by Athena Blaez
“Jesus—fuck them.” Gage rolled his head back. “I’m positive the baby’s mine. Wyatt’s just not like that.”
“If you say so. And for the record, what research I dug up on him—”
Gage shot Aaron a dark look. “You’ve been prying into his life?”
“Cool your jets, Gage, it’s my job, remember? In addition to keeping your shit in order, I do have a pack to manage.”
With a grumble, Gage allowed as it was what he expected of Aaron. “Okay.”
“What research I dug up on him, he isn’t the sort to resort to this tactic to nail you as a mate. Nor is he the sort that sleeps around. He fights his heat quite regularly but he won’t go on heat suppression.”
“He said he doesn’t like how they make him feel. You are thorough.”
It’s what you pay me for.” Aaron glanced at his watch. “When the elders get wind of Wyatt and the pregnancy, they will want to see you. I give them about twenty minutes. Until then, I have some documents you need to sign.”
Gage paused, shuffling the documents around. “I really believe he’s the one, Aaron. I took one look at him and I just…”
“I thought as much. The trick was making you see it.”
“You thought? You don’t even know him.”
Aaron shrugged lightly. “I haven’t gotten to where I am by being unobservant.”
“Have you considered taking on the responsibility as Alpha for the pack?” Gage leaned back in his chair to look up at his second. Aaron was as competent and capable an Alpha as anyone in the pack. Probably even more than Gage.
“Are you kidding me? I’d rather you take on the physical challenges to leadership. I was never a fan of scarring. I’m quite happy being the backbone of the pack.”
“It’s a role that is usually designated to betas.”
“Well,” Aaron said with a smile, “it’s a good thing we’re an unconventional pack. You’re a good Alpha, Gage. You’re fierce, loyal, competent, and more than capable. You’re just…scattered. Or have been until you stumbled on Wyatt.”
Gage beamed up at him. “And now look at me, all responsible and shit. I might actually like this—” He flapped the papers around. “Organization.”
“Yes, yes, here you are, being all responsible and shit.” Aaron tapped on the desk. “Now, no more procrastination. Sign.”
With a sigh, Gage reluctantly swiveled to face the desk again. “Nothing gets by you, you slave driver.”
“Which you pay me obscenely well to do.”
“And you’ll earn it.” Gage dragged the papers over to review them. “I have a new task for you.”
11
Wyatt
Gage’s mansion was like a hotel. The wing Peter led him down seemed to go on almost without end, until they drew to a stop outside one of the doors. Peter pulled a key to unlock the door and pushed it open. He motioned for Wyatt to go in first.
Wyatt stepped cautiously to glance around at the bedroom. It was almost as big as his entire apartment. “Wow.”
“That’s what I said when I first moved in,” Peter said. “You have a private bathroom and a balcony overlooking the grounds.”
With a flourish, Peter drew back the drapes to expose the sliding glass door which led to a small balcony. The view was spectacular. It drew Wyatt to open the door and step out into the air. “This is nothing like the city. The air is so fresh. No exhaust, no pollution.”
Peter pointed to the far line of trees. “That’s also part of the property. We’re allowed to run when we’re feeling the itch. The elders like to have pack moots out there on a regular basis.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been to one.” Wyatt came from a line of city wolves. They didn’t have moots or family manors. Their family units were smaller.
“Then you’re in for a treat.” Peter motioned to the phone on the side table next to the king-size bed. “That is the house phone. There’s always an operator manning it. You can connect to any part of the house if you need something.”
This was like a hotel.
Wyatt pursed his lips. “Does this mean I can’t leave my room?”
If that was the case, it was a deal breaker and he’d insist that they take him home. If they didn’t, if Gage wouldn’t let him leave, Noah knew to call the police if Wyatt didn’t call in an hour.
He only hoped that the police weren’t in Gage’s back pocket.
That bit of paranoia was short-lived when Peter shook his head. “No one is forced to stay on the grounds. Weston Pack hospitality won’t allow it. It’s bad form and a sign of bad breeding. I only pointed it out because of your condition.”
“My condition?”
Peter made a motion to mimic being pregnant.
Wyatt laughed. “Right. It’s funny how I have times that I actually forget I am. It’s like a dream or something. At least until my back starts to hurt.”
He sat on the edge of the bed and bounced. This mattress had to have set Gage back a couple of thousand dollars. Wyatt’s entire living room suite was only $800.
“I have two children,” Peter said, leaning against the dresser across from Wyatt. “My omega just gave birth to our second about two months ago. He said the same thing during both pregnancies.”
“Oh! Congratulations!” Wyatt smoothed a hand over his swollen abdomen. “This is my first.”
“All of the pack doctors are the best our kind has produced. You’re in good hands, Wyatt.” Peter held the key out to Wyatt. “You’re free to wander around and get a feel for the place. The garden was just tended so you won’t have to worry about out of control rose bushes or anything. The bellflowers are still blooming.”
Wyatt took the key gratefully. “Thanks, Peter.”
With a smile, Peter left, closing the door behind him.
Alone now, Wyatt stared out the open balcony door before he stepped out to listen. The background noise of the city was noticeably absent. The quiet was eerie and a little unsettling.
It was clear he’d been in the city for too long if he was uneasy about the noise level and fresh air and the distinct lack of daily stresses.
And it drove the point home that he really had needed that vacation. That opportunity was completely blown now. Money he couldn’t afford to lose, gone. Now he was going to have another responsibility and the monetary strain that came with that.
Nothing to be done about it now except figure out his options.
Maybe he should just take Gage’s generosity and use it as a chance to figure out how to get his life back on track. At least Jason was able to keep the doors to the flower shop open.
All of that he could figure out later. At the moment, Wyatt wanted to get a closer look at this garden.
Wyatt ran into surprisingly few people as he strolled along the paved paths of the garden. The grounds crew did an excellent job of keeping the gardens looking beautiful. The blooms on the perennials were in excellent shape, florist quality.
Every so often, a curved marble bench sat along the walk, most conveniently located beneath trees.
It was summer. Even with the soft breeze that blew through occasionally, exhaustion, coupled with the humidity, overwhelmed him and he had to make use of those marble benches to rest.
He didn’t realize how far he had gotten from the house until he craned his neck to get a good look around. The garden’s edge wasn’t that far from the wood line. There were no fences to separate the garden from the forest. Just open ground from box hedge to trees.
So, technically, if Wyatt wanted to take off, he could. No one would be the wiser until they started to look for him.
There was a great deal of freedom in that choice.
His life, Wyatt knew with one hundred percent certainty, was going to be crazy different now if Gage stayed in it.
On the one hand, having a high-maintenance Alpha like Gage—because, honestly, all Alphas were high-maintenance—in his life, even in the capacity of the baby’s father, was really going to impact Wyat
t’s life and his treasured freedom.
On the other, there was a certain degree of comfort in knowing that Gage was maybe someone who he could rely on; that he didn’t have to go through this alone.
Wyatt was certainly attracted to Gage. It clearly wasn’t an artifact of his heat because he still felt that comfort when in Gage’s presence.
When he had been avoiding Gage, he had felt alone, adrift, out of sorts.
The moment Gage showed up, hell, the moment Wyatt heard that Gage was looking for him, Wyatt believed closure in his topsy-turvy world was within reach.
Or maybe Gage’s presence would make that worse.
Which did beg the question—did Wyatt want Gage to stay in his life?
That was a question he was still considering.
However, the heat was starting to make Wyatt light-headed and he regretted getting so far from the house without any water. The prospect of having to walk back to the house was exhausting to think about.
“Wyatt!”
It sounded like Gage. “Here,” he said.
“Wya—” The sound of boots hitting the stones thudded closer until Gage skidded from around a corner. “Jesus, you gave me a scare.”
Wyatt laughed faintly. “For going for a walk in your lovely garden?”
“For not being where I was expecting you.” Gage trotted over to sit next to him on the bench. He sat so close Wyatt had to move over to keep from being overwhelmed by the addition of Gage’s body heat.
“I was told I’m not a prisoner here. Didn’t you promise that?”
“I did. But this place is gigantic. I still get lost here sometimes.”
Gage’s big grin made Wyatt laugh again. “It is kind of big. But I wouldn’t get lost in the garden, Gage. All I have to do is follow the path and head in the direction of what I can see of the mansion.”
“Yeah, well, I was still a little worried, okay?” Gage glanced at his phone. “The doctor is free to have a look at you now, if you’re ready.”
Wyatt smoothed his hand across his forehead and blinked. He was feeling so light-headed again and this time he was sitting down. “Yeah. I think I am getting too hot and should get inside anyway.”
Gage stood and took Wyatt’s hand to help him up.
With no warning, vertigo hit Wyatt and his vision closed in on him, going gray. He felt as if he were disconnected from his body. “Gage…”
The darkness enveloped him.
Wyatt’s eyes were sticky, like glue, when he tried to blink them open again. A cool cloth rested on his forehead and he was stretched out on a comfortable bed. “Urgh,” he said, trying to sit up. He vaguely recognized his surroundings as the room Peter had taken him to. “What happened?”
A hand gripped his arm and urged him to stretch out again. “Easy, Wyatt,” Gage’s voice growled softly. “You gave me quite a scare again.”
Wyatt pulled the cloth from his forehead and looked around. Gage was there, sitting on the edge of his bed. Aaron was there, just off Gage’s shoulder. Peter stood at the foot of the bed, and several severe, older people stood in a clump between him and the door.
A woman shooed Gage away and took his place. She placed a cool hand on his arm, her fingertips touching lightly on his wrist. “How are you feeling, Wyatt?”
“Confused? Tired. Thirsty.”
She motioned to Peter who got him a glass of water, while she helped him prop up to sit.
“Why is everyone looking at me,” he whispered loudly to her.
“You lost consciousness in the garden,” she said, attention on her watch as she took his pulse.
“Figures. I felt like I was overheated.”
“Everyone please clear the room,” she said in a voice that had everyone in motion. “Aaron, send Kevin in. I need to have a look at Wyatt.”
“Excuse me,” Wyatt said. He was feeling very naked with everyone staring at him. With good reason, because he was naked. He gripped the covers tightly in his fists and drew them close to his chest. “But who are you?”
“Dr. Madison, Weston Pack physician. I’d like to have a look at you, with your permission.”
“Um,” Wyatt looked around at all the people he didn’t know. Gage was the only truly familiar person in the room.
“Everyone get out!” Gage roared. It startled Wyatt and he tightened his grip.
The doctor pressed her lips together and shot Gage a nasty look. “That means you, too, Gage.”
“Oh hell no.” Gage crossed his arms and glared at everyone until he, the doctor, and Wyatt were the only ones left in the room.
“Now.”
“No. I’m the Alpha.”
“And a fine one you are, Gage,” she said. “But you’re not a doctor. I am. In this, I supersede you. Shall we take this to the elders?”
The standoff of strong wills, a battle even Gage couldn’t win, when Aaron cleared his throat from the doorway.
“Wait quietly,” she said. “Over there.”
It was with great reluctance that Gage backed down and went to sit by the door. Wyatt found it oddly sweet that he was so protective. Sweet, and comforting that Gage would still be in the room.
The doctor didn’t make a whole lot of small talk. She was professional as Kevin, who was her omega assistant, took his vital signs and made notes on a pad. They talked about what had happened in the garden, and how he had been feeling in general.
“It came up on me so suddenly. When I started showing,” Wyatt said, hand stroking over his stomach, “I noticed I was getting exhausted quicker than usual.”
“And you didn’t have a doctor look at you?”
“I didn’t have the time,” Wyatt admitted. “Besides, I just chalked it up to being pregnant, you know? Body changing and all that?”
“Mmm,” she said, making notes on the pad while Kevin took his blood. She listened to his heart, then to the baby’s heart. “Well, Wyatt, as soon as I can get a urine sample, I can officially diagnose you. Until then, I’m putting you on bed rest. I’ll have the chef start you on a specific diet that should help alleviate the current symptoms you’re having.”
“Is the baby okay?”
“She has—”
“He,” Wyatt interrupted.
The doctor smiled at his correction. “He has a strong heartbeat but I want you on bed rest until we can get you into the office for a proper checkup.”
Wyatt kicked off the covers. “Can’t do that, doctor. I have a business I have to get back to.”
“If you have the baby’s best interest at heart, Wyatt, I’d suggest taking a few days here before making that decision.” Dr. Madison stood and helped Kevin pack everything away. “I’ll let you work that out with Gage.”
As if on cue, Gage stood suddenly, startling the poor omega. Kevin stumbled backward to get out of Gage’s way. “Done?”
It may have been stated as a question, but it clearly wasn’t.
Dr. Madison stopped at the door. “I’ll send Kevin back with some medications for you. Make sure you take them.” She glanced at Gage and left.
Gage was back at Wyatt’s side, frowning as he struggled to get untangled from the covers. “Wait, Wyatt, where are you going?”
Wyatt made a frustrated sound. With the weight of his responsibilities weighing on him, panic was setting in. “I can’t stay here, Gage. I have already spent too much time away from the shop. Now that I’ve missed my window of opportunity for my vacation, I have to make up the wasted cash somehow.”
“Wait,” Gage repeated. He caught Wyatt’s hands and Wyatt felt the panic immediately settle into calm again. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”
He stopped trying to get out of bed, holding Gage’s hands. It was all he had left to hold onto.
The rest of his world didn’t seem content to remain stable.
“I have a proposition for you.”
Wyatt waited.
“Allow me to take care of you…as your mate.”
12
Ga
ge
There was that moment of quiet where Wyatt didn’t say anything. His gaze was narrowed, and disbelief was clear on his face. Gage would be patient. He was serious about this, and hoped he was making that clear to Wyatt.
When Wyatt didn’t say anything, Gage scooted closer to Wyatt so he could recline over Wyatt’s thighs and put his hand on the swollen belly that held his son.
His son. The thought swelled Gage with pride.
“My mate? You can’t be serious—”
“I’m very serious.”
“Gage, have you forgotten you don’t know me?”
Gage ducked to place a kiss on Wyatt’s stomach. “I haven’t. But I also haven’t forgotten that you do something to me, Wyatt. Even before I found out you were pregnant, I couldn’t get you out of my mind. Aaron and I talked about fated mates. At first, I wasn’t sure I believed those existed. The elders are so intent on pushing me to produce an heir by any means necessary that love never seemed to even enter the conversation. When it occurred to me that I may not ever see you again? It just wasn’t acceptable. I know we had agreed it was a one-time thing between us, but Wyatt, you’re a part of me. I can feel it. Am I the only one who feels that?”
The entire time he talked Wyatt’s expression went from guarded, to confused, and finally to completely open. Tears were gathering in his eyes.
Wyatt sniffled and wiped at his eyes. “No, you aren’t. I know how I feel when I’m around you and that’s what scares me, Gage. Because I really don’t know who you are other than what I read in the news and yet…I know how I feel when I’m with you.”
“So you’ll stay?” Gage asked hopefully. “Let me take care of you and the baby?”
“I’m not really used to being taken care of and I have the shop to consider.”
“I have a plan, actually. Aaron is my second here in the pack. I will put him on managing your store and keeping it afloat until you can return, after the baby is born. The doctor did say you needed to stay off your feet.”