”
“Okay,” Hana said. “Nicky needs to eat. Disperse the hug.”
We ventured back upstairs, and I joined Tony in the kitchen, where he prepared the batter while I stood like a soldier with my spatula to flip pancakes on the griddle.
We worked in an assembly line—setting out the syrups and the plates, stacking fresh pancakes, and filling the griddle with more batter—until we had enough food to feed a small army. The dining room table was covered, and we all packed close together to eat.
Pancakes had never tasted sweeter.
Nothing was going to ruin this.
46
JASPER
IfoundNickyinthe greenhouse with a book. She’d only been staying with us full time for a week, but seeing her curled up among the plants made it seem like she’d been here forever.
“Hey, Jasper, what's up?” She tucked a bookmark between the pages and set her book aside, levelling all of her attention onto me. Tingly warmth flowed to my body. The clinic had already confirmed for me that my levels were starting to go up, but even if they hadn’t, my reaction to her would’ve been a hard and fast clue.
I’d been avoiding asking her if she’d be part of my heat. It didn’t matter that we were all reasonably sure she would agree; the possibility of a rejection had frozen the words at every single attempt. I was running out of time, so I’d have to bite the bullet and let the pack baby me if the worst happened.
“Can I talk to you?” I asked.
“Yeah, of course.” She scooted over on the couch and patted the space next to her.
I took a deep breath and sat down, pulling her into a cuddle so I didn’t have to look at her directly. Nicky shifted and snuggled in tighter.
“Is everything okay?”
“Probably.”
