Page 76 of Vegas Baby!

“But he did. Even if you could convince him to change his mind, do you really think there would be no resentment? Trying to make him give us up or force us to move for your benefit isn’t fair. You’re not the only family to consider here.”

“Please listen to her,” I said to him.

“It takes a lot for a child to let go of a parent,” Ava continued. “One of my pack already had to let go of his mother for his ownsafety, and my mother is making the same mistakes that you’re making now. She wasn’t invited today. Is that the future you want?”

My dad frowned, staring at the stucco at his feet. “Bryce is my only child.”

“He doesn’t have to be,” Ava said softly. “He has a whole pack now that you could be family to, if you wanted. If you would rather try and take him away from us, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

I watched him digest her words in silence while I hoped and prayed he would change his mind. If he would just get to know them, he would see I was going to be just fine here.

My father sighed. “I can’t do this.” He turned on his heel, stalking down the driveway and into his rental car. Ava and I stood quietly as he drove away, and then her arms were wrapped around me.

“Bryce, I’m so sorry.”

I held her tightly, breathing in her sweet praline scent to anchor myself. I had never been very good at standing up to my father, but I couldn’t let him talk to Ava that way. Even if I hadn’t been well on my way to falling in love with her, seeing him speak like that to anyone made my stomach turn.

The door opened again and to my surprise it was Micah’s mother.

“Hello, my dears. Everything all right?”

“Things have been better,” I replied.

“I know it’s not the same,” she said, “but you’re part of our family now. If you’re looking for a father figure, there’s no shortage inside. Any one of my alphas will be there to fill that role if you ever want to ask for it. We take care of our own.”

I was at a loss for words. No one had ever offered me that before. Micah wasn’t even bonded into the pack and his family was welcoming us as if we had always been there.

“Come here.” She opened her arms and I slipped from Ava’s into hers. I hadn’t been hugged by a mother in so long I had forgotten what it felt like. Tears slipped out before I could stop them. “That’s all right, honey. What you did wasn’t easy. I’m proud of you for protecting yourself and your mate.”

Ava tucked herself against my side and I let it all flow out.

I wasn’t sure how long it took me to recover myself, but Micah’s mother and my beautiful omega didn’t let go of me once.

“Ready to go back in?” Mary asked.

“I think so.”

I hated the amount of attention that was on us when we came inside. Every eye was focused on me.

“Want to go upstairs?” Ava asked. “You promised to take me if I got overwhelmed. I’ll do the same for you.”

“Maybe for a few minutes,” I agreed.

“We’re going to take a quick break upstairs,” Ava announced, pulling me toward the stairs. “Keep enjoying the party. We won’t be long.”

When we were sequestered in the nest, she reached up, cupping my cheeks. “My brave alpha. I know how hard that battle must have been. Thank you for standing up for me, for us.”

“I couldn’t stand him talking that way about you.”

She drew me down for a long kiss that just scraped the surface of my desire for her. I let myself drown in the taste of her. Ava was sweetness personified, my match and my omega, all the good I had hoped for in life but never dared dream I would actually get.

“Ava, I can imagine a life without my father, as much as it hurts to do so. I can’t imagine a life without you. I don’t even want to try.”

She stared up at me, her hazel eyes shining. “I don’t want you to try either. I’m sorry everything is so complicated.”

“That’s not your fault.”

“Feels like it,” she whispered.

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