Page 59 of Alpha’s Conquest

Casey returned just as we were serving everyone’s plates, and we sat in silence on opposite ends of the table as David filled the awkward silence with tales of being a sheriff in a town that had basically no crime. Marshall seemed equally contemplative as he dragged his fork over his plate and barely ate anything. What would he do? How would he respond to this?

As much as I tried not to stare at Casey, it was nearly impossible to tear my eyes away from. His small, sturdy frame seemed to shrink with every bite he took. He was still in shock, just like I was. It seemed ridiculous to be surprised. We hadn’t exactly been cautious, but we had no reason to be. And now… in one single moment, our entire world had shifted. We would talk, as soon as I could get him alone.

After we finished our meal and the table was cleared, David inched his way towards the front door. “Delicious meal, Pops. I’m heading out.”

“Wait,” Marshall said. As his frown shifted into a hesitant smile, my stomach clenched with dread. “I heard what you said to my dad, Casey. About the baby. I know you’re afraid of how I might react.” Casey looked as confused as I felt when Marshall took his hand. What was he doing? My entire body stiffened, and I felt a suffocating tightness in my throat. “I’ve been wanting to do this for months. It’s why I brought you to Oakridge to meet my family. This isn’t exactly how I would’ve done it, but…” My son knelt down on one knee and said three words that made my chest ache. “Marry me, Casey.” A hush fell over the room, and an eternity seemed to pass before he continued. “Marry me, and we’ll raise our child together.”

I couldn’t stand still. I’d be risking everything by speaking up, but I would not stand here and watch my omega be taken from me. Not again. Something propelled me forward, and I interrupted the hasty proposal with my own startling revelation. “It’s my baby, Marshall.” The stunned silence surrounding Marshall popping the question was nothing compared to this one. Before I could explain, Marshall stood up, gave me one long, lingering look, and walked out the front door. Casey quickly tried to go after him, but I stopped him with a firm grip on his arm. “No. Let him leave.” My hand slipped down to take his, giving him a comforting squeeze.

“Shit,” David swore under his breath as he watched us holding hands. “This makes so much sense.” My eyebrow raised in question, and he chuckled dryly at me. “You’ve been different the past couple months, Pops. You spent five weeks in Hanford. You hate the big city. I thought you’d met someone, and clearly you did. I just didn’t think it would be…” He gestured towards Casey, his mouth curling into a tight frown. “You weren’t just fucking around, were you?”

“No.”

Sighing, David scrubbed a hand down his face. “I’m not happy about this, Pops. You shouldn’t have done this to Marshall.” He paused, staring at our clasped hands. “You haven’t been with anyone since Mom died.” His eyes met mine, and without a word spoken between us, I knew he understood. I wouldn’t disrupt my family this way on a whim. I was serious about Casey. “I’m going to Dina’s. We’ll talk tomorrow after the dust settles.”

My son watched as I tugged Casey's hand and took him upstairs. There was no question of where I was taking him. Happiness rushed over me as I opened my bedroom door and took Casey inside. No matter how this went going forward, everything was out in the open now, and everyone would know who belonged to me.

I drew Casey closer and kissed his forehead again. He had every right to be upset with me. Every right to push me away. His doe-eyed expression remained as I lifted him into my arms and took him to my bed. We lay side by side, his head pressed against the pillow that had remained empty for twenty years.

I gently placed my hand on his stomach. It felt the same as it always had, but there was something different now. My child lay beneath my fingers, carried by the omega I adored.

“Are you disappointed?” he asked, his voice timid and soft. Did he really think I would be upset?

“Of course not.” I spread my fingers across his stomach. My baby. My omega. “Are you?”

“I’m not sure how I feel. I’m still in disbelief.”

I slid my arm around him and drew him close, feeling the warmth of his body against mine. “I’m so happy, Casey. I’ve always wanted more children. Even if this never happened, I would’ve been content with just you. But now that it has…”

“You’re happy to have more babies?”

“I’m happy that it’s yours.” I buried my head in the crook of his neck, drowning in his sweet, rainy scent. Some small amount of tension remained in his body even as he slowly relaxed against me. He was still in shock, trying to wrap his head around everything. The baby. Marshall. And me.

Cradled in my arms, my omega slowly drifted off to sleep. We had to mend things tomorrow, but tonight… Tonight he would sleep, and I would keep him safe.

THIRTY-TWO

Casey

Casey

Everything happened so quickly. First, I was taking a pregnancy test in a pharmacy bathroom, and then I fell asleep in Adam’s bed, cradled in his arms. I was so overwhelmed, I didn't even have a moment to catch my breath. Adam stood up in front of his sons and told them it was his baby growing inside me. The meaning was clear enough, even without an explanation. And now Marshall and David knew everything. There would be no more hiding in the shadows. It was all out in the open. I thought it would be terrifying, but all I felt was relief.

Adam’s earthy pheromones stirred me awake the next morning. After all the stress, I expected to wake up exhausted, but after a night beside Adam, I was anything but. His arm was slung over my side, keeping me close as we slept. Did he even move at all? Wiggling away, I almost got my foot off the bed before he grabbed me and slid me back into his embrace.

His arm snagged me around the waist, a gruff growl rumbling from his lips. “Where do you think you’re going, omega?”

With what little space I had, I twisted around to face him. His eyes were closed and his mouth was open, as if he might fall back asleep. We had never woken up together before. One of us always left before the other was awake.

It was nice to see him so unguarded. His beard was scraggly, a reflection of the unkempt state of his red curls. Sunlight crept through the windows, bathing him in a warm, yellow glow.

Beautiful.

His eyes slowly opened, revealing a bright green gaze that fixed on me. It sent a shiver through my entire body. “Morning,” he greeted, his voice low and husky with sleep. “I’ve been waiting for so long to wake up next to you.”

I’d also dreamed of this, a day when we didn’t have to hide. When I could wake up beside him and not be afraid of someone discovering us. There were still things to deal with, but not right now. Not yet.

A deep blush crept across my cheeks, warming my skin wherever he touched. His fingertips brushed my face. The hand around my waist tickled the edge of my hips. Our feet slid together under the blanket, entangling our limbs even further. This was nice. No one needed us. We could lie in bed for hours if we wanted to. Side by side with my Alpha.