“Can’t.” Raph leaned back, his chest gleaming with sweat. Through his fingers, Wyatt watched as Raph’s gaze latched onto his neck, his face drawing tight. “I... Looks like I bit you. Right over that bastard’s mark.”
Wyatt’s breath caught. “Is it bleeding?”
“Yeah.”
“Fuck.”
Wyatt dragged his arm across his eyes, shutting out the lamplight. If Raph hadn’t broken skin, it wouldn’t have counted as a bonding mark.
Carefully, he pressed his fingertips to his neck, where his scent gland throbbed. His fingers came away red with blood.
Raph had left a bonding mark on him. A goddamn bonding mark. Wyatt’s stomach dropped. “Does this mean we’re bondmates?”
Because he sure as hell didn’t know what else it meant. People didn’t bite each other’s scent glands unless they meant to bond. And when everyone else saw Wyatt’s scab, and the subsequent silvery scar, they’d know he’d been newly claimed. What was he to say to his daughter? His parents? As though the news of the baby wasn’t terrible enough.
“I’d be your alpha, you know,” Raph said, stroking Wyatt’s side. “It’s not like I have a family.”
Wyatt believed him, but his heart pattered anyway. “I know. It’s just... It’s not you, Raph. It’s everyone else. I have a daughter. I can’t put Hazel through all that damn scandal. I don’t need Grandma coming down on her for that.”
Raph’s eyes flashed. Wyatt knew he still remembered their past, the times Grandma had grabbed Raph by the arm, whispering at him to stay away from Wyatt. As the owner of the Alpha Associates Bank, Grandma liked her reputation intact. That meant having no rumors of incest amongst her grandsons, even if she didn’t acknowledge Wyatt as one of her own.
Raph’s grip tightened on his waist. “I’m gonna stay by your side. If you don’t want to acknowledge me as your bondmate, that’s fine, too.”
Wyatt gulped. It was an option.
Raph sat calmly, his knot inside Wyatt, Wyatt’s legs splayed over his thighs. The lamplight gleamed on his tanned skin, throwing his pecs into a contrast of light and shadow, his abs starkly defined. He was beautiful. Plenty of omegas out there would want him, omegas better and more wholesome than Wyatt.
Wyatt swallowed, glancing away. “I can’t trap you in this. I said no condoms, and the baby happened. It’s really not your fault.”
“It’s still my baby,” Raph said. “And I left that bonding mark on you—that’s my fault. We’re even.”
Wyatt snorted. “A mark isn’t the same as a baby, Raph. We’re talking about a whole new life.”
“I want to see that child,” Raph said. He slipped his fingers into Wyatt’s hand, squeezing him. “I can’t think of a better omega to spend my life with.”
Wyatt’s throat closed up tight. “What?”
“I mean it.” Raph lifted Wyatt’s hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to his knuckle. “I haven’t found an omega I wanted, Wy. But now that I think about it, maybe I was waiting for you.”
Wyatt’s heart sank. It didn’t matter that he felt the same way. “We’re still brothers!”
“Stepbrothers. Remember? You kept saying it when we were younger.” Raph’s breath skimmed over his hand, his eyes dark with honesty. “I don’t mind if you keep this a secret. But I’m gonna be there for you, okay? I don’t want you to think you have to raise this baby alone.”
Raph reached forward, pressing his palm to Wyatt’s belly. His warmth soaked through Wyatt’s skin.
Eyes burning, Wyatt looked down at their clasped hands, their joined hips. This still felt right and wrong, and he couldn’t tell which instinct he should follow. “I don’t think I love you as... as a lover. A boyfriend.”
“Does it matter? I care for you. You know I’ll treat you and Hazel better than that bastard ever did.”
Wyatt knew that. He closed his eyes, tipping his head back into the pillows. For so long, he’d wanted a better dad for his daughter. Someone other than him, who couldn’t control his meltdowns in front of her. “I don’t know what to tell Hazel.”
Raph brushed his thumb over Wyatt’s hand, his gaze turning inward with thought. “Do you think she’ll resent you? She knows who I am.”
“Maybe.” Wyatt groaned, his stomach twisting. He’d taught her well, and maybe... she would accept him and Raph. Maybe. But that wasn’t the worst part of it. “Gods, I can’t put her through the drama.”
“We’ll keep her out of the drama,” Raph said.
His knot receded in Wyatt’s body, and Wyatt whined when Raph slid out of him.
Raph glanced at the alarm clock. “Is 3 AM your usual bedtime? It’s kind of fucking late.”
“I try to sleep by two.”
Raph winced. “I’ll sleep on the couch. Don’t want to throw you off your schedule.”
Wyatt opened his mouth to answer, pausing. After tonight, after the news of the pregnancy and the bonding mark, he didn’t want to sleep alone. Raph’s touch was comforting, and Wyatt needed him close, needed to be held. So he knew he wouldn’t be raising another baby alone. “Is it... okay if you sleep here tonight?”
Raph studied him. He pulled Wyatt into his arms, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Is it okay for you? You’re the one who has to talk to Hazel tomorrow.”
Wyatt sighed, closing his eyes. He didn’t know. But Hazel liked Raph, and maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if Raph spent a night with him, a willing alpha who cared. “It’s fine with me.”
Raph kissed his shoulder. “Okay if I mark you?”
Wyatt’s heart skipped. Raph wanted to lay claim to him. He’d forgotten how nice it was to belong, to wear an alpha’s scent. “I don’t know.”
“Okay. Then I won’t.”
But the offer hung between them, and as Wyatt settled back into Raph’s chest, he realized that this was the first time in years, that he had an alpha to rely on again.
10
Wyatt
Hours later, Wyatt woke to the scent of old sweat, musk, and teak. He pressed his nose to the source of warmth, burying closer. Then he realized he was touching bare skin, that he was naked, and in bed with an alpha.
He sucked down a lungful of air, jerking his head back.
Raph stared down at him, a tiny smile playing on his lips. “Morning?”
Wyatt’s heart thumped. Raph? What is he doing here? “I... wasn’t expecting you.”
“Should I be offended?” But Raph leaned in anyway, pressing a kiss to Wyatt’s forehead. “Hazel knocked a couple of times. I didn’t say anything. Thought I’d let you answer.”
Shit, he’d been sleeping deeply, if he’d missed Hazel. Wyatt scrambled up. The sheets tangled around his legs, and Raph’s bare thighs brushed against his own. It took another moment for him to remember last night, when Raph had tumbled with him in bed, his touch burning across Wyatt’s skin. “I... did not tell Hazel you were sleeping over.”
Raph winced. “Neither did I.”
“Oh, heavens.” Wyatt groaned. Hazel might give him a suspicious look. Or she might be really sweet about it, since she’d taken a liking to Raph yesterday. Wyatt didn’t know—he hadn’t explained a long-lost stepbrother before. Especially not one he was sleeping with.
He sniffed at his skin—magnolia, teak, musk. And a trace of honey. “I smell like sex. And baby. Damn it.”
Raph pressed his nose to Wyatt’s hair, breathing in. “You smell good. I should borrow your shower.”
Wyatt climbed off the bed. Over his shoulder, he found Raph admiring his ass—not the worst thing that could happen. He preened a little, and Raph followed him to the adjoining bathroom. Wyatt couldn’t help watching as Raph strode toward him, sunlight casting his skin in a golden hue.
“Do you have shirts in XL?” Raph asked. “And a toothbrush?”
“I have a spare toothbrush,” Wyatt said, riffling through his bathroom drawer. “Hazel and I went on a road trip up north—there were complimentary toiletries in that one hotel. Here.”
> In silence, they brushed their teeth, their eyes meeting through the bathroom mirror. They’d done this a decade ago, too, back when they’d been children. Never naked, though, and never with a baby involved.
Wyatt glanced at his scent gland, wincing at the dried blood that had crusted over it. His belly might have been flat, but there was no way to hide the bonding mark. Not that he could from Hazel, not for long.
“Thought about what you’re gonna say yet?”
“I’m thinking!”
They took turns to wash up. Wyatt waited for Raph to pull on his day-old shirt and jeans; Raph’s shoulders were broader than Wyatt’s, and none of Wyatt’s clothes fit. When they were dressed, Wyatt took a deep breath. “Ready?”
“Whenever you are.” Raph squeezed his hand.
He’d never thought he’d feel trepidation in his own home. But as Wyatt cracked open his bedroom door, his heart thumped. If he thought this difficult with his own daughter, he wasn’t sure how he’d deal with his parents.
Hazel was in the kitchen alone, stirring a bowl of cereal. “Morning, hon.”
She beamed at him, kicking her legs against the kitchen stool. “Morning, Dad.”
He stopped by his daughter, bending to give her a hug. She smelled like soap and shampoo. “What’s new?”
“There’s no more cereal left.” Hazel pouted. “It was my favorite.”
“That’s fine—we’ll get more at the store.” Wyatt pulled out a second stool next to her, settling down. “I didn’t mention it, but Uncle Raph stayed over last night.”
“He did?” Hazel glanced around. “I didn’t see him.”
“I borrowed your dad’s bed.” Raph stepped into the kitchen, waving. “Hey.”
“Oh,” Hazel said. She stirred the cereal, glancing between Wyatt and Raph. “Did you do the sex thing? Aunt Penny said if two people share a room, they’re probably doing the sex thing, but it’s not polite to talk about it.”
Wyatt stared. And his face burned all the way to his hairline. “I...” He coughed. And coughed some more. “We, uh...”
Behind, Raph muttered, “That bitch Penny is such a loudmouth.”
Wyatt glared over his shoulder. “Raph! That’s rude.”
“You shouldn’t let Aunt Penny hear you,” Hazel whispered loudly. “She gets pissy if you say bad things about her.”
Raph shrugged. “She’s my sister. I call her whatever I want.”
Wyatt didn’t know if he wanted to laugh, or cry. To Hazel, he said, “How did you even know that about Penny?”
Hazel crunched on some cornflakes. “Last week, I told her that her dress was ugly. She got kind of mad at me.”
Raph snorted, setting last night’s wine back in the cupboard. “I like you, kid. You speak your mind.”
Hazel beamed. “So is this like the movies where I get both of you together and we’ll have a happily-ever-after?”
Was a happily-ever-after even possible for people like them? Wyatt leaned into the table, his shoulders sagging. “It isn’t that simple, honey. We’ve discussed this before, haven’t we? You marry people outside your family. Uncle Raph is my stepbrother.”
Hazel slurped a spoonful of milk, watching Raph. And Raph returned to Wyatt’s side, his hand slipping over Wyatt’s shoulders. A touch that said, I’m here.
Wyatt’s heart kicked. He was grateful for Raph’s presence. Raph had been comfortable against him last night, his touch soothing as Wyatt slept. Raph didn’t even comment on the state of the kitchen—the taped photos on the walls, the chipped bowls that Wyatt had retired from the drive-in. At least the counters and stove top were clean.
“But you marry people you love, don’t you?” Hazel asked, her eyes bright and curious. “Why is it so wrong to marry my dad?”
Wyatt glanced at Raph. He hadn’t an answer to this question, either.
Raph dragged a third stool out, settling by Wyatt’s other side. He set his hand on Wyatt’s thigh, and held it there—he wanted to keep that connection between them. Max had never done that with Wyatt. None of the other alphas had.
“Because it’s been proven that children born between siblings may lead to birth defects. Wy and I aren’t related by blood, though.”
“So you can marry him?” Hazel peered at Raph.
“We haven’t even talked about marriage yet,” Raph said. “See, the thing is, your grandpa’s famous in Meadowfall. He’s the police chief, right? And people don’t care that Wy and I were born from different sets of parents. All they know is that we’re brothers.”
“Stepbrothers,” Hazel said.
Wyatt cracked a smile. Raph squeezed his thigh, grinning a little. “So if anyone learns that Wy and I like each other, they’ll get angry. They’ll think it’s wrong.”
“But they’re the ones who are wrong.” Hazel frowned. “You’re not related by blood. So your babies will be fine.”
Raph choked down a laugh. Wyatt touched his belly, wondering when they’d be ready for Hazel to hear that news. His cheeks prickled. “You’re okay with siblings, hon?”
Hazel chewed on her lip, brow furrowing. “Maybe.”
“Either way, it’s none of the town’s business,” Raph said. “They don’t know the truth. They may not accept the truth. They don’t need to judge Wy’s life when they don’t know the half of it.”
“Some people need to shut up,” Hazel said, nodding.
Raph’s grin widened. “Gods, I wouldn’t mind being your dad,” he said. “You’re cool.”
Hazel perked up. “So are you going to be my dad?”
Wyatt groaned. The conversation had spiraled out of his control, but in a good way. And maybe he wished he could have Raph around more, because Raph was incredibly good with children. Enough to make Wyatt’s heart ache for him.
“Hazel,” Wyatt said, to stop himself from mooning over his brother. “We’ll just be seeing more of Raph—that’s all. Raph and I haven’t talked about marriage, or him being your dad, or anything like that. It’ll take a while. We’ll have to get to know each other better first.”
Hazel nodded solemnly, digesting his words. “By doing the sex thing?”
Raph coughed. Wyatt wanted to kill Penny. “No, people don’t only like each other because of sex. We do things like talking, and spending lots of time together doing fun things. Such as cooking and going on picnics.”
“Oh.”
“In the meantime, I’d really appreciate it if you can keep Uncle Raph and me a secret,” Wyatt said, slipping his hand into Raph’s. “Lots of people will be angry if they find out—I don’t want it to affect our dinners with Grandma and Grandpa, or the business at the drive-in. Okay?”
Hazel nodded. “Okay. Can Aunt Penny find out?”
“No, Raph and I will tell Penny when the time is right.” Which was to say, maybe never. From the look Raph gave him, he agreed.
“All right. I like Uncle Raph,” Hazel said, looking at Wyatt. “He’s fun.”
“You’ll be seeing a lot more of him, then.” Wyatt breathed a sigh, leaning into Raph. It had gone better than he’d expected. And Hazel returned to her cereal, kicking her legs like this wasn’t the biggest deal of Wyatt’s life.
“That went fine, didn’t it?” Raph murmured. He squeezed Wyatt’s hand, and Wyatt cracked a smile, looking at his daughter, then his brother. In his little kitchen, they were all family—the new and the old, and the baby growing in his belly.
“It sure did,” Wyatt breathed. When Hazel looked at him again, he smiled. “I haven’t really introduced Raph to you, have I? Raph and I became stepbrothers when I was three. Great-Grandma didn’t like when I got him into all the trouble—like that time when we smashed a whole carton of eggs in the kitchen. On top of her favorite birdhouse.”
“Fuck, that was a mess,” Raph said, his eyes gleaming. “She made us peel potatoes for two whole weeks.”
“She made you peel potatoes for two weeks,” Wyatt said. “She made me scrub all the toilets for three weeks.”
>
“I remember that.” Raph tucked Wyatt’s hair behind his ear. “She’s nasty.”
“I don’t like Great-Grandma,” Hazel said, wrinkling her nose. “She’s a mean old hag.”
“You’ve got that right.” Raph glanced at Wyatt, his eyes knowing. “You’ve been back with Hazel?”
“I try to schedule our visits so we’re there when she’s away.” Wyatt cringed. “But there’s been a couple times when we couldn’t avoid her.”
“She’s a damn bitch,” Raph muttered. “Honestly, I’d never forgive what she did, chasing you away.”
“Dad and I call her the Wicked Old Witch,” Hazel said, draining the last of her milk. “When we visit Grandpa and Grandma, we play Hiding From The Wicked Old Witch.”
Wyatt opened his mouth, about to answer when his phone vibrated. Hazel hummed along to the ringtone. “It’s Aunt Penny,” she told Raph. “Her ringtone is Let’s Explode Chemistry.”
Raph chuckled. Wyatt tugged his phone from his pocket. “Penny?”
“Hey,” she said, her voice tinny. “I tried calling Raph, but he isn’t answering. Did you catch the news?”
“Which channel?” Wyatt wandered into the living room, imagining Penny in her apartment, surrounded by stacks of journal articles. He turned on the TV, muting it. News updates were common from his sister—she followed the news like a hawk, and told Wyatt whenever their dad appeared on TV.
“Highton Breaking,” Penny said. “Dad’s on. It’s a replay interview about that award. Thought you’d want to catch it—it was live last night, but you both didn’t answer when I called.”
Wyatt had probably been busy at the diner. Raph might’ve been sending Hazel home. “Found it. Thanks.”
“Watch it until the end. That’s important. I think he wants a favor from us. Me, you, and Raph.”
Wyatt’s stomach dropped. Why does it involve both me and Raph? “I-I’ll watch it and call you back, okay?”
“See ya. Don’t hate Dad too much.”
Why? Dad, what did you do? His gut churning, Wyatt unmuted the TV. On the screen, Chief Fleming sat with the news anchor, both of them in starched suits, with crime scene photos in the background.
Omega's Stepbrother Page 9
