Page 89 of Scheme
“I had two too many children,” Dad muttered, amazinglynottalking about the alpha son who’d sent himself into an early grave by assaulting an omega. “You are always sodifficult, Margot.”
I thought about arguing. I really gave it a decent cost-benefit analysis in my mind while I watched the vein in his temple thud to the beat of the jazz music playing inside the house. In the end, I came to the enlightening conclusion that it wasn’t worth it.
It wasn’tworthit.
It wouldn’t make a difference. Dad had never attempted to understand me before, and he wasn’t about to now.
“Oh, and that one is my oldest daughter.” Dad laughed, gesturing at me, standing at the back with baby Asher on my hip at the picnic we’d just rocked up to with his colleagues. “Bit of a trial run, her. We got it right with the rest of them, though.”
No, he wasn’t worth my energy.
He startled—probably at the slightly unhinged smile of peace spreading across my face—and a weight I didn’t know I’d been carrying seemed to vanish from my shoulders.
Kit had beensoright about me needing this closure. I was going to reward him with the sloppiest blowjob ever for anticipating my needs so well.
“Great, I’m glad we got that settled,” I announced, wrapping an arm around Asher’s waist and giving it a squeeze. “I’m going to leave now because frankly, I don’t want to be here. Sorry, Nana,” I added over my shoulder.
“Nothing to apologise for,” she replied cheerfully. “Did you all hear that? My sweet Asher is going to that fancy art school in London—didn’t I always say how talented he was?”
“Thank you, Margot,” Asher whispered, wrapping both arms around my waist and holding me tight, sandwiching me between him and the needy alpha at my back who didn’t seem in any rush to let go. “You’re my fucking hero, did you know that? Now get out of here before the vein in Dad’s temple explodes. I have to go explain to Nana that I’ve only got an interview, and I’m not actually in yet.”
I ruffled his hair. “You’ll get in.”
The moment I released Asher, Kit’s lips brushed the shell of my ear. “I’m so fucking proud of you, my magnificent, beautiful,braveomega.”
“Your omega, hm?” I whispered, my voice catching. My heart was beating like crazy, and my face grew incredibly warm, and it wasn’t just from the sunny weather.
“I’m choosing to be optimistic.”
Asher gave us a knowing smile that was frankly a little unsettling coming from the sibling that I still occasionally thought of as an infant as I pulled Kit away from the crowd, guiding him around the side of the house, not willing to risk running into any other family members at this point.
We didn’t even make it to the gate before Kit had me pinned against the wall, his hips pressed firmly against mine, yet his hands on my jaw incredibly tender.
“Shall I put you out of your misery?” I teased breathily, gripping the front of his shirt.
“Between the smackdown you just delivered to your dad and the torment you’re putting me through now, maybe you are a bit of a shark.”
“You finally get it,” I laughed. “I hope that’s not too off-putting for you, because I would really like you to join me in my nest—”
“Yes.”
He barely got the word out before his mouth was on mine, pressing me harder against the wall, his tongue stroking mine.
“Wait, wait, wait,” I gasped, pulling away. Kit pressed his forehead to mine, breathing heavily.
“What is it?”
“I haven’t told you I love you yet. And I do. I love you.”
A shooting pain ran through my lower abdomen, and I clutched at my dress, sucking in a sharp breath.No. No, this was not happening now. It was too early. I had a few days left, at least.
Didn’t I?
Kit watched my movements carefully, leaning in to inhale against my skin but finding nothing. I’d been even more liberal than usual with the Om-Guard, and I was wearing someindustrialunderwear that was feeling more constrictive by the second.
“It’s too early,” I insisted out loud as Kit pressed a hand to my forehead.
“If you were on your own,” Kit pointed out gently. “But you’ve had a very willing alpha in your bed, and I’m not going anywhere. My pheromones are probably messing with your schedule.” Kit shot me a slightly sheepish look. “Violet gave me a book on omega biology and told me to educate myself.”
