“I don’t know. Is it?”
We went to investigate, Jethro throwing a T-shirt on, much to my disappointment. So far, we hadn’t had any unplanned visitors so no one had needed to ring any bells.
There were two men standing at the door.
“Hello.” Jethro greeted them with a smile, placing a hand on my shoulder.
“Hi,” the taller of the two said. “I’m Anthony and this is Julian. We um, we’re…” They were Alpha and Omega, their bond marks visible on their arms.
His Omega took over. “We’re from the edge of Rathlin State. We’re part of Ashton clan. At least, they were kind enough to allow us to join when we bonded two years ago, but technically we fall under Rathlin’s territory.”
He fell silent. I looked to Jethro but he seemed just as confused as I was.
“You see, we both work here, in the State. And our kids go to school in the city. We were hoping to look at the possibility of joining the clan here,” Anthony finished.
I looked to Jethro a second time. He was smiling. “Of course. I’m sorry if we seem a little scattered, you’re the first people we’ve had asking to join.”
Julian made a face. “I told Tony we were coming too soon. You probably want more time together to cement your bond.”
And suddenly the two weeks of no arrivals made sense. People giving us a honeymoon of sorts.
“No,” I burst out, and the couple turned to look at me, a little startled. “It’s perfect timing, really. We're so glad you’re here.”
“Yes,” Jethro added. “Please, come inside. There’s lots to show you and so much for us to talk about.”
We waved them in and Jethro closed the door behind them. His hand found my shoulder, squeezing gently. “And so it begins.”
The day after Julian and Tony’s arrival, two Alphas from the base knocked on the door. The day after that, an Alpha and Omega from the city turned up with a toddler in tow.
By the time a month had passed, we had a small clan established. It wasn’t easy, a group of relative strangers suddenly living together, but we were all determined to make it work.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Jethro
We were nearing the end of my eight weeks of leave. A noise woke me and I found Miles shifting restlessly next to me. Switching on the bedside lamp, I saw him shivering and whimpering. Another nightmare.
We were no strangers to them though they were sporadic. He never wanted to speak about them afterward. I guessed they were about what he’d been through at the Center.
“Miles,” I whispered. He continued to twist and turn, the noises he made getting more frantic.
“Miles.” I laid the palm of my hand on the side of his face. His eyes snapped open.
“Easy. That’s it. It’s Jethro. You’re safe, I promise.”
He whimpered again and rolled onto his side away from me. His shoulders shook with silent sobs.
“I wish you’d talk to me. It would help, I’m sure of it.”
He didn’t reply, but I wasn’t expecting an answer. Instead, I climbed out of bed to grab an extra blanket, covering him with it. He grabbed hold of it, pulling it tightly against him and shivering. I slipped under the blanket, pressing against his back. With another sob, he turned and burrowed his face into the curve of my neck.
“I don’t want to go back,” he whispered.
“Back?”
“If I don’t get pregnant by the deadline.”
“You’re never going back, I promise you that. I’m not letting you go. Even if I have to sneak us both out of the country.”
I’d been putting a lot of thought into it. I knew it was possible for us to get out and there were plenty of people who’d be willing to help us.
“You’d abandon the clan?”
“Without you, there is no clan.”
His face was still pressed to me.
“I’m yours and you’re mine, remember?”
He nodded against me, clutching tightly to my arms.
“I dream about being in the dark and hands touching me. And it’s cold, so cold.” He shivered again and I wrapped my arms more firmly around him.
“You’re not there,” I murmured. “You’ll never be back there again, I promise.”
“But what about the others?” he whispered.
“Others?”
“The ones who’ll come online in the South now that we’re bonded.”
I’d been thinking about that, too. We needed new approaches. What worked for me wasn’t going to work again, I was sure of that. But I was also determined to change things for the Alphas and Omegas who came after us.
“We’re going to work on that. Blaise is already making plans. He has connections to some of the groups that smuggle Omegas across the border.”
“How would we help?”
“Money, support, and a safe haven when they get here.”
Miles finally pulled away enough to meet my eyes.
“Do you think that will make a difference?”
I cupped his cheek, using my thumb to wipe the tears away.
“I think it will.”
He gave me a weak smile, leaning into my hand.
More than ever, I wished I wasn’t going to be gone overseas in a matter of weeks. I wasn’t leaving Miles alone exactly, not with the growing clan we lived with, but I still worried about him not having the support I could give him. Not to mention that the separation would further decrease our chances of conception. I forced those thoughts to the back of my mind. They were worries that would keep until tomorrow.
“Come on, there’s still hours until dawn. Let’s try to get some rest.”
Miles nodded, cuddled closer, and shut his eyes.
We had some surprise visitors the following day.
“Jonathan!” Miles rushed passed me and hugged him. Jonathan had called to visit a few times and he and Miles spoke on the phone every few days. He was fast becoming a close friend of Miles’ and I was glad of that. He’d need friends when I was gone.
I was surprised to see Grant, Jonathan’s Alpha, with him. He’d always visited us alone.
“Grant, it’s good to see you again.”
“Jethro, congratulations on your bond, and the clan. About time,” Grant said.
“Sorry to turn up without warning. We’d been planning to come up next week but Grant’s leave got shifted around,” Jonathan added.
I wracked my brain. Grant wasn’t in a peacekeeping unit, he was with the Foreign Affairs department, protecting our diplomats and ambassadors.
“Well, we’re happy to see you either way. Please, come on in.”
They joined us for coffee. I knew why they were here and felt no need to beat about the bush.
“So, when are you moving into the estate?”
Jonathan choked on a mouthful of coffee. Grant patted his back as he set down his cup.
“That obvious, is it?” Grant asked with a grin.
“You’d be more than welcome. We have plenty of room in the main house and there are houses and cottages available if you want your own space.”
“Just like that?” Grant asked.
“Exactly like that,” I said. Miles placed his hand over mine, nodding. “We can give you a tour if you like?”
Grant wrapped an arm around Jonathan. “I’d like that very much. We both would.”
Two days later, Miles and I took a walk around the grounds. There was a patch of woodland behind the main house, with a small stream running through it. It had shade, and there was a cool breeze blowing. Miles and I walked hand in hand along a very overgrown path through the trees.
“Let’s go sit on the rocks and get our feet wet,” I suggested. The day was fast growing hot and not even the breeze was enough to keep us comfortable.
The rock was warm, so we shed our shirts and stretched out on it. Miles lay on his stomach next to the stream, trailing his hand through the water.
“It’s so beautiful here. It reminds me of the mountain
and our secret cave,” he said.
“Maybe we’ll go back there someday,” I suggested.
“I think I’d like that.”
I ran my hand down Miles’ back, along his spine. He arched into my touch then rolled onto his side to face me. I caught him around the waist, afraid he’d fall into the water, and urged him closer to me.
I kissed him and he sighed against me. “Could we…” he started to say, then stopped, blushing.
Listening, I searched for anyone wandering nearby who might come across us. The benefits of bonding meant my senses were growing steadily more acute, hearing being no exception. There was no one around, just us and the slow rolling of the water.
“We could,” I said with a grin. “We will.”
With gentle hands, I helped him strip off his pants and boxers, then kicked off my own. He straddled my waist eagerly.
“There’s no rush, no one’s around,” I assured him. My next words were lost in a long groan as he sank down onto me, his tight, wet heat surrounding me.
He closed his eyes, his face an expression of pure bliss. I rested my hands against him, feeling the press of his palms against my chest.
With a smile, Miles opened his eyes and began to move, my hands on his hips urging him on. His lips fell open and he moved faster, riding me to completion.
I came with a groan and Miles followed a moment later, throwing his head back in ecstasy. My hands ran up along his flank before urging him down to lie against me so we were chest to chest.
“I’ll never get tired of that,” he promised with a smile.
“Neither will I.”
I pressed a kiss to his cheek, nudging my nose against his hair. I loved the scent of him, I’d happily drink it in every day, sweet and… I took a deeper breath, noticing something different, an undertone that hadn’t been there before.
Smiling, I kissed him again, stroking a hand down his back. If I was right, I had a surprise for him.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Miles
After our excursion in the woods, Jethro left to run some errands, and I got dinner started. Cooking was never a skill Father had encouraged me in but Julian was a keen cook and was teaching me. My repertoire wasn’t broad, but I was improving with each meal.
Jethro returned, and we ate, chatting about the plans for the clan. There was an idea I’d been thinking about but I wasn’t sure when was the best time to approach it.
“There’s going to be a lot of kids on the estate soon,” Jethro said, giving me the opening I’d been looking for.
“I wanted to talk to you about that, actually.”
“Oh?” He smiled at me and there was something under it that I didn’t quite understand.
“Did you know the previous clan had a crèche and preschool in the clan house? And one of the other buildings was a school?”
“I’d heard that, yes. Why, what were you thinking?” He was curious and seemed eager to hear what I had to say.
“Well, I’ve been looking at the numbers. We don’t really have enough to justify a school just yet but…” I hesitated.
“But…” Jethro prompted.
“Something for younger kids would be useful. We have the numbers and we have space. The only thing we don’t have is someone with the necessary qualifications.”
“A qualification isn’t essential to look after children of that age,” Jethro said. “So you could study part-time while you set things up. You’d probably need a second pair of hands anyway, so we could get someone already qualified in to help you.”
“You… you don’t mind?”
“If you weren’t going to suggest it, I would have.”
I put my fork down and just drank him in. It felt like a dream, to be here, to have this man as my Alpha.
He reached across the table and took my hand. “When I told you that you could be more, I meant it. If I could, I’d give you everything you wanted.”
“I’d like a baby.”
He grinned at me across the table, raising his eyebrows. “I’m working as hard as I can on that front.”
After dinner, he took me by the hand and led me to bed, proving just how hard he was willing to work to give me what I wanted.
Jethro kissing my bare shoulder was a lovely way to wake up. I moaned and his lips moved to my neck and then down between my shoulder blades.
His mouth left my skin, leaving me bereft, until he whispered in my ear.
“I have a present for you.”
“Oh? What’s that?”
Since we’d arrived at the clan house he’d given me a clarinet and a set of paints and brushes. I cherished them, but I cherished the time he gave to me more.
He reached over me to the bedside table, opening the drawer and pulling something out. He laid it next to me on the pillow. It was a thin white stick.
“It works best first thing in the morning.”
I turned to look at him and he leaned in, whispering an explanation into my ear.
Not ten minutes later, I was sitting at the end of the bed while Jethro paced back and forth in front of me. The white stick sat on the dresser. Three minutes. It seemed like an eternity to us, as it had once before.
“Do you really think-” I started to ask before falling silent again.
Jethro took a seat next to me, clasping my hand tightly.
“How long left?” I asked.
He checked his watch. “Thirty seconds. Do you want to count it down?”
“I can’t wait. What if it’s… but what if it’s not…”
I couldn’t finish a sentence.
“Well, we don’t have to wonder much longer.” He stood up and held out a hand. I took it and let him help me to my feet. My knees were trembling, my heart racing. It would mean so much, in so many ways.
We crossed to the dresser. The little window in the white stick was now adorned with a pink cross. I grabbed hold of Jethro as my knees went weak.
He laughed with joy and pulled me into his arms, kissing me soundly.
“I knew it. Oh Miles, are you happy?”
My hands were on his shoulders, my eyes looking up into his. “We’re having a baby.”
“We are. The first of many, not just for us, but for the clan. But are you happy?” he asked again.
“Very, very much.”
Tears escaped my eyes, running in little rivulets down my cheeks. “I love you. I don’t have the words to tell you how much.”
“You don’t need words because I feel it too.”
The joy of finding out we were expecting buoyed us through the next few days as we went to the doctor at the military base to have the pregnancy confirmed.
Doctor Hayes was a little abrupt but Jethro knew her and seemed to like her.
“Well, it’s early days. I’d say about seven weeks. Which would tally with when you bonded yes?”
“Yes,” Jethro confirmed, squeezing my hand.
“The South will want it confirmed by their own doctor. I’ll contact them. They’ll be here by the end of the week.”
I didn’t like the sound of that.
“But what if…” I bit my lip to silence my fears. What if they did something to affect the pregnancy?
“I’ll be there the whole time,” Jethro said. “I won’t let them hurt you or the baby.”
“And I’ll be there to oversee every step of the way. No harm will come to you by their hands, I promise you that,” Doctor Hayes said, her eyes flashing with anger. “Please, try not to worry. It’s a formality. Every member of staff here is on your side. We’ll make it go as smoothly as we can.”
“Thank you, Doctor Hayes,” Jethro said.
“Yes, thank you,” I managed to stammer out.
Arm in arm, Jethro and I left. We’d walked from the clan house to the base, taking advantage of the warm day, and now we strolled back.
“We’re going to be together every step of the way,” Jethro assured me as we walked.
Except that we wouldn’t.
“They’re sending you away.”
“Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about that, actually.”
Jethro slowed to a stop and turned so we were face to face. Maybe they weren’t sending him away after all?
“Given that you’re expecting, they won’t let you travel overseas. So, instead, I’ll return home for one week in every four.”
“Really? That’s great.”
“There’s a downside to it.”
“What’s that?”
“I have to make up the time, so the total deployment will be five months instead of four. But, on the bright side, I’ll be here for the birth and for at least six months after.”
“Can’t they delay your deployment?” I didn’t want to be alone. Not yet.
He tugged me closer, wrapping his arms around me. “I wish. But this is the price I have to pay for what I did. The sooner I get it over with, the better. But don’t worry. You’ll be well looked after here. The clan will take care of you and the military will look after the medical side of things.”
One of his hands slipped between us, pressing against my stomach. There wasn’t anything to feel, not yet. But there would be.
“Jet?” someone called, and we broke apart as Blaise jogged toward us. Things would be okay. We’d spent a lifetime apart, we’d survive another sixteen weeks if it meant we couldn’t be parted for good.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Jethro
Five months later
I woke to my commanding officer shaking my shoulder.
“Lieutenant, there’s a transport leaving in ten minutes. You need to be on it.” Huh?
I sat up, trying to make sense of his words. I wasn’t due home for another two weeks when my five month deployment ended.
“Your mate, Miles, is at the base hospital.”
I grabbed my CO’s arm. “Is he okay?”
“They didn’t have much information, I was just told to get you on the next transport home. We’ll try to find out more for you during transit.”
Love Before Dawn: An Omegaverse Story (Kindred Book 1) Page 12
