Page 9 of Riley Goes Home

“It is, isn’t it?” Something about Mum’s concern had my hackles rising, and the guys must’ve felt the same, leaving off unpacking the car to cluster closer. Our wolves didn’t give a shit about suitcases of clean clothes, or even Riley’s pillow, just her. “It’ll only get harder when you’ve got a car full of kids.”

Mum forged on, looking over her shoulder at our dads.

“Remember how hard it was to wrangle the boys when we drove up to the city. Two cars and each one of them fighting to be in the other one.”

“That’s OK, I don’t see us making a lot of trips like this once the kids are born.” If I was still kinda pissed with the parental units, I had nothing on Colt. He’d never wavered for a second in his belief that Riley was the only one for us. With every year we were apart, part of him withered, growing gnarled and blackened, and I was pretty sure he was still healing from that. He crossed his arms and confronted the lot of them and said exactly what was on my mind. “I’m not putting my mate through long drives for anyone. Any person wanting to have a relationship with our children, with us, they’ll need to come to us.”

I grinned, unable to stop myself, even when I got a disapproving look from one of my dads.

“Oh, well, then…” Mum blinked, because while she would always be my mother, she was Omega Vanguard first, and I think it killed her to relinquish that position. “Enough chattering on the front step like strangers. Come inside and I’ll give you a tour of the house.”

I sucked in a breath, ready to let her know that wouldn’t be happening right now.

“Could you show me the bedroom we’re staying in now?” That vulnerability in Riley’s voice had me growling. “I’m sorry, the place looks amazing.” She gave the gardens a cursory look. “But I’m just trashed. The drive?—”

I saw the disappointment on Mum’s face and that had me stiffening, but before I could say a thing, she smiled and patted Riley’s arm.

“Of course, love. You must be exhausted. We’ve set the lot of you up in the granny flat out the back. A pregnant omega needs her own space.”

There was a lot in that sentence that needed further unpacking, but right now our next move was apparent. I grabbed a couple of bags at random and then said, “Sounds good. Lead the way and we’ll get Riley situated.”

“Oh, this is pretty.”

Riley’s sigh had me turning around as we stepped inside the granny flat, but the sound had Mum beaming.

“We bought the place for just this reason.” Mum swept through the living area and down the hall. “There’s a kitchen, several bedrooms?—”

“Show us the closest one,” I said between gritted teeth. Riley was being polite as per usual, trying to be a good daughter-in-law, but I could smell the acidic edge to her scent. She was tired and burning through the reserves of her energy quickly.

“Of course.”

Mum looked like the goose that laid the golden egg as she opened the door to the main suite, revealing a massive bed that would fit the lot of us. Sun streamed in through the windows, so I moved at the same time Blake did, undoing the curtain tiebacks to shroud the room in a much softer grey gloom.

“There’s a big ensuite through that door with towels and toiletries.”

Mum seemed determined to point out every feature, which had me crossing the floor and putting my hands on her shoulders.

“Haze…” John, one of my dads, growled.

“Mum, you’ve done an amazing job. This place looks incredible and you’ve obviously worked hard to make sure we’ll be comfortable.” Mum’s cheeks flushing got quite a different reaction from me. It told me I was on the right track, right before I nipped this situation in the bud. “We appreciate it, honestly, but right now, Riley needs rest. We can’t appreciate anything you’ve done until she’s had a nap.”

I braced myself for an argument, a straight up brawl if it came to it. I had the names of different bed and breakfasts we could stay at while in town on my map app. Every part of me was tensed, waiting for her response, but Mum just smiled.

“Of course.” She patted my arm. “I remember what it was like when I was pregnant with you lot. Your fathers were just impossible. John even got into a fist fight with my father, if you could believe.”

“Stories for later I think,” the man himself said, steering her towards the door. “Let the kids rest and we’ll catch up later.”

Malcolm sidled up to her.

“You know we could do with a nap too.”

“Oh, I’m not tired,” Mum said as she walked out.

“No one said that we had to sleep…”

I wrinkled my nose at that, because knowing academically that my parents still had sex was quite different to hearing about it, but thankfully whatever else they had to say was left for after they’d left the granny flat.

“Babe…” I turned around and found Riley had flopped back onto the bed with a sigh, arms and legs outstretched like a snow angel. “God, this bed feels so damn good.”

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