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She got the plates and cutlery, carrying them to the kitchen, and then she burst out laughing. The cake was huge, and it hadWelcome home, Rubyon it. She stared at the words as they blurred and danced. Leon walked up behind her and hugged her with one arm. “We really do think of this as your home. It might have been an obligation in the beginning, and I guess we never told you otherwise.”
“Dane said that I was a parasite, that I was taking what was his,” she whispered. “Even with that, I didn’t think he hated me that much until I realized what Tanner was. Then, it was too late.”
“Dane was happy with an all-male household. It was easy. A little girl was a jolt. A little girl who was special by her very existence was difficult to deal with. We tried to get you involved in sports, but skating was the only thing you liked. So, we took turns taking you to practice. When we saw the joy in your expression, we began to catch it. It was contagious. You were quiet and polite, but you came alive on the ice.”
He squeezed her again. “When you couldn’t continue to compete because of the restriction, part of you went silent, and we tried to keep your spirits up. When you left school, Derrik gave you the same lecture we gave the boys. You faced different challenges, and now, we know you were set up to fail.”
“Thank you for the cake.”
“It’s chocolate and chocolate mousse.”
She smiled. “Yay.”
She turned and hugged him.
When they parted, he smiled. “You are still my blood, my family, my own little girl. I see my sister in you, and that makes me so happy. I wish she visited more, but she is so very proud of you.”
She chuckled. “That’s a lie but a sweet one. She wanted me to get married and settle down the moment I turned eighteen.”
“She thought you would be protected with a husband.” He got the plates and forks.
“They don’t protect betas. Why would they protect me?” She picked up the cake.
“I can’t speak to that. You are still...”
“What I was? Yeah. I am just on heavy-duty birth control. It numbs everything.” She smiled.
He frowned. “How long have you been on it?”
“Since I left home. You guys worked pretty well to keep any impulses down before then.” She carried the cake out.
“Family has that effect. It’s why your mother placed you here.”
She smiled as the others perked up at the cake. “Oh, dang, I forgot to make coffee.”
Derrik got up and kissed her temple. “Got it. Don’t eat too fast.”
She smiled and got the knife and cake server. She cut large slices of cake and handed them out. Derrik came back with two presses and five demitasse cups.
They sat around, and she asked, “How is Gerald?”
Leon smiled. “Doing well. He has been seeing another alpha, and they are making steady progress to an arrangement.”
“Oh, that’s nice. Did Dane end up getting married?”
Grey smiled. “He did. It was a lovely event. It would have been nice to have you there. People were asking.”
She cleaned her fork and got more cake. “I wasn’t invited.”
Grey set his fork down. “Tanner said you were working.”
“What day was it? I can tell you what I was doing.” She ate another bite.
Leon teared up. “I told him I was going to call you to see what you were wearing, but he said you had it under control.”
“Okay. I am sure it was lovely. Uncle Leon, please, stop. We all know how he felt about me. Is his partner pregnant yet?”
“No, Silva isn’t. She’s a sweet girl, and he takes good care of her.”
