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Cammie lets out a surprised scoff. “What do you mean? I’m a beta. They’ll be beta like me. How could they be anything else?”
I run my fingers through her silky hair, thinking about my words carefully. I know Cammie is sensitive about designations and I want to tread lightly. “Maybe but kids don’t present until at least eleven or twelve. Some omegas don’t perfume until much later. You never know. But their father is an alpha so it’s more likely.”
“Let’s hope not.” Cammie sits up, pushing against my chest and eyeing me, one eyebrow cocked in disbelief. “I don’t know the first things about parenting alphas or omegas.”
“It’s not something to worry about now. We have a few years. But no matter what happens, we’ll figure it out.” I lean in and kiss her softly in reassurance.
She moans into my mouth before settling back down to snuggle against my chest. Em comes over to us a few minutes later, her green dragon in tow. She points at my chest with her finger, making a squiggle. “Cross your heart this is the best first nest anyone ever made.”
Melt my whole heart. Give them patience and time to process, Finney. Not everything is on your timeline.
“Thank you, little knight,” I tell her.
Em climbs up into our pile, burrowing on my chest and cuddling against her mom.
“Dragons like nests,” she says after a few minutes.
Cammie’s eyes find mine, and she gives me a small smile. “Mommies like them too.”
Ben is quiet, but when Em starts to yawn and we shift toward bedtime twenty minutes later, his hesitant voice calls, “Can I stay?”
That question hits me hard, and my voice wobbles on my answer. “You can stay as long as you like.”
Chapter 19
Cammie
“What made you decide to become a firefighter?” I ask, folding the clothes from Ben’s drawer and handing them to Reid to pack.
Finn and I have been packing the rental since we got the kids off to school, and Reid joined us after his shift.
“His dad is a retired firefighter, and his brother is the Fire Marshal over in Green Valley. It’s in his blood,” Finn says, poking his head out of the closet.
I’ve heard a lot about Finn’s family, and I’ve met Payton because of Em’s preschool. But Reid’s family is more of a mystery.
“It’s true. There wasn’t much of a question. I like helping people and need an active job, or I’d be miserable.”
We move to the next set of drawers as I evaluate what to keep and bring. “Tell me about your family. What are they like?”
“My Prime is an older version of me.”
Finn pops his head back out. “Facts. They look alike too.”
“What’s a Prime?” I ask. All this pack lingo gets a little lost on me.
“The alpha who is legally in charge of the pack. It’s like the leader of the family. My dad is our Prime. I also have a beta father, an omega mother, and a brother. My brother and I take after our alpha father. Growing up was basic. We lived in town. My fathers worked, and my omega mother didn’t.”
“Your beta dad, he’s bonded?” I ask.
“Sure is.”
I nod, taking it all in. Growing up in Crawley, I knew our view of the world was small. Most folks never moved away. But even in the suburbs where I lived with Trent, I didn’t see packs often. We lived on the beta side of Delux.
Seeing how different the world is only a couple miles up the highway is interesting. I moved to Knotty Pines because the town is known to be beta-friendly, even though it’s got a lot of packs. They don’t really have a beta side of the town. I guess that’s what Crawley is for.
Finn finishes in the closet, organizing the boxes into a neat stack by the door. Reid helps, and the two of them work like a well-oiled machine. I get lost for a moment in watching their bodies bend and lift. Reid’s only in athletic shorts and a tank top; most of his muscular body is on display. And Finn’s jeans look as if they’re molded to his ass.
“Earth to Cammie,” Finn teases. “I tried to get your attention, like, five times.”
