Page 44 of Pack Plus Three

“How am I supposed to get in?” I asked. “I’m vertically challenged, and this car is clearly made for giants.”

Were I not smuggling a beach ball under my shirt, I would have made a good effort at jumping into the seat, but in my heavily pregnant state, it was far more likely that I would hurt myself instead of landing in the seat.

Jeremy rounded the car, a frown on his face as he looked between the passenger seat and me. “I need to get an appropriate car. I can’t have my girl struggling,” he mused, leaning down to gently grab my hips. Before I could answer and tell him that there was no need for him to buy a new car for me, I was in the air, then being placed in the passenger seat.

As much as I liked being referred to as his girl, I knew we still had a few barriers in the way. The fact that I still hadn't met his third packmate was quite the issue. Then again, from the sounds of it, I would be living in the same house as him, so we were about to get very well acquainted with each other.

That was a terrifying thought.

Both Jeremy and Devon had made it clear that my relationship would be with them and not with Nate, because he was still mourning the loss of his ex. Something about that didn't feel right, though. Dating a single member of a pack could be seen as normal, but dating two-thirds of a pack and leaving one member out? I'd never heard of anyone doing something like that before.

“Have you asked Nate about me staying with you guys?” I asked as Jeremy slid into the driver’s seat.

“I sent him a message.”

“A message isn't a conversation. You can't just bring a stranger into his home. It's rude!”

“I'm allowed to invite whoever the hell I want into my home, and both Devon and I are firmly on the same page that you will not be returning to an apartment someone broke into”

“I swear to God, you are a stubborn old mule,” I muttered, crossing my arms.

“Yes, I am stubborn, and I am not going to compromise when it comes to your safety.”

The firmness in his voice shouldn’t have been such a turn-on.

Chapter 19

Jeremy

She was nervous. It was obvious from the burnt sugar smell and her lack of conversation. She stared out the front window for almost the entire drive back to the packhouse. Not wanting to push her, I flipped on the radio, shuffling through the stations until I found the same artist she had been listening to while baking and leaving that on.

Her home had been broken into. My hindbrain was riding me hard. I needed to protect Daisy. If she had slept in even an extra hour, she probably would have been home during the break-in.

I tried not to think too much about what would have happened if she’d been home. It made my stomach flip uncomfortably and my alpha absolutely lose his shit.

Never again.

Never again would I allow her to be in a situation where this was even the vaguest possibility.

The packhouse was in a gated community and had more security than the White House. She would be safe there, safe and comfortable. The suite of rooms we had for our potential future omega was vast and contained several comfy items already, but I could quickly purchase more. I was beyond caring if she protested—she was coming with me, and she would be safe, whether she liked it or not.

It wasn't up for debate.

Even if it made Daisy hate me, I was going to protect her. I would rather have her safe and despising me than liking me and in danger.

As we pulled up to the packhouse, after going through the gated doors, I tried to imagine what it looked like through Daisy's eyes. It was a pretty expensive property, and it did cost us a pretty penny, but it was one of the first things I bought when I got my big signing bonus. The others had also contributed to buying the house, as they had both saved considerably as well.

That meant we were more than comfortably able to afford the three-story classic English country mansion. It had cost a lot when we’d purchased it, but that didn't mean it had been in good condition. It had actually been a very cheap price, considering what it was, because it had been missing nearly all of its interior and needed significant work.

Now it stood proud, with a garden full of all different kinds of wildflowers and even a small orchard. It looked like something out of a classic novel, and I was pretty attached to it.

If Daisy wasn’t a fan, I would happily sell it and get a different style home. Her opinion mattered far more than my own.

Pulling into the garage and turning the car off, I turned to her. She was glancing around with wide eyes.

“This is home,” I admitted with a smile.

“I-it’s beautiful,” she stammered.