by A. J. Stone
When it ended, he pressed his forehead to Marcel’s. “Hello, omega. I’m Zeke Lowry, and I’d like to take you on a date.”
Marcel laughed, a rich, musical sound. “Hi, Zeke Lowry. I’m Marcel, and I’d love to go out on a date with you. I’m free tomorrow night.”
Zeke didn’t want to wait that long. “How about tonight? We can send Tito and Anshu back to Verdance, and we can fly back tomorrow.”
“I didn’t bring a change of clothes.”
“Miami is full of stores. I’ll buy anything you need.” Zeke wanted to spoil Marcel. He wanted to shower him with gifts, to show him that as long as they were together, anything was possible.
A hint of heat permeated Marcel’s skin, and Zeke sensed, more than saw, evidence of his omega’s discomfort. “That’s not necessary.”
“But it’s fun.” Zeke swung down from the dock. “We need to get back. Tito has trouble sitting back and letting events unfold naturally. I need to make sure he isn’t pressuring Anshu or Kian into something neither of them wants.”
Marcel hopped down, and Zeke snatched him out of the air.
“Nice reflexes.”
“I didn’t want you to reinjure your ankle,” he explained. “You haven’t started physical therapy yet.”
“Thank you.”
Though he wanted to take Marcel’s hand on the walk back to the café, Zeke refrained. His omega was emotional and given to rash reactions. He didn’t want to damage the fragile beginnings of trust they’d established between them.
Back at the café, he found Tito where he’d left him. He sat down, and Marcel resumed his seat as well.
Tito studied them both, his gaze roaming Marcel before returning to Zeke. “You worked things out. That’s great.”
For the first time, Tito sounded as if he meant the sentiment. It seemed he was coming to accept the fact alpha dragons were being drawn to omegas from more domesticated species.
Zeke didn’t know anything about genetics; he only knew what his dragon wanted. He faced Tito. “I’m sending you and Anshu home tonight. Marcel and I will return tomorrow.”
Tito considered this. Wheels churned behind his eyes, and he rubbed his hands together. “Let’s all stay the night. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to Miami. I have a friend who lives nearby. I’d like to spend some time with her.”
Now that they’d outed Tito, he was less secretive about his liaisons with women.
Zeke unlocked his phone. “I’ll make reservations at a hotel.”
Ten minutes later, he had confirmation numbers for Tito and Anshu, and he’d booked a suite for Marcel and him. It would keep Marcel close, but it would afford him distance and privacy if that’s what he wanted.
He’d also used his connections from his position at Draco International to score tickets to a production of a show that had great reviews. He’d never heard of it, but he was sure Marcel would appreciate the experience.
Four hours later, he met Marcel in the common room of their suite. His omega wore a cream colored suit with lemon pinstripes. He’d selected a sleek hat with wide brim that brought the entire ensemble together. Zeke took a moment to appreciate the way the cut hugged Marcel’s muscular thighs and emphasized his package.
For his part, Zeke had stuck with his tried-and-true formula of a dark suit with a light shirt. Marcel went to Zeke, hands out, and straightened his tie.
“You look handsome, as always,” Marcel said.
A sly smile tipped Zeke’s mouth. He was not at all humble about his extreme good looks. “You’re going to be the envy of every man there tonight.”
Marcel choked out a laugh.
Zeke guided Marcel out of the room. “Did you have a snack? Our reservation is for ten-thirty.”
Glancing back over his shoulder, Marcel frowned. “You don’t have to take me somewhere that requires a reservation. I know this is all last-minute.”
By way of response, Zeke flashed a cocky grin. “Cupcake, this is our first date. Everything will be perfect.”
He’d half expected Marcel to object to his use of the nickname he’d hated before, but Marcel merely shook his head. “I suppose it’s pointless for me to do anything but enjoy the date?”
“It is.”
“What’s Anshu doing tonight?”
“He’s out with Kian. He said they didn’t make a love connection, but there’s a mutual attraction, and they’re both willing to give it a shot.” Zeke knew from talking with Koren that Anshu wanted to have sex. The omega was still a virgin, and he wanted to lose that status quickly. If Kian was interested, then both shifters would have a happy ending to the night.
“At least nobody is sitting in a hotel room alone.”
Later that night, when Marcel’s eyes were still sparkling with excitement from the show, Zeke brought him back to their suite. It had two bedrooms because he didn’t want Marcel to feel obligated to have sex.
In the living room, he kissed Marcel. He kept the pressure light, and he concentrated on a sensual experience. Before they got carried away, he broke the connection.
Marcel clutched Zeke’s shirt, holding him close. “I have a confession to make.”
Prepared for Marcel to ask him to take it slowly, Zeke rested his hands on his omega’s hips. “You want to sleep in your own room tonight.”
Marcel’s mouth opened and closed as he frowned. “I’m not asking you to guess. I’m going to speak plainly.”
Though the date had gone well, he braced himself nonetheless.
“I’m pregnant.”
The moment Zeke processed the statement, he realized he already knew. This had been the thing gnawing at the edge of his consciousness since the day before. He’d noted Marcel’s rounded abdomen, but he hadn’t thought about what it meant.
“Zeke, say something. I’m freaking out over here.”
“It happened that first night.” He gripped Marcel’s hips a little tighter, drawing his omega’s body closer. “When we were both out of our minds with passion.”
“Yeah,” Marcel confirmed. “And I had a concussion. I was definitely not thinking clearly.”
A series of emotions zinged through Zeke, all of them degrees of elation. Then he realized this was exactly what Marcel was afraid would happen. His omega was freaking out, not only in anticipation of Zeke’s reaction, but of how this will affect his life. “We can do this, Marcel. I promise it’ll all work out. You can be my omega, be a dad, and also have your career. I know nothing about kids, but I’ll learn. And we can get a nanny for when we’re at work. “
He pictured himself wearing one of those baby slings over his suit and carrying his child around with him at work. The nanny could stick around for when Zeke had a meeting or needed to go somewhere that wasn’t baby-friendly.
Draco International needed a child care center. In his mind, he was already converting the conference room on the third floor into an infant care room. Next to that, they’d have something for toddlers.
A sob jerked him from the daydream.
Marcel buried his face in Zeke’s chest. Automatically, Zeke’s arms came up and wrapped around his omega. “It’s okay, Marcel. I know it’s not the way you wanted your life to unfold, but it’s not the end of the world. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll always be here for you. I’ll always take care of you.”
“I know that now, but it’s just... I just... For the past month, I’ve been thinking I would have to give up the baby or my dreams.”
“No,” Zeke interrupted. “You’re gaining an alpha and a baby. You’re not giving up anything.”
“I like your house,” Marcel whispered. “It’s not decorated like a bordello.”
“What? Who said it was decorated like a bordello?”
Marcel lifted his tear-streaked face to meet Zeke’s gaze. “Nobody. Edgar was rambling, but he wasn’t talking about your house.”
Edgar was given to rambling, so Zeke moved on to important things. “I’m glad you like my house because
it’s ours now. I’ll convert the basement into a dance studio for you, and we’ll put a nursery on the second floor.”
A small, shy smile lifted Marcel’s luscious lips. “When I met you, I was terrified my life was over, but now I can see that it’s just beginning.”
Zeke kissed his omega with all the affection in his heart, and then he carried him to the bedroom where he made tender love to him.
Epilogue
Marcel
IRON BANDS SQUEEZED his midsection, and they were nothing like the comforting familiarity of Zeke’s arms.
He doubled over and groaned before he remembered to breathe through it. Meanwhile, he fumbled for his phone and dialed Zeke’s number. “It’s time,” he gasped when his alpha answered.
“I’ll be home in two minutes.”
The call disconnected, which meant Zeke was now in dragon form and flying high over the city to take the direct route home. The contraction eased, and Marcel made his way up the stairs. By the time he arrived, Zeke was there. Having landed on the balcony off the bedroom, he hadn’t needed to navigate the stairs.
He shimmied into a pair of jeans, and then he swept the covers off the bed and put on the waterproof birthing cover. “Do you need help taking off your pants?”
Now that the first contraction was in the past, Marcel felt fine. “Maybe it was a false alarm?”
Zeke glanced over, mischief lighting his blue eyes. “Take your pants off anyway. If it was a false alarm, then I’m going to make the most out of leaving a meeting to rush home to be with my sexy omega.”
In the past month, Zeke had proven to be an insatiable lover. Not a day passed that Marcel wasn’t the target of a cunning charm offensive. Only three hours ago, he’d awoken to Zeke’s lips on his neck and his alpha’s hand on his ass. Then he’d come down the stairs to find roses on the kitchen counter.
The dance studio in the basement was nearly complete, and the nursery had been ready for two whole days. Zeke was a man of his word. He made sure Marcel went to physical therapy, and he’d invited Scylla and other important theater people over to the house for dinner several times.
Marcel slid out of the loose sweats he’d borrowed from Zeke. The soft fabric fluttered to the floor, and he stepped out of them. Giving Zeke his most inviting smile, Marcel took one step closer.
That’s when another contraction hit. Nope, not a false alarm.
Zeke caught him, lifting him easily to deposit him on the bed. He propped pillows under Marcel’s shoulders. “Have you settled on a name?”
Prenatal scans showed a single birth, and they had prepared to welcome a little girl into the world.
Marcel concentrated on breathing. “Sofia, with an f, not a ph.”
“I like it.” Zeke grinned. The name had been his lone suggestion on a list that included over twenty names. The grin remained in place as put on a shirt and set a nylon bag on the dresser. Koren had given it to him. The bag would stay around his neck when he was in dragon form, and it held small items, like his wallet, phone, and keys.
Zeke’s phone rang. Without dimming his smile, he answered. “Chay? What’s up? The raccoon is in the butterfly bush? What the hell does that mean?”
As he rolled up his sleeves and listened, he shot Marcel a questioning glance, but Marcel merely lifted his shoulder.
“Oh!” Zeke straightened up. “You know where the thief is? That’s great, but I can’t come now. Marcel is in labor. Call the police and ask for Marcie Mavensburg. She’ll take care of it. What? Not now. I’ll call when Sofia is born.”
He ended the call and tossed his phone toward a table near the bed. It landed on the floor with a clatter, but Zeke didn’t seem to care.
“Chay found the man who stole Zane’s backpack, and I told him not to have people come over until after the baby is born.”
They both knew visitors would start showing up any minute. Edgar would be among the first wave, and he’d put himself in charge of everyone else who came.
“Have you called your fathers yet?” Zeke’s tone was gentle and nonjudgmental.
Marcel sighed. He hadn’t told his fathers he was married, pregnant, or that he’d been injured. “Let’s worry about them later.”
Zeke opened his mouth to argue, but another contraction hit. He pushed Marcel’s knees up and out of the way. “The opening is forming, so it won’t be long now.”
“They’re going to pressure me to stay home with the baby or go to law school.”
“I’m your alpha, and I’m not going to let you do either thing.”
They’d had this discussion before. Zeke supported paternity leave for both of them, but he insisted Marcel would be back in the theater by the following summer, six months away. He thought he could get Marcel’s fathers to back off, and Marcel loved him for his optimism.
“Zeke?”
“Yeah, cupcake?”
Laughing at the nickname he initially hadn’t liked, Marcel said, “Sofia is coming right now.”
Zeke hurried into position. Another set of contractions hit, and Marcel pushed as Zeke murmured praise and support. With a gush of fluids, Sofia Lowry entered the world. Beaming with joy and pride, Zeke held the tiny baby against his ruined shirt. “Hello, Sofia. I’m your father, and I’m going to love you and take care of you. Whenever you need anything, I’ll be there for you.”
Then he placed Sofia onto Marcel’s chest.
“Say hello to your daddy, sweetheart.”
Joy and love swelled in his heart. Marcel took in his daughter’s delicate features. She had a shock of dark hair to go with her dark skin. Her mouth opened in a cute O, and a second later she let loose with a loud squall.
“Shh, Sofia. You’re okay. I’ve got you.”
While Zeke took care of the afterbirth, Marcel cleaned up his daughter with a warm cloth. When he wrapped her in a soft blanket, she quieted. For the first time, she opened her eyes, and she gazed at Marcel with brilliant blue eyes, an exact replica of Zeke’s.
“She has your eyes,” he said softly.
Sofia resumed fussing.
Zeke chuckled. “And your temperament. I think she’s hungry. Being born is hard work.”
“Yes.” Marcel lifted his shirt and nursed his little girl. “It’s very hard work, and she did great.”
Zeke settled on the bed next to Marcel and watched them both. “So did you. Have I told you lately how much I love you?”
“Not since this morning.” Marcel tore his gaze from the miracle in his arms. “I love you too.”
Zeke pressed a kiss to Marcel’s lips. “Thank you for this.”
Marcel beamed as he snuggled into Zeke’s embrace. They stayed like that for a while, luxuriating in the love of their family and watching the newest member replenish her energy.
A knock at their bedroom door had Zeke chuckling. He tucked a blanket around Marcel’s lower half. “It’s safe to come in, Edgar.”
The door opened, and Edgar crept through. “It’s quiet. Is she already asleep?”
“She’s eating,” Marcel said. “Come see her.”
Edgar oohed and aahed over Sofia for a few minutes, and then he set a hand on Zeke’s shoulder. “Chay called. They arrested the guy who stole Zane’s backpack. It’s a ring responsible for a whole bunch of small thefts going back two years. The Verdance PD is going to honor Chay with a ceremony and a plaque.”
Zeke chuckled. “I’d like to honor the thief with a ceremony and a plaque for bringing Marcel into my life, but good for Chay. I’m happy for him.”
“Also, Marcel’s phone rang when I was downstairs, and I answered it because the display said it was his father.”
Marcel groaned. “Please tell me you didn’t say anything about me having a baby.”
Color crept up Edgar’s neck. “I didn’t know you were estranged. I told them you were in labor and your husband was handling the delivery. Your father cried. They’re on their way here.”
Zeke looked from Sofia to Marcel. “I can’t imagine not
being part of her life, Marcel. I can’t help but think your fathers feel the same way about you.”
“I guess we’ll see.” He groaned again. When he opened his eyes, he found Zeke watching him.
“I’ll be by your side the whole time,” Zeke promised. “No matter what, you have me in your corner.”
“Which means you’ll be fine,” Edgar added. “Because Zeke is badass. Hey, she’s done eating. Can I hold her? Please, please, please? I already love my little niece so much.”
Marcel looked to Zeke, not because he was his alpha, but because he might be feeling territorial about his daughter.
Zeke nodded. “For a minute, and then she’s mine.” He glanced at Marcel. “I may never let her go, so Edgar got here at a good time.”
As Edgar rocked Sofia in his arms, Zeke moved closer to Marcel. “I meant it, cupcake. I’ll always be here for you, even when you don’t want me.”
Marcel buried his face in his alpha’s neck. “I always want you here with me. Haven’t you realized that I’ve accepted my fate? I love you, Zeke. Always.”
Zeke pressed a kiss to Marcel’s head and hugged him tighter.
About A. J. Stone
A.J. STONE LOVES RAINBOWS and bears. Visit https://michelezurloauthor.com/a-j-stone/ for the latest information or follow on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AJStoneBearsCove/ to keep up with the newest releases, and feel free to request stories for your favorite Bear's Cove characters.
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Koren’s Omega Neighbor
Zeke’s Reluctant Omega
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