Page 28 of Pack Plus Three

“Talk to me, Duckie,” I said, resting my chin on the top of her head.

“Duckie?” she asked with a frown.

My face heated. Dare I admit where that name came from? “You’re waddling a bit at the moment thanks to the bump. You’re reminding me of an adorable duckling,” I said.

Daisy bit her lip and giggled. I sighed in relief. She wasn’t mad at me.

“Now don’t distract me, why were you so surprised Devon liked you?”

“Surely, I’m not good enough for a whole pack?” she admitted in a small voice.

Wait.

What the fuck?

Grabbing her gently by the upper arms, I pulled us apart so I could look her in the eye. Chewing on her lip, she didn’t even meet my eye.

“Excuse me?” I asked incredulously.

“Oh, don’t be like that!” she snapped, but there was no anger in her voice. “I’m an omega with no family, a baby on the way, with no father in sight! I’m a disaster and hardly appealing to packs. Packs want perfectly primped-and-primed omegas with no history or baggage.”

“Young, dumb idiots may want that. We want a good person, a kind person. Someone who brings us joy and lights up a fucking room. Money isn’t an issue to me; I’ve got more of the stuff than I know what to do with. As for your past? I don’t give one single fuck, and I know Devon won’t, either. You’re more than your past—and you and the little one are a package deal, and that is more than okay. We love kids and want them, so having one around sooner rather than later that we can fuss over is the opposite of a problem, Daisy St. James.”

Her jaw went slack with shock as I talked. Instead of trying to talk any more, I seized the opportunity, leaning down and capturing her lips with mine.

She melted into my arms at the touch. Taking that as a positive sign, I deepened the kiss, one hand reaching up to tangle in the nape of her red curls. Sweetness and sugar exploded in my mouth—I would never have enough of that taste. I knew that as deeply as I knew myself.

Pulling back, I rested my forehead on hers. I wanted to keep kissing her for longer, but her lungs had been working overtime with her pregnancy, so she likely needed the air. Judging by the way she was panting, I was right.

“In case this isn’t crystal clear, I am courting you, Daisy St. James. I want you, either alone or with my pack—I don’t care how—but I am quickly becoming obsessed with you.” She opened her mouth to talk, her brow furrowing. “Before you say anything, I’m willing to go slow. I know you have the little one to think of, but I am serious here, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make you feel secure throughout this.”

When she lightly bit her lip, looking up at me with trusting eyes and nodded, I felt so fucking proud, I thought my chest would explode.

Chapter 13

Daisy

Sleep wasn’t going to happen. I needed to accept that. Ever since Jeremy had—so frankly—declared that he intended to court me, I had been unable to relax. Was it an exciting prospect? Yes. Was it a terrifying prospect? Absolutely. I was a mess. I was more than a mess. I was alone, broke, and very pregnant.

He didn't seem to mind the fact you are pregnant, a small voice whispered in the corner of my mind. I had never considered that someone would actually be more than happy for me to already have a child. Everyone I had spoken to made it seem like my having a baby would ruin any potential relationships because no one would want a child in their pack that didn't belong to them.

Then there was Jeremy, who seemed more than excited by the fact that I was about to pop.

Did Devon feel the same?

Even if I had considered finding a singular partner for my future, my wildest dreams had failed to conjure the prospect of an entire pack. Devon had been sweet. He was handsome, and I could easily see myself getting to know him better. But we'd only met once, and part of my brain was worried that I was jumping in too fast again. I had run headlong into relationships before, and it had ended very badly for me.

Lying in my bed, I stared at the ceiling, trying to rest. What would it be like to be a pack omega? From what I understood, they were very spoiled, they were loved, and they were usually homemakers who got to focus on having children. Rubbing my stomach gently, I sighed. Having all the time in the world to look after my baby would have been perfect. I'd been planning to start looking for full-time work as soon as I could after the birth. I was going to have to pay for childcare, which would be exorbitant, but I didn't really have another choice. I needed to be working in order to support us.

As a pack omega, I wouldn't have to do that. I was the type of omega who had always wanted children. Even as a young kid myself, I would chatter about how, one day, I would have a house full of babies. I hadn't really thought about the men in the equation. I’d just wanted to have lots of children to look after and raise and bake with. The realities of adulthood hadn't been anywhere near as idyllic.

As if trying to remind me of my place, my phone pinged. Thinking it could be Jeremy, I rolled over, groaning as my stomach complained, and grabbed my phone off the bedside table.

Cole: You up?

I glared at the screen angrily. You up? That was what he chose to send me after two months of no contact? Looking at the time, I noticed that it was nearly four a.m. That made sense. He was probably just horny and looking for a hook-up.

Maybe he was high and forgot that I was pregnant...and that he had abandoned me.

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