by Nora Phoenix
Vieno’s eyes filled with tears at the realization that Enar believed him. He was going to be a daddy.
It sunk in, then, that something magical was happening inside him, something that would change all their lives forever.
“I’m pregnant,” he said slowly, his hands unconsciously cradling his still flat belly. “I’m going to be a daddy.”
He looked up at Palani through his tears, the beta’s joy painted all over his face. “You’re going to be a daddy,” Palani confirmed, his voice thick with emotion, as he found a spot next to Vieno on the bed.
Lidon gently lifted Vieno up, more tender and careful than he’d ever been before, then lowered him again when he’d positioned himself on the bed, Vieno on his lap. He kissed Vieno’s head. “You’re going to be the best daddy ever, sweetheart,” he said.
Vieno cuddled against his broad chest. “It’s your son,” he said to Lidon. “An alpha heir. I know it sounds crazy, and I know I can’t rationally know this, but I do.”
Lidon’s answer came fast. “I believe you. After everything we’ve seen, I believe you.”
Vieno figured now was a good time to bring up what he’d witnessed when Lidon had taken him during his heat. “Lidon, during my last heat, that first time you knotted me, when you bred me, did it feel different to you?”
Lidon leaned back to meet his eyes. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
Vieno bit his lip. Had he been crazy after all? No, he’d seen it. Something had happened. “When your knot swelled, your eyes changed. They were burning. Like, animalistic.”
His words hung in the room, all four of them silent.
“What do you mean animalistic?” Palani finally asked.
Vieno took a deep breath. “Like a wolf. Lidon, your eyes were like a wolf’s. They changed.”
“I saw the same thing when you alpha claimed me and Palani,” Enar said, the first to speak after another pregnant silence. “I didn’t want to say anything, because I wasn’t sure if you were ready to hear it.”
“When the attack on the ranch happened, I was on a stakeout with Sean, my partner. When I felt your distress, Vieno, I told him I had to leave. He mentioned something about my eyes. I wonder if he saw the same thing,” Lidon said slowly. “I felt the same intensity of emotions, though that was fear, and during your heat, it was a deep sense of joy, of connection, same as during the alpha claiming.”
“Let’s say we’re right, that your eyes changed, Lidon. What does that mean? Is it a True Alpha thing?” Enar asked.
Palani frowned. “We’d have to ask Grayson. He might know. But I had a conversation with Grayson recently that has made me think. He suggested the gene may not just affect the omega and his offspring, but his alpha mate as well. We know Lidon comes from a family with the strongest wolf shifter genes. Grayson suggested that there was another reason for the poly relationships that were so common back then. The mates influenced each other. He promised to direct me toward some research on this, but I haven’t had a chance to look into it yet.”
Vieno listened with rising attention. Was Palani saying what he thought he was? Was he suggesting that it wouldn’t be just their son who could maybe shift but also Lidon himself?
Palani turned to Lidon. “With your genes, you being the True Alpha, Vieno having the gene and the four of us influencing each other, what if that’s what’s happening? What if you’re reacting as much to Vieno as he is to you, and we’re all impacting your ability to shift? What if it won’t be your son who can shift again…but also you?”
Lidon had always been a rational man, someone who believed in facts and evidence. It was how he was raised, with a mix of some legends and family stories thrown in, but always facts first. He trusted his intuition when it came to his work as a cop, and it had saved his life more than once, but he’d never put much stock in believing things to be true in your heart without getting facts, proof, evidence.
Until recently.
Enar was right. Too much had happened to dismiss these observations about his eyes as a figment of their imaginations. And Vieno’s insistence that the child he carried was Lidon’s alpha heir had no proof, yet Lidon knew it to be true, deep down inside him. Then there was the way they felt Vieno’s fear, like when the ranch had been attacked. So many things had happened that convinced him there was a lot more between heaven and earth than what was scientifically proven.
But this, this theory about him possibly being able to shift again, it ran counter to everything and anything he once believed. As much as he knew it to be true for his forefathers, it was hard to imagine what it would be like to shift, and now he had to entertain the idea it could happen to him?
“Lidon?” Palani asked hesitantly.
“I don’t know what to say. It sounds logical, but I’m scared.”
There, he’d said it. Maybe he should feel elated about the possibility of shifting, but the reality was that he was scared as fuck.
“If it’s true, then what will happen to me? I don’t know what it feels like or how to recognize it. I don’t know what to do. What if I fuck it up? What if I endanger Vieno, the baby, all of you?”
“We won’t let that happen,” Palani said. “We’re in this together, okay? We’ll talk to Grayson, see what he thinks and if he has any ideas or suggestions. And maybe Sando as well, from his point of view?”
Lidon nodded, then leaned into Palani and put his head against his shoulder. It was an uncharacteristically submissive gesture for him, but he’d started to understand why Enar leaned so easily on the beta. He was just there, always strong, always calm.
They sat like that for a little while, their bodies and souls intertwined. His men held him from every side, and Lidon’s heart quieted.
“Talk to us, Enar. What can we expect in the next few months with Vieno? How do we best take care of him?”
“It all depends on how easy or difficult his pregnancy is. Lots of rest is always good. He needs to eat well, but he already does that. Other than that, he’ll tell us what he needs, won’t you, little one?”
Vieno nodded.
“What about sex?” Lidon asked. Chuckles sounded around him. “I know, it’s always on my mind nowadays. I sometimes miss the times where I could go weeks, even months without the need to fuck.”
“The good ol’ days, huh?” Enar laughed. “Vieno should be fine to have sex until the last few weeks, but again, he’ll tell us. Sex drive can actually increase during pregnancy, so we’d better make sure we can keep him happy.”
“Increase?” Vieno asked.
Lidon grinned. “I’m liking this.”
Vieno shot him a dark look over his shoulder. “Yeah, you would. You’re as horny as I am.”
“That a complaint?” Lidon asked, pretending to be offended.
He knew it wasn’t. Hell, Vieno was as horny as he was. It was a rare day when he wasn’t fucked by all three of them and usually twice by Lidon. The weeks before Vieno’s heat, they’d often fallen asleep with him still inside Vieno. Sure, it sometimes got sticky when he woke up, but for reasons he couldn’t explain, he needed him.
And the feeling was mutual, as Vieno often sought him out at night as well, opening for Lidon before falling asleep. Sometimes, he didn’t even come, but simply fell asleep like that. It was like they needed each other on a level that defied conscious explanation. He was hard right now with Vieno sitting on his lap.
Vieno’s face bloomed into a sweet smile. “Never. I’ll always want you.”
“Maybe not when you’re puking,” Enar pointed out helpfully.
“Dude, not helping,” Vieno said as Palani slapped the back of Enar’s head.
“What?” Enar laughed. “Just saying.”
“Can’t you shut him up?” Vieno asked Lidon, his eyes twinkling.
He shifted a little, his round ass rubbing against Lidon’s erection, and the alpha smiled. His little minx knew exactly what he needed. He gently grabbed Vieno’s chin to kiss him until the omega ran out of breat
h, then lifted him off his lap and handed him to Palani.
“I’ll make sure Enar doesn’t bother you anymore, sweetheart. Why don’t you go cuddle with Palani until you feel better?”
Palani grinned as he accepted his precious cargo, snuggling up with Vieno plastered against him. Enar looked at Lidon with one eyebrow raised. “And how exactly were you planning on shutting me up?”
Lidon unbuttoned his shorts, his eyes never leaving Enar’s. “It’s gonna be mighty hard for you to talk with your mouth full.”
He took out his cock, and Enar’s eyes dropped lower and lower until they found their target. He licked his lips in a gesture that shot straight to Lidon’s balls. He palmed his dick slowly, spreading his legs wider. “You see something you like?”
“Yes, alpha.”
God, he loved it when Enar got like this. He could be so strong yet surrender so completely. He crooked his finger and gestured for Enar to come. He scrambled over, his mouth wrapped around Lidon’s cock before he’d even positioned himself. Lidon’s hands grabbed his head, holding on tight as he fucked his mouth with slow, precise moves.
“You make me come, and I’ll fuck you just the way you like. It’s been what, two weeks? Last time was before Vieno’s heat, wasn’t it? Oh, you’ll be all tight around my fat cock, won’t you? Mmm, I think I’m gonna enjoy taking my energy out on your ass while these two watch.”
Enar couldn’t speak with his mouth full, but the low moan he let out told Lidon everything he needed, and he smiled as he increased his tempo. The sound of Enar gagging on his cock was music to his ears.
17
Five days after their cuddle session, Grayson was starting to think his proposal for a six-month trial period had been a horrible idea. Whereas Sven completely took to it, happily serving Grayson in whatever way he asked, with Lars, it was a case of one step forward and two steps back.
After that first night, when he’d rewarded Lars with a cuddle session, he really thought he’d gotten through to him. He’d felt the beta surrender in his arms, and the emotion he’d displayed had been real. Grayson had been certain he’d achieved a breakthrough, and that thought had been affirmed when Lars had quietly gone to bed with him and Sven.
It had been a strange sensation to share his bed again with someone else. Two people, in this case. He’d woken up multiple times during the night, and each time his two boys had sought his presence. Lars had cuddled close in his sleep, and Grayson had taken that as proof that, deep down, the beta was looking for intimacy. He just had a damn hard time admitting it and surrendering to that need.
But the morning after, it was like nothing had ever happened, and Lars was back to being combative. Grayson had ensured his requests were not too challenging, wanting Lars to be able to obey without struggling too much. But when even a simple command to make the bed had resulted in resistance, Grayson had felt a deep pang of discouragement. And ever since, it had been a battle, with Lars defying him every chance he got.
Had he gotten it wrong with Lars? Had he somehow misread the beta, misjudged him? He’d been so sure he’d found the key, that a Daddy relationship was what Lars needed. It certainly worked for Sven, who had blossomed. Even Palani had commented on it to Grayson, how happy and content Sven had seemed to him.
At least Lars had stayed out of the way of the pack alpha and his mates, but other than that, Grayson couldn’t see much improvement. What the hell would it take to break through Lars’s defenses?
He’d given Sven the order to clean their room, something he knew the omega didn’t mind. Sven was a classic omega who loved cooking, cleaning, and all household tasks. He’d helped Vieno more and more as well, and Grayson was happy to see the two of them work well together.
With Sven occupied in their bedroom, it would give Grayson the opportunity to deal with Lars when he came back from his work in the fields. It wasn’t his intention to separate the two boys, not by far, but it was the only thing he could think of to try. Maybe Lars would react differently if Sven wasn’t present.
He was at the end of his rope here. The fact that Bray and Lucan were still upset with him didn’t help. Lucan had even moved out of the main house into the temporary housing for Bray’s men. Grayson had asked him about it and had gotten a terse response that his son had no desire to encounter his father’s sexual adventures or something along those lines.
He’d mentioned it to Palani, wanting to be open about it, and the beta had shaken his head. “They’ll get over it,” he’d said. “Give them time. You’ve been single for a long time, so it’s a huge change for them.”
He was right, but that didn’t make it easier. Still, there was little he could do about his sons and their attitude. What he could do was focus on Lars and try to break through his defenses. Again.
So he waited for him by the back door, noticing the beta’s posture go stiff as soon as he spotted him. He stayed silent, patiently waiting for Lars to acknowledge his presence.
Lars took off his work boots before he finally made eye contact with Grayson. “Hi,” he said, then quickly added, “Sir.”
Grayson supposed he should be grateful Lars at least still addressed him with a certain amount of respect, though Sir was not the title he’d wanted to hear fall from those lips. The concept of Lars calling him anything else seemed highly unlikely, however, and he pushed down a twang of disappointment at that.
“Shower time,” he simply said.
He’d checked with Vieno if it was okay to use one of the empty bedrooms, the one Lars and Sven had stayed in before, and Vieno had said it was fine.
Lars’s eyes fired up, and his whole body switched to attack mode. Grayson recognized the signs, and he wasn’t having it. “You’re not to speak a word until I tell you you can talk again. The only word you’re allowed to utter is your safe word if you need to use it.” He stepped in closer, deliberately crowding Lars. “Do you want to use your safe word, boy?”
Lars shook his head without hesitation, though the annoyance was dripping off his face.
“Good. Then follow me.”
He made his way to the empty bedroom, not once looking over his shoulder, but his ears were focused on Lars following him, which the beta did. That battle he had won, at least.
“Strip,” he ordered as soon as he closed the door behind them.
He didn’t wait to see if Lars would obey him but started undressing himself. A heavy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. He’d never doubted himself like this with anyone. It wasn’t like he was an experienced player by any standard, but he’d done some courses under an experienced Dom in the club, so he wasn’t a newbie either. Maybe he had taken on a challenge that was beyond his skill level, he pondered, as he got rid of his clothes and dropped them on the floor.
When he was done, Lars was still dragging his feet and undressing with the speed of a sloth. “Get a fucking move on,” he snapped at him. “You have five seconds to finish, and my patience with you is wearing thin.”
Lars used two of those seconds to shoot him an incendiary look and then managed to get rid of the last of his clothes, only going slightly over the five-second limit that Grayson had set him.
Should he say something? He didn’t want to be too harsh on Lars, reasoning that the beta would have to get used to the discipline portion of this relationship. Grayson had to keep reminding himself that the two boys had little to no experience with this and were completely new to the Daddy-boy dynamic. Hence his reluctance to punish Lars in the first few days for not obeying him.
“Get into the shower,” he told him, deciding to let it slide.
If he hadn’t been so completely focused on Lars, he would’ve missed the flash of emotions that passed over the beta’s face as quickly as a lightning bolt. Grayson frowned. It had looked like… Why would Lars be upset or disappointed with him right now? Was he still frustrated over the no speaking rule? Or about being forced to shower with Grayson again? Both were plausible explanations, and yet something didn�
�t sit right with Grayson.
He followed Lars into the shower, where the beta had already turned on the water. Grayson didn’t say a word as he took the shampoo and washed Lars’s hair, just like the first time he’d taken a shower with him.
The beta’s body was rigid underneath his hands, Lars clearly on high alert for some reason. What was going through his mind right now? Did he really hate it so much, the care Grayson wanted to show him? If that was the case, this relationship would never work. He couldn’t take care of the boy if he was adamant in fighting him every step of the way.
He rinsed off Lars’s hair, then proceeded to squeeze some shower gel onto the washcloth.
“I don’t understand why you keep doing this,” Lars spoke, startling Grayson.
Had the beta forgotten he wasn’t supposed to speak? Grayson might have thought so, if not for the fact that he was facing Lars and had full access to the sheer defiance in his eyes. No, Lars knew damn well he wasn’t supposed to talk, and yet he had. Why was he disobeying even such a simple order?
Grayson was about to give up and walk away, acknowledging defeat, when it hit him. Lars had already shown him what he needed, that first night in the kitchen after Sven’s heat. He’d kept taunting Grayson then, hadn’t he? Deliberately goading him until Grayson had finally put his foot down. It was that spanking that had changed everything.
Grayson couldn’t believe he’d been this stupid. He’d wanted to be lenient toward Lars, allowing him time to get used to the discipline, and by doing so, he had fucked up. It was the discipline that Lars needed, more than anything else. Yes, he needed the care and the cuddling, but with him, those needed to come with discipline as well.
The thoughts tumbled through his head, lightning fast, until it was crystal clear what he had to do. “You just earned yourself another spanking,” he said, his eyes laser-focused on Lars to catch his every minute reaction.
And he wasn’t disappointed. Lars’s eyes widened ever so slightly, and then a slight blush crept up his cheeks, and his breath hitched. Yes, this was what he had wanted all along but had been too afraid to ask. Instead, in classic Lars fashion, he’d tried to earn himself a spanking. The fact that Lars didn’t react in any other way confirmed Grayson’s suspicions.