Grandma’s face turned an ugly shade of puce. She sucked in a deep breath, as though she was about to yell at them, or curse them with something terrible. Right now, Wyatt didn’t care. He had Hazel, and Raph, and their baby in his belly.
“Gods, I love you,” Raph said, turning. He cupped Wyatt’s cheeks, brushed their noses together. Then Raph kissed him hard, slipping into his mouth, tangling their tongues. Wyatt groaned, leaning into him.
To the side, Grandma gasped. Raph slid his hands down around Wyatt’s belly, and squeezed his cock.
Grandma made a terrible choking noise. There was a thump, and Raph claimed all of Wyatt’s mouth, dragged his wrist down Wyatt’s throat, marking him.
“Mine,” Raph whispered against his lips, his tongue slipping soft and warm in Wyatt’s mouth. “Gonna make you all mine.”
“I’m already yours,” Wyatt whispered back.
“Ew. Does that count as doing the sex thing?” Hazel asked.
Raph pulled his hands away from Wyatt, his eyes dark. “Maybe.”
It certainly felt like it.
When Wyatt looked up, he found their mom with her eyes averted, and a smile on her lips. Hazel was skipping up the stairs. “Great-Grandma fell over,” she said. “Think she had a heart attack?”
Wyatt glanced at Raph, then at Mom. So that was what the thump was, when they’d been kissing. No one had thought to stop them.
His fingers laced with Raph’s, Wyatt hurried up the stairs, his pulse racing.
Grandma had collapsed in a heap, her shimmery dress splayed around her. Raph turned her over onto her back. Her eyes had rolled up in her head, and her mouth was open. But her chest was still, and she didn’t move.
“She looks dead,” Hazel said.
“Anyone gonna resuscitate her?” Raph looked around.
Wyatt grimaced. Mom shook her head. Hazel unscrewed the cap of her bottle, and emptied it on Grandma’s face.
“I tried,” she said when they stared at her. “Guess she’s not an actual witch.”
Wyatt fought down a smile. They had to at least try, probably. But looking down at the woman who had hounded him since he was three, at her painted, wrinkled face and her bony, claw-like hands, he couldn’t find in himself the will to revive his past.
“I’ll learn CPR at some point,” Wyatt said. “Are you sure she didn’t just faint? This is... a little too convenient.”
Hazel nodded. “Max died today, too.”
His baby had just witnessed two deaths. Wyatt glanced at Hazel, suddenly worried. Would she have traumatic flashbacks from either death? Would she be okay?
Raph slipped his arm around Wyatt’s waist, pulling him into a hug. “She’ll be fine. She’s a strong one.”
Wyatt huffed. “I didn’t know you could read minds.”
“I can read your eyes. That’s all.” Raph smiled, kissing his lips. “Wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.”
Wyatt’s heart swelled with gratitude. Hazel grinned up at them both, her eyes bright. And maybe she would be fine, after all.
He crouched by Grandma, pressing his fingertips to her wrist.
With Max, the paramedics had pronounced him dead at the scene, and Dad had watched over them when they gave their statements.
Grandma had no pulse, and her arm was still warm.
“Dad’s going to throw a fit when he gets here, isn’t he?” Wyatt said weakly. “Two deaths today, and both with us on the scene.”
“You’ll have to tell me about that,” Mom said, stepping closer. “We’ll call the ambulance, and then have Dad over for dinner while he’s here.”
“It doesn’t work that way,” Hazel said. “If the police come, you’ll need to sit through all the interviews first.”
“Might not need interviews. Pretty sure that counts as a natural death.” Raph dropped a kiss on Wyatt’s forehead, dragging his nose in Wyatt’s hair. “I’m just happy they’re both gone. Feels like a new beginning.”
“It really does.” Wyatt cracked a smile. He gathered Hazel into his arms, and leaned into Raph’s chest.
With his family safe around him, things were looking up, at last.
33
Wyatt
Two months later
“Are you sure those donuts were absolutely necessary?” Wyatt asked as they walked up to their apartment door, the keys jangling in Raph’s hand. “You know I can make them myself.”
Raph chuckled, reaching behind to squeeze Wyatt’s ass. “‘Course they were necessary. Gets you out of the house. You need exercise.”
“I hope that isn’t you saying I’m fat, Raph,” Wyatt muttered, elbowing him in the gut. Raph grunted, but he hadn’t stopped smiling.
“Have I even said you’re fat? I’ve said I love your belly.” Raph caught him in front of the door, pulling him into a slow, sweet kiss. His palms slipped down to Wyatt’s abdomen, and Wyatt held Raph’s hands, guiding his touch over their baby.
They hadn’t been able to hug properly for months, now, unless Raph was spooning Wyatt from behind. Most nights, they slept that way—Wyatt curled up in bed, and Raph holding his swollen belly from behind.
If there was one thing Wyatt was thankful for, it was that he’d found Raph again, that all of this had worked out.
Since Grandma’s death, Raph had given his 30-day notice at work, and left his job in Highton. Grandma hadn’t had time to change her will—the mansion had gone to their parents, and Raph had inherited a sum of money—enough to pay off his debt. The rest of the cash, he’d put into the shared savings account he’d started with Wyatt.
He’d also moved into Wyatt’s apartment. Wyatt, Hazel, and Penny had driven down to Highton one day to help him pack, and by the following weekend, Raph’s things were unpacked, tucked into Wyatt’s closet, and around the living room.
For the past month, Raph had been helping Wyatt nest for the baby. He’d rearranged the storage room, moved furniture in, built a dresser for the baby’s clothes. They were supposed to paint a mural this weekend. Which was why Wyatt had frowned when Raph coaxed him out to grab some donuts.
He broke the kiss, glancing around them. But there were no neighbors in sight, only the crisp January stillness of the morning, and some birds chirping.
“We’ll move this inside,” Wyatt said, tugging on Raph’s hand.
“Yeah.” And Raph smiled that boyish smile again, the one that he’d been trying to hide for a week. It was another secret. But Raph looked excited about it, and Wyatt had relaxed, trusting that Raph was hiding something good. He could do with a pleasant surprise.
Raph unlocked the door, nodding for Wyatt to head in first.
The moment he crossed the threshold of their home, streamers exploded through the room, and balloons popped. Hazel leaped up over the couch. Sam stepped out from behind the door and hugged him. Penny blew on a party horn, a jaunty paper hat on her head.
“Surprise!” they said, beaming.
Wyatt laughed, staring at all of them. “What’s this for? It’s not even my birthday!”
“It’s your baby shower,” Raph said, hugging Wyatt from behind; Sam still hadn’t released him yet.
“A baby shower?” Wyatt wrapped his arms around Hazel when she wriggled into the group hug, looking around the apartment.
There were balloons strung up in every corner, satiny streamers dangling from them. A large paper banner hung across the wall, big colored-in letters reading Baby #2. A cheerful cake sat on the coffee table, and wrapped gifts lined the side of the couch, glittering in the sunlight.
Wyatt’s throat grew tight. Years ago, when he’d been carrying Hazel, he hadn’t the time or energy to consider a baby shower. So he hadn’t expected anything for this pregnancy, either—Raph was busy dealing with paperwork from Grandma’s death, and Penny and Sam each had their own lives to see to.
“It was Raph’s idea,” Sam said, grinning. “He said you’d love to have a baby shower. So we all got together and planned for today.”
&
nbsp; “You needn’t have,” Wyatt choked, looking at Hazel’s grin, Penny’s smile, and Sam’s warm eyes. Then he met Raph’s gaze, and Raph slipped his hand up along Wyatt’s neck, his fingers catching in Wyatt’s hair.
“You’re doing great,” Raph said, brushing his thumb down Wyatt’s throat. “Thought you might like a small celebration.”
Wyatt blinked hard, his eyes prickling. “Gods, Raph. You’re not supposed to make me cry.”
Raph’s smile slipped. “You don’t like this?”
“I do!” Wyatt smiled through his tears, fumbling around until he caught Raph’s hand. “I just... I wasn’t expecting this.”
“You have family and friends,” Raph said, looking around at all of them. “I just wanted to remind you of that. So if you ever feel like you’re alone, or if you feel terrible about yourself, remember that you have people who love you.”
Wyatt’s lips trembled. Hazel frowned at Raph. “You’re making Dad cry again.”
“It’s happy tears, hon,” Wyatt said, his chest bursting with warmth. “It’s okay to cry happy tears.”
Hazel studied him dubiously, before leaning into Raph. “Okay.”
Penny joined the group hug, flinging her arms around Sam and Raph. “We also want you to know that we’ll be around for the next baby,” she said. “Call me anytime.”
“You haven’t found an alpha yet, Pen?” Raph asked, grinning.
“I’m married to my work,” Penny said, winking. “But I can always spare time for Aunt Penny visits!”
“Gods, I love all of you,” Wyatt said, hugging them tight. “I don’t know what I’d do without you guys.”
“Don’t even think about it,” Raph said, pressing a kiss to Wyatt’s neck. “C’mon, let’s go open your presents.”
“I can’t believe you kept this a secret from me,” Wyatt said, when they released him so he could walk. “And Hazel, too? Hon, you’ve been keeping secrets from me?”
“Dad said it’s okay,” Hazel said, glancing at Raph. “Because it’s a surprise for you.”
Raph grinned, his cheeks turning dark. He still hadn’t gotten over being Hazel’s dad, yet. Two months ago, they’d filed the paperwork for him to become Hazel’s legal guardian. Until now, Raph still wore a huge smile whenever he looked at their daughter. That, in itself, was amazing.
Wyatt followed them to the couch, sitting on Raph’s lap. Hazel knelt by the presents. Penny and Sam hung back behind her, matching smiles on their faces.
“This one’s from Aunt Penny,” Hazel said, handing a lumpy package to Wyatt.
Wyatt turned it over in his hands. “It’s soft.”
“Two hundred percent sure you’ll like it,” Penny said. “I got recommendations from Dr. Kinney.”
He tore the package open, feeling the press of Raph’s solid chest as Raph leaned in, looking over his shoulder. Penny’s gift was a light knitted blanket, all pale blue and gray and white, with a cow’s face for a hoodie. It would be perfect for the baby.
“It’s adorable,” Wyatt said, squeezing the soft fabric. “Thank you.”
Sam’s gift was a framed watercolor painting—of Wyatt, Raph, Hazel, and a newborn in Wyatt’s arms. Wyatt’s heart skipped a beat.
“My brother’s omega paints,” Sam said, grinning. “I commissioned it.”
Wyatt didn’t want to ask how much it had cost Sam—probably a lot. And it was precious, too, looking at the likeness of their faces in his hands. In the corner of the portrait, he found a signature by Felix Brentwood. “It’ll go up on the wall once I finish unwrapping everything. I can’t thank you enough for this, Sam.”
Sam laughed. “You’ll owe me, then!”
Wyatt grinned. “You’ll be seeing a lot of me in the future, when I pay my dues!”
The third gift was a car seat. “From Dad,” Penny said. “He’s all about the road safety.”
Wyatt laughed, and Raph kissed his neck.
The fourth gift was a stack of hand-drawn notes, in Mom’s handwriting. Wyatt flipped through them. This coupon entitles the holder to one free day of babysitting. There had to be sixty of the same coupon in the stack. Wyatt looked up, raising his eyebrows.
Penny laughed. “You can tell Mom really wants to babysit, too.”
Raph chuckled, slipping his arms around Wyatt’s belly. “Yeah, I’m not surprised.”
Wyatt blushed, swearing to himself that he’d visit with his parents more often.
When Hazel handed the fifth gift over, she wriggled, grinning widely. “This one is from Dad and me,” she said. “We spent a long time picking it out.”
Wyatt’s pulse quickened. He looked over his shoulder at Raph, who smiled. “Go on, open it.”
Past the wrapping paper, he found stacks of folded baby clothes—mittens, socks, onesies—all in different sizes, for when the baby grew. Most of them had cow prints on them, and at the bottom of the pile, there were four identical cow plushies.
“One for each of us,” Hazel said, hopping over to grab a cow in the middle. “That one’s mine.”
Wyatt laughed, hugging the remaining three to himself. “I’ve never seen you with plushies, Raph. I might steal yours.”
Raph snorted, grinning. “Go ahead. But I’ve got one last gift.”
He leaned forward, reaching into his back pocket. Wyatt squirmed off his lap, his arms full of cows. A gift that wasn’t wrapped with the rest? “That’s a small gift.”
“Doesn’t make it less important,” Raph said. Penny, Sam and Hazel had fallen silent, watching them intently.
Something glimmered between Raph’s fingers when he pulled it out. Wyatt’s heart stopped.
And Raph slid onto the floor, kneeling at Wyatt’s feet. Wyatt remembered the day Raph had returned to him, kneeling, kissing down his belly. His throat tightened.
Raph caught Wyatt’s hand, stroked his fingers. “Marry me?”
Wyatt’s heart kicked back to life. Raph’s smile had fallen away from his face, his eyes solemn, hopeful.
They were bondmates—they’d already agreed on that. Marriage was a little—a lot—different. They’d have to register it somewhere. Make it public.
With any other bonded pair, marriage was just a more visible layer of commitment. With Wyatt and Raph, it could be risky. But if they registered their marriage elsewhere... the townsfolk of Meadowfall might not even know.
Raph stroked the backs of Wyatt’s fingers. “You don’t have to decide now,” he said. “You could even tell me a year from now, or whenever.”
And that was something else that he loved about Raph. Raph’s patience. His kindness. The way he gave Wyatt space to breathe.
His heart full, Wyatt leaned forward, cupping Raph’s face in his hands. “I don’t know if now would be the best time to get married,” he said, watching as Raph’s gaze grew uncertain. “But yes. At some point in our lives, I want to marry you, Raph. You’ll always be my alpha.”
Raph blinked hard, his mouth curving into a tentative smile. “Can I...?”
Wyatt gave Raph his hand. Raph slid the ring onto Wyatt’s ring finger, and the silver band fitted snugly, like it was always meant to be there.
Wyatt broke into a smile, pressing their foreheads together. Raph kissed him, soft and sweet, tracing his wrist down over Wyatt’s belly. “Mine,” Raph whispered, his eyes warm. “Thank you for being mine.”
“Always,” Wyatt whispered back.
Sam, Penny and Hazel cheered, and Wyatt felt the safest he’d ever been with his family.
An hour later, after the baby shower was over, Wyatt watched as Raph installed the new crib. Raph lowered the side of the crib, then raised it, before locking it in place. The crib fitted in the nursery, with the cartoon cow stickers on its edges, and the row of cow plushies sitting on the dresser.
Later today, when Sam and Penny brought Hazel back, they’d all paint a rainbow mural on the wall.
“Feels sturdy to me.” Raph stood, testing the joints of the cot again. Then he stepped away, s
etting the screwdriver on a dresser. “What do I do next?”
Wyatt chuckled, his heart swelling with warmth. The ring sat heavy on his finger, and he couldn’t stop spinning it.
He was Raph’s. He’d marry Raph, someday. It seemed so unbelievable right now. “I wish you’d let me do some of this. It’s not like I don’t have the strength to.”
Raph turned, his dark eyes coasting down Wyatt, from his hair to his chest to his swollen belly, down his thighs, then his feet. “You should rest.”
“You’ve been telling me to rest for weeks, Raph. The baby isn’t due until next month! I can still move!”
Raph snorted. “Sure you can.”
“I’ll show you ‘move’,” Wyatt muttered, stepping close, slipping his fingers down the waistband of Raph’s jeans. “That’ll shut you up.”
“You’re sure it’ll shut me up.” Raph grinned. “How are you guys doing?”
“Great.” Wyatt leaned against him, the bulk of his belly pressing into Raph’s abs. Then he dragged his nose along Raph’s neck, breathing in his teak scent, and the hint of fresh sweat. “Gods, you smell good.”
“You always say that.” Raph combed his fingers through Wyatt’s hair, then slipped his palm down, cupping Wyatt’s belly. “Can’t wait to meet the baby.”
“Ben,” Wyatt said. “I’ve decided on a name.”
“Ben.” Raph’s lips curved up. “I like it.”
Raph smoothed his palms over Wyatt’s belly, his eyes intent. Then he lifted Wyatt’s sweater, exposing Wyatt’s pale abdomen. It had grown huge, Wyatt’s skin tauter than it was months before. Their baby had been kicking lately, and sometimes, Raph whispered little things against Wyatt’s belly, kissing it all over.
“You’re so beautiful,” Raph whispered, dragging his fingertips over Wyatt’s skin. “Can’t believe how big you are now.”
Wyatt grinned. “Should I be offended?”
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