Chapter Twenty-Four

Grigory laughed. “No koalas, but there are two other bears I have met in my journeys. After our little ones make their appearance, would you like to do some travelling?”

She perked up. “Travelling? Like, outside the state?”

“Around the world, treasure. My work is international, as is Arthur’s. Delun can stay with the kids.”

She cocked her head. “I can still travel until the seventh month. We could see a teeny bit of the world before I am locked down.”

“Are you bargaining with me, treasure?” He grinned.

“I suppose, but I don’t know what you would want in return, so state your price, and I will let you know if I can meet it. Oh, and I would have to get a passport anyway, so you guys would have to sign off on it, if I remember what the Omega Centre drilled into me about my registered status and authorizations by my pack or, in our case, sloth.”

He cocked his head. “I will think on it.

“Somewhere in the second trimester would be nice.”

He chuckled. “So, I have some time.”

“Yeah, but I think I still need a passport.”

“You do. We will put it on the to-do list for next week.”

She nodded. “So, when you figure out a price, let me know.”

He cocked his head. “I think I know what I want.” He leaned in and whispered in her ear, and her eyes widened in surprise.

“Really? That’s it?”

“Yes, of course, wearing all the jewels that my family provides you with.” He chuckled. “Speaking of which, you need to open the rest of the presents from Delun’s family tonight and wear all the jewellery when my family starts arriving.”

“What happens then?”

“Then, after my father presents you with a dress, you will go change, and then, my family will cover you in pearls.”

She blinked. “Pearls? Because a pearl necklace is a very different thing where I come from.”

He laughed. “Pearls, gold, gems. Treasures from the earth and sea. No one will jerk off on you.”

She sighed in relief. “Frankly, some days, I have no idea what is going to happen next.”

“Speaking of that, though. What did you do to Vassily?” He looked genuinely curious.

“Ah, that. He has a problem if I make eye contact and I am even the teensiest bit aroused. It shorts him out or something, and he goes off.”

He blinked. “You can make him cum with a look?”

“Apparently. I have done that to a few guys in the past, but thankfully, they were always a few metres away on the other side of the stage.”

“Not during a lap dance?”

“No, I never get aroused during client service.” She smiled. “But I did have a close, personal relationship with the pole on the stage.”

“Ah.” He lifted her off the swing and carried her to the patio where a cozy couch was waiting. He settled her on his lap, and he murmured in her ear, “Would you ever give me a lap dance?”

She looked through the window where Hailey was helping to do the dishes. She chuckled. “Not out here, and not with my daughter in my field of vision.”

He nodded his understanding, and she turned in his lap to straddle him. “However, we can play a little.”

His eyes warmed. “Can we?”

“Well, I can. Will you let me?”

He nodded. “And for the photos?”

She chuckled. “If Alexi will agree to take them, then yes.”

“You like him?”

“He is a good photographer and is like having a blank slate in the room. There is nothing there, and it makes the posing more comfortable. It is still a very weird kink, by the way.”

He shrugged. “I have always wanted pictures of that nature of my mate.”

She nodded. “Got it. Make the arrangements, and we will get them done.”

He beamed, and she slowly rubbed and slid against him. His breathing got faster, and she did nothing more than glide and whisper her body against his. He started shaking, and she kept moving, whispering how strong his beast was, how powerful and pretty, how she liked his paws holding her, and how warm he was. Grigory gritted his teeth and flung his head back as he groaned.

She kissed his neck softly. “Look, ma, no hands.”

He growled, setting his teeth against her neck. She purred her thin little purr. His growl faded, and his purr fired up. The scent of roses filled the air around them and nearly knocked out his cinnamon mint.

He lifted his head and looked down at her. “So, all I had to do to seduce you was purr?”

She blushed. “With teeth.”

She looked at his expression and laughed. “Absolutely no one ever asks. Seriously. Olivia goes off when her guys surround her and purr. I go off when I hear the purr and feel teeth. Omegas like most sounds that come out of their alphas. Well, the growls, snorts, and purrs. Any other noises are to be discussed as appropriate for dinner time.”

He laughed. “That belch was tremendous.”

“And expressed outside. I nearly threw up, but it was belch or barf, and I made a choice.” She straightened. “It could have very easily have gone the other way.”

He frowned. “You don’t have to eat if you don’t want to.”

“Don’t I? If I don’t, you guys publicly feed me. Yorgi is watching what I eat and freaking out if I skip a meal. We can work on a schedule when I am a little more obviously pregnant. Right now, I am going on prenatal vitamins and have to adjust what I do to let those potent buggers settle. They make me a little unsettled.”

He frowned. “I didn’t realize we were putting so much pressure on you.”

“I know. I have always been an opportunistic feeder with one meal a day with Hailey. Eating regularly is a new thing for me. I need to get used to it.”

He hugged her tight until she squeaked.

She squirmed. “Right, now if you could just pass that along to the other two, that would be great. We can start simply. Yorgi can put dry snacks for me only on the table or in my office. I will work on increasing my capacity with snack mixes and beef jerky.”

Delun spoke behind her. “We will put in the effort because you put in the effort.”

She glanced over her shoulder. “I am a complete hog with holiday snacks, so that will be helpful during the second trimester.”

Delun and Arthur smiled.

Arthur chuckled. “I remember that. When we were dating, you had a knack for making nuts and chocolate disappear.”

“Yeah. No snack was safe.” She started to ease off Grigory.

He gripped her hips. “You are saving my dignity.”

“They have seen you with cum on you before, sweetie. Go clean up, and we can have our cuddle in the living room.”

Grigory snorted. “Undone by my mate and few words to compliment my beast. Don’t tell my father.”

She got to her feet, and he stroked her cheek and then went inside.

Delun looked at her and smiled. “So, what did you do to him?”

“Just sat him down and whispered a few things in his ear.”

Arthur groaned. “You did that to me once when we were dating. I still snap out of daydreams about it sitting at my desk. Fortunately, not quite spilling but not too far from it.”

Delun sat down. “Can you demonstrate?”

She paused. “You have had a lap dance before, right?”

He nodded. “I have.”

“Well, this is like a puritan version of that.”

He chuckled. “I sincerely doubt that.”

She settled on him and slowly started to squirm against him.

“Petal, you are going to drive me insane.”

She smiled and swayed from side to side. “Insanity is not the goal.”

“What is the goal?”

“Prolonged teasing? Getting closer without me cumming being the goal?” She chuckled.

“Ah, where is the fun in that?”

“Well, I am already pregnant. The initial goal has been achieved. Now there is nothing left but time. We can now get to know what we like and what we don’t.”

He threaded his fingers in her hair and tugged her head back to face him. “You don’t think that is the only reason that we agreed to form a group. Arthur explained your connection and your situation and that he need help to keep you safe. Sex was not on the table at that point. You are the one who put that particular ball in play.”

She blinked. “I seem to recall some pretty persistent moves in your chambers, your honour.”

He grinned. “You had the option to say no.”

She stroked his jaw. “I know. And there was a big ass bailiff to help me out if I need it. Down the hall with headphones on.”

He chuckled. “He would have helped.”

“Yeah, but you or me?” She waggled her brows.

He shrugged. “Glad we didn’t have to find out.”

She saw his neck tense as she continued to sway and graze him with her body. “Probably for the best.”

She continued to move, and then, she whispered to him about his beast being strong and beautiful and graceful with a wicked tongue that made her feel so good.

He shuddered against her and looked down at her in surprise. “You... how did you do that?”

She bit her lip and winced. “Want the truth?”

“Please.”

She looked over at Arthur seated and grinning in a separate chair. “Well, I figured out that I could set Arthur off without either of us undressing and then I needed to get a job with no degree, a high school diploma, and a family home that had just been remortgaged. So, stripping was the easiest thing, and I had the body for it. As long as I could get my aunt and uncle to watch over Hailey during the evenings, I could make a lot of money fast. Making tips and lap dancing brought in what I needed, but I really didn’t like touching strangers, so I worked on this technique, and once I knew a client, I could set them off when I needed to.”

“So, you were setting me off?” Delun raised his brows.

She nodded. “Absolutely.”

He laughed.

“It was a handy skill before the sloth, and now, I think it will be useful on long car rides home.” She smiled. “Or when I am bored and just want to see someone else light up for a moment.”

“You just have to be looking at us when we see you. We light up,” Arthur murmured.

Delun nodded. “It’s true. I am drowning in waves of text from my family over the kind way you dealt with Fen, considering it was obvious to all that you wanted to pile drive her into the floor. She gets away with far too much because her family is all of a more aggressive nature. She cries and sobs, and we pacify her with treats. You and she are equals, aside from the age difference; you can say to her what we cannot. It’s a relief. When I see you, I see not only the present of myself and my family brightening but a future so blinding that I can barely make it out.”

Arthur nodded. “I have always only seen you in my life. No others have even come close to stirring what I feel when you look at me and give me that sad, shy smile. When you laugh, I am forty feet in the air, and my beast starts planning for your next heat with flowers and a soft bed.”

She smiled slowly. “I like flowers. I have never gotten any that hadn’t been contaminated by the giver.”

Delun frowned, and then, his eyes widened.

“Yup. No cardamom or oak leaves.”

Arthur frowned. “I never got you flowers; I kept meaning to, but things came up.”

She sighed. “Nope. No one ever has. Well, Hailey picked a daisy for me once, but we were on my motorcycle, and it slipped out of her grip. She was four.”

Arthur winced. “And nothing since then?”

“No, well, from perverts. Plenty from them. Jewellery, plenty of suspect chocolates, and lots of trips to the car with the bouncers because someone was lurking in the shadows.”

Delun growled low.

She patted his arm. “Don’t worry, I only got caught once, and the police soon arrested me for prostitution. Pardon. Unlicensed escort. The fact that I was bound and gagged in his trunk really sold the idea that I was there to have a good time.”

His growl picked up in pitch.

“They got to me before anything more sinister than some abduction could take place.”

Delun hugged her. “I am glad, though I am going to work to overturn most of the charges against you, or rather, Terrance is. I am just providing insight.”

She sighed. “So much bother.”

“And you survived it all. So, why is Grigory giggling through our link?”

“Is that what that is? I have wondered why I have been feeling so giddy lately.”

“Ah, petal, that would be all of us.”

She looked over at Arthur, and she realized she felt his relief each and every time he saw her, followed by the giddy happiness that the others shared. They got happy when they saw her, just like Hailey did. Well, there were differences.

She thought about how she felt about the men that Arthur had picked for her. Delun was the rock, and Grigory was the volcano. She loved Arthur, that much she had always known. That was why the betrayal had hurt so much. Now, their love had changed, but it was still there, just different. It was no more sparks and crackles; now, it was the slow blaze of a settled fire. Still hot, just less volatile.

She tried to send him that feeling through the link, but it mixed with the nervous excitement of Delun and the giddy loss of control of Grigory. She let herself just feel it, and she shared it with them. Arthur came over and knelt next to them, and Grigory charged out and picked them all up in a massive hug with a lot of laughter.

The circus arrived in huge panel vans and got into place with a surprising amount of organization. Lexa watched from the window and went through the huge selection of clothing that she now had at her disposal. The jewel box that contained the offerings from the offspring of Lady Fen was full.

Delun had warned her of one part of the evening that Grigory had glossed over. She was going to get naked when Grigory’s father brought her a dress. The alphas would pack in around her so that the kids didn’t see, but she would remove all traces of Lady Fen’s gifts so that she could accept Lady Olyna’s.

Her situation was strange. She was joining with two alphas who had omegas for mothers. It used to be more common, but this kind of joining hadn’t happened for a while and certainly not to clans who decorated their omegas.

The decoration was weird to Lexa’s mind, but it was kinda fun. Other omegas got designer goods, but Lexa got all that, plus spa benefits, unlimited takeout, and enough jewellery to weaken her knees. She texted Olivia and got mmmmmf as the reply. Olly was still in bed.

She wore a comfortable lounge outfit with loose trousers and a long tunic that left her arms bare. She pinned her hair up, using jewelled combs, and finished her makeup. It was a little much for first thing in the morning, but she was going to be seeing Grigory’s family from the moment she walked out the door, so it was best that she presented herself as best she could.

She headed down for breakfast and got her coffee. Yorgi was at the stove, and he turned and whistled. “Wow. You really like pancakes.”

She chuckled. “I really do. Who is up this morning?”

“You... that’s it.”

She sighed. “I guess I am nervous about today.”

“A hundred loud, enthusiastic strangers showing up on your lawn and having a three-day party? What could be nerve-wracking about it?” Yorgi chuckled. “Feel free to hide in your office or study. We will come get you when we need you.”

“So, I have permission to hide? Good to know.” She smiled.

“Lexa, we are a little much. We know it, but you are joining us, and we are excited about it. Even Olyna is going to be on best behaviour when meeting you. She heard about what Lady Fen tried, and she wants to make a better impression. She knows what kind of nerve it takes to stand up to Grigory, and the fact that you do it regularly has impressed her.”

“I don’t stand up to him.” She sipped at her coffee.

“You do. You tell him when his behaviour is wrong, when it injures you, when you will not cooperate, and then, you don’t. It takes a bit of fortitude to put your foot down with a Petrov.”

He added pancakes to the stack. “You also did a great job with Delun’s clan.”

“So, what is the difference between a sloth and a clan?”

“The sloth or pack is the core. The clan comes with children. The more children, the larger the clan. So, you belong to Lady Fen’s clan but the Rose Sloth. Which may eventually become Lady Lexa’s clan.”

“You used to work for Delun.”

“I still do. It was hilarious that they both offered me the same job on the same day.” Yorgi grinned. “I am glad to be here.”

“What about the bodyguards. The cousins and nephews?”

Yorgi chuckled. “You are an easy assignment. You don’t pick fights. Nikolai and Alexi speak favourably of you and say that you are an excellent dancer. I would prepare for requests for a performance if I were you.”

“Uh, the kind of dancing I am good at isn’t really for audiences.”

“Omega dances are always worth watching, even if they are shy or awkward. There is always grace in their movements.”

“What will happen if Hailey manifests as an omega. Will they send her off to the highest bidder?”

He put his spatula down and turned off the oven. “What?”

“That is what the Omega Centre does. They register an omega then advertise her and try and find her a match.”

“We don’t do that. Olyna met and chose her first two mates, and they were responsible for interviewing the others. Grigory’s father notwithstanding. He was a young upstart who lured Olyna away from her mates, seduced her, and kept her through a heat. They were definitely suited, as Grigory proved, and Nikolai and Venka. The rest of the family is the storm; they are the lightning.”

“So, if she is... she will have a choice?”

“Yes. Of course, and she will have Olyna’s clan and yours to keep her choices open.” He chuckled. “Of course, they will also be bringing friends by to see if there are any sparks, but no flames until they meet with the sloth’s approval.”

“Wow. So I am going to have to get that thought out of my head. There are at least eleven years between now and then for me to enjoy her growing up. My sister and I both manifested after eighteen, so here is hoping that it holds for Hailey.”

Yorgi nodded and turned the stove back on. He fixed her a plate with bacon and pancakes, and he asked, “Did you feel forced into your link with the others?”

She sighed. “Not forced, but when a box closes, and only one wall is open, you walk through the only path. My options were taken a while ago, but I am not upset about where I am. I just don’t want to wish my path on the next generation. I want her or them to have the gift of open choice.”

He nodded. “That... that I can understand.”

She took her pancakes to the table and added a chunk of butter and enough syrup to make the pancakes swim. She sat up on her knees and nibbled the bacon while her other hand used the fork to carve wedges out of the short stack.

Yorgi looked at her and laughed. “Now, you look like an omega.”

She blinked at him with a mouthful of bacon. “Wha?”

“Gilded and greedy. Why are you sitting like a child?”

“I sat with Hailey like this so that she would eat after her mother passed. We sat side by side for every meal. I had to match her bite for bite, so now, I do it any time I am nervous... usually, no one is watching.”

He snorted. “I will keep your secret... until I get drunk. You are adorable.”

She rolled her eyes. “I am about six inches taller than any omega I have ever met. Even the guys don’t top me by much. I am not adorable.”

Yorgi laughed. “Have you seen your mates? You are the right size for them, and that is what matters. I have never seen Judge Hall so happy as the day he came and told me that we were moving here because he had a mate and a sloth, a daughter, and a home waiting to house them all.”

She looked at him wide-eyed, still nibbling at the bacon. “I didn’t know that.”

“There was no reason for you to know. You were part of it.” He smiled and kept working on making food for twelve. “Where are they?”

“Oh, they were really, really tired last night.” She chuckled and finished her bacon, tucking into the pancakes. They were really good.