Page 87 of Scheme
And I didn’t want to feel like that anymore.
Unsurprisingly, Nana was holding court already, surrounded by her ancient cousins and siblings, a glass of wine in her hand that I’d bet money was just there for decoration. Like me, she’d never developed a taste for alcohol.
“Margot!” she exclaimed, waving me over with a frail hand. “My sweet girl, how are you? Look at you; just arrived and that daft sister of yours has already lumped you with one of her infants.”
“Nana,” I chided, leaning down to give her an air kiss. “It’s really no bother. Layla has so many to keep an eye on.”
Nana snorted. “Young Asher has been entertaining all of her spawns but this one for the past hour. Now, who is this handsome young alpha you’ve brought with you? Quite the strapping lad, aren’t you?”
Kit bestowed his most charming smile on her, and though Nana was well past her heat years, I could have sworn she gave a little omega preen.
“I’m Kit. It’s a pleasure to meet you; Margot speaks so highly of you.”
“Well, of course she does. No one else in this family treats her worth a damn.” Nana and her cronies cackled, and I pressed my lips together to stop myself smiling. In this family, it was the older generation who were liable to be the most disrespectful and cause the most mischief. It was thanks to them that Fraser never felt entirely comfortable at these events, more than a decade later. “Now, tell me, are you serious about my granddaughter? She doesn’t need another flighty alpha wasting her time,” Nana warned.
“Nana! That’s a little forward, don’t you think?” I laughed, hoping some of my great-aunts would join in. Of course, they all left me hanging, the witches. I’d had low expectations for how well Kit meeting my family would go, but this was definitely more awkward than I’d anticipated.
Nana looked thoughtful for a moment. “No, not really. I’m ninety years old, in case you’ve forgotten, young Margot. If I keel over dead tomorrow, I want to know that I’m leaving you in good hands.”
“Margot is always in good hands,” Kit replied smoothly, making my pulse kick up a notch. “Her own. I’ve never met a more capable, self-sufficient person in my life. She handles every burden that comes her way, as well as everybody else’s.”
I blinked quickly, pushing back the unwelcome swell of tears that accompanied his words.
Nana smiled softly. “That she does. Margot has been that way ever since she was a wee girl, bouncing smaller babies on her hip since she was old enough to toddle to give their mothers a break. But what areyourintentions?”
“I’m very serious about your granddaughter. I was serious about her before I was even conscious of it. Before I even realised how incredible she is, how lucky I am that she gave me the time of day.”
Nana grinned, plucking Lincoln out of my arms with surprising strength and speed, and gesturing for me to move closer to Kit with no subtlety whatsoever.
“If I’m a very lucky man,” Kit continued, wrapping an arm around my waist. “Margot will invite me to her nest. Perhaps even move to New York, where I have a job opportunity, though I would move back to London if that’s what she wants.”
“Oh, but Margot has always wanted to live in New York! Isn’t that right, Margot?” Nana was practically glowing with approval.
“Well, yes—”
“And you sit at home all day for your job, don’t you? Surely you can do that anywhere?”
I snorted. Nana had always been somewhat derisive of the whole work-from-home concept. ‘Back in her day’, people actuallywentto work, so she liked to say.
“Maybe. I’d need to talk to them—”
“Details, details,” Nana said with a dismissive wave before extricating her sapphire brooch from Lincoln’s grip. “What’s holding you back, Margot? It’s long past time for you to be happy.”
With Nana asking me so bluntly, the vague worry that I hadn’t been able to clearly define became obvious. “There are people here depending on me. Even if I stay in London…”
If I took Kit as a mate, he would always be my first priority, the bond would ensure it. I wouldn’t be able to offer as much of myself to the other people in my life I cared about, and that was a big decision to make.
“Margot,” Nana said softly, eyes filling with sympathy. “My sweet, you can’t live your life for everyone else.”
A throat cleared from somewhere nearby, and I knew without looking that it was my dad’s. I’d always had a knack for sensing the weight of his disapproval, even from a distance.
“Margot,” Dad said flatly. “I believe we had a deal, but you don’t appear to have upheld your end of the bargain.”
I ignored Dad for a moment, turning in Kit’s arms to face him. He stroked my cheek, and while it was the briefest touch of contact, it settled the storm in my head almost instantly. That was the power an alpha had over their chosen omega. “What do you need?”
I melted a little in his embrace. “Just for you to be here. That’s all I need.”
“Of course. You put everyone else first. My job is to putyoufirst. Go be selfish, Margot mine. I’m right behind you.”
