Page 86 of Big Knot Energy (Shadowverse)

“It wasn’tjust a car. It was a vintage 1963–”

“Thunderbird. Yes, I remember,” I teased Ax, playfully elbowing him in the ribs.

“It was sexy as fuck,” Ax muttered.

It was. And not because he was wearing a dress, but it was so…

It was like he was so comfortable in his own skin he didn’t feel the need to don fancy clothes or behave in a certain manner. He’d just made sure he wasn’t naked and worked at rebuilding the engine to his dream vehicle. He’d been covered in grease and sweat and smelled like heaven.

After smoothing my skirt and hair for the hundredth time, Amir squeezed my hand and pulled it to his lips. “Relax. They’re going to love all of you. My parents are super chill and laid back. But I do need to warn you…my mom more than likely cooked a full ass feast and will pester the shit out of you about not eating enough. Don’t let it get to you. She’s always trying to feed people.” He shrugged and smiled. “Probably the most stereotypically Greek thing about her.”

Too soon, Cyrus pulled the SUV down the same long driveway and parked along the row of trucks and a single minivan.

Three young girls came pouring from the front door, smiles brighton their tanned faces, squeals of excitement lifting on the air even before we’d opened the doors to step out.

“Amir!” the smallest one with hair darker than Amir’s screamed, lunging into his open arms the moment she was close enough.

“My little monster,” he said so affectionately, lifting her from her feet and swinging her in a circle.

A smile stretched across my face the same time a touch of jealousy pierced my heart. Cora and I were finally building a sisterly relationship, but I had never seen such a beautiful display of love within a family.

“Mama! Babas! They’re here!” a girl who didn’t look much older than the one now clinging to Amir called out.

“This little monster is Annalise. The little hellraiser there is Amini,” he said about the second girl. “And Alysia is the oldest girl but still a brat.”

She stuck her tongue out at him, but then approached me. I moved to offer my hand, but then stiffened when she immediately wrapped her arms around my neck for a hug. She looked to be somewhere around fourteen or fifteen and wasn’t much shorter than myself.

“My baby is finally home,” a beautiful woman called from the porch before descending the three steps and hurrying to where we all stood. Even my alphas looked as though they weren’t sure how to act.

Enzo, Ax, and Cyrus might not have been raised with a stuffy as fuck family like my own, but it appeared as though they weren’t used to so much love in one place. This family truly cared about each other.

Amir set little Annalise on her feet then hugged his mom tightly, lifting her from her feet and earning a slap on the shoulder. “Put me down. You’re not too big for me to put over my knee.”

“Leave the boy alone,” a man who looked almost like Amir’s twin – minus the long hair – said as he approached. He extended a hand first to Enzo before moving on to our other two alphas. “I’m Ghazi Khalid. My omega Athena.” Another man stepped out, his hair salt and pepper in color and cut short. “This is our packmate Myer.”

“Enzo. That’s Ax and Cyrus.” Each alpha shook Amir’s fathers’ hands. Though it was more than obvious Ghazi was the biologicalfather of Amir and his youngest sister where the other two heavily resembled their mother.

“This is our beautiful beta, Issa,” Amir said, wrapping an arm around me and beaming as though showing off the most precious diamond.

There was the briefest moment of silence where the family stared at me, then the air exploded with excitement and chatter.

“Abnati!” Ghazi exclaimed as he pulled me into his arms, then pulled back to press a kiss to each of my cheeks.

Athena was next, practically yanking me away from her alpha and hugging me so tightly it was hard to breathe. I could totally see where Amir got his affectionate tendencies. “I am so damn excited to meet you. Come on inside. I made lunch.”

“Told you,” Amir muttered in my ear as his mom led me inside with an arm around my shoulders.

The alphas lingered back while the three girls followed me, their mother, and their brother, firing off questions and speaking at the same time until I was both overwhelmed and nearly exploding with happiness.

This was how a family should behave. This was how people reacted to those they loved. I had only just met these people, yet I felt more cherished by them than I had my entire life with my family pack.

“Do you love my brother?”

“Are you going to have a ceremony? Can I help plan it?”

“You’re so pretty. How come you’re not an omega?”

“Girls! You’re overwhelming her. And I told you, Annalise – we don’t pick our designations. And betas are just as amazing and beautiful as omegas or alphas.”

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