already an SOB for any parent to deal with. When the son was stronger than the father?
Kali Sara.
So, I admit I was taking advantage of his squishiness while he let me, and as we made it to the circle, my men finally decided to flank me.
They had this stupid routine where I was the one who guided us to the totem, and while I got it—they were honoring me—I would have preferred to have them walk at my side.
I was an equal opportunity omega, sue me.
When I took that first step into the circle, the shudder that whispered through me wasn’t feigned.
Knight sensed it, of course, and started sniffling, but I closed my eyes, let the totem recognize the fact that my role had changed, and that we had a new member of the pack.
When he started crying, the totem’s power subsided, but I cooed and sang to him, swayed to soothe him.
As Knight finally settled down, I peered at them, watching them watch me.
The love in their eyes was enough to knock me to my knees.
I knew I was loved.
Knew I was adored even. Not just as their mate, but as their woman. As their omega.
I was respected and revered. Not just by my pack, but by them, and they never let me forget that.
Ever.
I sucked in a breath, though, to see their love for me and our son, and when Austin reached out to cup the back of his head, Eli let his finger tap the baby’s chin, and Ethan rubbed a digit over his forehead, I felt the knots that tied us together, that bound us as a unit, tighten.
The sensation was inside me, and I knew they couldn’t feel it as I did, but it resonated with me to my core.
I shuddered as love and need, want and arousal, surged to the fore before Berry yipped, essentially dousing me in ice water.
We were sensual creatures, I was finding, and even though I’d only just given birth, I wanted my men. It didn’t mean I could have them yet, but I wanted them. Like I hadn’t when I’d given birth to Joshua.
I’d felt wrecked then. Overwhelmed. Too young, too hopeless, too stupid to figure out what was happening.
But now?
I was strong. Empowered.
Because of them.
They made me this strong. This empowered. They’d let me see the light and had enabled me to be the best I could be.
I was strong without them, but I wasn’t this strong.
This powerful.
And I never had to fear a future where that wasn’t the case, where we weren’t tied, and the knowledge had settled in my bones a long time ago.
Berry’s howl had the men sighing because they were used to her stepping in and corralling us.
Yeah, corralling us.
She prompted us with howls and snarls, growls and yips, even though she always stood beside the circle, never entering it fully.
I was the only one who truly understood her, but I figured she communicated with the men somehow too, because they only thought I was safe with her.
At her howl, I muttered, “Austin, baby, do you have the bag?”
His nose crinkled. “I do. Not sure why I had the honor of carrying it though.”
My lips twitched. “Because you woke me up with that horror movie last night.”
He rolled his eyes. “You make one mistake.”
“That’s enough to earn a kindness.” I laughed and then held out my hand for the bag.
I’d wrapped my placenta in linen, then had placed it in a paper bag.
I wasn’t that enamored of the prospect of having to get it out, so I was hoping the Mother accepted biodegradable materials, because touching bloody goo? Even if it came out of my vajayjay?
Not my thing.
I wasn’t surprised when the men hung back, letting me step toward the totem.
As I did, I heard hundreds of whispers.
In the year we’d ruled, the pack had begun to grow, and with it, my skills.
From this place, I could hear them all, all their individual voices, sense their miseries and their joy. I could target one, commune with them, ease them, or I could work on the pack sentiment as a whole.
It was the reason why my men revered me.
Why they let me lead any walk to the totem, because I spent most nights here until they came for me.
Where, as a unit, we deepened our connection by our mingled seed that sowed the circle, making it more fertile with power.
It tied the totem to me in ways that I couldn’t describe, and that strengthened the