Wolf's Call (Wolves Next Door #2) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,137

body just before he moved in to kiss me gently, sweetly, savoring my lips before brushing his lips across my cheek.

"So..." he said, turning for the kitchen. "The twins fell back asleep, I think. They were also up in the middle of the night having a minor panic attack."

"About what?" Lane asked, following him as if that kiss had been completely and totally normal.

"Oh, they really like this woman, and it seems that she's not freaked out because they get off on working together, so they were convinced it was too good to be true and that they were just the consolation prize."

"Fuck," Lane grumbled. "Idiots. But yeah, let them sleep. Hey, grab the eggs?"

"Sure, but I'm making pancakes," Seth said.

I heard them. I did, but my heart was racing and I was breathing too hard. Never mind that I probably needed a new set of panties. Then again, since Ian's lap had a rather suspicious bulge under my ass, I clearly wasn't the only one. Then I felt his lips against my shoulder as he kissed my shirt.

"See?" he asked, his voice just a whisper. "Normal. Allowed. And this is all we want."

I turned, pulling my knees up beside me so I could see him. "Me too. Ian, none of you are consolation prizes."

"Good," he breathed before kissing me again, this time able to reach my lips. "I also don't care if I'm first, last, or somewhere in the middle. Being the Alpha is about the pack. About having a leader for this thing we're doing. Our relationship? I don't want there to be a first or second. I just want to have you, Elena, for as long as you'll let us."

"Then help me figure out how to handle this in front of Gabby?" I begged. "She knows I'm dating all of you. The problem is that I don't know what's too much - or too little. I have no idea how to be a mother to a werewolf, or if any of this is going to traumatize her later on. I want this - so much - but I don't know how to make it work."

He pulled me against his chest and hugged me. "You know, when I was a boy, we just knew that humans couldn't know. This was a wolf thing, which meant none of their business. I also didn't think it was weird at all that my mother had more than one mate. So, maybe talk to Gabby about it tomorrow? Or Kim? Heather? My dad? I honestly don't know, but I've never raised a child, so I'm letting you make the calls on this."

"Your dad," I decided, snuggling my face against his neck. "And I think I'll tell him that I'm going to be a wolf, too."

"Mm, and that's the kind of Valentine's Day present he'd love." Ian kissed the top of my head.

Me? I was watching the guys cooking together. Lane had taken over a massive pan of eggs. Seth was whisking up pancake batter right beside him. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but both guys were smiling, not even concerned about me wrapped in Ian's arms because this was normal. This was my new life.

This, right here, was why I wanted to be a wolf.

CHAPTER 40

I made it home that afternoon and still beat Gabby. It was nice, though. We'd both had a wonderful weekend, although the fact that my daughter fell asleep early on Saturday proved that she'd probably been up all night with Olivia giggling the night before. Then, on Sunday, the two of us had the best Valentine's Day I'd had in years.

We made cupcakes for breakfast. Red velvet ones with pink icing, just because we could. Then, still wearing our pajamas, we grabbed blankets and curled up on the couch to enjoy a few romance movies. Gabby groaned at the cheesy parts and I wanted to blush at the more adult ones. Not that it showed anything - these were made for TV movies - but my mind kept jumping back to my night spent pinned between Trent and Pax.

Halfway through the second, there was a tap at the door. I paused the movie, and Gabby jumped up to see who it was. The moment she opened the door, my daughter began to squeal with delight. Expecting it to be Roman, I hurried over - but no one was there. Instead, set up on our front porch was a collection of flowers - in three different