Once Rejected, Twice Desired
Chapter 61

Alexi POV

It turned out that adjusting to life after being a werewolf was easier than I thought. I definitely was not an average human: my endurance, strength, speed, and stamina were on par with any other wolf in human form. I could still run ten-mile warm-ups with the pack without becoming winded. And when I trained with them, we could trade blows with only the small issue of Alaia occasionally having to heal a broken nose or swollen eye afterward. Also, my senses were still heightened. I could see, hear, and smell just as well as I could before the ritual.

But, I think the coolest thing was that I could still send and receive mindlinks. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to connect with my pack easily, but whether they were in their wolf or human forms, we could still communicate. I was a member of this pack in every way. I just couldn’t shift into a wolf.

After the ritual, we all fell into a regular routine around the house. Xander made a push to get the room completed, and within a couple of days, there was space for all three of us. At first, it was odd sharing a place and a mate. All my life, I had been so possessive over what was mine, but now all that was gone just because Alaia wanted it that way.

We had become a family.

***

I was borrowing Alaia’s office, preparing myself for my junior management interview on Monday morning. I had gotten the call the day after the eclipse and had been practicing interview questions for a couple of hours a day ever since. Since I no longer had my beta role to look forward to, I needed to find something to keep myself busy and earn an income. Even though I was living in the packhouse utterly free of charge, I was still raised to earn my keep. Soon enough, I would be a husband, then hopefully, one day, a father, and I had to provide as well as protect.

There was a quick knock on the door before Xander poked his head in. “Are you practicing for the interview again? You are going to drive yourself crazy, Lex.”

“I really want this job. And from the people I’ve talked to, the hiring manager hates when candidates are not prepared. That won’t be me.”

He sat down and crossed his leg over his knee. “You really need your own office, Man. ‘Luna luxury’ doesn’t really suit you.”

The room was way too feminine, but it was quiet and had everything I needed. “Once I have a job, then I’ll think about an office. Until then, I’m fine here.”

I looked at the time, then up at Xander, and gave a knowing mile. “So, why are you here? I know what’s going on down in the backyard. Shouldn’t you be there as well? Don’t try and use me as a way to get out of it.”

It was the day of the baby shower, and the house was overrun with overly excited women going gooey over tiny socks and shoes.

Xander had been trying to find a way to not attend for days, but none of his escape plans panned out. “Alaia has Kade and Matt out there wearing headbands with little bumblebees bouncing around on them. My two top guys! When I saw that, I had to leave. Who knows what they have planned for me? Probably an entire f*****g bumblebee suit or something like that. No. I’ll just go down when it’s time for the gender reveal. She doesn’t need me right now anyway, right?”

I couldn’t help but laugh. You would have thought the backyard was full of rabid vampires or something, but it was just a bunch of women and fake bumblebees.

“You laugh now because you’re not required to be out there. But the next time, and we both know there will be a next time, we won’t know which of us is the father. So, we’ll both be down there in the lion’s den. Laugh at that.”

s**t! He was right. We needed to stick together here; otherwise, the next time would be twice as bad. “We’re doing a mock interview. I’m sure you’re probably more particular about your employees than the hiring manager. Here, take these questions I printed out, and let’s go over them.”

Xander took the papers and laughed. “That’s good and all, but can’t we just say we were interviewing, but just hang out instead?”

“Besides the proposal, when have you ever been able to keep anything from her? Seriously?”

“Right. Okay, let’s do this.”

We ran through questions for about fifteen minutes before we received a joint mindlink.

Alright, guys, I know you’re hiding out in my office. And do not ask how just know that I have my sources.

Hello, beautiful angel. Are you enjoying your party?

Don’t try and charm me right now, Alexi. You and your friend, get your sexy asses down here now.

Wait? Why? You said I didn’t have to come.

That was before you helped Xander hide out. And before his mom and sister decided to paint a beehive on my belly. Xander!

Yes, little one?

Get down here. It’s your fault these babies are currently using my bladder as a trampoline. If I have to be uncomfortable for the next two months, you can be for two hours.

I’ll be down shortly, baby.

Both of you. Don’t make me come up there and get you. Love you. Bye!

“Damn, she sounded just like her mom. She’s got this chastising parenting thing down already,” I said with a sigh.

“Well, at least I’m not alone in my misery. Let’s go before she actually comes up to get us.”

“I feel like you did this on purpose. Misery loves company and all that.”

Xander just smiled as he left the room.

And I actually thought we were becoming friends. A*****e.

***

Alaia POV

If I weren’t so miserable, I would really have tried to murder my fiancés. Both of them. Here it was the middle of August, and my bump was a full-blown belly. The twins had doubled in size in less than a week, and my bladder was taking a severe beating. And my men had the nerve to hide out in my office? In the air conditioning? Nope. Not today. We were all in this together, even Alexi.

They both walked into the backyard with ashamed looks on their faces.

They had better be ashamed.

I stood up and met them halfway. “Nice of you to join us, gentlemen. If you’d go see Kimmy over there, you can both get your bee-themed attire. Then meet me under the tent.” I walked away before they could complain. No one had the right to complain to me. Not for the next two months.

I returned to my spot at the table and looked out over the yard. My mom, Katherine, Lauren, Jordyn, and Cassie were huddled around the game and gift tables, laughing and talking with other guests who had come out. They were so excited about the babies. It warmed my heart to see they were so loved already.

Matt and Kade were still wearing their bumblebee headbands, and whenever I saw one of them walk by, I had to giggle. They were good sports and didn’t complain when I gave them to them, too much. They were going to be amazing uncles, and I was really looking forward to seeing them in action.

But when I saw what Kimmy had forced her brother into? Oh, my goodness! He walked over to me, wearing a yellow and black-striped T-shirt that read “Daddy to Bee” across the chest. Somehow, she also managed to put a top hat in the shape of a beehive on his head. This was priceless. I tried to cover my laugh but failed.

“I really hope you’re happy right now, little one. This is humiliating, and it’s hot as hell out here.” He pouted and walked over to the seat beside mine.

“Oh, suck it up. You didn’t have your belly painted and then be told that it had to stay out for the entire party. And you want to talk about being hot? My hormones are so out of wack that I’m burning up one moment and freezing the next.”

His grim expression softened a bit, and he leaned over to k**s my cheek. “You’re right, beautiful. How are you doing?”

“I’m alright. I’ll need a shower and nap when this is all over, but your mom and Kimmy put a lot of effort into this. And it’s a really nice party.”

“Are you excited to finally find out what we’re having?”

I couldn’t help bouncing up and down in my seat. “Yes! I hope they are girls or at least one girl. I’d love to have a mini-me walking around here.”

“Well, I don’t think we have to wait too much longer to find out. Kimmy is setting up the big reveal now.”

I looked over to where Xander pointed and saw Kimmy setting up a table, but there was something else that caught my eye. Alexi stood next to the food table, and one of the caterers was literally rubbing her breasts all over him.

“Who is that?” I asked, pointing her out to Xander.

“Uhh, not sure, baby. Do you want me to get rid of her?”

“Nope. I’ve got this.” I pushed up and walked over to the duo.

“It was nice to meet you, Lily, but I’ve got to go now,” Alexi said, trying his best to get away from her.

“You can come with me. I’ll be off in twenty minutes, and we can go anywhere you want, gorgeous.”

She reached up to touch his face, but before she made contact, I snatched her wrist away. “Do. Not. Touch. Him.”

She yanked her hand out of my grasp and shot me a dirty look.

“Do you not see that this is a marked man,” I asked while trying to calm down.

“Yes, I see that. What’s your point?” Lily replied with a sneer.

Alexi stepped forward to say something, but I held him back. “My point, Lily, is that you are on my territory, in my home, flirting with my fiancé. If this were any other situation, you’d be a bloody heap on the floor, but today is your lucky day. If you leave now, you might just get to keep your job. But I promise you, if you say one more thing out of line, or even look at him again, losing your job will be the least of your worries.” I grabbed Alexi’s hand and pulled him away before Lily had a chance to respond.

Guys? Can one of you make sure this slutty b***h of a caterer is escorted off the property, like now?

Could you describe this ‘slutty b***h caterer’ in a little more detail for me, bean?

I sent them a mental image.

Her. Gone. Now.

We’ll take care of it.

Once that was done, I looked up at Alexi, who was smiling down at me. “That was so f*****g sexy, angel. If all of these people weren’t here, I’d be balls deep in you right now.”

I looked him up and down before my eyes stopped on his shirt. Kimmy was a comedic genius. Alexi’s shirt had a bumblebee on it that was holding its arms up in an “I don’t know” pose. Underneath, “_______ to bee” was written.

I bent over laughing; tears ran down my face.

“Angel, how is anything I just said funny to you?”

His face showed that my reaction actually hurt him, so I knew I had to fix this, and quick. “I’m sorry, baby. There is nothing I’d like more than feeling you deep inside me. I just got distracted by your shirt, that’s all.”

He looked down at it, and it seemed like he was just then noticing what it said. “f*****g, Kimmy!”

“Don’t worry about it; you look adorable. And I can’t wait to rip that shirt off you later and lick all over every square inch of skin underneath. But, until then, come with me. It’s time for the gender reveal.” I took his hand and walked over to the table Kimmy had set up.

She handed me a large Styrofoam bumblebee with a needle on its butt. On the table were two balloons painted as beehives. “Alright, everyone, please gather around,” Kimmy yelled out. “It’s time now to find out what our little pups are. Luna, when you are ready, pop those beehives open!”

She was so excited; I had to admit it rubbed off on me a bit. I walked over to the first hive and brought the bee down on it. When it popped, blue glitter exploded all over the place.

“Baby #1 is a boy!” she yelled out.

I looked over at Xander, who had the biggest smile on his face. He would get his baby boy. He would tell me that he didn’t care what we had, but I knew he wanted a son.

“Here, babe, you do the next one,” I said, passing the bee to him.

He took it and walked over to stand next to me.

I secretly began to pray in my head. Please, please, please be a girl. Give me just one. Please!

Xander slowly brought his hand down and pop! More blue glitter rained down over us.

In a shocking case of deja vu, I just stood there speechless.

But the guys? Oh, the proud uncles and super proud daddy were at it again, cheering and celebrating the gross imbalance of p*****s to v*****s in our household.

All around us, people cheered and celebrated. I caught sight of Jordyn in the crowd and shrugged my shoulder at her. We didn’t need words, we both knew that we wanted to play dolls and dress up with someone, but that would have to wait.

She smiled at me, then mouthed, “Congratulations.”

Two little princes. I wasn’t expecting it, but I knew I couldn’t ever be disappointed. I loved them immensely already. I rubbed my swollen belly and smiled.

Two sons and two husbands. Things were about to get extremely interesting in this house.