“I need to talk to both of you.”
Ominous. Hopefully the unplanned bond with Chico hadn’t spooked her too much. If she pulled away now that we’d just moved forward…
“Is this a good talk or a bad talk?” Dylan asked.
“Um, neutral?”
“Have a seat,” I said, gesturing to the stools at the island. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Just water is fine, thank you.”
I added some ice and filtered water to a glass, slotting a wedge of lemon onto the rim for her.
She settled with the glass, tracing lines in the condensation that quickly formed. “I’m sorry I made everything so complicated.”
“Life would be so much less interesting if it weren’t complicated.” I finished up Dylan’s forgotten task while I spoke, adding the rice into the cooker along with some tomato and seasoning. “Did you come over for an unneeded apology?”
“Sort of.”
Dylan stepped up behind her, nuzzling his cheek along her hair. It was impossible to miss the rise in her scent and the dilation of her pupils, followed immediately by the pulse of fear that soured her scent.
“I can’t think when you’re so close.”
Dylan parked himself on one of the stools, leaving an empty one between them.
Charlotte sighed, taking a slow sip of her water. “I thought the heat flush that bonded me to Beau was a one-time anomaly, but it’s not. I don’t know how to keep control of it.”
“Do youhave tocontrol it?” Dylan asked, tilting his head like a pup to examine her.
“Well, yeah. I can’t be bonding people left and right.”
“You could bond me right now and I’d be happy as a clam,” said Dylan.
Charlotte pursed her lips. “We barely know each other.”
Fate had chosen this omega for us. What did it matter if we got to know each other now or later?
“The only way that’s going to change is if we spend more time together. Is that something you still want to do?” I asked.
“I already agreed to trying. I know we’re scent matches, but bonding just to make it…scarier. I’ve been trying so hard to put my kids first, and this feels like I’m failing in that.”
“We think your kids are great.” Dylan offered her a smile and she shakily returned it.
“None of us want to step on the toes of you being the mother you want to be. You don’t have to tackle any of that alone, unless you desperately want to. Whether you bond us or not, you’re part of our pack now and we’re going to take care of you and your kids in whatever ways you will allow us to.”
“I don’t want to push parenthood on anyone. No one should be forced into it if it’s not something they want with their whole heart.”
I leaned against the counter to get myself eye level with her, waiting until her hazel eyes locked with mine. “I promise you parenthood has been on all our minds since we learned you were our match. You’re right it’s not something that should be forced, but I don’t feel like that’s what’s happening. You three are filling up the empty spaces we didn’t know existed. If you want us to be a family, we’ll be right there to accept that honor.”
“You really want to risk being stuck to me forever?”
“Better reverse that question, princess.” Dylan laughed. “You’re the one who’ll be stuck with us. I’m more than happy to keep you.”
Her gaze drifted to him, and back to me, tears threatening to spill over her bottom lashes. “And you?”
She looked so fucking fragile. I hated that she was afraid, but I could only do so much to alleviate her worries when her body had stripped her choice of timing twice now.
“You’re pack,” I repeated, “and if you think I didn’t start falling for you the second that pink cowboy hat was on your head, you are sadly mistaken. Match or not, we all knew you were for us. Bond me now, later, or never, and that doesn’t change.”