Page 59 of The Flavor of Us

Her arms tighten around me, and for a moment, it feels like she’s holding me together, her small frame carrying far more strength than anyone gives her credit for. When she pulls back, her hands slide up to cup my face, her thumbs brushing gently along my cheeks. “Ryder’s right, you know,” she sayssoftly. “You’re enough, Carleen. You don’t have to keep proving yourself—not to us, not to anyone.”

I nod, my throat tight, and Tati leans up to press a soft kiss to my lips. It’s gentle, sweet, and exactly what I need to pull myself out of my head. We quickly rinse off, drying each other off from head to toe in the midst of giggles and laughter. By the time we’re both dressed and headed for the front door, Ryder is glaring at us from the kitchen.

I’m basically dead on my feet but if I don’t see my sister now, I’m not sure when I’ll have time. “Just going to see Ellie. Don’t worry, Tati’s driving and I pinkie promise I’ll come back and sleep.” He doesn’t seem convinced, Ryder moving toward me and pulling me into a firm hug. He doesn’t ask this time. He just does and it’s exactly what I need.

“Let us know how your sister is doing. Tati, keep an eye on our Alpha, okay?”

Tati gives him a thumbs up as he presses a kiss to the top of my head and guides me to the door. Ashton swoops in to pepper kisses all along Tati’s face and then Ryder hands out kisses of his own, bending her backward as if it’s competition. When Ashton comes to stand in front of me, it isn’t awkward like I thought it’d be. There’s been a slew of kisses and caresses these past few days, Ashton becoming my own piece of comfort.

“Take care of yourself, darling.” He cups my cheek, his thumb running across the skin before he pulls me into a delicate kiss.

The drive to Ellie’s is quiet, comfortable, with Tati flipping through the radio until she finds a soft playlist. I glance over at her occasionally, watching the way she hums along to the music, the other hand on the wheel. When we pull up to Ellie’s house, I let out a slow breath, feeling lighter already.

Ellie’s smile is warm and tired as she opens the door, Savin curled up on the couch with one of the babies tucked into his chest. Macon’s in the kitchen, bouncing another baby in his arms while the third snoozes in a bassinet nearby.

The chaos is beautiful. Ellie hugs me tightly, her scent wrapping around me like a safety net, Tati slipping past us and already cooing over the baby in the bassinet.

Walking into Macon and Ellie’s house feels like stepping into a warm hug. The smell of baby powder, fresh laundry, and something sweet baking in the oven wraps around me immediately. And then there’s Ellie, tired, sure—there are faint bags under her eyes, and her hair’s in a messy bun that’s threatening to collapse—but her smile is so wide it practically glows.

Macon grins as he shifts Oliver to one side and turns off the stove with his free hand before meeting me at the door. “Well, look who it is,” he grins. “The most stubborn Alpha in the city and her equally stubborn Beta mate.”

I roll my eyes, smirking as I fully step inside. “Nice to see you too, Macon.”

Ellie loops her arm around mine, dragging me toward the couch while Macon follows, a smirk still plastered across his face.

“So…” Macon starts, rocking Oliver gently in his arms. “Should we expect wedding bells anytime soon?”

I freeze mid-step and Tati makes averyunattractive choking noise from across the room. Ellie spins around so fast I think she might snap her neck. Her brown eyes widen, her mouth hanging open as she looks between me and Tati before zeroing in on the faint mark on Tati’s neck.

“Carleen!” she screeches and Savin stirs slightly on the couch, mumbling something before resettling with Aria. I’m amazed Ellie got a few moments away from her level 5 clinger baby girl.

“Shh!” I hiss, my cheeks flaming as I glance toward the sleeping baby.

“You MATED her?!” Ellie whisper-yells and Tati’s face is buried in her hands, her ears turning scarlet.

I shrug one shoulder, trying to play it cool. “It… happened.”

Ellie gasps dramatically, clutching her chest like she’s about to faint. “You mated her and you didn’ttell me?!I’ve got asisternow! This is the best day of my life!”

Tati peeks through her fingers, a shy but amused smile tugging at her lips. “I didn’t think it was a big deal…”

“Not a big deal?!” Ellie throws her hands in the air before spinning toward Macon. “She bonded my best friend and didn’ttell me!”

Macon’s smirking, clearly enjoying this little show. “You gotta admit, Ellie, it’s very on-brand for Carleen.”

I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Alright, alright, calm down, you two. It wasn’tplanned.It just… happened. And I wasn’t letting Tati get away. That’s all you need to know.”

Ellie melts slightly, her dramatic expression softening into something more tender. “Well, yeah, okay. That’s fair.”

But then Macon raises a brow, and his smirk deepens. “But that’s not theonlything, is it, Carleen?”

I freeze again, my eyes narrowing slightly. “What are you talking about?”

Macon tilts his head, a knowing gleam in his eyes. “There are two very distinct Alpha scents clinging to you.”

Tati’s face goes crimson.This was not my idea of relaxing. I was going to come over here, hold some babies, catch up with my sister, and then go take a nap. This is the absolute worst outcome, my entire dating life spilled out for everyone to see.

Ellie gasps again. “Oh, my goddess. Carleen. Are you—Are you seeingthem? Like,them-them?”

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