Page 38 of Broken Chains

"Yes, Oliver," I admitted.

"Why?"

"Because even though he wants to fight it, he's still my one true mate, and I will always protect my family."

"Shit," I heard him say as I drove away.

When I arrived at the house, Doc was already there. Thomas was there, too, and Luke pulled in behind me.

“Pretty sure I pissed off one Alpha already tonight, I wouldn’t get in my way right now if I were you,” I told Thomas as I ran past him into the house.

I heard the two of them talking quietly downstairs as I walked into Oliver’s room. Eve was laying on the bed with a mask attached to her face.

“I had to call in a couple favors, but one of the local human doctors helped me line up what I needed. I was just telling Oliver, she’s getting a breathing treatment now, and we need to watch her fever through the night, but I think she’s going to be just fine.”

Hearing his words broke through the emotional wall I had thrown up while dealing with everything. I started to sob. Doc moved to comfort me, but Oliver left Eve’s side and beat him to me. He wrapped his arms around me and held me close, even when I felt my legs would give out beneath me. I was shaking all over.

“She’s going to be okay, Pey. She’s going to be okay,” he kept repeating as I cried into his chest. When the worst of the flood past, he kissed my temple and whispered, “Thank you.”

I gave him a tight squeeze, never wanting to leave the safety of his strong arms, but needed to check Eve over for myself.

Doc gave me an encouraging smile. “She’s going to be fine. You can lay with her and touch her. She just needs some good old-fashioned love while the medicines and her little body do the rest.”

I nodded and climbed into bed next to her. Even though her eyes were closed, her tiny fingers wrapped around mine as I stroked her hand. I leaned down and kissed the curls on top of her head and positioned myself on my side so I could snuggle her in next to me.

Oliver walked around to the other side of the bed and stopped to stare at us for a moment. I knew I had no real claim on Eve, but in my heart, she was already my daughter. I loved her so much it hurt.

Doc stayed. I put him up in my room for the night because there was no way I was leaving Eve’s side, no matter what was going on between me and her father. He only left the room to get a few hours sleep while the fever medicine was at its peak.

Oliver climbed into bed on the other side and laid on his side watching us with a funny expression on his face, sort of like he was really seeing me for the first time. I wish I knew what he was thinking, but after the fiasco the last time I’d tried to open up to him, I wasn’t ready to put myself back out there again.

Kenneth came in to check on us. “Is she okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, bud, she’s just sleeping now, the mask thing looks a little scary, but it’s giving her meds to help her breathe easier. Doc says she’s going to be just fine.”

“I’m the one that called Peyton,” he confessed to Oliver. “I was so scared, and you were on the verge of losing it, and I didn’t know what else to do. I knew you wouldn’t want me to after the fight you two had earlier, but I knew she’d help us. I’m sorry.”

Oliver looked at me and then back to his brother. “You did the right thing, Kenneth. Despite everything she came through to help.”

“It’s really late, Kenneth, and you have school tomorrow,” I reminded him.

“What? But. . .”

“No buts,” I said. “You and I have a deal, remember? I need you in school as much as I need Eve to get better.”

“There’s only a week left in school. Finals are over. There’s no reason to go.”

“We Smith boys, we finish what we start Kenneth. You only have a week to go. Finish it and keep your promise to Peyton.”

“Fine,” he said with a huff, before surprising me by leaning down and kissing my cheek as he stroked Eve’s arm. “Thanks for always looking out for us, Peyton.”

My heart melted. It wasn’t just Eve that I’d fallen in love with, or her father. I loved every single one of the Smiths. And laying there with her snuggled up safely next to me and feeling Oliver’s eyes watching us closely, I knew without a doubt that I was in love with him.

We laid in bed talking about nothing important. It felt like there was a white elephant standing in the corner as we avoided the obvious. Doc came in to check on the baby and we all breathed a sigh of relief as the meds worked and her fever came down, even if only slightly.

Sometime after that I drifted off to sleep and when I awoke, Oliver’s arm rested across my hip, and our legs entwined as our bodies formed a protective cocoon around Eve. For the first time in my entire life, I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

Oliver

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