Page 228 of The Broken Aztec Princesses

"Why does no one respect my authority?” I whined. “I’m alpha. I should ask, and get an answer.”

“Because, this isn’t a pack issue. This is a nosy, big brother issue,” Violet deadpanned, making James and Jo laugh at me.

“I’m not nosy!” I countered, but even I didn’t believe it. When it came to my family, I needed to know everything that could potentially hurt them, so I could prevent it, and I wasn’t going to feel bad about it.

Chris chuckled at my weak defense, and we stood to head to Mom’s house.

‘It’s good to see you both happy. Welcome to the family,’I mind-linked him, needing to make sure he knew I was genuinely happy to see him with Violet.

‘Thank you, Alpha,’he replied.

I groaned out loud, remembering how much of a stickler he was for titles. He was going to be family. It was going to make it awkward to be addressed as alpha all the time during family gatherings.

“Are you ever going to be able to call me Cory?” I asked him, making Violet giggle.

“I’ll do my best, Cory,” Chris chuckled, making my jaw drop that he actually used my name without a title. “At least, in private.” I heard him add under his breath, making me chuckle.

I’d take it.

James and Jo split from us to go back to their mates. Bells requested this first dinner to be only immediate family, and I understood why now. Tomorrow, Mom was having extended family over to the private dining room in the pack house to welcome them back. And I guess now we had more news to give them, too.

"Do you know what the gender is?” I asked as we walked.

“No. It was too early when they did the ultrasound,” Violet explained.

“Do you have a sonogram?” I continued to ask.

Now that everything was out in the open, I was itching for more information on my new nieces or nephews.

“Do you?” she asked.

I pulled out my phone and showed them the picture of our pup, warmth spreading through my chest. Chris stopped and pulled out his wallet, bringing out a copy of their sonogram very carefully, as if it were the most precious possession to him.

Fuck. I couldn’t believe Evie was due at the end of February, and Violet and Bells were both due sometime in March. That was a lot of pups running around. Meli was due later this month, and I knew James and Zi were starting to try for one.

Life was about to get very chaotic, and I was excited for it.

Three-quarters of the way to Mom’s house, I stopped for a moment, and looked down at Violet with a new worry.

“He didn’t hurt her, did he? The man Bells was with?”

“No, Cory. It’s not my story to tell, but I can tell you he was a good man who would have cut his right arm before hurting her.”

Fuck. What the hell went down in Montana? Why didn’t it work out if he was a good man?

When we got to Mom’s, everyone was talking in the living room, but I could see Bells was struggling to stay awake.

‘You, okay?’I asked her, pulling my mate up from her seat, so I could take her place and pull her onto my lap.

‘Just tired,’Bells said, yawning as if to prove her point.

“Let’s eat!” Mom called out from the kitchen, the smell of curry wafting out stronger as the door swung.

We gathered around the table and as we ate, I remembered I hadn’t talked to Bells about my plan.

“I told Chris and Violet they’re welcome to stay on the alpha floor until we can figure out a house for them, Bells. You’re welcome to do the same. We need to induct you back in the pack later, too.”

Bells perked up at the last part. The longing in her eyes was hard to miss.

---