Page 88 of Big Knot Energy (Shadowverse)

Amir set Annalise on her feet and the girls instantly got to work, pulling plates and utensils from cabinets and laying them out on the table.

“Can I help with anything?” I asked as I pushed to my feet.

“Absolutely not,” Athena said, pointing at me with a spatula as Amir looped an arm around my waist and tugged me onto his lap.

I turned wide eyes on him when he nuzzled his cheek against mine.

“Amir,” I whispered through clenched teeth.

But Athena merely smiled in our direction as she began carrying dish over overfilled dish to the table and set them on potholders and trivets.

Heavy steps echoed through the house as the alphas finally joined us in the dining room that was just off the kitchen. The entire house was mostly an open floor plan, yet still felt cozy.

“What is Antonio’s last name?” Ghazi asked as he stormed into the dining room.

And there went my damn heart, thundering like crazy behind my ribs as Amir kept me hugged tightly to his chest.

Turning wide eyes on my alphas, I raised my brows in a silentwhat the fuckbefore turning back to my new father-in-law. Myer was right behind him, his arms crossed over his broad chest, his brows pinched together causing a deep groove between them.

“Baba, maybe not right before we eat. Or…you know…ever,” Amir said as he continued to nuzzle his cheek against mine, the side of my neck, and my shoulder.

“If someone hurtabnati, they will be punished.”

That was the second time he’d referred to me in that way and I assumed it was a term of endearment the way Amir called mehabibi.

“Not now, alpha. We’re all going to sit down and eat and get to know our new children,” Athena said, grabbing both of her alphas’ arms and guiding them to the table as though they were two more of her sons.

It wasn’t lost on me the way their muscles relaxed and their expressions softened under her touch.

“Wewilltalk later,abnati. You’re family now.” His accent was slight but still obvious and his tone held no room for argument.

What had my alphas told these two alphas? More importantly, why had they told them anything about my past? I didn’t want them to hate me because of my family. I was nothing like them. In fact, even without having a relationship with my beta brothers, I knew they were nothing like my fathers, either.

Eventually, I wanted to reach out to them and build a relationship the way I was with Cora. We had all endured the same bullshit from our parents, had all been forced into packs against our will, had all had our futures planned for us.

Everyone took their seats, and I tilted my head and smiled when Athena was situated at the head of the table. Not Ghazi. Not Myer. Her alphas were putting their omega ahead of themselves.

No wonder Amir was so damn sweet; he’d been raised by loving parents.

“We’ll host a bonding ceremony for you,” Ghazi said between bites, his tone conversational yet left zero space for argument.

“She doesn’t want–”

“She didn’t want her previous alpha. This pack loves her. She deserves to be a princess. And I want to see my oldest pledge himself to his pack.” Ghazi nodded and no one made another protest. It was like that simple gesture was a signal that the subject was no longer on the table.

The table erupted into conversation, Amir’s family filling him in on what he’d missed around their little hobby farm, while everyone fired questions at me, Ax, Cyrus, and Enzo. They wanted to know about the club and even asked questions about Ax’s dancing.

“But if you’re classically trained, why strip?” Athena asked.

And a grin stretched across my face at how red Ax’s cheeks grew over her question.

“I don’t strip. Idance. And there aren’t many opportunities for a classically trained alpha. My family believed I would present as a beta or omega, hence the ballet and lyrical training.”

“I would love to see you dance someday. The ballet, not the…other,” Ghazi said, dropping his eyes to his plate as his own cheeks darkened a bit with a blush.

Athena met my eyes and winked with a smile. She was enjoying seeing her alphas uncomfortable as much as I was.

The evening continued on that way, just easy conversation, laughter, teasing, and so much love. When it was time to say our goodbyes, I easily promised to visit soon, and they all promised to come to our house.

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