Filed To Story: Secret with Betas Daughter: Skylar Story Series
Oliver strokes my cheek. “Hey, it’s okay. We talked about this, remember, he’s okay. You won’t be able to be with all three of us all the time…”
“As much as we would love that, we also have a job to do. Besides, I think he has something special planned anyway. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
Cam lifts me off Oliver and they both take me inside to shower.
Whatever they have to show me must be really important, because they were on their best behavior while we cleaned up to go meet Dakota. They gave me no other hints to what they are up to. We drove in the truck, me front and center. I finally started to recognize where we are going and I can’t hide my excitement. The streets look so nice, everything is coming along with the rebuild and it is so much better that could have imagined. We make our way further in and I can imagine what it’s going to look like when the grass and trees grow back in.
We make a familiar left turn and butterflies explode in my stomach. There’s no way, absolutely no way it’s ready. I can feel my pulse pick up, I ‘m not sure if I’m more excited or afraid of what I am going to see when we make the next turn.
“Breathe, Bitty.”
Oliver grabs my right hand and laces our fingers. Cam mirrors the movement on my left.
We make a right turn and I stop breathing. What on earth have they been up to? “There’s no way.”
I whisper.
“It’s nowhere near done, Love. But these are the bones of our new home.”
Cam squeezes my hand.
I have no words. I can see the image these five boys had as children. This massive structure is forming. He’s right, it’s just the bones, the framework, but I can see it, our home. It is a ‘U’ shape, just like our street was always set, but everything is interconnected. The central part of the building has the Quter walls up ready for whatever facade they chose so I can’t see through to the back. The right side seems to be the next phase with partial outer walls, wiring and duct work. To the left, just the concrete base is set. It looks to be about four stories if the central part is anything to go by.
“Oh, wow!” I’m still whispering, but I can’t make my voice do anything else.
?
The street has been converted into a circle drive and Cam takes us right to the wide double front doors. Once he’s parked, Oliver steps out and helps me down. As soon as I turn around Dakota is stepping through one of the main doors and jogging towards me.
“Not gonna lie, that was hot.”
He rumbles in my ear and I pull back to look at him confused. “Apparently, distance doesn’t not stop us from feeling your absolutely sweet org*asms. And these guys have very active internal dialogue according to my wolf. Which he decided I needed a play by play. I had to step away from everyone until you all finished, so I could finish and act normal.”
We were all laughing with him now. I’m glad he didn’t feel left out. It’s one thing to give them one on one time, but taking two and not three somehow made me anxious once I realized he was missing. “Come with me Sweetness.”
He laced our fingers together and walked me to the double doors before opening to a massive open concept room. “What is this?”
“We will show you the plans later, we actually need your input on a couple things. What I have to show you is over here.”
Dakota keeps walking me through to the back. There isn’t anything here to indicate what they want to use this space for, so I couldn’t even guess, but the windows set in the back wall almost make me cry. They made sure to recapture the entrance to the patio. It was always my favorite thing about the kitchen in the packhouse. But, we don’t stop here like I assumed. He keeps pulling me along, his grin getting wider as we go.
“What are you up to?”
“Me? Why would I be up to anything?” He just winks and takes a few more large steps. I’m starting to have to jog to keep up, he’s so excited to show me whatever it is. “Okay, Skylar, close your eyes.”
Oh, damn. He is serious. I think he’s used my given name less than a handful of times in my whole life. I don’t even hesitate to shut them.
He steps behind me, placing a hand on each shoulder and starts to guide me forward. I hear a metal click, a whoosh, and then I’m hit with warm humid air. “There’s no way!” I whisper again. It cannot be possible. Our entire home was completely flattened in the attack. He moves me forward a few more steps. I can hear water trickling not far from me and smell the damp earth freshly tilled and planted. I can smell roses and lavender, jasmine and eucalyptus. It is heavenly. We stop and he shifts me a few times and I have to laugh at him trying to get the angle right.
“Dakota! Can I open my eyes yet?” I whine at him, but with a smile.
He kisses me gently, laughing at his ability to get to me. Once he returns to my back and places both hands Con my shoulders, he whispers, “Take a look.”
I open my eyes slowly and I am lost for words for the second time today. It is gorgeous. It’s our garden, but so much more. The pool is still in the center with the zero depth walk in, but instead of being rectangular it is a circle in the center of the room. To one corner is a massive lounge area that was definitely made for all four of us to fit comfortably. In another corner a vining plant looks like it is being trained to climb the wall over a black iron dining table with four chairs. To my left the soft riverstones line the floor and walls where a rain shower head is concealed in the ceiling. To my right raised planting beds house many different plants that I would take a guess pertain to magic somehow. There is a stone path that surrounds the pool and leads to all the corner pockets of the space and plants are everywhere. It is amazing. I turn to Dakota and bury my head in his shoulder and let my happy tears fall.
They did this for me.
“Welcome home, Sky.”
He whispers. I look up to thank them all, but it’s just the two of us.
I pull back confused. “Where…”
“It’s my turn. told you we would all have plenty of time in here together.”
He leans forward, asking for permission and I don’t hesitate. This is so amazing. I can’t wait to share it with them all, but I can give Kota his time.
Epilogue 1 – Sky’s 18th Birthday
“Why are you not ready yet?” Sierra yells at me from the door of my bedroom.
“What are you talking about? I have been ready. What else is there to do?” I look down at myself. I have the dress she chose, the hair style and make-up we have practiced at least three times this week. I had to beg Sam to keep her busy to give me some peace.
He took it like a man and told her he wanted to redecorate the boys’ rooms. Their second son is due in just a few months and Sam has actually been holding her off from redecorating since the baby stuff shouldn’t really change in his opinion. I agree with him, but I will never say that out loud to my best friend. She has been extra moody with this pregnancy.
“Ugh! I have to make sure everything is perfect! I can’t have my best friend look ridiculous when she is becoming an Alpha Luna.”
The title she has given me is so stupid, but another thing I can’t say because she will either try to fight me or burst into tears and she’s right, today is not the day for things to go wrong.
“Hey, breathe. It will be perfect. You have done such a wonderful job on everything. Now take a deep breath and stop stressing my nephew out.”
I reach out to rub her baby bump. She is such a natural mother. She has even taken on the kids who lost their parents in the war with Adrielle and Vincent. The packhouse is a revolving door of children and we all love every second of the craziness.
She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “I know, I know. It’s just really important, and everyone is here and it’s your birthday and we haven’t done anything yet and I know that we always do something special for birthdays, but the packhouse is jammed full of people so we are missing out on that too.”
I jump up from my chair and put my hands on her shoulders making her take my seat.
“Stop! Right now. Don’t make me
Alpha command you. It will be perfect. Everything you do is always amazing. And we are doing something for my birthday, it’s just a little different than normal. Everyone agreed that this was the best day for everything to happen. I turn
??e
eighteen, there’s a full moon tonight, we have the Luna ceremony It’s all supposed to happen tonight and everyone will stick around for a couple days and then we will have the house to ourselves and we can sit by the pool and grill burgers to your little pregnant heart’s content.”
“SILAS! NO! YOUR MOTHER IS GOING TO KILL YOU AND THEN ME AND NOT NECESSARILY IN THAT ORDER!” We hear the yell from outside and both of us rush to the balcony.
I love this view. The way the guys designed the packhouse is perfect. The ‘U’ shaped design has the main common areas in the middle and the living space’s on either side. We are in the west wing on the top floor and I have a balcony that takes up the whole wall that overlooks the massive pool we have in the back. The rest of our Alpha Suite has windows that overlook the central courtyard or the forest that surrounds the packhouse and my greenhouse.
Just as we get to the edge of the balcony I see Silas take a running jump from one side of the massive waterfall that circulates the pool water, to the other side. The boy is only six months old and already a handful He has scaled everything that is possible to climb and he learned to walk and run on the same day. It takes all of us just to keep track of him. Sam is running after him screaming about keeping his clothes clean and really wanting to be alive to see him reach at least five. We are both laughing hysterically. There is no way either of them come out of this chase clean.
“I told Sam those were his clothes for the ceremony and he had to stay clean or else he was sleeping with the pups in the dorms for the foreseeable future.”
She giggles holding her tummy.
“Even I know you wouldn’t dress Silas until about thirty seconds before he has to run down the aisle, how does Sam not know that?”
“Men are stupid.”
She shrugs. “I think Jena is having just as much trouble with Mack, but he knows how important today is for you. That boy’s sense of duty for his beta blood is stronger than yours ever was. I would send him after Silas if their communication skills were as advanced as their physical ones.”
She laughs again.
“Okay, we really do have to head down. Is there really something I am missing, or were you just being dramatic?” I walk away from her a little and do a spin. I don’t bother looking in the mirror, she’s better than any piece of glass at making me look my best.
I have this gorgeous white gown that has all the pizazz Sierra thinks it needs, but it is still my simple style. It is a mermaid styled dress with a bunched satin material making up the top of the bodice. The rest of the dress material is a matte white hanging from the satin, hugging all my curves in the right places. The bunched satin continues over my shoulders and crisscrosses between my shoulder blades and wraps back around the front creating this sexy wrap look. It finally finishes in the back, just above my tailbone where the satin attaches and hangs like a pleated train to the floor. Sierra has my hair loosely pulled to the side and over my shoulder. The beach waves are pinned strategically to look effortless, but they will not move at all. Luna Anne sent my silver shoes so I could wear them and tease the guys a bit since Xander got to see me in a dress for the first time before them. They probably won’t even notice, but the nod is still funny to me and Xander is sure to bring it up if he notices.
“No, you look perfect. Let’s go.”
She laces her arm with mine and we walk out together. Lil and Jena meet us as the elevator stops on the next floor down.
“Oh yes! They are going to die when they see you!” Jena coos and Lil laughs.
“I bet Dakota tries to get you in the greenhouse for a quickie before the ceremony starts.”
“You’re on!” Jena laughs. “There’s no way Cam is going to let anything stall this ceremony. It has taken too long to happen as it is. And besides him and Oliver would never let Kota have all the fun while she looks like that. I bet you go into heat immediately.”
I look down at my feet knowing my face just turned beet red. I don’t know why it still embarasses me to talk about my sex life. At this point we are all adults and everyone here, but Lil, is mated and two of my friends are mothers. This is not new territory, but something about my sex life with three mates fascinates everyone and I don’t enjoy it when it comes up.
“At least now she looks like the innocent little Luna she’s supposed to be and not the well versed bedroom goddess she is.”
Lil prods, sending my embarrassment through the roof. “I’m actually surprised you can walk most days.”
“Oh, stop.”
I cover my face trying to reel in the heat in my cheeks. “You act like we do nothing but have sex.”
“I mean… if my mate looks like you or any of your guys, I probably wouldn’t leave our room for a month. So, take the compliment. You are hot, they are hot and so far you have had the adight luxury of being mated, early I might add, with no heat or any of that craziness to deal with. If it was me, they would be tied to the bed, ready to ride.”
“You need to get laid, my friend.”
Jena pats her shoulder.
“That would be great, but my brand didn’t conveniently disappear so I could find my mate early like some of us. So, you all will just have to deal a little longer with me living vicariously through you.”
“Is it weird to be able to think about sex and mates and all of that? Be completely aware of it, but not be able to act on it.”
Sierra asks in research mode now.
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.