I was scooped up then and placed on the kitchen bench like a doll, my eyes blinking furiously as I was yet again manhandled into place. Did these guys ever ask for permission? He moved between my thighs, forcing them open to admit him, and then leant in.
“Did he look after you?” Ben asked, his gaze unbroken as he slid a hand up my thigh, but I jumped when his broad palm cupped my mound through my jeans. “Did he make you come on his fingers or his tongue? Did he paint your pussy with his cum?”
I didn’t have an answer for that. The part of my brain that used words was completely offline as I felt the heat of his hand radiating through me. I’d already come twice and yet here was I panting, wanting more, and didn’t that produce a mental image? All of the daddies stepping forward. Big, tall alphas, ready to tear down anyone who might wish my daughter harm, helping me wrangle her irrepressible nature and then… Then when she was tucked up in bed, they’d come to see to her mother with just the same assurance. I could see myself reclining on the kind of massive bed that alpha packs needed, dwarfed by its size and theirs as they prowled closer, cocks in hand. They’d grip my ankles, jerking them wide, all of them growling as they looked more closely at what was—
The whistle of the kettle broke my train of thought and whatever this was. Even Ben blinked, as if he had been co-opted by my flight of fancy.
“Did you want a cuppa?” I asked, all cool, calm and friendly again, giving him a shove. When he wouldn’t move, I scrambled across the kitchen bench and dropped down to the ground again before turning the kettle off.
“You know what I want,” he replied.
“Dad…!”
Evie’s voice was just as persistent as the kettle’s whine and I snorted in response.
“You’re here to get to know your daughter and she’s cooling her heels in the bedroom, waiting for you.”
What I said was true, but it was harsh and I knew it as soon as I saw him flinch back. He seemed to collect himself, drawing away with a frown.
“White with one, if that’d be OK, Lils,” he said, much more calmly now.
“I’ll bring it through,” I said, then nodded to the hallway.
My hands shook,but he didn’t see that, not when he turned to go and re-join Evie. I took a deep breath and then tried again, pouring the coffees with a steady grip. I plated some biscuits for both of them, the simple, familiar gestures helping bring me back to where I was supposed to be. Home. Child. Mother. Business owner. What Damon had given me today was lovely, but that wasn’t real. I couldn’t expect Taylor or Soph to drop everything and supervise every time I wanted to run away and pretend I was young and free again.
But you could, a sneaky little voice inside my head said as I carried Ben’s coffee and the biscuits down to the playroom, then paused at the doorway.
He was very good at this. I was terrible at playing with my own daughter, something I felt both shame and relief about. I just couldn’t get into the crazy complicated stories she’d create with her bank of action figures and dolls and just be in the moment and play. When she was younger and would try and coax me into it, I’d just be sitting there gripping a doll and feeling like a complete idiot. I couldn’t let go of all the adult shit that was pressing down on me, so I’d be dismissed with a frown from Evie.
But Ben, he was pretend fighting with Evie’s beloved Captain Marvel figure, having her Hulk doll stomp across the carpet in a credible impression of the cartoons she always had blaring on the TV. The two of them grappled in this complex battle that was starting to include more and more hastily snatched action figures, Ben dispensing with one after the other of his, each one falling to the ground in a series of overly dramatic deaths.
“Mum, Dad is so good at playing action figures,” she told me when she noted I was standing there.
I passed Ben his coffee and Evie leapt forward to take the plate of biscuits, offering one to her father first when my eyebrows jerked up.
“Yes, darling,” I replied belatedly. “I can see that.”
Chapter 26
He’s good with Evie, I reminded myself as I walked into the lawyer’s office after work the next day.
Evie was with Carmen, again, something that was making me uncomfortable, but I didn’t want her anywhere near any of this. Something that was reaffirmed when I came through the door of the mediation room. Ben was there, and he got to his feet, as did Jasper. Then there was Logan and Damon and Reed. Damon watched the proceedings with a slight smile, his catlike green eyes seeming to catch every micro-response as Logan scowled, crossing his arms, and Reed just stared. Obviously, Damon hadn’t alerted him to who I was. The alpha’s face went pale then paler, but any reaction he might have had was quickly shoved aside by Logan’s.
“About time—” he said, standing abruptly.
“Lily is ten minutes early by my watch,” Soph said, marching into the room behind Leo. “And all communication during the meeting will be done through your lawyers.” She smiled then, showing too much teeth. “It’s what you pay us the big bucks for. Nice to see you, Janet.”
“And you, Sophie. Hi, Lily,” said a well-dressed woman in her 40s, holding out a hand for me to shake. “I’m Janet Kirkland, the Morrison pack’s representative.”
Pleasantries were gotten out of the way, as were offers for tea or coffee and with that everyone was directed to sit down and start the meeting.
“We’re here to establish a parenting agreement,” Leo began, and Janet smiled encouragingly at that, her eyes flicking to the pack, as if to lead them in their response. It didn’t work. Ben leaned forward, like he was ready to jump over the table to get to me, and Logan looked the same, though for considerably less fun reasons. “We’re hoping to hammer out something that everyone can be happy with and puts the needs of Lily’s daughter, Evie, first.”
Janet nodded, and so did Ben and Jasper.
“Lily’s daughter?” Logan said and an exasperated sigh went through the room. “She’s our daughter, and she was kept from us deliberately. None of us knew our cub even existed, or that she is struggling.”
“What?” I said sharply and Soph’s hand shot out, gripping mine, something that had Logan’s eyes narrowing. Those dark eyes started to silver as he stared at me.