Page 168 of Puck & Her Blades

They don’t believe us.

Suddenly, the door’s pushed open, and Cygnus trudges into the room. His head’s ducked, and his curls hang over his face.

He’s wearing an ivory silk shirt, which is open at the neck revealing his delicate collarbones, and black pants.

Jackson straightens. “What did the cops say?”

“The same as all the other times.” Cygnus’ voice wavers like he’s trying not to cry, and his anguish through the bond is agonizing. “That she’s Lark’s Alpha and has the right to take her bonded Omega and daughter wherever she likes. Despite that, because of my concerns, they’ll keep them listed as missing. To be fair, they did run some basic checks. They’re not in hospital. The cops also don’t think that there’s anything suspicious about their disappearance.”

“Why?” I demand.

“Sydney’s credit cards have been used,” he replies, quietly. Asher strolls to Cygnus’ side, wrapping his strong arm around him, and Cygnus lays his head on his chest. “She closed up Blade House and sent the Beta staff away. It looks like she left willingly and on purpose. They’re not going to continue to look into it.”

“Then we will,” Jackson growls. “I’ll hire a private detective. We’ll find Lark and Millie, and this time, we’ll work out a plan to get them to join us here. I swear, we’re not leaving them with your sister.”

Cygnus nods.

“Here,” Asher drags Cygnus toward the boxes in the middle of the room, “you can’t be sad. This is our first day in our new home. Help me open these.”

Zev’s lips quirk. “You’d think that they were presents.”

Asher strokes across the top of the box, before ripping the tape off it. “Hey, I haven’t opened many presents. Let me enjoy this.”

Cygnus perks up, leaning to peer inside the box. “It’s yours, treasure. You have no idea how much I wanted to bring you back with me to my room every evening that I had to leave you behind in the Omega Cottage. You should never have been abandoned there like we were ashamed of you.”

“Neither should you.”

Cygnus bites his lip. “I just saw that there’s a pretty room next to our bedroom. It’d make a perfect nursery.”

Warmth floods me. “Well, if it happens naturally, I can’t even begin to think how adorable but mischievous our kids are going to be. We’re going to be busy. Hell, with you guys as their dads (and you’re all going to be amazing fathers by the way), I know that they’re going to be fine. I also know that it doesn’t matter if they want to be a dancer, scientist, or hockey player, we’ll support them.”

I’m intensely aware that my guys are staring at me and grinning, apart from Jackson, who’s looking at me with such a piercing stare that he appears to want to devour me.

“You’ll make the best mom too,” Jackson says. “The type of mom who I always dreamed mine was. I now know that any fantasy about my past was likely a lie to protect myself from the truth, but it doesn’t matter, my kid will be safe with you. It’s what I truly care about.”

Overcome, I reach up and kiss his cheek.

Cygnus turns back to the box and pulls out the copy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland that he gave me and waves it at me. “This should be for our nest in the bedroom.”

Asher rummages in the box as well and pulls out my bunny ears. He slinks toward me, and I laugh, walking to meet him.

He fixes the bunny ears on my head, pushing a strand of hair off my face. “Here you go, snow bunny.”

“Now that we have our bunny, I guess that it’s time I show you a special feature of this lounge,” Jackson says.

He flicks a switch on the wall, and the lights dim, before strobe, purple lighting illuminates the room, as if we’re in a club.

Asher punches the air. “Cool.”

“You all like dancing, don’t you?” Jackson leans casually against the wall, crossing his arms. “I don’t, but my pack deserves their own miniature club just for themselves. Of course, I expect you to dance for me.”

He flips a second switch, and Halsey’s haunting, sensual “Not Afraid Anymore” flows into the room like warm blood; I can feel its heartbeat.

Asher’s face instantly lights up.

Then like the music has taken over his body already, he begins to dance to the rhythm of the drumbeat.

Fuck, I almost come straight away.

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