Wolf's Call (Wolves Next Door #2) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,139

until he decides I'm ready, but it's taking forever."

"It's been months," I corrected. "Only a few of them, and I heard you can't really defend yourself yet."

"But I'm learning," she insisted.

"Which is great," I agreed. "The problem - as I understand it - is that once you say you're an alpha, the others can challenge you. That means you need to be sure you're ready for it. Not to have Roman and Olivia fight for you, but to do it yourself. I don't really like the idea of it, but I also don't want you to rush into anything and end up getting stitches like Roman did."

"I know," she mumbled. "But I figured you deserve to know that I can do it too. I've been practicing with Roman and Olivia, learning how to trigger their shifts, right? That way, if no one else is around, I'll be able to make sure you can turn back. I mean, I just want you to be a wolf with me, Mom."

"I'm trying. But..." My guts twisted with nerves, yet she'd given me the perfect chance to bring this up. "Gabby, you know I'm dating Ian and all of his betas, right?"

"Uh, yeah." She gave me a look like I was an idiot.

I just nodded, trying to keep myself from chickening out. "And I know everyone has talked to you about being safe with humans. Well, I'm the human here, and I think I've underestimated you. I keep thinking that dating all of those guys at the same time is wrong, or dirty. I was raised that a woman should be loyal to her boyfriend or husband. One man and one woman. But you keep saying it's a wolf thing, and you act like it makes sense to you."

She pulled her knees up to her chest and pushed her face into her plush wolf. "Mom, it's not just wolves! Lots of people do it. I mean, so long as everyone is ok with it, then it's ok, right? And with alphas and their betas, it's just normal. Besides, they all like you. A lot!"

"I know," I assured her, "and that's not my problem. It's that I like having them come over. I like doing dinners together and things like that. I just feel like I'm being a bad mother when I kiss one and then another."

"Or have them spend the night," she teased.

"Or that," I agreed. "But I'm trying to accept that you know I'm with them, and they know I'm with them, so this is ok." I paused, well aware that I was making a mess of this. "Gabby, what I'm saying is that I want to be open about my relationship with them, but I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

She just shrugged. "It's what wolves do, Mom."

I could feel my face getting too warm. "And if more than one of my boyfriends spends the night?"

"You might need a bigger bed," she teased. "Mom, it's ok. I know you think I'm going to be horrified, but it's what the other kids talk about. I like that they make you happy, and I want all of them to be my stepdads, ok? Just..." She scrunched up her face. "I kinda like being an only child."

The laugh rushed from my lungs. "Good." I'd never been this embarrassed in my life, and I was supposed to be the adult here. Still, I'd handled the sex talk with her, and the period lesson. I just had never expected to be doing this! "I have no intention of having more kids, Gabby. If it happens, then it's meant to be, but I'm pretty happy with just you."

She lunged across the couch to wrap her arms around me in a tight hug. "I love you, Mom. I'm ok with you being happy. I really am, and we do not have to do more weird talks like this, ok? Wolves share, and we're wolves, even if you aren't yet. So, can we just pretend it's normal for you, and if I'm worried about something, I'll ask?"

"I'm so ok with that," I agreed, hugging her back. "Ah, I love you, mija. I just wish there were rules for how to handle becoming a werewolf with a teenage daughter."

Because when I'd thought about dating after divorce, I'd never imagined any of this. Everything I knew said that I was going to end up traumatizing her, but what else was I supposed to do? She deserved to at least know when I