I stepped out of the way and let the parade begin moving my belongings out to the back of the truck. Jason headed for my van, and I followed him, trailing Beatrice behind me.
“It’ll be fine, Bax. Really,” he said quietly as we reached the van. “Duke wasn’t lying when he said I was suspicious when I got here.”
“Why did you come here, specifically?” I hadn’t stopped to think about it before, so intent on escaping Roland’s plans for me that nothing had mattered except that faint gleam of hope. I set Beatrice beside the van, and opened the door so I could put Teca in her seat.
Jason made a small noise. “Honestly? I spent my whole life running from a myth, and I was tired. We nearly got caught at Christmas, and Dad got beat up pretty bad. I figured it was only a matter of time, so I started looking into packs. But you know how it is—faithful unto death, obedient in all things, that kind of shit. Mercy Hills is doing really well for itself, compared to the rest of the packs I looked into. If I was going to spend my life as someone’s possession, I didn’t intend to want for anything. So that’s how I ended up here.”
With Teca securely buckled in, I stood up and reached for Noah. “Probably a smart move. I wouldn’t have chosen Patrick if I’d been given the option. But the rich packs don’t come looking for mates in the poor ones all that often. It was a small sacrifice on my uncle’s part for the good of the pack.” I bit my lip over the bitterness in my last words. There was no one to blame for my current situation—it was the way things were. And, after all, I was here, doing something about it, right? Except it still felt like I was waiting for someone to rescue me, and that knowledge sat queasily in my stomach.
“No. I just wish I knew why they wanted me back.” He handed Noah over and watched me tuck him into his car seat.
My hands stilled in surprise. “I thought they were just angry that there hadn’t been a mating price arranged beforehand.” I couldn’t imagine it, that there was a pack that would want to so burden itself with shifters who didn’t contribute to the pack’s wealth. Weak, promiscuous, a source of conflict amongst the alphas—why would a pack want to keep an unmated omega? Unless he’d already been promised and his escape had caused problems. “You had a suitor?”
Noah’s buckles had all been fastened before Jason spoke again. “I don’t know. Yes, I guess. The Alpha nearly had me during my second heat. It was stupid.” He sighed and leaned against the side of the van. “I snuck out, because it was Birth Moon and I was missing the party.”
I almost opened my mouth to argue with him, then remembered the brief image of him in front of the courthouse, his belly hanging heavy and his face strained with fatigue and anxiety. Spring heats… I suppressed a shudder, grateful that I didn’t have that problem on top of all my other ones.
Noise from the house announced the alphas exiting with the disassembled pieces of the crib, and my meager pile of baggage. Laughing, they stacked everything in the back of the truck.
Duke came over to us. “Fan wants to ride in the back of the truck with Mac and Abel if you’re okay with that.” He smiled down at us.
I wondered if all the alphas here were gentle giants, the fierce and caring warriors of legend. And then I thought perhaps I should tell Abel that he hadn’t accidentally forced me to eat the brownie, but it was too embarrassing to confess. “If someone will hold him. Or I can ride with him and someone can drive the van?”
Duke grinned. “I think we can manage.” He nodded at Abel, placing the last of my bags in the truck’s bed.
Oh. Shit. Abel turned his head and his eyes found mine. I nodded and realized, reading the guilt in his eyes, that I was going to have to confess. It wouldn’t be right to let the Alpha continue believing that he’d done wrong. Would they still let me stay if they knew just how under the sway of my hormones I was?
Awkwardly, I broke eye contact and bent to pick Beatrice up. “In you get, girlie.” She settled into her seat, obviously eager to go. I clipped her belts around her and backed out of the vehicle, closing the door firmly.
When I turned, the Alpha was standing beside me. “I’ll ride with him, if you’ll let him. And me.”
Jason laughed in a manner I found oddly reassuring, patted me on the shoulder, and drifted away toward his mate.
Kind of him. I shoved back my frustration and self-hatred and put a hand out to Abel. “You didn’t force me earlier. It’s just…me. I’m like that.” I looked away—I couldn’t stand to see the understanding in his eyes. Damned omega hormones.
He took my hand in a gentle grip. “I have trouble believing that. Is it the omega part of you, or is it that you just need someone to treat you the way you deserve?” He squeezed my hand and I looked up at him. “No one gets as strong as you are without tempering,” he said, his tone earnest.
Oh, how I wanted to believe that his words were true. But I’d always been flirtatious, had spent many a night familiarizing myself with my own body for lack of a partner. Had teased and gone as far as I could without ruining my value. How could I believe him? At least some of what had happened to me had to have been my fault; the world just didn’t work any other way. But I smiled, and said, “Thank you,” in my best polite voice.
He smiled back, though I could tell he didn’t quite believe me. But then again, who really trusted an omega to tell the truth? Though I thought they trusted Jason—maybe things were different here? He still held my hands, and watched me with anxious eyes. The kind of eyes I’d come to associate with other omegas, not any sort of alpha.
I took a deep breath and decided to try to stop seeing this place through the memories of the old ones. My fingers closed on the Alpha’s and I smiled at him again, a genuine one this time. “Thank you,” I said, and meant it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Abel tightened the last screw on the crib and sat back. “That should hold it.”
Duke gave it a rattle. “Feels solid to me.”
Fan reached past them and shook the crib too. “Good job,” he said, nodding approvingly at the alphas, who laughed. Fan squinted up at them, but seemed more baffled than bothered by the laughter.
Abel grinned. “Thanks, Fan. Have you checked out your bed yet?” They’d set the crib up in the master bedroom at Bax’s request, and Fan was going to have a room to himself until Noah was old enough for a regular bed.
“I like it.” The little alpha bounced in excitement.
“That’s good. And you know what?”
“What?” Fan asked.
“I’m just around the corner, so if you or Dabi need anything, all you have to do is knock.”
Fan nodded as if they’d just concluded some major trade treaty. It made Abel feel better about it all that he could be of some small help with the pups. Something to make up for his slip earlier. He was generally better at watching how strong he came on; he wanted so badly to help this omega—out of Alpha’s obligation, out of shame for Bax’s treatment, out of a not-so-pure altruism—he was forgetting himself.
Duke raised his eyebrows at him, and Abel frowned back. It shut the other shifter up, but not before he could grin and glance out the door, where Bax’s voice could be heard finding things for the pups to do to keep them out of the way.
Nothing left to work on here. Abel held out a hand. “Let’s go tell Dabi we’re done.”
Fan wrapped his little fingers around Abel’s and bounced all the way into the third bedroom, where Bax had decided to place the girls.
“Dabi, we’re done!” Fan sang as they passed through the door.
Bax was on his knees, tucking some piece of clothing into the bottom drawer of the dresser. He looked up and held out his arms for Fan, who dropped Abel like a hot potato and leaped into his bearer’s arms. Bax hugged him. “You guys are fast workers!”
“We had a good helper,” Abel said.
“Doesn’t surprise me.” Bax gave Fan a big kiss on the cheek, making Fan squirm and yell, “Dabi!” Bax released him with a grin, and Fan ran out of the room. A few m
oments later, they heard him yelling and bouncing on his bed.
“He’s going to fall off,” Bax said in amused frustration and hurried off into the other room.
Abel followed him, for no particular reason except he liked to watch Bax with his pups. The four of them took after their bearer, black curls and fair skin. Fan’s eyes were dark, but the other three had Bax’s green. And it was obvious that, whatever there’d been between Bax and Patrick, none of the strain in their relationship had been allowed to spill over into the one he had with his pups.
“We should let them get settled,” Jason said behind him in a low voice.
Abel started and turned to find Jason still holding Macy and Noah. He looked tired, and like this whole twenty-four hours needed to end. “Yeah, okay.”
Bax looked up from wrestling with Fan on the bed. “I’m sorry, I’m keeping you from…” His voice trailed off.
“It’s fine, Bax. Really.” Jason walked over and handed Noah back to his bearer. “But I need to nurse Macy and get her to bed.”
“And you’re not even two weeks past birth.” Bax’s eyes carried a wealth of understanding that Abel had no way of understanding. It was an omega thing, it seemed.
Jason smiled at him. “That too. Come tomorrow for dinner, around one?”
Bax smiled and his eyes danced with amusement. “You sure Mac is up for it?”
“I’m fine,” Mac said, peering over Jason’s shoulder. He pointed at Fan. “You and me, tomorrow. Back yard.”
Fan giggled and squealed, then tried to hide in Bax’s arms, ramming his head so hard against Bax’s chest that the omega gave off an “Oof!” and nearly fell off the bed. He righted himself before anyone could move and never even woke the baby on his shoulder. “Easy, Fan.” He glanced up at the crowd surrounding him. “He’s tired. Normally, he’s a lot more careful.” Bax hugged Fan briefly. “Let’s show our guests out, then it’s bath and bedtime.” They climbed off the bed, and everyone trooped to the door.
Abel was the last one out. He paused in the corridor, his hand on the frame of the door. “I’m just up the hall, next door around the corner. If there’s anything you need…” He let his voice trail off, unsure of what Bax might feel safe enough accepting, but knowing he wanted to be of service. Knowing something had changed between them back at Mac’s, but not sure what it was.
“Thank you,” Bax said. His voice was soft, reaching out as if in a caress. His eyes flicked down to Fan, who yawned widely and leaned happily against his leg. “I should get him in the bath.”
“I’ll let you go.” And yet, Abel couldn’t bring himself to leave.
They lingered awkwardly in the door, neither saying anything, but neither of them seemingly willing to make the first move to end the visit. Abel knew he should leave. Bax looked tired—not worn out like yesterday, but today had been long and he likely hadn’t gotten much rest.
A child’s wail broke the stasis, making them both jump. Fan craned his neck to see what was going on. “Teca’s got Beatrice’s bun-bun.”
“I have to go.” Bax chewed the corner of his lip. “I’ll see you on Monday?”
As dismissals went, it was fairly gentle. Abel nodded, ignoring the slight hollow under his heart. Well, he’d get more work done on Alpha Hunt. And there was Laine to deal with as well. Not like he really had the time to hang around mooning over a beautiful omega like an adolescent, as much fun as it was. So he nodded agreement with as much grace as he could and stepped away from the door. “Sleep well,” he said.
Bax smiled that beautiful smile, the one without strain or any subtly submissive message. “I will. Thank you.” And he closed the door, though not without a final glance in Abel’s direction.
Abel stayed there a moment, not really thinking, just enjoying the sense of peace Bax brought to him. Then he shook his head, and started back toward his apartment.
Duke was leaning against the wall by his door, casually paging through something on his phone. He looked up as Abel came around the corner and grinned. “Greedy Alphas are the worst.”
“I’m not greedy.” Abel opened his door and stood aside to let Duke enter. “You want a beer.”
“Local or import?”
“Funny.” Abel got them two of the pack-brewed bottles and brought them out to the couch. “How’s the arm?”
“Itchy. Got anything I could scratch with?”
Abel went back to the kitchen and came back with a plastic ladle with a thin handle. “This do?”
“Yes.” Duke practically snatched it from him, and shoved the handle end down inside the cast. “Fuck, that feels good.”
“Glad to be of service,” Abel said wryly. “What are you working tomorrow?”
“Morning shift on the monitors. Why?” Duke moved the ladle around to the other side of the cast and sighed in bliss.
“If your leg starts twitching, I’m taking video.” Abel grinned at Duke’s raised middle finger, and continued. “Laine Montague thinks we should sue Montana Border. He’ll be here by noon, he says. Garrick’s coming. You should too.”
“Mac gonna be there?” Duke set the ladle aside and settled back with an expression of relief on his face. “Don’t ever break your arm. The cast is worse torture than the break.”
Abel grimaced at him. “I meant to ask tonight, but I forgot. I’ll call him in the morning.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet you were distracted. What’s your distraction’s story? Is he really Jason’s cousin?”
“No. He’s on the run from Jackson-Jellystone.”
Duke whistled. “Bold, considering he’s got four kids.”
“That was the sticking point. He was Patrick’s mate—I don’t know if you remember him from our visit there?”
Duke shook his head. “I wasn’t in the house with you, though.”
Abel sighed and drank from his beer. “I haven’t heard everything yet, but enough to read between the lines. He sounds like he tried to make the best of it, though what the fuck Patrick thought he was up to keeping him pregnant all the time, I don’t know. Asshole.”
“Patrick always was all about how big his dick was. It wouldn’t surprise me.” Duke put his beer aside and reached for the ladle again. “He never did understand that most of us found him annoying.”
“I forgot, you guys are related.”
“Don’t remind me. I try to forget that side of my family. Makes me glad all over again that Dad moved back here after he and Mom split up.” Duke poked inside his cast again, grunted, and exchanged the ladle for his beer. “But Pat’s dead. So what was the problem?”
“Patrick never set up a guardian for him in case of emergency.”
Duke froze with the rim of the bottle poised at his lips. “He WHAT?” He put the bottle down with a sharp crack of glass on wood. “Why the… No, never mind. I wish I’d beaten him up a lot more when we were kids.”
In other circumstances, Abel might have found that funny. Not tonight; not when it had to do with Bax. “They offered him to a new mate, but the catch was that the guy didn’t want the kids, so they were going to give them away to other families. And it gets better.”
“Do I want to know?”
Abel nodded at him. “It was Sebastian, from Maine.”
“That asshole.” Duke drummed his fingers on the arm of the couch. “So Bax ran. Why’d he come here?”
“Jason.”
“Ah.”
There was a pause, both men sunk in their own thoughts. Then Duke stirred. “That’s going to complicate things for you.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“Kinda. It’s about time you gave yourself a chance at a family.”
“I’m not much of a catch.”
“Alpha of Mercy Hills?”
“Sixteen hour days Alpha of Mercy Hills. When would I see them?”
“I’ve told you before, you need to hire someone.”
Abel sighed. “I did. I hired Bax.”
Duke grinned. “Now there’s a start. The
two of you, together in the office—”
“With Louise. Don’t forget about Louise.”
“I’m sure we can find some things to take Louise out of the office. Anyway, the two of you, heads together over some gnarly piece of paperwork, getting closer and closer…” His voice trailed off into loud smooching sounds.
“Fuck you.” Abel threw a cushion at him, and they both laughed. “Okay, I can’t say the thought never crossed my mind. But he’s pretty hurt. And I’ve only got two weeks before his travel permit is up.”
Duke picked up his beer again. “Don’t you worry. I’ve got your back on this.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
As soon as the door closed between myself and Abel, I hurried the pups who were still awake into a bath, and then into bed. They were worn out—a long day coupled with heavier meals than they were used to, and far more protein. Fan was the last one I tucked in, his head lolling heavily against my shoulder as I carried him to his bed. “Love you, baby boy,” I whispered as I tucked the blanket in around him, then I stepped softly out of the room, pulling the door almost closed behind me.
And breathed a sigh of delight—I had the place to myself.
I’d given Fan the larger of the two smaller rooms, figuring he was the oldest, and he would need the space if Mercy Hills let us stay. Especially once there were two rambunctious boys in the room. The girls had the smallest one, and I had the master. It hadn’t been my intention, but when I’d suggested putting the boys in the master bedroom, Abel had shaken his head. From Patrick, that would have meant ‘stupid omega, do what you’re told’, but coupled with the warmth of Abel’s gaze when his eyes met mine, it felt more like ‘no, you’re the parent and you’ve earned this’. It was hard to say yes to, but I did it, and he seemed pleased, which pleased my own omega soul.
Abel's Omega(Gay Paranomal MM Mpreg Romance) (Mercy Hills Pack Book 2) Page 13