by Hawke Oakley
Henry’s eyes flashed. “We’re not lying! I’m the baby’s omega-father, and Mav is the alpha-father!”
Their lie began to unravel in front of my eyes. In the heat of the moment, I’d been too full of rage to see the truth. But it was all becoming clear to me now. I had them cornered, and now they would pay.
“That’s not possible,” I growled. “I know you’re working together to get back at us, and I can prove it. First of all, you can’t have had a baby together—Henry only recently joined Cinderhollow tribe, and the time I saved your sorry ass from Mav at the bar was the first time the two of you ever met.”
Mav looked dumbstruck, like the realization he was caught in his own lie knocked him ass-backwards.
But Henry hadn’t given up just yet. He glared at me. But something about him seemed different. Like he was off somehow. An air of prickly paranoia surrounded him. Whatever his problem was, I was going to rip his lie apart.
“Fine. Mav isn’t the alpha-father. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t give birth to Angel. I—I brought her with me from outside. I hid her from the guards.”
I couldn’t help but groan. He’d just dug himself an even deeper hole. “You’re so stupid. If that was true, Angel wouldn’t even be inside the barrier. You need a guard’s magic to change a person’s energy signature for entrance. So unless you know some fancy magic, you’re fucked, Henry.”
His eyes widened. “I do know magic.”
“Then why didn’t you defend yourself from mine when I attacked you just now?” Ryu asked sharply.
“I couldn’t! I was holding onto the baby!” Henry spat back.
This time it was Ryu’s turn to roll his eyes. “If you were as skilled at clear magic as you say, you could defend yourself without even lifting a finger.” He shook his head, angry at himself. “I can’t believe we were such fools to even entertain your lie for even a second.”
Henry stepped forward with a snarl. “I can still prove it! Let go of me and let me shift. I’ll show you she’s my real daughter!”
“I’d like to see you try. But one step out of line and the snake eats you,” I growled.
Nate flicked his tongue out menacingly.
Henry wrenched his arm out of my grip and shifted into his fox form. He shook out his pelt and glanced at Angel.
“Come on, sweetie,” Henry said. “Show them what you can do.”
Cautiously, I watched Angel. She blinked at Henry, and for a moment I held my breath, ready to laugh at his last-ditch effort to prove us wrong.
But then my gut wrenched.
Angel shifted. Ryu stiffened as her form changed right in his arms. Where a baby girl had been a moment earlier, now was an entirely different creature.
My heart sank.
She shifted into a fox, the same as Henry.
“What?” I cried. “That’s not possible!”
Henry swished his tail back and forth, self-satisfied. “I told you.”
“That doesn’t prove anything,” Ryu declared. “It just means that one of Angel’s parents had to be a fox shifter. It still doesn’t explain where her magic came from, seeing as neither of you can use it.”
“Well, obviously it came from her alpha-father!” Henry retorted, but it was clear from his flustered expression that he’d lost the end of the rope that was his lie.
As if rebelling against Henry, Angel shifted back to her human form and clutched Ryu’s arms. She huddled close to his chest, and he held her tightly. She was completely safe under his protection.
Henry scowled deeper when he saw the little girl throw off the fox form, like it was the final betrayal against him.
“Give it up, Henry,” Ryu snapped. “Nobody believes your story anymore.”
Henry’s face twisted into one of rage—but also, strangely, with a hint of relief. “Fine! Take your stupid baby back! I hated taking care of that thing for two weeks anyway!”
Gasps erupted among the bar patrons. Even Mav seemed shocked that Henry said that out loud.
“Why did you do this?” Ryu asked calmly. “Why did you go through all the trouble of abducting our child and lying about it?”
Everyone glared at Henry and Mav fiercely. I noticed the faces of many of my regular customers scowling, and that they were tensed to help kick them out if necessary. I appreciated the gesture, but I was itching for some action myself.
When Henry scowled and didn’t reply, Ryu added in a quiet voice, “Is it because you were angry at me?”
“Of course I’m angry!” Henry spat. He pointed furiously at me. “You chose him over me! I’m better than him in every single way. You’re insane not to see that.”
The words didn’t even sting because the person saying them was so ugly on the inside, that it didn’t matter what he looked like on the outside. It’s a shame his appearance didn’t match his foul personality.
Now Henry turned his fury onto me. His glare was malicious. “You stole Ryu away from me. I don’t know what you did, or what tricks you used, but he deserves someone better than you.”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever.”
Ryu looked smug at the offended look on Henry’s face—obviously he wasn’t expecting his insult to roll off my back.
“And what about you?” I asked Mav, who seemed more embarrassed than Henry. “Still angry about getting your ass kicked by us—twice?”
“Fuck off,” Mav muttered, then turned to storm away.
“You’re banned from my bar, by the way,” I added as he pushed through the door. He flipped me off, then the door slammed behind him.
Henry stood alone now, flustered and angry but obviously defeated.
“Do you have anything else to say for yourself?” Ryu asked.
“Go to hell,” Henry muttered.
“Just so it’s clear, you’re banned, too,” I added, feeling smug at the way he growled. Every patron at the bar glared at Henry as he backed away.
But when Henry reached the door, he spat, “I hope the real parents of that baby steal her away from you, and you never see her again!”
Henry ran, disappearing into the street. The words stung. Even though I knew they were said in anger, the comment settled terribly in my stomach.
“Scar,” Ryu said, getting my attention, “I think Angel wants you.”
My focus instantly switched to my child. Sure enough, Angel watched me with her bright eyes and grunted, stretching out her fingers towards me. With a pang in my heart, I scooped her up and nestled her against my chest. A wide smile broke out across her face, and I melted. I’d missed her so, so much.
“I’m never letting anyone hurt you ever again,” I murmured to her.
16
Ryu
The bustling energy at the Drunken Dragon continued after Mav and Henry left. Inspired by the wholesome scene in front of him, Nate ordered a round of drinks for everyone at the bar—and then groaned and complained about his wallet. Nonetheless, it was a good way to get everyone’s mind off the earlier commotion.
When the night began to wind down, I approached Scar somewhat nervously. After our fight, I wasn’t sure how he would react to my presence, even though Angel was safely back with us. That didn’t erase the fact that I was the one who caused her disappearance in the first place.
“So,” I began, “are you taking Angel back to your place?”
Scar shot me a confused glance. It instantly twisted into one of annoyance. “Oh my gods. You idiot.”
“What did I say?”
He flicked my arm, and Angel laughed.
“What’d you do that for?” I mumbled.
“For being such a dense moron. You’re not being very tough and alpha-y, grovelling to your omega mate, you know.”
My heart leapt. He called himself my mate!
“Does that mean we’re okay?” I asked.
Scar rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. “Yeah, duh.” Suddenly his expression turned serious. In a lower voice he added, “I was really pissed at you. But I know t
hat I couldn’t do this without you. I need you in my life, Ryu. Got that?”
My chest filled with joy. I nodded. “Got it.”
“Good.” He glanced down at Angel, who had fallen asleep after another long and arduous night. “Now let’s get this little girl home.”
Nate, who was the last customer to leave, waved to us. “Thanks for a fun night, you guys.”
“No, thank you,” I said, bowing to him. “You helped save Angel tonight. We’re both extremely grateful.”
Nate seemed embarrassed. “Aw, shucks. I was just at the right place at the right time. Or should I say, the right snake at the right time?”
I laughed along with his bad pun to be polite, but Scar just groaned loudly and pointed at the door. “Go on, get out of here.”
After Nate left, Scar locked up the bar and we were headed home when a realization struck me. I quickly put my hand on Scar’s shoulder.
“The baby!” I cried. “Not Angel, I mean - ” I touched my belly. “This one.”
His eyes flashed. “Oh, I completely forgot. I meant to grab a pregnancy test.”
“There’s a 24 hour pharmacy near my place—we can get one right now.”
We hurried to the store, both of us nearly vibrating with excitement. Before making up with Scar, I hadn’t let myself be excited about the possibility of having a baby together. After our fight I assumed he might not ever want anything to do with me again. I had to consider the prospect that he would raise both children on his own.
But now that he’d forgiven me, a new and bright future loomed on the horizon. If Scar was pregnant, we would have not one, but two beautiful children.
Please, gods!
We grabbed the test kit and raced home. I made a big display of locking the front door this time. Scar rolled his eyes, placed Angel in her crib, and secluded himself in the bathroom with the pregnancy test.
“What, you don’t want me inside?” I asked outside the door.
“I’m not letting you watch me piss on a stick,” he muttered.
I sighed. “Okay, okay.”
I took a seat and waited. The test took a few minutes to complete, so I forced myself to try and be patient, but the suspense was overwhelming. My heart rate increased as anxiety and excitement swirled inside my chest.
After a few minutes had passed, I was beginning to wonder why Scar was taking so long. I shuffled closer to the door, which was still closed. The inside of the bathroom was silent.
“Scar?” I called. “Is everything okay?”
There was no response. I frowned.
“Hello?”
The drawn-out silence sparked dread inside me. Something was definitely wrong.
“Scar, if you don’t answer me, I’m going to assume you need help and break in the door,” I warned him.
My heart beat painfully hard with suspense. I lifted my fist, ready to knock one more time when the door opened and revealed Scar’s sullen face. Immediately my excitement vanished, replaced by dismay.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, worried.
Wordlessly, Scar held up the pregnancy test. A single line. No plus sign, no double lines. Just one lonely line.
Not pregnant.
“Oh, Scar…” I murmured.
With a growl, Scar tossed the used test angrily in the garbage can. He stormed out into the bedroom and buried his face in his knees. He radiated displeasure, but I knew his outward anger was just a cover-up for how he truly felt—heartbroken and disappointed.
I joined him, putting an arm comfortingly around his shoulders. He tensed but didn’t shrug me away.
“It’s okay,” I said. “It’s not the end of the world, it just means we have to try again.”
He grunted but didn’t lift his head or otherwise respond.
“You weren’t even in heat. It’s always less of a chance that way,” I added.
“But it still happens, all the time,” Scar growled now, his voice bitter. “I always hear about omegas who get pregnant when they’re not in heat. It’s like all they do is get pregnant.”
“We’re not giving up,” I assured him.
He lifted his head. It was clear by the harsh scowl on his face that my words offered him no solace.
“Maybe we should,” he muttered.
I blinked, shocked. “What? I thought you wanted another child. I thought we both did.”
Scar frowned deeply, his eyes betraying his own sadness. “You think I don’t? I want that more than anything!”
“Then why are you saying we should give up?” I asked gently. I hoped to calm him down and get to the root of the problem.
Again he laid his head on his knees, dejected. “It’s probably my fault.”
“Scar,” I growled. “I thought we were done blaming ourselves.”
“Well, I’m not,” he retorted. “Think about it. I’m older than all the young omegas getting knocked up left and right. It’s just biology. We probably have less of a chance conceiving no matter what. And besides that, who knows if I still have the right organs for it?”
“Why wouldn’t you?” I asked.
He raised his prosthetic arm, scowling. “Did you forget? The human raiders mutilated me. I know they took my arm and leg—but who the hell knows what else they took? They could’ve rendered me infertile, for all I know!”
The fight left Scar’s expression as he collapsed back against the pillow. My heart broke for him. I hated seeing him so upset.
“If they meddled with your reproductive system, I’m sure there would be signs of it,” I pointed out. He furrowed his brow, puzzled. I gently lifted his shirt and traced my hand along his lower abdomen. The entire area of his body associated with childbirth was untouched by a single scar. “Look.”
He frowned, like he didn’t want to be convinced. “They could’ve used a chemical or something non-invasive.”
“Taking your limbs was pretty invasive,” I countered. “I don’t think they have the capacity for subtlety.”
Scar just shrugged now. I knew he was too deep in his state of self-loathing to see any reason beyond his own dark thoughts. I curled my arm tighter around him and kissed his cheek. “If you still have doubts, we can see a doctor,” I suggested.
With a deep sigh, he leaned against me and muttered, “But what if I don’t like the answer?”
I didn’t want to consider that possibility either. But despite what Scar said, he was still young enough to bear children, and I honestly didn’t believe that his reproductive system had been destroyed.
“Then we’ll have to live with whatever the truth is,” I admitted.
Frustrated tears rimmed the corners of Scar’s eyes. “I don’t want to face the truth, whatever it is.”
“I know it’s difficult,” I agreed, stroking his back in calming motions. “But even in the worst case scenario… If, hypothetically, you can’t bear children, we still have a child.”
I gestured to the crib in the corner of the room. Angel’s tiny sleeping grunts could be heard among the silence.
But that didn’t seem to soothe Scar at all—in fact, his expression turned even more hopeless.
“What if Henry’s right?” he asked desperately.
I sighed. “Are you still thinking about that guy?”
“Yes!” Scar snapped. “Don’t you remember what he said? That he hoped Angel’s real parents show up and take her away from us?”
“That’s not going to happen,” I said firmly. “And we are her real parents. Don’t ever think otherwise.”
His brows knitted in frustration and sadness. “I know that. But it could still happen. We don’t know who they are, or where they are.”
“They could be dead,” I said, trying to be realistic.
But Scar shook his head. Paranoid, he muttered, “No, I don’t think so. They’re out there somewhere. I know it.”
I sighed, out of ideas. “I still think getting a doctor’s opinion about your body would be worthwhile. Can we at least agree on that?”<
br />
Scar paused, his expression tired. Finally, he nodded and murmured, “Okay.”
“Good.” I gave him a tired smile. “Let’s sleep for now. Tomorrow will be better.”
With a listless sigh, Scar collapsed into his pillow and shut his eyes, cutting off the world around him. “If you say so...”
* * *
Scar fidgeted uncomfortably in the seat beside me. The waiting room smelled sterile with a hint of old magazines. Surrounding us were other couples—alphas and omegas my age. I could tell by Scar’s frown that he was hyper-aware of his age compared to the younger men.
I put my hand on his knee and murmured, “It’s going to be fine.”
He grunted.
“Are you worried about Angel?” I asked.
“A little,” he admitted. “I just hope Raja and Gabriel’s kids aren’t too rough with her.”
“They’re both experienced parents. Besides, Dante and Lorenzo are there too. She’s well-looked after,” I reassured him.
“I know,” he muttered. “Being away from her just sucks.”
“Agreed.”
A young beta at the front desk stood up, glanced awkwardly at the clipboard and called, “Mr. Hoshi and, er… Mr. Scar? The doctor will see you now.”
I quirked a brow at my mate as we walked to the clinic room. “Did you not put a last name on the form?”
He shrugged. “I left it behind, the same way I left my given name. This is who I am now.”
“I see,” I said. “Maybe… Maybe one day you’ll think about taking my last name.”
He shot me a wry glance. “We’ll see.”
The humor faded into anxiety as we entered the doctor’s office. The beta gestured for us to sit and said, “Dr. Lynden will be with you in just a moment.”
“Thank you,” I said.
He left us alone. Scar gripped the arm of the chair, picking at the seam of the fake leather.
“This doctor delivered Gabriel and Raja’s babies, you know,” I said to try and distract him.
“I guess she knows what she’s doing, then,” Scar replied. The seam began to fray. I gently placed my hand on top of his to stop him from fussing with it.
