Page 49 of Breeding Clinic

Matthew shakes his head. “You would have told us to forget about it. You’d have done the alpha thing and put your pack’s needs above yourself. Because that’s who you are. And I love you for that. But I want this baby too.”

I squeeze Matthew’s hand, and he gives me a small smile.

“Gabriel and I weren’t allowed to meet you,” Matthew says to me. “We had to trust this guy’s nose. That’s hard for us betas. We don’t have the sense of smell for pheromone compatibility that alphas and omegas have. So I’m grateful that his nose was right. And that Liam fucked up and didn’t ask questions when they threw him into a heat room with zero instructions.”

“Hey,” Liam says, pretending to be offended.

“He’s an idiot sometimes, but he’s our idiot.” Matthewlooks at Liam fondly. “And that was one thing he did right. We like you a lot. I can’t believe we got so lucky.”

I’m speechless and happy and completely overwhelmed. My eyes get damp, and Matthew notices. He plants a kiss on my forehead, then cuddles closer.

Liam wraps a muscular arm around all of us. He kisses my neck over my old scars, and for the first time in three years I don’t mind them being touched.

In the middle of our cuddle pile, I find peace. Talking about my old pack helped. It wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be. Sometimes the fears in our head become worse than the reality.

I doze off in the safety and comfort of their arms until Gabriel comes home. He leans against the doorway, a smile on his face. “Did I miss all the fun?”

“Come here, but be good,” Liam says while Gabriel undresses.

“I’m always good.” Gabriel tosses his scrub top onto the floor.

Liam snorts.

Gabriel shoves his scrub pants down. “And you like it when I’m bad.”

“Not tonight,” Liam says.

“Is something wrong?” Gabriel throws his scrubs into the hamper and climbs onto the bed.

“No,” I answer, reaching for him. “It's cuddle time.”

Gabriel smiles and lies down on Matthew’s empty side. “I like cuddles. But if we’re all going to puppy pile, we should consider getting a bigger bed.”

Liam makes swirls along my arm and back while Gabriel and Matthew get comfortable.

I don’t tell them that I’m looking at bigger houses. Not yet. As sweet and lovable as they all are, I’m not ready for that yet.

Chapter Eleven

GABRIEL

“Wow, it’s crowded.”Matthew surveys the lake’s beach where hundreds of sun tents and umbrellas make colorful dots along the sand.

“Where should we set up?” I ask them while Liam grabs our stuff from the back of the truck and loads up the wagon.

“Close to the bathrooms,” Kat says. “I pee every hour.”

She’s exaggerating, but it’s somewhat true. I grab Kat and haul her against my side, rubbing my hand over her baby bump. She’s visibly pregnant now that she’s sixteen weeks. “Sounds good.”

“By the bathrooms then.” Liam points. “They’re over by the concession stand that way.”

We traverse the hot sidewalk and then even hotter sand until we find a spot. Liam and I put up the sun tent, burying the poles to hold it in place. It’s not too windy. The beach is artificial, trucked in around the lake to make a shoreline. It’s not as good as the clear turquoise waters of Brazil, but it’s better than nothing during this heatwave. Everyone else had the same thought, it seems. This is the last hurrah of summer. In a few days, the temperature drops.

“There,” Matthew says as he positions the beach chairs and a large blanket under the shade we’ve made. He grabs our bag and rifles through it. “Sunscreen?”

“Yeah, thanks,” Kat says, reaching for the hem of her cover up. She peels it off, revealing her swimsuit. It’s a bikini. White with crocheted lace and cute string ties that make bows at her hips and back. Her pregnant belly sticks out over the top of her triangle bottoms and her full breasts strain the cups of her top. “I can’t reach some places anymore.”

“I’ll rub you down.” I take the sunscreen out of Matthew’s hand before he can protest. He quirks one eyebrow, then smiles and shakes his head.

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