by L. C. Davis
Nathan groaned. “Why would he do that?”
“Because your dad is perceptive, and he picked up on something I probably should have told you a long time ago,” Kent said, leading Nathan out onto the balcony.
“What’s that?” Nathan asked, leaning on the railing. The fresh air was a welcome change from the packed hall. Bathed in moonlight with the glimmering surface of the lake just visible in the distance, Silver Lake was gorgeous. It was only on his last night there that Nathan realized it also felt like home.
Kent fell silent, and when Nathan turned to look at him, the Alpha’s gaze was similar to his own, only rather than staring out at the sprawling beauty of the pack’s territory, Kent was looking right at him.
“I imprinted on you, Nathan,” Kent said in a quiet but certain tone.
Nathan struggled to process the absurdity of his words, but there wasn’t an ounce of doubt in the alpha’s countenance. “Why didn’t you say anything?” he asked even though his doubts answered his own question before it was all the way out of his mouth. Of course Kent hadn’t said anything. Nathan was pregnant with another Alpha’s pup. It had probably taken him this long just to overcome his disgust.
“From the moment you came back here, I knew what was meant to be,” said Kent, frowning. “But that didn’t mean it was what was best for you. You were going through so much. You still are, and I didn’t want to be just another Alpha who took advantage of you. I wanted to take the time to get to know you, to do this the right way. I’m still not sure if it’s right to tell you this now, but this whole thing with your dad kind of forced my hand.”
Nathan’s breath caught in his throat. “Kent, what are you saying?”
“I’m saying that I want to be with you, Nathan. I know we barely know each other anymore, but I want to be there for you and his baby,” he said, taking a step closer. The earnestness in his words was almost as unbelievable as the words themselves were and it was all Nathan could do just to keep up. “Having you here this past couple of months… it’s the closest to home I’ve ever felt in my own pack. I’ve waited my whole life to find someone who made me feel this way, and for a long time, I was convinced that I’d missed it somehow. Now I know there’s no way I could mistake the way I feel for you. I know I don’t deserve you, and I’d hoped at least I would have time to convince you the right way, but if being your escape plan is all I can be, it’s worth it.”
“Kent,” Nathan breathed shakily. “You’re not --”
“It’s okay,” said Kent. He took Nathan’s hands in his and the Alpha’s were so warm and big and rough that Nathan lost hold of his thoughts. “I know you’re thinking about running, because you don’t want to hurt your father by claiming sanctuary. I’d like to give you a better option.”
Nathan’s eyes widened. “How did you --? Oh, God,” he gasped as Kent sank down to one knee in front of him. The Alpha smiled faintly, taking out a small black box.
“This ring has been in my family for generations, and I always wanted to give it to my omega,” he said softly, opening the box to reveal an elegant golden band set with diamonds and sapphires embedded in the metal. “If you say yes, you can pick out one you like better, but for tonight, it’ll have to do. I just can’t let you walk away now that I finally found you.”
Tears brimmed over Nathan’s eyes as he stared down at the Alpha. “Kent, I don’t know what to say. The ring is beautiful, but you don’t have to do this.”
“Have to?” Kent laughed. “Nathan, I’ve wanted you ever since you showed up here looking and smelling like mine. I know I don’t deserve you, and I know this is the worst possible timing to come out with something like this, but if you give me the chance, I can take care of you both. I can protect you, and give you everything else you deserve.”
A few tears slipped down Nathan’s cheeks, and once they started, they wouldn’t stop. “I’m having another Alpha’s baby, Kent. You shouldn’t want me. There’s nothing you can get out of this.”
Kent frowned. “I get you, Nathan. My mate, my omega. I’d get the family I’ve always wanted,” he said, standing without letting go of Nathan’s hand. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t hope that one day, you’d come to see it as more than a last resort, but I don’t expect anything from you.”
“A last resort?” Nathan echoed. “That’s not how I see it at all. This whole time, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the ‘what ifs.’ What if I hadn’t gotten pregnant, what if I’d met you again under different circumstances? I know I’m not your type, but you’re mine. I already love my daughter too much to regret what happened, but I wish I’d waited for you.”
Kent listened attentively, and while Nathan could tell the Alpha didn’t fully believe his words, the way Kent’s face softened when Nathan spoke of the baby was enough to make his heart melt. “Daughter?” he asked, placing a hand on Nathan’s stomach.
The omega nodded shakily. “I just found out today at the doctor’s.”
A smile tugged at the edges of Kent’s mouth as he met Nathan’s eyes. “What are you gonna name her?”
“No idea,” he said with a stilted laugh. “It all happened so fast, and dad…” Nathan grew somber as the memory of his father’s words summoned him back to reality. “He doesn’t think I can do this, and I don’t know. Maybe he’s right. Maybe I am being selfish, but I can’t just give her up, Kent. I want her more than I’ve ever wanted anything.”
“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, Nathan,” Kent said earnestly. “Whatever you want, I’ll support you. Telling your father I imprinted on you should be enough. It makes you mine by pack law, but it doesn’t have to be anything more than that.”
Nathan shook his head. “Why do you act like it’s so impossible that I could want you the way you want me?”
Kent looked away, and for the first time, the Alpha who commanded troops with the ease of breathing, seemed human. Vulnerable. “I’ve never been anyone’s first choice, Nathan.”
Nathan reached out, turning Kent’s face toward him. He had a feeling the Alpha wouldn’t believe his words, but he had to try. “I didn’t plan any of this, but if I could, I’d go back and choose you. Not Vance, not your brother, not Jaspar Amari. I’ve seen the best and worst Alphas have to offer, and trust me, Kent, you’re as good as it gets.”
The Alpha covered Nathan’s hand with his own, leaning into the omega’s touch. “So,” he said with a mischievous smile, “is that a yes?”
Nathan laughed. “That’s a yes.”
“Good.” Kent took the ring and slid it onto Nathan’s finger. “Now, I get to tell your dad you’re not going anywhere.”
“You really did imprint on me if you’re willing to face him,” Nathan teased, growing serious. “Are you sure, Kent? No one would blame you if you didn’t want to go through with this. I certainly wouldn’t.”
Kent took Nathan’s face in his hands. Rather than argue with words, the Alpha kissed him. To be fair, it was a far more compelling case than the English language was capable of making. Nathan all but collapsed in Kent’s embrace, and that kiss only confirmed what his heart had known for some time. The moment he had shared with Vance was as meaningless as it was fleeting--what he found in Kent’s arms and his kiss was so much more. It was a promise of all the good things to come, and even though the warmth of that kiss filled Nathan with security and hope, it made him sad, too. He wished it had been his first. He wished Kent had been his first in so many ways, but as the Alpha held him, the sincerity and adoration in his touch made it clear that Kent was every bit as grateful for the moment they had as Nathan was.
The music in the ballroom faded to muffled applause and Kent finally pulled away. Nathan regained his balance, but his composure was more difficult. “Sounds like they’re getting to the awards,” he said breathlessly. “You should be in there.”
“I’d rather stay out here,” Kent murmured, his gaze flickering over Nathan in the most alluring way. There was unmistakab
le lust within it, but unlike the way Vance had looked at him, it made Nathan feel safe. Wanted. “But I should probably get to your dad.”
Nathan nodded, following Kent back into the ballroom. Another pack Alpha was busy introducing the recipient of an award that was being given for improving diplomatic relations within the pack system, but it was clear from the look on Duke’s face that the Alpha was thinking of something else.
“Wish me luck,” Kent said, giving Nathan’s arm a gentle squeeze before he made his way through the crowd. Nathan watched nervously as his would-be mate caught his father’s attention and the two Alphas slipped away from the gathering to speak in private.
Nathan let out a deep breath and poured himself a glass of juice from the refreshment table. Part of him felt like he should be there, but Kent seemed to know what he was doing and Nathan doubted his presence would do anything more than make it harder for Duke to think rationally.
As Nathan scanned the crowd in search of Connor, his gaze landed on an Alpha across the room who was familiar in the worst possible way. Vance was standing in his crisp olive uniform with a group of other Alphas, conversing with that easy smile on his face. The sight of him in the place Nathan had come to think of as his home away from home made the omega feel ill, and all his effort to distance himself from the dread and regret he’d felt that night after leaving the Alpha’s bed came to naught.
Vance’s eyes met Nathan’s and it was too late to run, but Nathan tried anyway, hoping that the Alpha hadn’t recognized him. After all, they had only shared an hour in a dimly lit dorm room and neither of them had been at peak awareness. At least, Nathan hadn’t. When he made it to the side door, Nathan paused to catch his breath and turned only to find himself face-to-face with the Alpha he’d hoped he would never see again.
“Nathan.” Vance looked over the omega, his gaze claiming and disapproving at once as it fell to Nathan’s stomach. “I heard the rumors, but I didn’t think it was actually you.”
Nathan swallowed hard, taking a step back. “What are you doing here, Vance?”
“I was invited,” the Alpha said coolly. “I’m being honored for my service. Under your father’s command, apparently.”
“Small world,” Nathan muttered, keenly aware that they were alone in the lobby.
“You never told me you were Duke Miller’s son.”
“Why does it matter? Would you have called if you’d known?” Nathan quipped.
Vance frowned. “You’re carrying my baby. That changes things.”
“You’re right. It’s changed everything for me.” Nathan hissed. “Maybe I was just another notch in your bedpost, but nothing has been the same for me since that night.”
“Don’t play the innocent victim. You knew what was going to happen when you went off to a room with an Alpha you didn’t even know like some slut.”
“I was a virgin!”
Surprise flickered on the Alpha’s face. The pride that followed made Nathan’s nausea even worse. “If I’d known that, it would have been different,” Vance said in a smooth, entreating tone as he reached out to touch Nathan’s cheek. The omega shirked away.
“I want you to leave.”
“I’m not going anywhere. Especially not now,” he said pointedly. “Who else knows you’re carrying my pup?”
“No one,” Nathan gritted out. “And if you value your life, it’s going to stay that way.”
“Is that a threat?”
“No, it’s a warning. This whole time, I’ve been protecting you from my dad, who’s going to kill you if he finds out you’re here, so it would be better if you just left.”
“For who?” Vance challenged. “The way I see it, your father should want me around. It’s not very good for his reputation to have a pregnant and unmated omega for a son.”
Nathan gritted his teeth. “You’re not going anywhere near this baby, Vance. Get out now while you still can, and if I ever see you again --”
“You’ll what?” Vance took another step and had Nathan backed against the wall. “What exactly is a pathetic little omega like you supposed to do against an Alpha?”
Nathan’s eyes narrowed. “Haven’t you heard? The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I am Cutter’s son. Do you really want to find out exactly what I’m capable of?”
Whether he suspected it was a bluff or not, Nathan’s threat seemed to give the Alpha pause. “I have rights as the father,” he said, changing his tune. “The kid is mine, and that makes you mine by proxy.”
“The hell it does,” Nathan spat. “You didn’t mark me, you fucked me and disappeared. You’re no more her father than you are my mate.”
“That can change,” Vance said, a dangerous look coming into his eyes. The moment Nathan realized what was going through the Alpha’s mind, he ran but Vance caught him by the wrist and threw him up against the wall.
Vance’s hand closed around the omega’s neck, pinning him. “That redneck wolf thinks he can sniff around what’s mine, but he can’t weasel his way into your daddy’s good graces if you’re bearing my mark,” he sneered.
Nathan struggled, clawing at the alpha’s arms as he tried to free himself. “Kent isn’t like you,” he hissed. “He doesn’t see us as pawns for career advancement, and if you lay a hand on me, my dads are going to tear you limb from limb.”
“Now, that wouldn’t be very good for you or the baby,” Vance purred, flashing his fangs. “Don’t worry. I’ll be gentle.”
Nathan screamed in rage and planted his foot square in the Alpha’s gut. The kick was enough to stagger Vance and give Nathan time to get away. The door that led back into the gathering was too far, but he lunged for the one that led outside and kept running.
Chapter Twenty
KENT
As Kent stood in the banquet hall kitchen with Duke, it occurred to him that it might not have been the best idea to choose a location that was full of knives, but he reasoned that if the Alpha wanted to kill him, he wouldn’t need kitchen cutlery to try it.
“Well?” Duke demanded impatiently. “What was it that couldn’t wait until after the gala?”
“Sorry to interrupt the festivities, but we both know you’re not planning on sticking around after,” Kent said, slipping his hands into the pockets of his suit.
Duke frowned. “Excuse me?”
“I know you’re planning on taking Nathan back to Mountain Ridge.”
“And what if I am? He’s my son and I have every right to take him wherever I damn well please.”
Kent cleared his throat. “That may not be entirely true, sir.” This wasn’t going at all the way he’d planned, but Kent had never been the Alpha omegas took home to their parents and this was why.
Duke’s eyes narrowed. “If you’re approaching a point, son, I suggest you get to it.”
“I imprinted on Nathan,” Kent said, deciding that he might as well blurt it out since all his attempts at subtlety were doing was making Duke angrier.
The Alpha paused and seemed to be processing the announcement. He seemed to be trying to gauge whether he believed it, too. “Did Nathan put you up to this?”
“No one put me up to anything, Mr. Miller. I imprinted on Kent the moment he showed up here.”
“And you waited until now to say anything?”
“I only told him tonight. You can ask your mate to verify if you don’t believe me.”
That got Duke’s attention. “Connor,” he muttered. “Should’ve known he was pulling the strings somehow.”
“He did come to me when he figured out I’d imprinted on Nathan, but he’s not making me do anything,” said Kent. “I kept the fact to myself because I thought that Nathan needed time to focus on the baby instead of worrying about a mate, but you haven’t left me much choice.”
“Say I believed you,” Duke said tersely. “Nathan still belongs at home.”
“With all due respect, sir, this is his home,” Kent said firmly. “He’s already made the decision to stay here, for th
e time being. If that changes in the future, I’ll support him, but I will defend his right to decide where the best place for him and our baby is.”
“Your baby?” Duke scoffed.
“I know she’s not mine biologically, but Nathan has already agreed to be my mate, and that means I’ve taken responsibility for both of them,” said Kent. “It’s not only my right but my obligation to protect them, even if it means protecting them from you.”
A low growl rumbled through Duke’s chest and he took a menacing step forward, but Kent held his ground. He was used to dealing with blustering Alphas, and while he had no doubt that Duke could follow through on it and then some, he’d never found it quite as easy to stand his ground as he did now that he had someone else to protect.
“You need to know your place, boy,” Duke snarled.
“I do, sir. It’s between Nathan and whatever happens to be threatening his well-being. Unfortunately, for the moment, that means you.”
Duke faltered and seemed genuinely horrified by Kent’s words. “I’m doing what’s best for Nathan and this baby! If you really have imprinted on him, you’ll understand that.”
“I understand that you think you’re doing what’s best for them, but Nathan is an adult,” said Kent. “He’s also one of the smartest, most level-headed people I’ve ever met. I know that has a lot to do with the way you and Connor raised him. It’s a shame you don’t have more faith in him.”
“Of course I have faith in him,” Duke growled. “He’s my son. If I didn’t have faith in him, I wouldn’t be so opposed to letting him throw his life away.”
“Who says he’s doing that?” said Kent. “Maturity isn’t about never making mistakes, it’s about how you handle them. Nathan is doing everything he can to do what’s right for his daughter. Maybe that’s not the life you wanted for him, but that’s the very opposite of throwing it away.”
Duke seemed to be considering his words, but Kent could tell the moment the Alpha’s resolved turned against him. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re not a father, and you’ve never had to protect someone.”