Page 18 of When She Needs Them Most
“Are you sure you don’t mind?” She glances between us.
Linc pats her shoulder. “I’ve got a few things I need to grab to fix the back fence at our place. It’s not a problem.”
“Okay, thank you.” She smiles, but her entire demeanor betrays how exhausted she must be. “I have some cash in my purse. My feet are a little swollen from the drive yesterday. I think I’m supposed to elevate my legs to help with the swelling.”
My forehead wrinkles with a frown.
I definitely need to do some research. Is swelling normal during pregnancy? It seems like it might be a sign something is wrong.
Well, that will have to wait until we ensure her home is, at baseline, livable.
Chapter Seven
Chelsea
Right after I turned eighteen, up until I was twenty, I spent a while desperately trying to find a pack—much to my mother’s dismay. It wasn’t that she didn’t want me to find one, but she was a bit of a lone wolf. She always said female alphas have trouble meshing with male alphas, even though one of the packs in our neighborhood had male and female alphas, and they made it work.
Who knows? Maybe it was an excuse because she never wanted a pack. Me trying to find bondmates just out of high school worried her. She was afraid I’d bond the wrong kind of alpha and end up stuck in a bad relationship.
It doesn’t happen often, since alpha impulses are designed to love and protect their omega, but there are bad apples. My age and naivety amped up her concern that I would bond with the first pack that showed any interest.
There’s no doubt in my mind. She worried a lot during the course of my life, but she always loved me and looked after me, even if we didn’t have a single thing in common.
Mom loved the outdoors and staying active. I enjoy snuggling and cuddling up next to the fire during cold nights. But she always did her best to ensure I had everything I needed.
Until she went and died on me with no warning.
I’ve spent a lot of time wondering if it would’ve been easier to lose her if I had a pack. Seeing how Arden, Kase, and Lincoln rally to tackle any challenge makes me feel especially lonely.
The couch in the guys’ house smells like them. I’m not sure why I’m so unsettled, but my body aches with exhaustion and a general run-down feeling.
Kase leaves me on the couch while he heads to make lunch. I’m not sure what it is, but it smells delicious. Not quite as good as the scents of the three alphas, but focusing on the food seems more appropriate.
The fluffy blanket wrapped around my shoulders is comfy and helps the room feel smaller. My eyes roam over my computer, but I’m not getting any actual work done. Luckily, I padded my schedule with a few extra weeks in case moving was more complicated than I expected, but I was hoping to get ahead rather than having to play catch-up.
I pull the blanket up and tuck it over my head from behind before closing my laptop and shoving it aside on the cushion next to me. My head rolls around the back of the couch as my eyes close. Focusing on breathing in deep hits of their scents makes me even warmer and sleepier.
My mind feels busy, running through all the things I need to do. I’ve already called several heating companies and found one that’s available tomorrow. I’ll just need to wear my long john pajamas and grab a couple of extra blankets from the bedding box for tonight. Since my appointment with the new OBGYN isn’t tomorrow, but the next day, I can relax tomorrow and unpack my clothes and the smaller stuff.
My body feels heavy and sleepy as the scents of my neighbors soothe that part of me that’s been a little lost since Clark broke up with me.
It’s highly inappropriate, but I promise myself I’ll only close my eyes for five minutes. Then I’ll eat a quick lunch and go over to my house to start my new life.
My eyes feel heavy, as does my bladder. My head rolls around, a little squeak escaping when I realize I’ve been sleeping on someone’s shoulder.
“Hey.” Kase tilts his head down, giving me a lazy smile. “You were knocked out when I brought lunch.” He laughs, nodding to my lap. “Sky found her way onto the lounger with you, and when I sat down, you snuggled right over into me. I didn’t want to wake you. Did you sleep well?”
Half the baby belly is resting on his hip and side. I’ve been lying against his shoulder, and his arm is tossed over the back of the couch. I’m basically wedged all over him. My heartbeat picks up as I glance down at my legs. All three of us, including Sky, are on the long edge of the sectional.
“Yeah, really well. I’m so sorry that I trapped you here.” My hand flies to rub at my eyes. “How long was I out?”
He looks at the clock on the mantel. “Not long, less than an hour. Are you hungry?”
“Maybe,” I say around a yawn.
Kase gives a shy smile, and it’s a strange thing to be attracted to, but here we are. His canines are extra pointy, like most alphas, but he must have had an excellent orthodontist growing up. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a perfect set of straight, white teeth.
Luna has either been awake, and her movement is what woke me up, or she’s just waking up. What were tiny kicks and punches a few months ago, now feel like full-on stretches.
