Page 127 of Vegas Baby!

“Yes,” I said slowly, “but it’s more than that. Could you please sit?”

“Honestly, I’ve been half expecting this the whole time. I worried from the start that you would see the baby and decide you were keeping it no matter what your pack wanted. I’m sorry,that sounds so awful to say. I kept trying to tell myself not to get too excited, but it didn’t work.”

I reached out for her, and she took my hand, settling into one of the chairs next to my hospital bed. “In truth, I never wanted to give up the baby. I needed you to come here, though.”

Charlotte tilted her head. “Why?”

“Because I needed to tell you in a safe place what kind of man you’re married to.”

Her brows creased, a frown marring her features. “What do you mean?”

“Before I tell you too much, I need you to know I had no idea you existed. He wasn’t bonded and told me he was single. I didn’t know about your kids.” Tears snuck up on me. “I didn’t know he was married.”

Charlotte sat frozen, her fingers twitching in mine, face flushing. “Excuse me?”

I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, trying to collect myself. “I met your husband a little over four years ago when I was eighteen.”

“Eight-eighteen?” Charlotte stuttered, looking like she was about to throw up. “Ava, he’sforty-fiveyears old!”

I sniffled. “I know. I didn’t know any better. I thought it was cool that this rich, older man was interested in me. We dated long-distance. He would fly me out for conferences and weekends away. I thought we were going to get married when I got pregnant.”

Charlotte pulled her hand from mine and got up to pace around the room.

“I’m so sorry I had to tell you. He made it pretty clear he wasn’t going to, and you deserve to know.”

She paused, turning to me, her eyes shiny with unshed tears. “I’ve wondered foryearsif he was stepping out on me. Every time he came back home, he couldn’t quite look me in the eye,and Iknew, but I never had proof. He left me alone so often after Oliver was born. I thought I had done something wrong, but that was when he metyou. Is he the father, then?”

“By blood, but not legally. I found my scent matches the same day I found out about you, and I ended things with Andrew immediately. I bonded into their pack, so they’re the parents of my baby.”

Charlotte sucked in a shaking breath, wrapping her arms tightly around herself. “Okay. Okay, so my husband has been cheating on me for years. You probably weren’t even the first. I don’t understand why you would go through an agency to contact me?”

“I think that was all fake. Andrew’s been pressuring me to give up my parental rights, convince my pack to do the same, and let you both have the baby. He offered to let me join a pack with you too.”

“That…” Charlotte swallowed hard. “That was never discussed with me.”

“That’s what I figured.”

Charlotte sank down into the chair again, burying her face in her hands as she sobbed. Guilt sat like a lead weight in my chest. I knew all too well what it felt like to find out Andrew’s true colors.

“I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t be crying in front of you,” Charlotte apologized.

“You’re completely fine. This is a safe crying zone. God knows I had a full breakdown when I found out he was married. I can’t imagine how much worse it must be from your side.”

“We’ve been married twenty-two years. I know there were signs, but I hoped…I feel like such a failure.”

“You’re not,” I insisted. “You haven’t done anything wrong. If Andrew was unhappy, he should have said so. He could havegiven you the chance to find someone who would appreciate you.”

Charlotte scoffed. “I feel like the pickings on someone who’s excited to take on a forty-something divorcée with children might be a little slim. Honestly, I’ve basically been a single parent for years. Even when heisaround, he isn’t present. I never should’ve tried to adopt this baby. When you told me that you were fine with him if I was happy, I knew the truth. IknewI should’ve said something, but I didn’t.”

“The baby definitely deserves a better father than Andrew, and she has that now. And your kids are lucky to have you as a mom.”

That only got Charlotte crying again. I passed her my water, knowing it was minimal consolation for what she was going through, but crying was exhausting, and a dehydration headache wasn’t going to help things.

“I know we’ve just met under basically the worst circumstances possible, but our kids are siblings. If, down the road, we wanted that to be more than just a genetic relation, I’d be okay with that. I’ve already talked to my pack about it. You’re welcome to stay with us, too.” I couldn’t stop myself from talking, and Charlotte didn’t tell me to either, so I just kept going. “The guest rooms are yours as long as you want it. I didn’t want to tell you everything and then force you right back to Andrew. I know it’s weird, and everything sucks, because I just went through all of this, and I also know that you’d probably be happier to never see me again after finding out who I am. I just want you to be safe. I have a pack to take care of me now, and I want?—”

“Please stop,” Charlotte says shakily. “Ava, I appreciate all of that, really I do, but this is way too much for me to think about right now. I need some space before I decide if I’m going to have the kids meet the baby. I think we might stay with you for acouple of days, if only because if I share a hotel room with them, they’re going to see me cry.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

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