Hell, she’d only been away from her part time job just over a month while we’d looked for Antonio and had been going out of her mind with boredom.

Hence her and Amir’s constant shopping trips, manicures, and visits with his parents.

Ghazi, Myer, and Athena had come to the hospital the moment they’d figured out where the ambulance was taking her and then came here every day since we’d brought her home, bringing home cooked meals or takeout while Amir’s sisters busied themselves with tidying and minor household chores as though the four of us couldn’t leave her side long enough to run the dishwasher.

There was nothing physically keeping us from leaving her side – we just didn’t want to.

The wedding was planned for about a year from now, but I couldsee why Ax wanted to move shit up; that had been entirely too close for comfort.

Not that Amir and Issa having a wedding or even a marriage certificate would change a damn thing about our relationships or her place in the pack.

But we…sheabsolutely deserved something beautiful, a celebration, a big ass party complete with a DJ, flowers, and any kind of food she wanted.

Fuck, I would have a variety of food trucks parked along the curb if that was what she wanted.

“We’ll bring it up to them, see if that’s what they want.” Enzo lifted a hand, halting whatever Ax was about to spout. “Their choice, Ax. I’m fucking serious. Don’t start pressuring her about anything.”

“What about talking one of them into carrying a pup for us?” Ax said, a wide, shit eating grin on his face.

My nostrils flared as I inhaled deeply before blowing it out slowly. “She has no desire to be a mom. Or at least to get pregnant. And it’s still pretty early to start talking about adding kids to our pack.”

Not that I wasn’t dying to see either of their bellies rounded with one of our babies, or that I wasn’t more than ready to see little pink or blue toys littering the house.

But no way in fucking hell would any of us push that on her. We understood. We truly did.

Conversation ceased and I swore all three of us focused all our attention on the sleeping duo, on the way Issa’s dark lashes fanned over her cheek, on the way Amir kept a tight hold on her even in his sleep.

He was still beating himself up that she was taken instead of him. Didn’t matter how many times we all told him how well he’d done by putting the phone in the back of her pants, or how he’d remained calm and had been able to help us track her.

There had to be a way to reassure him, but we all knew it wouldn’t come from us. It would be up to Issa to convince him he’d done exactly as he should have by ensuring they both remained alive and that we were able to get to our beta before it was too late.

CHAPTER 48

Three Months Later

Issa

How had they talked me into this?

Not only had Amir and I agreed with Ax’s excited and rambling plea to bump up the date of the wedding, but I’d allowed them to help in the planning.

I’d thought Athena was a lot. She had nothing on my alphas.

The only high point was they hadn’t invited hundreds of people.

But they had decorated the entirety of the house – literally the whole house including the bedrooms and bathrooms – as well as the yard with thousands and thousands of fresh flowers and flickering candles.

At least they’d listened to every bit of input I’d given them. The flowers were in soft blush and lavender tones, thecandles were all ivory, and the guys all slept together in the pack bed while I’d spent the night alone in my own room.

It had felt so weird sleeping alone after spending so much time surrounded by the scents and warmth of my pack, but it was one of those things I wanted to do, one of those little superstitious things betas often did before their wedding.

And I wanted to feel as normal as possible for once.

Not that anything about our pack was normal, and that was completely fine with me.

Amir and I had asked our alphas if they would walk me down the aisle the way fathers often did when giving their daughter’s hand in marriage. The beatific smile on Ax’s face had been enough to melt my heart.

Apparently, they’d already talked and had hoped Amir and I would invite them to be a part of the ceremony in some way but refused to pressure me.