Mason | hated being this f ucking jealous, especially of Xander, but bitterness surged all the way up my throat as ! watched my half-
brother move through the kitchen, pausing to press a kiss to Lanieâs hair, then baby Stella on her lap. Hell, | even hated the way he casually ran a hand along Zaneâs back and shoulders when he moved around the other man at the counter, where he was grabbing plates from the cupboard.
They were all so clearly a unit, and L..f uck. Who was in all of this? An outsider. Interloper. | might also be the true Alpha because we shared a father, but that didnât make me part of what they all shared.
âThey've known each other a long, long time, Mason. That's allâ Gabriela murmured by my side as she hitched Alaina on one hip.
The baby fussed and gnawed a fist until Gabriela soothed her My baby. No actual blood relation to Gabriela at all, yet the woman clearly loved the little girl. The same as | loved Stella, despite knowing | hadnât fathered her.
Isaac squirmed, fussing in my arms as | glanced at the woman my father had been married to. The one. heâd betrayed. Xander had grown up with a mother, a father. He had a Beta.
But Lanie Lanie was mine.
Lanie looked up at me as | thought the word. Her eyes narrowed and her head tilted, but she didnât say anything. She crooked a finger at me.
âMason. Bring the baby here. He needs to be fed.â
âDonât they always?â | joked.
Between the three infants, it sometimes felt like all we did was rotate through feeding, rocking, changing diapers, bathing, and soothing babies to sleep. But | couldnât deny how hot it f ucking got me to watch the woman | loved being so maternal. Not for the first time, | imagined her belly swelling with my pup, and my cock throbbed.
Gabriela put a hand on my sleeve to hold me back for a second. âIâm glad you and my son have found a way to get along. |
always wished...â
Her voice cracked, causing both Xander and Zane to look at her.
â| often wished for another son. A brother for Xander,â Gabriela whispered and lifted Alaina up so she could nuzzle the babyâs cheek. Gabrielaâs eyes shone. âYou are all so blessed. | hope you realize that.â
| did, even if | did hate parts of that blessing.
With a grim nod, not sure what to say to her, | took my spot at the table as Xander slid a bottle in front of me. Isaac was already wriggling in my arms, ready to eat. When Xander put a hand on my shoulder, | tensed, not sure what he wanted.
He waited until | met his eyes. âYou need anything?â
unshed tears, but her lips curved into a smile. | shook my head.
âJust my...| coughed, clearing my throat, risking the next words. âJust my family.â
Silence fell through the entire kitchen. Zane turned from the cupboard, his eyes wide. Xander didnât lift his hand from my shoulder. He nodded once, firmly.
âHow about a big old steak, too, little buddy?â Xander asked.
| almost bared my teeth at the âlittle buddyâ until | realized he was yanking my chain. Was that how it felt to have a brother?
| rolled my eyes. âRare as you can make it, so long as itâs not still mooing.â
Gabriela sighed soft laughter and shook her head as she settled into a seat next to Lanie. âBoys. Behave yourselves.â
âIt's what we are, though,â Lanie blurted.
When we all turned to look at her, pink flushed her cheeks. She gave each of us a short stare before settling her gaze back on mine. She reached across the table for my hand. Our fingers linked.
âIt might be unconventional, but thatâs what we are. A family. All of us, she emphasized. âAnd if you three are going to get worked up about it, you can all just...not. Got it?â
of F uck, she was sex y when she got all tough like that could see the blaze in Xanderâs eyes at her tone.
Zaneâs, too. Were they thinking what | was? About carrying her into the bedroom and ravishing that sassy mouth?
Of course, they were.
| didnât love the idea. Hell, no. But Iâd seen how they could share her, and | knew it was possible for more than one man to love the same woman.
The question | couldnât get out of my head, though...could Lanie love all of us equally?
Or would someone...me, for example, always be the odd one out?
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