Clover
Clover held Patrick as they walked into the house and a tiny part of her wanted to pass out, while the other half wanted Patrick to fall asleep so she could be with Ash. Her wolf favored the second option but Clover had a feeling he was pulling away because of her heat. After two stops, one at the store and another at the alpha’s, Clover’s body burned like crazy.
“I’m going to take a cold shower in your bathroom. Can you get Patrick a warm bath?” Clover set Patrick down and Ash nodded.
“Come on, little man.” Ash waved at the pup and Patrick bounded over to him. “I’m glad you’re safe and home.” He pulled him into a hug and kissed his head.
“Me too. That place… just awful.” Patrick shivered against Ash. Clover took in a shaky breath and tried to calm her racing libido. Thankfully, one of the things Ash bought was a pizza for the oven so they could have a quick dinner and go to bed.
Except sleep was the last thing on Clover’s mind after she set the pup down. It was like her body pulsed with a sudden wave of energy as she raced up the stairs. She walked into the bedroom half expecting Rayne to be still laying there but the alpha had told everyone it was safe to go home in a few mass texts.
She tossed her phone onto the bed and stripped off Ash’s blood-stained shirt then dropped the pair of shorts Maple lent her. Being half naked in front of most of the pack was awkward but thankfully Maple had offered the shorts. She shoved her hands through her curls trying to figure out how she could convince Ash one more little kiddo wouldn’t be such a bad thing. After all, having siblings was the best. He should know since he had like three of them. She met Craig and Crystal at the alpha’s house after the battle and both seemed happy to meet her.
Once the water turned from cold to warm, she climbed in and stood under the heavy stream. Without even thinking, she grabbed his soap and scrubbed off the dried blood from the fucker, Don. Having him dead seemed to give most of the pack peace of mind but the day might actually give her nightmares for years. She shook out her hands and couldn’t believe she had been the one to kill him. He needed to die, her wolf pitched in and Clover agreed with her but having it be at her hands was the crazy part. He hurt Patrick. The reminder firmed her resolve and she pushed it back from her thoughts.
Her mind moved back to Ash as her hands moved down her body. Hints of pleasure rolled up her body as her fingers brushed against her clit. “Oh, goodness.” She whimpered and leaned against the tiles. Images of Ash pressed against her in the shower rolled around and she deliberately moved her fingers over her clit. His lingering scent filled her nose while her nipples ached to be touched.
Her breath hitched as a quick orgasm zipped through her body all too freaking fast, leaving her with very little satisfaction.
“Pizza’s ready, Clover!” Ash’s voice called up. She quickly rinsed off and turned the knobs to stop the water. The plush towel grated against her sensitive flesh as she rubbed away the water droplets.
When she walked into the room, she found a set of clothes for her on the bed. She liked the sweet gesture from her mate. As she picked up her shirt on the bottom she found a note. ‘We’ll discuss the kid thing after dinner when Patrick is asleep.’
Clover bit her lips and tried not to overthink the note. She didn’t want to assume Ash finally thought it was a good idea to have another little one and have her hopes crushed. Instead of dwelling on the thought, she glanced at her reflection. With all the blood gone, she felt closer to normal, before she gained a wolf, mate, and kid. Man, it’s a lot of shit to deal with in a short time.
She ran down the stairs but stopped toward the middle, giving her a small view of the table when Patrick started talking. “Ash, I want a little sister.”
“Really now? I thought you liked being an only child.” Ash tipped his head. Clover placed her chin in her palm as she spied on them.
“No, I want someone else to play with. My mom almost went to heat but…” Patrick winced before his shoulders dropped. “It’s the perfect time. Right?”
“Yes, Clover is in heat, but I think I’m okay with just one kiddo for a while.” Ash rubbed his head messing up the brown locks.
“Clover wants one. I’m okay with a little brother or sister.” Patrick took a big bite of his pizza and bounced in his chair. Ash looked up at the stairs and met her gaze. Her core clenched and she shoved her hand through her hair.
“If another kiddo comes then you won’t be the center of attention. And being the oldest is a great responsibility. Trust me, I’m the oldest of a few siblings.”
“I’d be a good brother, right?” Hesitation filled the pup’s voice and she almost walked down to comfort him. I need to give him the chance to comfort him. Her wolf rolled her eyes and sauntered around her mind.
“Of course, you would.” Ash rubbed the back of his neck. “But we need rules in place for you and these siblings you so want.”
“What?” Patrick shoved more pizza into his mouth and resumed his bounce in the seat.
“For one, you can’t come into my office unless it’s an emergency.”
“Okay.” Patrick set his pizza down. “Would you be my second dad?”
Ash glanced up at the stars meeting Clover’s gaze. She walked down the stairs, no longer able to keep herself away from her little family. She liked hearing their conversation and not messing it up, but she also wanted to be included.
“Maybe after Clover’s in heat, I’ll start the adoption process to make it all official.” Ash tapped his chin like he was thinking and she nodded in agreement.
“Cool.” He grinned for a moment before his face turned sad. “But what about my mom and dad?”
“I would never try to replace your mom.” Clover leaned closer. “I’d just be your second mom.”
“I miss them.” His lips twitched like he was trying his hardest not to cry.
“Me too, buddy.” Ash pitched in. They stood in silence for a few moments and Patrick sniffed a few times. The pup’s eyes widened and he stilled.
“Potty.” He jumped out of the chair and ran out of the room.
“It seems like all you needed was to hear a little guy’s opinion on having kids to convince you. Or did I just imagine it?”
“I never once said I was game.” He almost took a bite of pizza but froze. “I will need some kind of space in my own house. I’ve been living on my own for years now and I’m used to it. I like it even.”
“Well, I’m sorry you can’t be the single guy any longer.”
“Ash, help, please!” Patrick yelled and Ash raced down the hallway. Clover grabbed a slice of pizza and took a large bite. The cheese melted in her mouth and she resisted the urge to moan. They rounded the corner a few moments later.
“Good job, buddy. We managed to keep the pee in the toilet.” Ash chuckled while Patrick grinned.
“Yeah!” Patrick ran up to grab his pizza.
“I didn’t mean for it to come off that way.” He met her gaze. “I just need you to be patient with me.”
“I can do it, Ash.” She nibbled on the pizza and glanced at Patrick before facing him. The last few days had been filled with excitement, the one thing she’d wanted before she met Ash. And now the next exciting piece would be having a baby but Ash wanted to fight it. “Time can get crazy, and so will the house sometimes even with one kiddo. The question is, do you have enough love in your heart for another kid?”