Page 62 of Luna

“Understood.” I tried not to hope too much. This was the smallest step to showing Luna I cared and trying to get out of my own way.

But she didn’t hate me and she didn’t tell me to get lost.

Progress. I just had to not fuck it up.

I swallowed hard. If my previous history was any indication, I was in for a long road.

Chapter24

Luna

Having Dante around was sweet torture. It hurt every time I thought about him accusing me of being a gold digger, but the last week and a half he’d spent around me and the other guys was filled with him trying his best. He didn’t pretend like everything was okay, but he offered to pick up groceries, helped throw dirt around at Cosmic Bonds, and cleaned the house one morning without anyone asking him.

He was trying. He smelled amazing, and he fit in with the rest of the guys. We had dinner together and laughed at the funny stories he told. It was easy to forget he hadn’t wanted to be here just a week ago. I had to just get over the hurt and see if he was actually the alpha I hoped he was.

I smoothed my hand over my big belly and sighed. My body was changing in weird ways, and I wasn’t sure I was ready for the rest of my life to keep changing the same way. My boobs were starting to swell, along with my ankles, feet, and thighs. I had sex multiple times a day and it still didn’t feel like enough. My nest thoroughly smelled like Halos, Colton, and Quinn, but there was a driving itch under my skin for more.

My omega brain wanted pack bonds. The guys said they wanted that too, but it was so hard to just let go of the nagging doubt they would come to regret it. I could wait, and so could they.

The back door opened, and Dante poked his head out. “Luna? You want some company?”

“Sure.” I examined the butterfly garden closely. Halos was at Half Moon Nursery, but Quinn and Colton were inside working. Quinn’s semester was almost up, and Colton was working on a computer program that would let him integrate more of his sales reports.

It was nice they both had jobs to occupy themselves. It took away some of the pressure I felt to entertain them.

I wanted to revisit the idea of buying a house, but it felt weird bringing it up since I wouldn’t be paying for it. Despite Colton saying I didn’t have to worry about it, I still did. Pack bonds would probably make my life feel less like I was building a future on shifting sands, but I also didn’t want them feeling regret in a few years when we had a chance to settle down.

Dante followed the stone path out to the garden, still watching me with a cautious look.

I wished he acted like everything was fine. It was nice he didn’t expect to have the same rights as the other guys, but it also felt like I had to make him feel better.

“These are beautiful.” He gestured at the blooming columbine.

“Thanks.” I smiled. “Just trying to picture everything.”

“Putting in more flowers?” He asked politely. Too polite for someone who had been inside me, knotting me, but polite enough for someone who had hurt me.

“Renovations.” I stared at the backyard, wondering what plants we could move, and what wouldn’t survive.

“Ah.” He looked at the kitchen, and then shifted his gaze to the side of the cottage. “You’ve got space around the side of the house. No need to mess up the gardens.”

“Is it enough?” I shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“I have some friends who could draw up some plans,” he said hesitantly. He still looked tired, like he hadn’t slept well in months.

Part of me clung to that. Maybe he’d been listless without me. It was probably from staying up late and partying, but I could dream.

“Unless Colton has that in the works?”

“I don’t know.” I sighed. “We’ve talked about it before, but it feels like such a big step. But I guess we need to deal with it.”

“All in your own time, love.” Dante grinned. “There’s enough plants here that need your attention. You have all those beautiful gardens at Cosmic Bonds. Have you considered opening a nursery off of Cosmic Bonds?”

I frowned. “It wouldn’t be big enough to really be profitable.”

Dante shrugged. “So? You could have a greenhouse, grow what you like, cultivate your favorites and specialize.”

I stared at the alpha. It was a good idea. Too good. “Greenhouses are expensive. Cultivation takes time. By the time I finished figuring out what I wanted to work with, and had plants to sell, we would be up to our eyeballs in debt.” I gestured at my cottage. “Cosmic Bonds does really well, but partially because we have very little overhead.”

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