Page 56 of Perfectly Yours
Ellie turns up her nose and then sighs, knowing that I’ll force her to eat something other than the cheesy noodles. “Fine, but just a little bit.”
“Not if you’re going to have ice cream afterward.”
A deviant smile spreads across her lips as she wiggles her brows and I can’t help but laugh at her playfulness. I grab the containers from the fridge, reheating the salmon in the microwave before plating two servings for us and setting them on the counter. Ellie snatches a fork from me the moment I procure one from the drawers and digs in. When she starts shoveling salad into her mouth, I start to comment on how she only wanted a little bit but am interrupted by my phone ringing.
Knowing that Macon will be home in an hour or so, I’m not inclined to pick it up. He’s not telling us something and it feels almost like lying. I just don’t have the energy to hash it out over the phone. Ellie, however, doesn’t have that same sentiment, her eyes narrowing at the device on the counter. “Why aren’t you picking up?” I don’t answer her, Ellie growling at my hesitation before she snatches it and answers the call. “Alpha?”
“Where is Savin?” He sounds panicked and I remember the last time Ellie picked up my phone, I had been unconscious on the shower floor.
“Right here,” I answer, stuffing a forkful of salad into my mouth. The crunch seems unnecessarily loud but I want to know what is wrong. Is it something I’ve done? Have the tabloids printed something again? Is it Aalya? There are too many possibilities swirling through my head and I hate that I don’t know the truth.
“I’m around the corner. Just… give me a minute.”
The call ends, both of us staring at the device in confusion. Ellie looks like the perfect chipmunk as she looks at me, her brows arched. “What the fuck was that? What’s wrong with Macon?”
“You noticed?”
“I thought it was stress and maybe I was hopeful that you would know and we could figure it out together. Well, shit.” Ellie quickly chews and then downs half a glass of water. “Do you think-”
She doesn’t get to finish her words as Macon bursts through the front door and into the kitchen before dragging me against his chest. He rocks me back and forth, his arms tightening almost painfully around me. As much as I want to return the embrace, I need answers. “Why have you been so distant?”
Macon releases me, warring with emotions I don’t understand. “You’re okay. Fuck. She… My mother has been playing games again. Whispers that you were packing up to leave and I just,” He clears his throat, pulling back enough to hold my face in his hands. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so broken, with the bags beneath his eyes, and the haphazardly shaven beard. “My mother threatened you and Ellie and the babies. I’ve been trying to handle it but this shit can’t be handled with a few nice words.”
My brows shoot up, horror filling my expression. “How the fuck does she know about the babies?” The thought of Aalya doing something to Ellie churns my gut, our sweet Beta’s sour scent filling the room. I twist around to look at her, anger staring back at me.
“Your mother threatened my unborn children?” Ellie spits out, venom dripping from every word. She steps around the counter, a few feet from us. “Macon, you-”
Her words drop off when our Alpha drops to his knees, the true weight of what he’s been trying to protect us from becoming clear. “I wanted to find some amicable way to end this, to give her what she wants. The problem is that I have no fucking clue what that is. She’s never been this outspoken about my choices or my needs.”
Ellie leans against the counter, tilting her head at Macon’s pitiful presence on the floor. “Have you thought that maybe she wants to stay relevant and with you pushing her out of your life, she no longer has a footing in this world? That one actor you have. Lily? She does something similar. If everyone is talking about her, then she feels like she’s still famous.”
A frustrated growl tears from Macon’s throat as he bows his head against my stomach. “Maybe. I don’t fucking know anymore but I can’t look you both in the eyes and tell you that I love you when my own flesh and blood-”
That’s what he’s worried about? Goddamnit, this man has a heart of gold. Gently, I cup his face in my hands, willing for Macon to look up at me. Those beautiful brown eyes are hardened from their usual warm playfulness, trodden with everything he’s doing to protect us. “You seriously thought I would stop loving you, Alpha? After everything we’ve been through? You’ve been here, at my side, through thick and thin. When I’m seconds from passing out to my painful heats to my snarky ass popping off at people I should probably have more respect for. And you thought Aalya’s tricks would make me give up all that love you’ve given me? You thought I wouldn’t stick by you every step of the way to work through this?”
A tear falls down his cheek and I bend down to kiss it. “How can I be a father when I bring so much pain?”
The temperature of the room drops several degrees as I digest his worries. While Ellie and I have been enjoying each other’s company during the day, Macon has been worrying about how well he can take care of a family. Ellie clicks her tongue, stepping closer as her gaze narrows at her Alpha.
Her words could break our Alpha in this vulnerable moment but I know she’ll say just what he needs to hear.
“I asked you to prove that our feelings were more than just bonds. That it wasn’t just because you wanted to father the babies in my belly. You protecting me from a world I’m not ready for is the very definition of it. Since we reconnected a few weeks ago, you’ve told me that you love me or are in love with me more times than I can count. My own insecurities keep me from saying it back because I’m terrified that it might not be real. That all this shit is some fluke and it’s just because you feel this stupid biological pull.”
“Sweetheart,” he begins but she’s not done—our fierce Beta.
Goddess, I love her.
“No!” Ellie yells, jabbing a finger into his shoulder as she stands beside me. “You listen. I love you, dammit. Not because of any bond or because I’m having your children. And yes, Macon, they’re your children too. I love you, Alpha.” She twists his face toward her into a demanding kiss, swallowing the purr that vibrates through his entire body. His hands move to her waist before he drags her down into his lap, one of his hands moving to splay over her belly. Ellie tears her lips from his to look at me with a wicked smile on her lips. “Fuck, I love you too, Savin.”
I drop to my knees and pull her into a kiss of my own. “I know, angel. I know.”
I’ve known for a while that her feelings have shifted but I wasn’t going to force her. We sit there for several moments in each other’s arms, drinking in the warmth that each of us provides. Ellie sits up a little, pressing another kiss to Macon’s jaw. “You said this doesn’t work without communication, Alpha. That I have to tell you what I need. This goes both ways. For both of you. Macon, what do you need from us?”
He doesn’t answer, nuzzling against her forehead before mumbling something about a shower and cuddles. I’m 100% down for that but it seems the real answer is something Macon isn’t sure Ellie is ready for. When he deposits her on the floor beside me, Ellie turns to me for an explanation. “What does he need, Savin?”
“He needs an outlet. But that part of him has been dormant since my health took a sharper decline.” I feel like I have enough strength today and even then, I have my safe words if that changes.
“Do you mean we get to pull out the infamous toys?” Her entire face lights up and I realize that Ellie is more than ready. I just hope she keeps that sentiment when she sees Macon’s closet.