Page 53 of Vegas Baby!

“Definitely agree.”

“The house feels so big.”

“I grew up in a place like this. Six parents, five siblings. Still felt like we were tripping over each other even with all the space.”

“I feel like that would be very overstimulating.”

“It could be, and was, a lot of the time. There was good soundproofing, though, and my parents made sure everyone had their own space to retreat to when they needed. That made a big difference.”

She looked at me with wide eyes. “Is it bad that everyone still feels kind of like a stranger? Like, I’m glad we’re moving in together, but it’s all very fresh.”

“Not bad,” I assured her, taking a seat next to her. The egg chair from her old apartment had just enough room to fit both of us. “Let’s get to know each other better, then. What are you curious about?”

Ava chewed her lip, dropping her gaze. “I’ve been avoiding asking about your work.”

“Any particular reason why?” I hoped it wasn’t because she disapproved, but I knew it wasn’t a career everyone was comfortable with.

“It’s just a lot of experience. You had a lineup of all these beautiful omegas. Makes me feel a bit insecure, is all.”

Fucking precious.

I lifted her chin and pressed a soft kiss to her mouth. “I can promise you one thousand percent that the omegas I was with for a job are nothing compared to you.”

Her little pout made me want to nip it out of existence, so I did.

“How can yousaythat? They wereperfect, or at least I assume so. That’s kind of the go-to for porn, isn’t it?”

“Everybody is beautiful,” I insisted. “Just because there’s more of a certain body type in porn doesn’t mean every other type is undesirable. I would think by now you’d have no doubt I think you’re exquisite.”

“I never said my anxiety was logical. I’ve already been struggling with how much my body has changed with the baby. Sometimes when I let my mind drift to what you and Luke do forwork, I get queasy about how I couldn’t have compared before and now I definitely can’t.”

I pulled her closer, kissing her hair. “You’re perfect, and your body is busy doing something amazing right now. Give yourself some grace. I promise you’re gorgeous at any size, but even more so when you’re bringing our first pack baby into the world.”

“But…”

“Talk to me, angel. What’s going on in that beautiful head?”

She fidgeted with the fabric stretched over her belly. “I don’t know if I wanna talk about it right now.”

“Well, whenever you’re ready, then.”

Ava leaned against me with a sigh, curling her fingers in mine. “I’m just starting to feel settled. I don’t want to ruin everything with what ifs.”

“Are they things we should be worried about? If you ask questions, we can work through answers as a pack.”

“What if I’m afraid of the answers?”

“Is there anything we can do to help you feel more secure?”

Ava let out a bitter laugh. “You would think buying me a house would be enough to shut up the anxiety, but it still keeps whispering.”

“I know this is all a big adjustment for you, for all of us. We’ll make this work together.”

She nodded. “New topic?”

“Sure, if that’s what you would like.”

“Can I see one of the videos?”

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