The Pretense: A Men of Meadowfall book

by Wineheart, Anna

  Then, finally, the midwife said, “The baby’s crowning,” and Cole blew out a breath. Held Levi, stroking Levi’s back, watching as something bloody slid out of his omega.

  Levi collapsed against Cole, his head tipped back, his skin damp with sweat. He seemed okay. Cole cradled his omega, his chest tight. Pressed kisses to Levi’s ear, his cheek, anywhere he could reach.

  “You did great,” Cole whispered, caressing Levi. “I’m so proud of you.” So relieved that Levi was fine.

  “But what about Bryce?” Levi breathed, craning his neck to look for their baby.

  The midwife brought the tiny, wailing bundle over, and Cole’s heart swelled.

  “There you go,” the midwife said, placing Bryce gently on Levi’s heaving chest. “He’s a beautiful one.”

  Bryce wailed heartily. Past Levi’s shoulder, Cole saw that tiny face, Bryce’s eyes squeezed tightly shut, his fine hair plastered to his head. Sweet relief washed through Cole, calming all his jangling nerves.

  “There, there,” Levi croaked. “It’s okay now. You’re with us. Your dad and I are so happy to finally meet you.”

  Bryce quieted, hearing his voice. Cole blinked back his tears. Couldn’t believe Levi had given birth to their child. He wrapped his arms around them both, just holding them.

  “Your dad’s really brave,” Cole told their son. “I love him, and I love you.”

  Levi choked down his sob. Cole held him. Closed his eyes, breathing in Levi’s sweat and his jasmine scent, and the faint tinge of blood smeared over all of them.

  After all the trials they’d been through, after all the children Levi had lost, Cole was so glad that Bryce had made it. That Levi was still here with him, that he had his very own family in his arms.

  Their meeting had been a result of chance. But more than that, Levi was here with Cole of his own accord. Cole had made a choice, too. To stay with and protect his omega no matter what.

  And now that they had a baby together... Cole looked forward to tomorrow, to the weeks and months and years ahead, knowing he would be spending them with his better half, and the love of his life.

  Things couldn’t have gone better than this.

  Epilogue

  Levi woke up feeling like he was missing something.

  It was an odd feeling. The baby monitor was quiet, and Cole had wrapped his entire body around Levi, his breaths puffing evenly into Levi’s hair.

  Without his contacts, Levi couldn’t see much—but he let his gaze drift around the bedroom, lingering on the blurry framed pictures on the dresser. Those were pictures of Bryce, pictures of Levi and Cole, and the three of them together as a family.

  In the few months since he’d given birth to Bryce, things had settled into a routine

  Bryce had been sleeping less lately. On the days when Cole was on firefighting duty, Levi brought Bryce to Ollie’s shop, catching a quick nap in the afternoon so he had the energy to care for Bryce through Cole’s twenty-four-hour shifts.

  Ollie had been helping, too—it was so much easier for them to take turns caring for their children. The backroom of Ollie’s Strings had turned into a mini-childcare, with Cole dropping by whenever he had time off work.

  Things were good. And Cole... Cole loved Bryce more than ever, grinning whenever he held Bryce in his arms.

  It was hard to believe that Cole was still here with Levi, that Cole still wanted him, marking Levi whenever he could with his scent. Sometimes, when they could, Cole pinned Levi against the bed, cracking the dirtiest jokes that made Levi blush.

  Levi laughed softly, leaning back into his alpha. Cole stirred. He tightened his arms around Levi, breathing in deep.

  “Mine,” Cole murmured, throwing his leg possessively over Levi’s hip. “All mine.”

  “Yours. I can’t help feeling that we’re forgetting something, though.”

  “Mm?”

  Levi checked the time on the alarm clock—the digital numbers blinked. 03:48.

  That didn’t seem right. Sunlight had begun to peek in around the curtains, so it had to be... at least seven, if not eight.

  And now Levi’s instincts were whispering, You’re forgetting something really important.

  He looked at the white-gold ring on his finger, then the black silicone band on Cole’s—Cole had taken to wearing the silicone band, which was safer for him at work.

  There was something important about the rings... “Cole?”

  “Mmm?”

  “I think we’re forgetting something big,” Levi said, glancing at the clock again. Had the power gone out last night and reset their timers?

  “Like what?” Cole pressed sleepy kisses down Levi’s neck.

  Was the alarm clock... supposed to ring?

  His heart pattering now, Levi reached across the bed, snagging his phone off the nightstand. Found ten messages and twenty-three missed calls. “Oh, crap.”

  A text from Ollie read, The first guests are here. Where are you and Cole?

  Levi stared. And then yelped so loud that Cole jolted upright in bed, looking around in alarm.

  “What happened?”

  “The wedding!” Levi gasped, shaking his phone at Cole. “It’s... it’s fifteen to eight!”

  Cole stared, his eyes sharpening. Their wedding was supposed to be at eight. “Fuck. How’d we even...”

  Cole threw himself off the bed, reaching over to help Levi out of the sheets. Levi tried typing a text to Ollie, but now his hands were shaking too much. He tried a call instead.

  “Levi!” Olivier cried over the phone. “Where are you?”

  “I just woke up.” Levi winced. “I’m so sorry. We’ll be right over.”

  “Eric and I are entertaining them,” Olivier said. “You’re paying us back for the time we were late for our own wedding, aren’t you?”

  Levi snorted. No, but he’d take that excuse. “We’ll be there soon as we can. Sorry, and thanks in advance.”

  He hurried to the bathroom with Cole. At least they didn’t have clothes to struggle out of.

  “I thought we set alarms,” Cole muttered, stepping into the shower. “The hell happened?”

  At the bathroom counter, Levi splashed water onto his face. He’d been so sure he’d set more than one alarm last night. He’d done the alarm clock, and then he’d done the one on his phone... No, he’d been about to do the one on his phone.

  And then Cole had pounced on him. After a whole twenty-four hours without his alpha, Levi had silenced his phone, intending to get back to the alarm later.

  Cole had ravished him thoroughly. And they’d clean forgotten about the second alarm.

  “The power went out.” Levi groaned, covering his face. “It killed the alarm clock. And I never did set one on my phone.”

  “Gods.” After a pause, Cole asked, “Was it because of me? ‘Cuz I know I fucked you really hard into the bed.”

  Levi blushed. Last night had been good. “Well, we’re both at fault. Our... pre-wedding celebration.”

  Cole laughed, his body a blurry shape behind the shower curtain.

  The baby monitor crackled. Bryce began to wail, and Levi groaned.

  Thirteen minutes. How were they all going to get dressed and get to the park in that time?

  “I’ll get him.” Cole stepped out of the shower, water trickling down his chest.

  “You haven’t even been in there two minutes!”

  “You’re the one who has to get dressed up all nice.” Cole flashed a grin, his gaze coasting down Levi’s body. “I mean, you look good with no clothes on, but I don’t want my coworkers seeing you like this. They’d all want you for themselves.”

  Levi rolled his eyes. “Right. Go get Bryce. I’ll get dressed.”

  Levi didn’t think he looked as good as he had before the pregnancy—the stretch marks had stayed on his belly, not fading. But Cole stepped up to him, catching Levi’s lips in a slow, sweet kiss, his damp palm brushing down the marks on Levi’s belly.

  “Some parts of
you, I want all to myself,” Cole whispered.

  “You’re such a flirt.” Shivers ran down Levi’s spine. Cole squeezed his ass, jogging out of the bedroom.

  By the time Levi washed up and got his clothes on, he found Cole in the nursery, Bryce quietened, peeking over Cole’s shoulder.

  At four months, Bryce had Levi’s hazel eyes and Cole’s blond hair, and he loved when Cole sang him to sleep. Levi made a face at Bryce, grinning when Bryce giggled.

  Cole turned, meeting Levi’s eyes. “Hey, you found your dad before I did.”

  “Maybe I was just trying to surprise you.” Levi grinned. “Guess that’s the bright side of having a baby—you get to see behind you, too!”

  Cole snorted. He’d pulled on a pair of boxers, but he hadn’t dressed further than that. “I got Bryce fed and changed,” he said. “Figured that was more pressing than clothes.”

  Levi couldn’t help smiling. “I’ll take over. Now, you, I wouldn’t want all the guests seeing you like that, or they’ll want to get their hands all over you.”

  Cole grinned. Levi took Bryce over, sniffing at his clean scent. Cole dropped a kiss on Levi’s temple, then grabbed the suit he’d thrown to the side.

  Levi found the fluffy, bright yellow outfit Gran had sent. “At least Gran’s only sent one for Bryce this time.”

  “I’m sure we’d look really good as a duck family waddling down the aisle,” Cole said dryly. “Don’t you think?”

  Levi grinned. Bryce babbled, smiling up at him. And Levi’s heart melted, all over again.

  Some days, it seemed incredible, holding his very own child in his arms. A tiny life he’d created together with Cole. They’d visited Levi’s family and Gran, and Cole’s family, too. And Bryce had taken to all the new faces faster than Levi thought he would’ve.

  Levi dressed Bryce in his duckling outfit, complete with a plush orange bill right above the opening for his face. Bryce babbled, his large eyes fixed on Levi, watching him.

  “You’re perfect,” Levi murmured, kissing Bryce on the nose when he was done. “We’re so lucky to have you around.”

  Bryce babbled back.

  “Oh, I thought you were talking about me.”

  When Levi turned, he found Cole grinning. Levi laughed. “Well, you too, I guess.”

  “You guess?” Cole pounced on Levi, pulling him and Bryce into a big bear hug. “Are you seriously saying that on our wedding day?”

  Levi tiptoed, kissing Cole on the lips. “I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t a hundred percent serious.”

  Cole met his eyes, his gaze warm and steadfast. Levi’s heart beat for his alpha.

  “All right, then,” Cole murmured. “Let’s get out there, and get married.”

  Levi grinned, following Cole out of their apartment.

  By the time they arrived at the park, most of the guests were already there. Olivier hurried up to the car, his face pinched. “You’re later than I was,” he said, waggling his finger. “I hope it wasn’t Cole’s fault.”

  “Definitely my fault,” Cole said with a rakish grin. “I had Levi all kinds of distracted.”

  “Oh, you.” Levi nudged at him, handing Bryce to Cole. “That’s supposed to come after the wedding.”

  “I want you to come all the time,” Cole said.

  “That’s way too much information.” Olivier stuck his fingers in his ears, turning away. “We’ve got everything set up and ready to go, so anytime you’re ready, Levi.”

  Levi hugged Ollie, kissing him on the cheek. “You’re the best brother-in-law I could ever ask for.”

  Ollie laughed. “I wasn’t expecting us to become family, but I’m not complaining, either!”

  He swept Levi and Cole through the park, to a small gazebo by the lake, where guests had filled the rows of chairs. Levi had left the wedding planning to Olivier; Ollie had picked jasmine-and-maplewood arrangements for the chairs.

  “Jenn’s all raring to go, too.” Ollie grinned. “We promised her an exciting ride, so now she’s all squirming and Eric has to keep her occupied.”

  Levi laughed. He handed his ring over to Olivier, and so did Cole. Cole squeezed Levi’s waist. Then he brought Bryce over to Eric, where Jenn squirmed in a small, silvery open-top airplane, complete with tiny wheels and pedals for her feet.

  “Now I see why you wanted to organize the wedding,” Levi said to Olivier.

  Ollie laughed. “We bought the plane for Jenn as a birthday present. What better use for it than to take it down the aisle?”

  At the start of the aisle, Gran waited for Levi, dressed in a mahogany dress to contrast with Levi’s white lace shirt, and his navy blue pants.

  “Look at you,” Gran said, her eyes crinkling. “I can’t believe I’m giving you away, Levi.”

  Levi’s throat tightened. After all that had happened with Gran, she’d still been so excited when Levi asked if she wanted to walk him down the aisle. “I can’t believe you wanted to give me away, either.”

  Gran laughed. “I told you, you’re my very favorite.”

  She patted his hand, and Levi leaned against her, savoring the gathering of his friends and family around him.

  There was Cole’s team from the station—single alphas, but also Harris, Valen and Sam, and Brad and Ian, all of them with their toddlers close by. Cole’s other brother, Aaron, held a squirming Taylor, Aaron’s smile a little forced. He wasn’t so fond of children, Levi assumed.

  Cole’s parents were there, too, his dad dressed formally, his mom in a wheelchair.

  On the other side of the aisle, Levi’s parents and brothers waved, smiling. Levi waved back.

  Then there were their friends—Wy and Raph from the drive-in, their children, and... also Micah.

  Levi’s breath stuck in his throat. But when Micah met his eyes, Micah only smiled and waved.

  No hard feelings there.

  Relief bloomed in his chest. Levi blew out a breath, waving back. He’d been hesitant to invite Micah to the wedding. But Micah had sent back his RSVP with a smiley face, and Cole had cracked a smile at that.

  The guests settled in their seats. “Are you ready?” Ollie asked, squeezing Levi’s shoulder.

  Levi tried to quell the butterflies in his stomach. Despite having Cole’s bonding marks on him, this was a little different—everyone would witness their marriage today.

  At the end of the aisle, Cole grinned. And Levi’s heart swelled. “Yeah, I’m ready.”

  Ollie gave the signal for the music to begin. Then all the faces turned toward them, and Ollie gave Jenn’s airplane a little push. “Fly, Jenn! Fly!”

  Jenn cheered, paddling as hard as she could. Her bumblebee outfit glittered in the early morning sun. Above her head, the gleaming rings dangled from the ends of her wire feelers. Cole had suggested that bit.

  “We’ll need a family picture later,” Gran said, patting Levi’s arm. “With Ollie and Eric and their beautiful children, too.”

  “We really do,” Levi agreed.

  They watched as Jenn approached the end of the aisle, waving at Cole. Cole scooped her out of the plane and kissed her cheek, plucking the rings from her headband.

  Then all eyes returned to Levi, and Levi couldn’t breathe.

  “It’s the start of a new chapter,” Gran said. “Aren’t you excited?”

  “I am.”

  With the opening notes of Those Good Old Days reverberating around them, Levi took the first step forward, Gran at his side.

  At the end of the aisle, in a navy-blue suit that matched Levi’s pants, Cole waited, his eyes never once leaving Levi, only raking down his body once, and then locking with Levi’s gaze.

  With Cole looking at him like that... Levi couldn’t breathe.

  They’d loved and lost, once upon a time. Their bond had shattered, and Levi had been adrift for years. Then he’d found Cole again—Cole the very first alpha to offer his protection, Cole the clumsy boy who had kissed Levi on the lips, and said, It doesn’t matter how you look.

/>   It had been a journey that took him away from Cole and threw them back together, and now that they’d dealt with the ghosts of their pasts, now that Levi had overcome his odds, refusing to let anything else get in the way of their future, it seemed that things could only get better from here.

  “That look he’s giving you,” Gran murmured. “Many would kill for a love like that.”

  Levi swallowed hard. “I’ll treasure it for the rest of my life.”

  Then they reached the end of the aisle. A smile played on Cole’s lips; he thanked Gran when she handed Levi over. Cole’s hand closed warmly around Levi’s fingers, and he pulled Levi close, his gaze dragging over Levi’s face.

  Vaguely, Levi was aware that the minister had begun to speak. He didn’t hear a single word, though. Just the music from their past together, and Cole standing in front of him, that handsome smile forever imprinted in Levi’s mind.

  He was going to be Cole’s. Everyone would know. And that was one of the best things to happen in his life.

  The minister looked expectantly at Levi. Levi blinked in confusion. “What?”

  “He asked if you’d like to be my omega,” Cole said beneath his breath, biting down a smile.

  “Oh. Yes! Yes, I do.”

  Cole’s hand tightened around Levi’s; his smile grew wider.

  “And will you, Cole Lancaster, take this omega to be your husband?”

  “Yeah,” Cole rumbled, his gaze warm, his thumb brushing over Levi’s knuckles. “Every single day of my life.”

  He never once looked away when he said that. Levi’s throat grew tight.

  It had felt like a dream when Cole asked Levi to marry him, and it still almost felt like a dream now. Except Levi smelled the mix of scents from their friends and family, and Cole’s warmth soaked into his skin.

  “You may exchange your rings,” the minister said.

  Cole brought his other hand up, their rings cradled in his palm. They were custom rings with a small ruby pressed into each one. Red for how much I love you, Cole had said.

  Levi hadn’t realized until he’d looked closer, that Cole had the words In my heart engraved on the insides of the rings.

  “Do you want to go first?” Cole murmured when Levi took the larger ring.