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I turned in his arms, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. “I like to think we would have found each other anyway. Eventually.”
He didn’t look particularly comforted by the idea, holding me just a little closer than he was before. For a guy who hadn’t known the first thing about omegas, who hadn’t shown the slightest amount of interest in having a mate, Kit was an incredibly devoted and surprisingly romantic alpha.
“Your guests are arriving,” Nico called from down the hall. “Margot, your three youngest siblings and your Nana are getting out of a cab.”
“Oh good, they’re here.” I went up on my tiptoes to give Kit one more quick kiss before disentangling myself, ready to greet my four favourite family members. My parents were still furious with me, and Layla had sided with them—a turn of events that shocked no one—so I hadn’t bothered inviting them tonight.
It was incredibly freeing,notbeing the bigger person,notkeeping the peace,notputting my own wants and needs second in order to placate people who would find fault in me no matter what I did.
Kit grabbed my hand before I could walk away, tugging me back for a longer, deeper kiss. “I hate sharing your attention.”
“I know, you’re a real brat like that.”
He snorted. “You bring that out in me, Margot mine. Enjoy tonight, before I squirrel you away to New York and keep you all to myself.”
“I’d point out the multitude of red flags in that statement if you hadn’t already invited my siblings to come and stay with us over winter break,” I laughed, rolling my eyes affectionately before softening my tone. “You’re already the alpha big brother they always wanted but never had.”
Not even when Calum was alive.
Kit couldn’t quite hide his own emotions at that. Helovedhaving younger siblings, and even his mum had taken a liking to the three troublemakers.
“I love you, Margot.”
“Not as much as I love you,” I replied solemnly. I didn’t think it was possible. What I felt for Kit seemed too big for words, too big for my body sometimes. He was everything.
Kit shook his head, a small smile playing around his lips. “At least a hundred times more.”
Epilogue
KIT
Therewasnopointpretending I wasn’t listening to Margot’s conversation with her youngest siblings. The open-concept, industrial-style apartment we’d been living in for the past year was many things—picturesque, well-located, aesthetically pleasing—but sure as shit wasn’t soundproof. When she had confidential work calls from London, I ended up just leaving the apartment entirely to give her some privacy.
“I’m so excited,”Asher was saying, his voice much lower and more adult-sounding these days.“You’re sure it’s okay to come and stay, right? Mum says you’ll hate it, and I’ll be in your way.”
“Mum doesn’t know what she’s talking about,” Margot replied dismissively, making me smile. It had taken some convincing to get Margot’s parents to agree to let Asher spend the summer with us here in New York, but we were pretty confident her dad was still a little bit scared of her, so we pulled it off.
We’d have happily had Chelsea too, but she’d opted to spend the summer at Oxford, doing a biology course. It wasn’t evident at first because Chelsea was shy and incredibly modest, but apparently beneath all of that, she was a secret science genius.
“Are you positive you’re still enjoying school?” Margot asked nervously as I climbed the stairs, letting myself into her office. My scent and the bond announced my presence. “If you’re not, you know you’re always welcome here. I’m sure we can get you into Kit’s school. Nepotism keeps these great institutions alive.”
Margot twisted in her seat, shooting me a mischievous grin over her shoulder.
“It’s college, sweetheart.”
“Details, details. Hey, I’ve got to go, kid. We’ve got a date at an absurdly swanky restaurant—there was a waitlist and everything.”
Asher sighed dramatically.“New York has made you even more bougie, Margot. Love that for you. See you in a couple of weeks!”
“You’re fretting,” I pointed out as she hung up, noticing the bond twisting anxiously in my chest.
“I know, I know.” Margot sighed. “I just want him to be happy.”
“Asher is incredibly happy.” I leaned down, kissing the top of her head. “Thanks to you. You worry too much. It’s because you’re such a nice person.”
“I amnotnice,” Margot retorted primly. “I’m very mean. The meanest.”
“Mmhm.”
