Ky and Kael returned with an array of bags, each filled with items that carried even a hint of lemon or ginger, including fresh lemons and ginger roots. The assortment of bags clearly showed that they had made stops at several different stores. Kael crouched beside the bathtub and placed a lemon drop candy between my lips. "Just suck on this for a while," he murmured, "Mom said these worked the best." I couldn't help but chuckle, even through the nausea. "You two went to multiple stores for all this?" "Yeah," Ky chimed in from the other side, grinning. "He wouldn't rest until we found these lemon drops specifically." All three of them perched themselves around the bathtub, their chins resting on the edge, gazing at me as if I were the most precious thing in the world. "You three look ridiculous," I said affectionately. They met my teasing with easy smiles, the atmosphere light and carefree despite the chaotic day. "Yeah, maybe we are a bit tipsy," Kael admitted with a wink, "b
That night, the room was silent except for the soft sounds of breathing and the occasional shift of weight on the mattress. Kael and Ky had taken up sentinel positions with their backs against the headboard on either side of me, keeping a vigilant watch. Knox lay across the foot of the bed, lightly rubbing and playing with my feet. None of them planned to sleep, their protective instincts too finely tuned to overshadow their need for rest. When I woke the following day, I found three pairs of eyes quietly observing me, just as I had expected. They had spent the whole night discussing the new changes softly, ensuring I was okay. "I scheduled an ultrasound for this morning at 9," Ky announced. "It's just about a mile away, at the Heatobeaux Clinic." "Wow, that was fast," I remarked. Ky chuckled, "What can I say? I'm a charmer. Plus, I kind of mentioned it may be multiples, so they perked up and moved you to the top." Knox then turned to me with a playful yet obviously intimate
Navigating through the bustling French Quarter, thronged with tourists, I clung to Kael's arm as the early morning nausea began to rise again. With each step, the crowd seemed to press closer, making it hard to breathe. "Feeling nauseous again," I whispered to Kael, leaning into him for more than just physical support. Without missing a beat, Kael glanced at Knox. "Did you grab those..." he trailed off, clearly concerned. Knox, understanding immediately, reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small bag of Lemon Drops. As he handed them over, Kael intercepted, admonishing gently, "No, no, one at a time." "I'm an adult, Kael," I protested lightly, trying to lighten the mood. "I know," he replied quickly, "but I just got the store owner to agree to get more, and it'll be three days before I can get you more..." Rolling my eyes, I took one from his hand and popped it into my mouth, the sour taste helping settle my stomach. We reached the clinic, and Ky went ahead and check
Back at the townhouse, Ky busied himself in the kitchen while I reclined on the couch, trying to absorb the morning's revelations. Kael couldn't keep still. His energy was a mix of nervous excitement and pent-up emotions. He knelt beside the couch, gently pushing up my shirt to expose my belly. He began kissing my stomach, whispering to our unborn twins. "Now that there are two of you, I won't mind if one of you is a girl. As long as you're like your mama and not like your dads," he murmured with a chuckle, continuing to talk about all the fun and chaos they would bring to our world. At the head of the couch, Knox seemed to be in his world, fingers gently twirling strands of my hair. His actions were soothing, yet his far-off gaze and the occasional odd look on his face hinted at the mess of thoughts behind his calm exterior. A knock at the door sliced through the domestic scene. We were enjoying our newfound bliss knowing we would be parents brought. Kael tensed, his body stif
Missy followed me into the kitchen. I grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and downed it in a single go, still feeling the adrenaline coursing through my veins. Missy leaned against the counter, her eyes filled with sympathy and admiration. "I'm so proud of you," she said. "I know I stopped trying to keep Gerald in check after a while, but I did try for a long time. I tried right up until Kael bought this townhouse." I nodded, feeling a bit guilty for my earlier outburst at her. "I'm sorry I got so aggressive with you," I said, wiping my forehead with the back of my hand. "I'm just so tired of them acting like that. There are bigger things in life than their pathetic alpha feelings." Missy laughed, which caught me off guard. "Oh honey, I've been pregnant with what I suspect are six alphas. You think Kael and Gerald are bad? Try having them growing inside you." "Wait, six? You mean Cassy is an alpha, too?" I asked. "Her brothers and father like to pretend her assertiveness comes
Gerald stood up, looking around the room as if seeking a way out. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry," he said. "I'm not in the right frame of mind to continue this conversation, so I'll excuse myself. Please come by the house tomorrow once we've all cooled off. We can talk more then." He glanced at me, adding, "Is that acceptable?" Knox snorted from the table, his amusement evident. I shot him a glare, then turned to Kael, who nodded his agreement. "Fine," I said. "What time?" Missy suggested noon, which sounded okay. She and Gerald left, the door closing with a soft thud. I turned back to Kael, who seemed to think that his parents' departure meant he was off the hook. He stood and tried to hug me, but I shrugged him off. "You can't respond like that anymore," I said. "I know it's hard to control these emotions, especially now, but you can't be tearing up our home. We might have kids living here. I need to know you can keep yourself in check." "Sky, I would never..." he started, but
I leaned in and whispered, "So, are we going to get on with it?" Kael chuckled, still clearly surprised by my boldness. "How about food and a shower first? Unless you're about to explode or something." "I might," I replied with a smirk. "But I'd rather not throw up on you, so..." We headed to the dining room to grab some food. The meal was delicious, but I barely tasted it. My mind was elsewhere, thinking about how much I needed him. As soon as we were done eating, I turned to Kael and said, "Shower. Now." The words were barely out of my mouth before I dragged him into the bathroom. I was all over him, aggressively making out, pressing against him, my hands roaming across his chest and abs. It was like I couldn't get close enough, couldn't get enough of him. Kael, trying to stifle his growling, said, "Whoa, whoa. You don't want to hurt me, do you?" "I don't know, maybe." I shot him a playful grin. That did it. The growl-laced moan that escaped his lips told me he was clearly
Ky and I strolled out of the bedroom, content and light-headed from the moment we shared. The townhouse was unusually quiet, the echo of our footsteps the only sound. "Where is everyone?" Ky asked, glancing around. We wandered through the townhouse, checking each room. When we reached Kael's bedroom, we found both Kael and Knox sprawled out, fast asleep. Kael's arm hung off the side of the bed, while Knox was curled into the blankets, entirely out of it. I giggled, covering my mouth to avoid waking them. "I guess we're all sleeping here tonight," I whispered. "Might as well move two beds in here and push them together." Ky nodded, a grin spreading across his face. "Sounds like a plan. We'll deal with that tomorrow." He climbed into bed, carefully easing between the sleeping brothers. I slid in next to him, settling into Knox's arms. Kael stirred, rolling over to hug Ky, who just sighed, resigned to his brother's cuddling. Ky glanced at me with an exaggerated eye roll, and I lean
(KNOX POV)Teddy called later that day. I could hear the hesitation in his voice, which was rare for him. "Knox, I just heard Essie's been seen near the old rogue housing units by the beach. They said she is staying in the stray house near the edge," he told me. He didn't have to say more. I knew exactly where he meant.It was the same place I had taken her before when things were spiraling out of control.I didn't want to bring anyone with me, especially not Sky. The memories of how deep I had fallen, how Burk and Fletcher manipulated me into that dark pit of sex addiction, were too raw. She didn't need to see that side of me. No one did. This was something I had to face alone.The truck's engine roared to life, the same one I'd driven that night years ago. I prayed she'd recognize the truck, which would trigger something in her or at least make her talk to me about that night.As I pulled up to the house, my heart pounded against my ribs. The place looked as rundown as ever. I sa
(KNOX POV)Sitting at the kitchen table, my phone buzzed with a notification. It was a message from the pediatrician's office about Oxxy's upcoming surgery. They asked about insurance information and the final payment arrangements. I didn't hesitate to respond that I'd pay cash. Money wasn't an issue when it came to Oxxy's well-being.The reply came almost immediately, but it wasn't what I expected. They mentioned needing some papers signed and, since I wasn't the custodial parent, they would need his mom's signature to proceed.My heart sank. I stared at the message, trying not to panic. The thought of needing Essie's involvement made my stomach twist. She had been out of the picture after running away from the rehab, and now they were saying we needed her? It felt like a slap in the face.Sky entered the room and noticed the strain in my posture. "What's wrong?" I didn't say anything, just handed her the phone. After reading the message, she sighed and ran her fingers through my
(KNOX POV)"We found him."The delta's voice crackled over the radio, and everything around me seemed to freeze. Still, I couldn't fully relax. I needed to see him with my own eyes. Needed to know he was safe."Where?" I shouted into the radio, desperation pushing my voice louder than intended."By the pond," came the reply. "He's just sitting there, Knox. You need to get down here."I didn't wait for more information. I shifted and sprinted through the woods, driven by the overwhelming need to reach him. My heart raced, thoughts spiraling through every possible scenario. The idea of him being out there all alone and the what-could-have-happened scenarios if we hadn't found him made me sick to my stomach.Seeing him nearly brought me to my knees as I reached the pond. He was perched on a large rock, his little legs swinging back and forth like he hadn't just scared us all half to death. Relief hit me so hard that I almost stumbled, but I kept moving."Oxxy!" I called out, rushing tow
(KNOX POV)As soon as I returned to the house, the pressure hit me like a physical force. Something was wrong. Really wrong. The packhouse was eerily quiet. I barely had time to process the change from dead still to chaos before Ky rushed up to me, panic radiating off him."Knox, we lost Oxxy."That knocked the wind out of me. My heart started pounding so hard it felt like it might burst. "What do you mean you lost him? How could you let him out of your sight?" The panic in my voice was undeniable, but I couldn't help it. The fear was already taking over, squeezing at my chest like a vise.Ky's eyes were wide with fear. "I'm sorry, I just... I turned around for a second, and he was gone. I thought he was just running back to the house, but he's nowhere Knox. We can't find him. Where the hell could he have gone? It was less than a minute."The blood drained from my face as the reality of what he was saying hit me. Oxxy was missing. I immediately jumped to the worst possible scenari
( KY POV )I watched Cassy practically force Teddy into his truck after she tossed Phin in the back seat. I stepped toward her, hoping to say something that might calm her down. Before I could say anything, she spun around. "Before you lecture me, you need to go talk to your two lookalikes inside before I kill them!" she yelled.She quickly caught herself and apologized. "I'm sorry for yelling at you, Ky. It's just... They need to get their shit together. This isn't the time to act like kids."I sighed, taking a few deep breaths before heading inside. If I was being honest, I was tired of it too. We had three kids now, and this constant chaos couldn't keep happening. We had to figure out how to handle this before it tore us apart. Or they had to grow up in the kinds of messes we did. As I made my way to the packhouse, my thoughts drifted back to Naomi. I had been in love with her for nearly a decade. We were marked and bonded, and I was ready to spend my life with her. But then she
SKY POVI was doing everything I could to help Knox handle Oxxy, but it felt like trying to put a band-aid on a gaping wound. Knox was beyond frustrated with himself for allowing Oxxy to see the fight and hear everything accidentally. After sending Oxxy to his room to gather his cars so they could play together on the porch, he paced the room."I can't believe I let him see that, Sky," Knox muttered. "He's just a kid. He shouldn't have to deal with this damn mess."I watched as he tried to pull himself together, knowing how much this was tearing him apart. I reached out, taking his hand. "We'll make it right, Knox. We'll make sure Oxxy knows he's safe with us. He seemed okay?"Before he could respond, the door opened, and Kael stormed in. "What the hell happened?"Knox didn't hesitate. "Phin said his Dad used black magic to block finding out who Oxxy's father is. We got into it. Cassy left to drive Phin and Teddy back to the Bayou land.""She drove them back? Alone? As volatile as the
(KNOX POV)We returned from the run, but what we needed to do was still heavy on my mind. As we approached the packhouse, I braced myself for the conversation with Cassy. I knew she wouldn't want to hear anything about Teddy's past, especially when it involved someone else, but we couldn't avoid it any longer.When we walked into the living room, Cassy was already on edge. I could see how she held herself, tense and ready for a fight. "Cassy, we need to talk," I started, trying to ease into it.She didn't give me an inch. "About what?" she asked, her arms crossed defensively."It's about Oxxy… and Teddy, and everything that happened," I said, knowing this wouldn't go well no matter how I worded it."I don't want to talk about Teddy being with someone else, Knox. I can't.""I get it, Cass," I stated. "But we need to figure this out for Oxxy's sake. Wouldn't you want to know if he was the... Wouldn't you care?"She stared at me, anger flashing in her eyes as she started to pace. "You th
KNOX POVSky found me asleep on the floor in Oxxy's room, curled up beside his bed like a helpless puppy guarding his toy. I had one arm draped over his small body, trying to offer comfort. Probably more for me than him. He was content, totally unaware of my messy thoughts. I hoped it would always remain that way. He'd been through enough already to have to also handle adults with big emotions.Oxxy was snuggled up in his bed, his tiny malnourished body barely taking up any space, his breathing even and calm. I didn't know how long I'd been there, but it must've been a while because the hard floor beneath me was making my back scream."Knox," Sky whispered as she knelt beside me. "Do you want to go for a run? I think it will do you some good."I blinked awake, my eyes heavy with exhaustion. I knew she was right. I needed to clear my head. "Yeah," I muttered, rubbing my eyes. "Let's go. But don't wake the other two." The last thing I wanted was for Kael and Ky to join us. I needed to
(KNOX POV)Cassy sat across from me, twisting around a loose thread on the couch. "Teddy's convinced Oxxy isn't yours," she finally said. "He thinks Oxxy's actually Ferdinand's."I stared at her, struggling to process what she was saying. "What? That's impossible.""They found out after that Ferdinand was also sleeping with her," she continued, not looking at me."Who's 'they'?" I asked."Essie and Phin were involved. Pretty intensely, from what I've gathered. And I'm pretty sure Teddy was in on it too, even though he won't admit it outright."I felt like the ground had been ripped out from under me."There's no way Oxxy isn't mine, Cassy."Cassy sighed, finally looking at me. "Knox, they were all pretty close. Maybe too close. I don't think they were trying to hide it. Teddy told me that Essie and Ferdinand were... well, let's just say they weren't just friends."I shook my head, refusing to accept what she was saying. "Oxxy looks like me. If he were Ferdinand's, he wouldn't have bl