Page 40 of Broken Chains

I reluctantly removed my hand from her hip as she kissed Eve’s forehead and smiled happily before rolling out of bed. She was rumpled from sleeping in her clothes and her hair was a mess, but to me she looked more beautiful than ever.

I leaned down and kissed Eve’s forehead for myself and grinned. “Fever’s down a lot.”

“That’s good, right?” Brady asked.

I shrugged. “I hope so.”

“You and Peyton make up?” he asked, not even dancing around the question.

“Not really,” I admitted.

“Well, you looked pretty cozy when I walked in.”

“It felt right,” I confessed. “Having her and Eve here this morning. I don’t know what to do, Brady. I’m trying so hard to do what’s right by all of you and I’m not even sure I know what that is.”

“Well, if that doesn’t include you and Peyton together, then she’s right, you are an idiot. And you’ll regret it the rest of your life if she gives up and walks away from you, from all of us.”

He left the room with that thought lingering in the air. The hardest part was that I knew he was right.

I waited for Doc to come in and check on Eve. I didn’t want to just move her to her Pack 'n Play, but it wasn’t safe to leave her on the bed alone so I could grab a shower myself.

“How’s our patient?” Doc asked when he finally stepped into the room.

“Still sleeping. Is that normal?”

“I’m sure it is. Let’s take a look, if that’s okay with you.”

I wondered if everyone around me could feel how on edge my wolf was. Between worrying about Eve, my feelings for Peyton, and the fact that two Alphas stayed under my roof for the night, meant my wolf was on the verge of losing it, and I couldn’t afford to just wolf-out on anyone.

My roof? Yes, it was. I still couldn’t believe Peyton had done that, but this was my territory now. Thomas or Luke couldn’t claim it which made me Alpha of my own little pack, my family. That thought was more empowering than I expected it to be.

Eve stirred while Doc was checking her over. She grabbed at the mask still on her face but couldn’t get it off, and that seemed to piss her off.

“It’s okay to remove it now, it’s only oxygen running through it at the moment,” he informed me.

I took it off and smiled down at my daughter. When she greeted me with happy coos and a big gummy smile, my heart swelled, and my wolf relaxed just a little.

Peyton peeked her head in with wet hair and fresh clothes.

“Hey, she’s awake,” she said in a higher-than-usual voice reserved for babies. “How’s my sweet girl?”

Eve rolled to her side, searching for Peyton. Her little arms and legs flailed excitedly at her voice. If I had any doubts about my feelings for her, they were quickly put to rest. Peyton had been more of a mother to Eve than Melina ever would have been. The way she’d fiercely threatened my Larken Pack doctor last night left me with chills and the knowledge that she would do absolutely anything for Eve because she loved her unconditionally.

In my mind I was already justifying the many reasons I should mate Peyton. They all seemed so selfish yet felt so right.

“I have to go make food now,” Peyton said, still in her baby voice even though she wasn’t exactly talking to Eve. She sat next to her on the bed as she played with Eve’s tiny hands and occasionally leaned down to plant a series of loud sloppy kisses on her cheeks.

“I’m going to be heading out, so nothing for me, thanks,” Doc said. “Eve’s fever is down. It may come back up, but it shouldn’t be as concerning as last night. I just gave her a dose of Tylenol. Just keep to it throughout today, every four hours, but if she’s not over one hundred degrees at the four-hour mark, you can push that back soon and lengthen to every six hours throughout the day. If you need anything at all, I’m only a phone call away.”

Peyton stood and hugged him as a low growl escaped me. Where the hell had that come from?

I started to apologize but Doc just waved it off. “Happens all the time, especially with mating males. I’ll just see myself out.”

“Does everyone think we’re mating?” I asked with a resolute sigh.

Peyton laughed. “I’m pretty sure everyone but you already knows it.”

Then she turned and left the room.

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