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“Next time, Mom.” He kissed her cheek, grabbing a water from the fridge before heading out. He nodded at his dad when he walked into the room frowning.
“It’s a family dinner, Nassau. With your Alpha. You’re expected to attend.”
He froze, stiffening under his father’s expectations. He didn’t want to be tempted by Bailey, but he knew once his father spoke, it was final.
“Now, dear. It’s not that crucial, just a relaxed weeknight dinner. Keoni and Makaii aren’t even there.”
Silence filled the room, and he knew his parents must be linking, so he took a deep breath. “Once the boys’ dad shows up, if you’re still there, I can come by.”
“Red? I think that’s a wonderful compromise. He’s honoring his commitments.”
When no one moved or said a word, he faced his father and lifted his chin. “Enjoy your dinner.”
Stepping out the door, he stood on the porch for a moment, staring into the encroaching darkness. Honestly, the boys would be fine without him. They were older now, and their parents said he didn’t have to come anymore, but he loved hanging out with them. Their childhood was so different from his. Their father, Alvin, was relaxed with a dry humor, and their mother was a whirlwind of fun. The boys were loud and boisterous all the time, without the fear of doing anything wrong. He loved how they didn’t care, how they wrestled and hung out, just loving life.
On the other hand, he grew up side-by-side with Makaii, only a year apart, and both their fathers frowned on too much fooling around, especially as they got older. As Makaii received more and more responsibility, his father expected it of him too, pushing him to learn all the jobs of the ranch.
That didn’t bother him, in fact, it fascinated him. That was the only time he and his father had bonded—over horses. But where they fell apart was the business side. He enjoyed being in the saddle, but his father wanted him to move on. That just didn’t interest him. Despite how people saw him, there was a thrill in every ride, every risk he took with the wild horses, an adrenaline rush. He secretly craved that excitement. But it didn’t matter. Not to his father. Not to the pack.
Once he’d settled in with the boys for the night, he was able to relax, the boys’ chaos around him putting him at ease. This was also why he loved being around his cousins, and even Isaiah. He enjoyed their banter, arguing, the fun of it all. And he wasn’t pressured to join in, to be pushed outside his comfort zone. He had joined in the second mission of the night when the door opened, and he heard keys drop onto the counter.
“Hey, Mom!”
“Maaaaaamma.”
Theo dropped his controller, hopping over the couch to hug his mom, and Simon slid his headphones down and gave her a big smile.
He dropped his feet to the ground and sat up in the chair when her hand squeezed his shoulder lightly. “The bar was dead tonight, so I left it to the others so I could hang out with the boys. I’ve been working on my shooting game, so maybe I can be an asset.”
“Doubtfulll, she’s basically bait for the other team. We use her to draw them out, and then ambush them suckers.”
She smiled at Theo’s explanation. “Which means you are free to go, Nas. I know you have a family dinner tonight with the Alpha. Wouldn’t want to be the reason you missed it.”
That meant his mom had contacted her. It was after seven, so the dinner had already started, but not by much. If he went home and didn’t come, his dad would find out. He groaned silently, wishing he had this excuse. At home, he took his time, taking a shower and dressing a little nicer than usual. He stopped short of braiding his hair back, just pulling it loosely at the back of his head, then ran his hand over his face wearily in the mirror, unable to run from his own thoughts anymore. His thoughts? Always on Bailey lately.
On how hot she looked on the desk, how she begged for him, and especially how she admitted to feeling what was between them.He didn’t understand her, and he finally admitted that to himself. Always, he prided himself on being able to observe and listen, to trust his intuition when it came to others. He could read anyone. But with her, he was thrown for a loop, and just when he thought he had her figured out, she confused him again.
Everything about her had his body screaming, leaving his wolf on high alert. Then, seeing her laying there today, he was hit by how much he wanted children with this woman. A little girl like her that he could love and teach to be strong. Or a little boy hewould allow to be himself. How he could build a life with her easily and never look back.
His mother cautioned him, urging him to remember he had a fated mate out there, someone made for him, but it didn’t matter. Whoever she was couldn’t hold a candle to the wild thing who promised to super soak anything he wanted. But she had brought him back to reality when she reminded him that tonight was her last night. When she asked him to stay with her, to go out with a literal bang. But he wasn’t sure he could do it. He couldn’t say goodbye. He needed to go back to his life without her sooner than later.
Except that, starting Monday, he was a desk man, and he squeezed his eyes closed. There was no going back for either thing.
Fuck it.
She was right; he wanted more of her, to make use of their time. It wasn’t logical. Common sense said to stay away, let her leave without a fight. But nothing with Bailey made sense, and he let go and leaned into it. Next week, his life would change forever. Might as well make those memories Bailey was talking about.
So, when he walked through the back door to loud chatter, laughter, and clinking glasses, he was glad he came.
“My baby boy’s here!”
Clearly, his mom had been drinking, and by the number of empty wine bottles around the formal dining table, everyone had.Almost immediately, he was introduced to Bailey’s parents and a glass of fancy wine shoved in his hand.
Bailey was a spitting image of her mother, Moira, and the older woman rose clumsily to give him a hug and squeeze his face. “You are a handsome boy, and so polite. Tayon, dear, isn’t he darling? Ife, he’s just a doll.” She leaned into him, not waiting for anyone’s response before slurring her next words, and heheld her up as she swayed. “You’ll have to come visit Aisling some time. I’d love to have you for dinner at my house more often. And not restaurant food. I will home make you something delicious.” She slapped her hand over his chest, then patted his face. “Oh, what’s your favorite food, Nassau?”
“Mom. Come with me, I haven’t heard the latest update from Italy. Tell me you’re beating Aunt Vera in online poker still.”
“Oh, no. She’s a dirty cheater.”
