Page 146 of The Packaged Deal

“Sven has been teaching you how to stalk ninja-style, huh?”

Missy scoffs, “I taught him.”

We both chuckle at the obvious lie. She brushes her hair back as I adjust my hold on my daughter, who has finally fallen asleep.

“I’m really sorry about Oma,” I say softly. “I think she would have loved it today.”

“She would have loved it. She’d be down there orchestrating the football domination.” Missy smiles, but there’s a hint of sadness. “She’s still here with us. I can feel her in every moment of the day. She’s not gone, not yet.”

I reach out and cover her hand with mine. She’s Kandi’s sister, and I love her, too, now.

She puts her arm over my shoulder. “I forget how short you are. And how is my little princess, mooney?”

I giggle as she takes my daughter out of my arms. “Hey, do you have a bootcamp I can enroll my son in?”

“No.” She frowns. “We could start one, though. Onyx’s little beasts could use it, too. And Hazel is about to spit out her own little hellion. Can you imagine how much of a tyrant that kid will be?”

I glance around, trying to spot my son. There’s a sudden chill when I realise I don’t know where he is. Has he destroyed something? Is he still here? Do I need a search party? Do I need to bury a body? But I see him running out onto the field of war.

It’s almost worse than all my other thoughts.

I picture the big alphas stomping my poor little boy to death and curse my distraction. I’m a terrible mother.

“You’re a wonderful mother. Hazel took him down with her and Soren. She called out, but you must not have heard.”

I gulp air and watch with gigantic eyes.

“Trust them. Those alphas would rather cut off their limbs than hurt your kid.”

“I know,” I say huskily. “He’s just so little.”

It takes me a minute to spot the omegas of Pack Montford. Hazel is shouting from the sidelines. I don’t know how I missed her.

My son, the little demon, giggles as the huge alphas run past him, but then Sven snatches him up, throws him through the air to Lukas. I swear my heart is in my throat, trying to burst out.

They charge up the field after the other alphas. And then four more alphas are carrying children, who are cheering and chasing the ball.

“You started something there,” Scarlet murmurs. “I’m not sure I approve, but luckily, my daughter is into less dirty activities. Her words, not mine.”

Echo joins us and laughs. “This is wonderful. Look at those big guys playing. Oh, look, Xan has a kid. Whose child is that?”

“That’s Kest. One of Onyx’s sons.”

“That kid is giving me gray hair.” I moan as I watch my son laughing and demanding to go again.

“But isn’t it wonderful?” Echo sounds so wistful.

I peer out, seeing all these familiar faces. People who are unapologetically themselves. People who love and are loved. Kandi blows me a kiss before she brings Darion to his knees with one swift move. The alpha crashes to the ground and lays there while the rest charge up the field. Sven, Lukas, and Adrian bounce my son around from the sidelines.

Kandi’s playing on her own? Bet she wins. I don’t even try to fight back the smile.

I look at the huge crowd of alphas, betas, and omegas. At all the people that I now consider my family.

“It really is wonderful.” I look down at my daughter in my friend’s arms. The next generation won’t have to face what we had to. My daughter has cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, brothers, and sisters. She won’t ever feel what I felt.

She won’t ever hurt like I did.

I silently make that promise. To her and my son, and then all the children here.

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