“They are nothing alike,” she says.
“Shyla would never put her hands on you.”
Kelsey nods her head. “Should we tell her?”
I swallow. “Do you trust me?” She nods her head again. “This is going to be devastating to Shyla, so I think we should wait till the pack is closer to being more solidified. I could see Shyla completely folding into herself or thinking she doesn’t deserve you after she finds out this information.”
“I wouldn’t…”
“I know you don’t think differently about her because of this. But there’s a lot of baggage in Shyla’s family. Can we just hold off for a little bit?”
She sighs. “I don’t like lying to her.”
“Me either. But I just need us to all be in a better place.”
“Okay, I can do that.” She looks out the window and looks at the Beta and sighs, basically melting into her seat. “Let’s leave.”
“What would make you feel better?” I ask, ready and willing to give her anything that would put a smile on her face. And give her time to really let this all sink in.
“Do you think we could just go back to my house?” she asks. It’s clear her house is a point of comfort for her.
“Do you want to pick up something to eat before we head back?”
“Definitely pizza,” she says, and I smirk, cataloging her comfort food for future reference.
I lie in Kelsey’s nest, her head resting on my chest as she sleeps. She was a little morose after we got back to her house. It seems like the last two days have been catching up with her. Today’s truth bomb certainly didn’t help. I hold her tightly. It’s nice to be wanted like this by someone. I’m a little worried about how Shyla is going to handle Kelsey’s past. Not that it will change how she feels about her in any way. More so once she finds out her ex’s identity and how she will handle it. I know we can’t keep this secret forever. I just need to make sure that when the shoe drops, Shyla won’t go running.
Shyla is one of the strongest people I know, but when it comes to her past and her family she can completely implode. It’s not my place to tell Kelsey about Shyla’s past, but I know that once she hears that her sister hit someone she won’t handle it well. I know her biggest fears of being like her father, and finding out that Meera followed in those footsteps is going to be devastating for her. We need to handle this delicately. Make sure that Shyla feels confident in this relationship, knows that Kelsey isn’t going anywhere, and then we will tell her. I hate lying to her, but I can’t let her break down. I need to protect Kelsey’s feelings too. This is a fucking mess.
The loud knock of the door alerts me that Shyla is here. She’s been working on a big case and putting in a lot of hours. When I told her that Kelsey was having a rough day, she said she would be over as soon as she could. I did fail to mention a big part of that day. But I know that Kelsey needs her presence. I gently move Kelsey so she is lying on the bed and head to the front door and let Shyla in. She quickly puts her soft palms around my face and kisses my jaw. “Are you all right?”
“I’m okay. Kelsey is having a rough day.”
“I asked about you, Em,” she says calmly. I feel like she can tell I’m holding back something. So I come up with something that isn’t as heavy but is still bothering me.
“I just don’t know how to make it better, and I’m stressed about the DNA test.”
She hugs me tightly. I’m still taller than her, but Shyla always feels larger than life when she holds me, her chest rumbling with a purr. “I’m going to make everything better,” she says, and I believe her. I shove the guilt deep down. This is all for the best. She follows me to Kelsey’s nest. Taking off her suit from work, only wearing her bra and underwear as she climbs one side of the bed and I the other. Both of us circle around Kelsey, holding her close.
I watch as Kelsey unconsciously moves closer to Shyla, mumbling nonsense.
“Mmm, Alpha,” she mumbles. Putting her nose right at the column of Shyla’s throat.
“That’s right, pretty girl. I’m here to take care of you.” Kelsey sniffles and clutches to Shyla’s side. “Do you want to talk about it?” Shyla asks.
“No, Emmett can tell you later. Right now, I just want to be cuddled between you two.”
“That works for us,” I say, pulling her closer, her back against my chest.
“Mmm, would you two be okay meeting Cameron and Dom this week?” she asks.
I watch as Shyla stills. I’m not sure what her emotions are about the complexity of the situation, but her face is unreadable as she nods her head. “Of course, Kelsey. Did you have an idea in mind?”
“Maybe just dinner to start off?” she says.
“Of course, I’ll make a reservation,” Shyla says. I can already see the competitive edge written on her face. I think my skepticism over how she will handle another Alpha vying for our Omega’s affections was right.
“You’re going to love Cameron. He’s so handsome and sweet and he smells so fucking good,” she says.