"Excused, Burges," Alfred laughed.
Burges hurried from the room, his eyes alight with possibilities.
"What have we done?" Oscar laughed.
"Don't worry," Alfred said soothingly. "He really is the best at these things."
Aiden pushed himself off of Oscar's belly and teetered this way and that, finding his balance.
"Oh my God," Oscar whispered.
Alfred kneeled slowly a few feet in front of Aiden.
"Aiden," he said. "Aiden, buddy, come to daddy!"
"Dada?"
"Yeah, come to daddy!"
Aiden's face broke into a grin and he took a step, nearly tumbling over.
"There you go, buddy, you've got it! Come to daddy!"
Aiden took another step, and another, until he was overwhelmed by his own momentum and ran headlong into Alfred's waiting arms. Alfred laughed as he caught him, scooped him up in a hug, and kissed his chubby cheek. He looked over at Oscar, beaming with delight, and noticed that Oscar was crying.
"What's wrong, love?"
"That was the first time you called yourself daddy," Oscar choked, smiling through his tears.
"Was it? God, I'm horrible at this. I've felt like daddy for months. Isn't that right, buddy? Yes, yes it is. And you're going to have a little brother or a little sister, and then I'm going to be daddy twice over, and I promise... I swear... I will never, ever, make you compete with the new baby for daddy's love. Not ever. I swear it."
"Twearit," Aiden said, emphatically.
Alfred laughed.
"Yes, I swear it. I love you, kid."
"Wubbu!"
"And I love you both," Oscar said, wrapping his arms around the two of them. "You know I think, in spite of everything, we make a pretty decent family."
"I wholeheartedly agree," Alfred said, nuzzling Aiden's nose with his. "And it's only going to get better as it grows."
He kissed Oscar's belly firmly, making Oscar laugh. Yes, Oscar thought. It can only get better.
Chapter 23
"You've outdone yourself, Burges." Alfred beamed as he looked over the courtyard.
White marble pillars lined rows of red benches, and at the top of each pillar was a bowl filled to overflowing with red and white roses. The aisle ran the length of the courtyard, ending at the grand staircase which was decorated on either side by more red and white roses. An arch had been erected on the first wide landing, and it was wrapped around with crawling rose vines. Floating lanterns hovered in the air, twinkling against the soft purple twilight. The benches were filled with friends, family and subjects alike. The prince stood under the rose trellis in his most formal uniform and Burges, his best man, stood to his right. The string quartet tuned their instruments and a hush fell over the crowd.
The music began. Aiden toddled down the aisle first, grinning like a maniac with Helga close behind. He carried their rings on a soft white pillow, and he was full of excitement with the importance of his duty.
"Dada!" he squealed, when he saw Alfred.
The crowed tittered and awwed at the tiny prince. After Aiden came Octavia, dressed in scarlet to match the roses, casting petals here and there. After she had taken her place, the music paused, hushing the crowd once more. After three beats, the music began again, a powerful march which drove the onlookers to their feet. Oscar stepped into the aisle. He was a dream in a white silk suit and scarlet tie, carrying a single red rose as he walked down the aisle toward his handsome prince. Alfred's eyes filled with tears when he saw him, proud, unashamed and unmistakably masculine. His wild red hair had been tied back with an intricate series of braids, and he wore a thin golden chain around his head with a glittering diamond hanging in the center of his forehead. He looked like a nymph, an ethereal being on his way to a black-tie event. Alfred grinned as Oscar approached. In spite of the overwhelming emotion, in spite of the heavy weight which came with such a responsibility, in spite of every consequence, Alfred had never been happier. Oscar had somehow become his best friend, and he couldn't see his life without him.
Oscar stood before him with quivering lips and laughing eyes, and Alfred suddenly knew without a shadow of a doubt that he had done the right thing. The bishop began to speak and Alfred played his part, speaking the words and meaning them while his mind wandered into the future. A houseful of children, as many as Oscar wanted. A loving dynamic. A household free of backstabbing and manipulation. Fun, friendship and a never ending outpouring of pure, blissful love. It was everything he wanted, though he had never thought to want it.
Oscar said his piece, and felt the same. Alfred had shown himself to be a good man, through and through. He had made the difficult decisions, put his kingdom first, and accepted Oscar and his son wholly and without reservation or conditions. He was safe and exciting all at once, challenging without drifting into the abusive. He was smart and kind, though his intelligence needed to be refocused from time to time. Oscar would happily guide him for the rest of his days. They made a dynamic pair, and the kingdom could only benefit from their union. Hell, it already had.
"By the powers vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss."
Alfred obeyed with enthusiasm, drawing a chuckle from the crowd.
"And now, by the power vested in me, seeing as his highness the prince has officially fulfilled all obligations for the title, I now pronounce you King Alfred, alpha of Nead; and Queen Oscar, crown omega of Nead."
The crowd broke into an ecstatic cheer which rang out over the courtyard, over the palace, and throughout the kingdom. Every person in the kingdom was watching, whether they were in attendance or watching the broadcast from home, and the moment the bishop declared them King and Queen, spontaneous parties broke out all over the land. Alfred kissed his queen once more as Burges and his team swarmed the courtyard to quickly remove the benches and replace them with tables which were subsequently filled with all kinds of food. The string quartet was replaced by the hottest band in the kingdom, who immediately began playing up-tempo dance music.
"Care to dance with a king?" Alfred asked, as he nipped at Oscar's lower lip.
"That's what I came for," Oscar laughed.
Alfred took his hand and ran with him to the dance floor. All sense of propriety or form was lost in their excitement, and they made complete and utter fools of themselves on the dance floor. Other couples joined the fun, and Helga brought Aiden over to bounce him on her ample hip as his daddies danced nearby. Alfred and Oscar danced all night, swapping partners with Helga and Aiden occasionally. Aiden had the time of his life, swinging around with his daddies under the magic floating lights. Oscar noticed something out of the corner of his eye, and pointed it out to Alfred.
"Looks like Octavia and Oren are hitting it off," he chuckled.
They were too. Octavia and Oren were dancing up a storm, catching the attention of every alpha and beta around. Every once in a while, Oscar saw Octavia make eyes at one of the men around her, and Oren was doing the same. What he had initially misread as romance turned out to be a mutual agreement to flirt furiously with the men at the party. Oscar laughed at his realization, and Alfred spun him in his arms.
“I’m glad she’s having fun,” he grinned.
“I think you and I should have some fun,” Alfred said, suggestively.
“Aren’t we having fun?”
“Well, yes, but we could be having more fun!”
“That’s how addictions start,” Oscar said, playfully.
“I admit it, I’m addicted to you. I have a problem,” Alfred grinned.
“The feeling is mutual,” Oscar laughed.
Helga tapped his shoulder, and he turned. Aiden was fast asleep on her ample bosom.
“Just tellin’ you that I’m going to put the little one to bed. I might turn in myself. Quite a party!”
“Isn’t it? I swear, Burges is some kind of magic. Goodnight, Helga, and thank you.”
Oscar and Alfred each kissed Aiden’s head, and Helga departed
. The party was still in full swing when Alfred pulled Oscar away and into the hedge maze.
“Back to where it all started,” he said, nostalgically.
“Are you going to demand that my invisible boyfriend jump out of hiding and fight you?” Oscar teased.
Alfred laughed and shoved him playfully.
“God, how long ago was that?” he asked.
“Oh... about six months, I’d say.”
“Six months... I was an ass six months ago.”
“Yes,” Oscar laughed. “Yes, you were. But you were an ass with potential.”
“What am I now?”
“Hm... potential. With an ass,” Oscar said, squeezing the aforementioned ass.
Alfred laughed and hugged him. They wandered the maze, making their way back to where they’d had their first real conversation. Alfred spun Oscar into his arms and began to dance a slow waltz with him.
“Was it worth it?” he asked.
“Worth what?”
“Letting your cousin dress you up like a doll,” Alfred laughed.
“Nothing has ever been more worth it,” Oscar said, sincerely. “I honestly couldn’t be happier. Being with you has changed my life.”
“And changing your life has changed me,” Alfred sighed.
“And changing diapers?”
“Has changed my opinion of nursemaids,” Alfred chuckled.
“I’ll want the baby in the room with us for the first few months,” Oscar said. “He... or she... is going to wake up screaming three, four times a night.”
“Music to my ears,” Alfred said, hazily.
“You say that now, but...”
“No buts,” Alfred said, firmly. “You call the shots with this baby. Nobody is going to take that power away from you. Not I, not your mother, not even Helga. Nobody decides where this baby sleeps or when it eats or who touches it except you.”
He’d said the words that Oscar hadn’t known he’d needed to hear. Oscar threw his arms around Alfred’s neck and kissed him hard on the mouth as tears streamed down his face.
“Thank you,” he said, his voice breaking. “I love you so much.”
“I love you, too.”
ALFRED HAD PLENTY OF opportunities to regret his decision after their daughter, Autumn, was born, but if he had any he never voiced them. Oscar slept at the edge of the bed with one hand in the baby's bassinet every night. Any sex they had was quick and furtive while she napped during the day, as Oscar refused to leave her side if she was awake. Oscar managed his queenly duties with a baby on each hip, and his work was as brilliant as ever. If anything, having his babies beside him only made him work faster, harder and with more conviction. It wasn't just the people of the kingdom he was caring for anymore. He was building the foundation of a future for his children.
Alfred kept his word. He spent as much time with the babies as he could, and doted on them both in equal measure. To his mind and heart, they were both his children, and he treated them as such. They grew a tight, close-knit bond in spite of the full and bustling household. They developed their own little games and inside jokes, and Alfred was the first to teach little Aiden his colors. One lazy evening in midsummer, the four of them were playing on the nursery floor as usual. Autumn was a little more than a year old, and had just started to walk. Three-year-old Aiden was building great towers out of blocks, and knocking them down gleefully. Alfred was laughing at Aiden’s maniacal cackle when Autumn toddled over to Oscar and laid her curly head on his belly.
"Baby," she said, clearly.
Alfred looked sharply at Oscar.
"Something you want to tell me?"
"I swear I was going to tonight," Oscar laughed. "She's right, there's a baby."
Alfred threw a stuffed bear at Oscar's head.
"Will you stop telling the kids first?" he scolded, playfully.
"I thought it would be cute!" Oscar laughed.
"Okay it was cute. How far along are you?"
"About three months, I think."
Alfred grinned and kissed Oscar firmly.
"Looks like we better get caught up on our sleep... and our not-sleeping," he said, with a wink.
Oscar, agreeing emphatically, called Helga into the room as he kissed his babies quickly, then pulled Alfred out of the nursery and into the bedroom.
Turn the page for your free bonus book, Royal Affair!
Royal Affair
Preston Walker
© 2017
Disclaimer
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and events are all fictitious for the reader’s pleasure. Any similarities to real people, places, events, living or dead are all coincidental.
This book contains sexually explicit content that is intended for ADULTS ONLY (+18).
Chapter 1
Scents assaulted his nostrils, all of them familiar and welcoming and so, so invigorating. Keiran didn’t think that he would ever get tired of breathing in the forest. Not running or exploring, just standing in one place with his four paws connected to the earth and the scents drawing an image even clearer than the one his sharp eyes could create.
Musk beneath the spicy evergreen pine signaled the growth of mushrooms, but the air here wasn’t damp enough for a kind with medicinal properties. The berry bushes just beyond the pine thicket were bulging with berries, plump and ripe for the picking. The bushes were so laden with fruit that, if he pricked up his ears and caught the wind just right, he could pick up on soft plops as the berries occasionally dropped to the ground. They would rot there, untouched, to fertilize the earth for the next generation of growth because the berries were poisonous.
Crushed pine needles and dropped tree branches littered the forest floor, their unique odors all mingling with earth and water. And even he could detect the trails of little creatures that had been past this path; fox and mouse and the occasional rabbit or inquisitive sparrow. Some were minutes-old, while others were nearly lost beneath the aroma of the forest. However, Keiran wasn’t trained for hunting, and the trails of animals were more difficult for him to pick up on.
He also wasn’t supposed to be trained in herbology, but that was their little secret.
Lifting his muzzle from the ground, Keiran glanced back over his shoulder at his mentor. She was in wolf form as well, though her pretty white coat and silver face markings made her stand out against the summer woods far more than his own shadowy pelt. Her ears were pricked, the black point of her nose twitching like crazy. However, her tail was down and her fur gently flattened, pulled this way and that by the wind. Just like him, she hadn’t detected anything useful here.
Or maybe she did, but it’s a test.
Letting out a low woof, Keiran called to his secret mentor. She turned her head in his direction and tilted it, deep eyes inquisitive. They were green and distinctly human, a reflection of her inner soul.
Keiran shook his head to let her know he hadn’t found anything. The white wolf dipped her head just once in a nod and blinked slowly, giving her approval. Approval wasn’t a thing Keiran knew well and his chest swelled with pride in his abilities. He quietly thanked her, knowing she would feel it through the connection all wolves within a pack shared with one another. Abigail was young just like he was, which he suspected was also the reason she was so willing to lie to the elders and teach Keiran things he wasn’t supposed to know. Their generation was different in a way—more open.
Abigail paced forward through the forest to come stand by him. Though female and an omega wolf just as he was, she had several inches on him in shoulder height and was therefore able to look down at him. Unlike approval,
being looked down upon was something he knew well, but with Abigail, it wasn’t so bad. She was the nearest he had to a best friend. Sharing secrets would do that to people.
Abigail blinked at him again and then trotted off deeper into the forest, veering away from the well-worn path. Her pads flashed pink and healthy as she lifted her paws, and her movements were almost completely silent. Watching her for a moment, Keiran glanced around guiltily and then tried as hard as he could to make himself feel some sort of attraction toward the female. Femininity was supposed to be attractive to a man, and Keiran was at the ripe age for finding a mate. Unfortunately, all he managed to feel was platonic. She was attractive and kind and friendly, with enough smarts and wits to become the village doctor at such a young age, but he felt those things in the same sort of way he felt them toward his accomplished siblings.
And that was a problem, because he was an omega and would someday find—or be given to—an alpha mate. There were a few alpha females in the village, but Keiran needed a man, and there were no gay alpha males. He was doomed to a life of unhappiness, and in more ways than one, since he wasn’t highborn enough to actually become Abigail’s real student.
A sharp, impatient bark brought him back to the forest. He barked in response and pushed away his worries, since these few hours with Abigail were supposed to be without them. He started after her disappearing tail, crashing noisily through the berry bushes. He caught a strong whiff of her scent just before clearing the bushes and slamming right into her from behind.
Yelping, he lost his footing and crashed to the side while she stumbled over and just barely managed to avoid falling on him. Abigail staggered to the side and regained her footing, whipping back around to push her muzzle into the folds of fur on his neck. A growl rumbled in her throat, low and dangerous.
Keiran flopped over onto his back, showing her a flash of his soft belly in submission. He wasn’t afraid of her as he would be with anyone else’s teeth at his neck, and she immediately drew away and snorted at him. He panted and batted at her face with a soft paw. All she did was draw farther away, but he rolled onto his stomach and crawled toward her with his rear up in the air and his tail lolling over his back.
Wild Ride: An M/M Shifter Mpreg Romance Bundle Page 78