Page 58 of Miles's Pact
Twenty-One
Duckie
"Only a few more boxes left!" Gus, the twins' papa, declared as he whizzed through the portal with a giant box in his arms, carrying it over to the living room corner where Miles, Mom, and I were unpacking.
It'd taken under a week for us to find the perfect apartment for my mom. It was on the third floor of the building Miles had mentioned that day, with two bedrooms, a cozy living room, and a big kitchen with shiny appliances that Mom had instantly fallen in love with. The place was also close to the pack, and I was hoping Mom would find a community with them, like I had with the whole clan.
When Miles had told his dads my mom was moving to Mistvale, they'd volunteered to help with the move, and evenrequested a portal from the warlock Rhiannon to make things easier.
As I looked around the room, I realized this was my family now. Mom, Mateo, Miles, and their dads... I could see myself having family dinners with them, and game nights. I could see a life with them, and it was strange to think that only a few weeks ago, I'd been alone in this world.
"Okay?" Miles asked, leaning into me so he could murmur the question in my ear.
A smile curved my lips at his concern, and I nodded, then pressed a soft kiss on his cheek as thanks for asking.
"Never been better," I promised him, and he shot me a warm look before returning to the box he'd been unboxing.
Almost an hour later, we were done. My mom was moved in, and everything had been unpacked and put in its place.
"It's almost lunchtime. How about we order some pizza?"
Mateo grinned at his papa, then pulled his phone out. "I'll do it. Any preferences?"
I shook my head, though Mateo already knew what I liked, and the others chimed in as he tapped around on the screen. He'd shown me how to do it before, but I'd need a little more practice before I felt confident placing an order on my own.
Daily life had so many little things that I was still learning, but Miles and Mateo made it feel easy. They never pushed or judged me for my cluelessness, and with them holding my hand, it was easy to figure everything out.
Once the pizza arrived, we settled in the living room, the dads taking the couch, Mom in the armchair, and the three of us on the floor in front of the coffee table. The table was laden with three pizza boxes, a box of fries, and cans of Cokes.
"Eat up, everyone," Gus said as he opened the pizza boxes, then handed a big slice to his mate, Cassian, who took it with a soft smile. Cassian had carried half of the boxes himself withoutbreaking a sweat, and he deserved all the slices he wanted, in my opinion.
I found the twins' dads fascinating. While Gus was bubbly and spirited, Cassian exuded a calm warmth, contrasting his mate perfectly. Being around Cassian was akin to curling up in front of a cozy fireplace, while Gus was like fireworks in a clear night sky.
"Welcome to Mistvale, Heather," Cassian said, raising his pizza slice like a toast, and the others joined in. I raised my own slice as well, giving Mom a warm smile she returned.
"Thank you, everyone," she said, her dark eyes full of warmth as she glanced at everyone. "Thank you for making me feel so welcome, for helping with the move, and for taking such good care of my Duckie."
"It's been our pleasure, ma'am," Mateo said with a charming smile, making Mom laugh.
"Call me Heather, kid," she said, her eyes shifting to me before returning to Mateo as she added, "or you can call me Mom."
Mateo blinked, the smile dropping from his face as his eyes widened. "Really?"
"Of course. You're my son's mate, which makes you family."
I watched as Mateo swallowed hard, and while I couldn't sense his emotions through the bond, it was easy to read the shock and want on his face. Reaching for him, I clasped his hand, giving it a squeeze, and his eyes fell to me. Blowing out a breath, he smiled without a hint of mischief, which was such a rare thing for him, then raised his gaze to Mom's.
"I'd like that... Mom."
Mom smiled warmly, and my own chest went all warm and fuzzy. I'd been worried Mom would still want to keep my mates at a distance. Thank heavens she'd changed her mind and accepted the fact that I wouldn't leave Miles and Mateo.
As Gus pulled Mom into a conversation about the clan, I turned my attention to my mates, who seemed a little subdued after Mom's declaration.
I nudged Mateo with my elbow as I reached for Miles's hand, giving it a tight squeeze. "Are you two okay?" I asked in a low voice, not wanting the parents to overhear. It wasn't easy since one of them was a shifter, another a vampire, and the third a mage, but they were distracted by their own conversation and didn't seem to be paying us any mind.
"Yeah," Mateo said, giving me one of his usual smiles. "It took me by surprise. We've never had a mom before."
"At least not for any length of time," Miles added, a wry look on his face that made Mateo wince.
