Page 58 of His Treasured Mate
“I’m trying,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Look at Tessa by his side. Thomas, that’s Jenna’s twin. Look at her. See how happy he makes her?”
“It’s not her that bothers me.”
“But you lashing out at him will hurt her, and therefore Jenna, not to mention Maddie and Liam, plus Oscar. Do you really want to hurt Oscar?”
He sighed. “No, I don’t.”
“Of course you don’t. You’re an Alpha, Thomas. You deal with people you don’t necessarily like all the time. So grin and bear it. Put on that Alpha charm and don’t be the douchebag I once thought you were.”
“Uncalled for.”
“Probably, but it’s the truth.”
Hesitantly, we walked closer, and I tugged Thomas down into the chair next to me.
“I wish we could all get together more than just once a year like this,” MC said as she and the others gathered around us.
“Me too,” Kelsey agreed. “We never get enough time together, Lily.”
I smiled at her sadly. “I know, but thank God for video messaging, right? I don’t feel like I’ve missed out on quite as much in all your lives because of it.”
Elise raised her wineglass, filled with sparkling cider from the chair she was sitting in. “Cheers to that! I don’t know how I’d survive this pregnancy without you,” she said, rubbing her little baby bump.
Thanks to modern technology, we could see each other every single day.
“And I will be there every step of the way,” I assured her. “I’m already making plans to be here when you go into labor.”
“That would be great, but if you can’t, I’ll understand.”
“If I can’t, then MC will be there in my place, face messaging me in. Regardless, I am not missing the arrival of my little niece or nephew.”
“You want me to do what?” Maddie asked.
“No cameras,” Elise protested.
“I’m not asking you to videotape it. I just want to be a part of it. So if I don’t make it in person, I need you to be there and livestream me in on the action.”
“Only if Elise says it’s okay.”
“She does,” I said.
“Hello? I’m sitting right here.”
“And you’re going to agree to it, so don’t bother pretending you won’t.”
“What are we agreeing to, love?” Patrick asked.
“Lily being in the delivery room.”
“I thought we said no one in the delivery room but us.”
I gasped and held my hand to my chest. “You’re cutting me out of this? You wouldn’t even know about this kid if it wasn’t for me.”
“I would have told him eventually.”
“Would you have though?”