JAN. 3
When I woke up, Day wasn’t beside me. I sat up quickly, glancing at the slightly messed-up nest. A pang of guilt hit me—Day had worked so hard to make it perfect—but I hoped he could restore it to its former glory later. After a quick wash, I headed downstairs to the kitchen.
Our Bond was now almost palpable between us, an intense energetic link. I simply knew Day was there; I could now locate him even from a distance and sense what mood he was in.
He was busy making breakfast, and it was like he’d been infused with new life. His movements were lively, and he was even humming softly in his pleasant tenor voice. He bustled around the kitchen like it was the best day of his life. Maybe it was?
Milky and Fuzz were also there, sitting close to him, as if he were a source of warmth and light that drew them. And he drew me in too!
I approached him quietly, and when he turned to see me, we locked eyes for a moment. Then, all of a sudden, he rushed toward me and threw his arms around me, hugging me tightly.
We stood there by the kitchen counter, holding each other close, our gazes connected.
"Our life… it’s going to be so completely different from what I imagined back when I agreed to that marriage contract," Day whispered softly. "It’s hard to believe Fate gave me something like this. Sometimes, I even think everything I went through was worth it… if it led to this kind of—"
His words cut off suddenly.
A strange crackling noise broke the silence, followed by the sound of the terrace door being shoved open.
I immediately regretted letting Max and Buddy stay in their kennels for this night.
They only barked frantically as a man stepped inside, and my eyes widened.
He was an omega, taller than average, about my height, with long platinum blond hair tied back in a thick ponytail.
His face… it was almost unnaturally beautiful, like something out of a fantasy novel, as if he’d been painted on an illustration of elven royalty. Every feature was flawless, not a single imperfection to be found. But as striking as he was, there was something oddly familiar about him. I was sure I’d seen that face before—and not long ago.
Day turned sharply, noticing my shocked expression, his own mouth falling open in surprise.
The man was holding a gun, pointing it directly at us.
"Jared?" Day managed to choke out.
Now I knew. I had seen his face a few days ago—on my laptop screen while researching the Fergusons. The view had left me stunned.
In person, he looked even more impressive than in the staged photos, where he had a slightly doll-like quality. His beauty was the kind that would momentarily short-circuit your brain.
But it was almost too much. His appearance was intimidating, unnervingly perfect—like an AI-rendered vision of ideal proportions—an android’s beauty that felt somewhat unsettling.
His piercing green eyes landed on Day first, then shifted to me. His lips—raspberry-red and sensually full—twisted into a bitter smirk.
It also looked like his face was covered with a pretty thick layer of concealer, which made me wonder…
"Hello, Day. Long time no see," Jared said slowly.
Day, remarkably calm, blinked once and replied evenly, "What brings you here, Jared? And why the gun?"
Jared spoke in a voice that sounded carefully measured.
"I think you know why, Day. I’ve had time to think this whole situation through, and I see exactly what you’re trying to do. I paid you what you were owed—the money for the court expenses. And more. But you won’t stop, will you?"
"Yes, I saw the funds in my account. I have to admit, I was surprised by your decision," Day said cautiously. I could tell he was trying to play dumb, pretending he didn’t know anything about the video. But I doubted that tactic would hold up for long.
And I was right. Jared let out an irritated huff.
"Day, please. I know people like to assume I’m an airhead just because I’m a model, but I’m not stupid. I know it was you who sent that video—to me, to the campaign committee, and to DarenCo."
A heavy silence fell. Day glanced at me briefly.
Jared took a deep breath, as if steeling himself for a long speech.
"Don’t even try to deny it—"
"How did you get here, Jared? Can we start with that?"
"It wasn’t easy. Your alpha father was pretty stubborn. But your omega dad was more… cooperative after I invited him into my car’s trunk—with this gun. That was at seven this morning, in the parking lot outside his school."
"What?!" For the first time, Day lost his composure, his fists clenching tightly. "Where’s my dad? Is he still in the trunk? Did you hurt him?"
Jared rolled his eyes. "He’s fine. He’s got water and even a sandwich. The trunk is air-conditioned, so don’t worry. He just had a bit of a reclining journey. But yes, he told me that two weeks ago you entered a marriage contract with someone named Wilson—an orchard owner. The rest, I found online. I couldn’t let your dad sound the alarm, so I brought him with me. But don’t worry, I don’t intend to hurt him."
"And do you intend to hurt us?" I asked, my voice calm, maybe a little icy.
Jared’s gaze shifted to me. His nostrils flared slightly as he studied me.
"You must be Mr. Jan Wilson, I presume? Pleasure to meet you."
"‘Pleasure’ isn’t the word I’d use. I’d like an explanation for all of this."
"Funny. I came here looking for explanations. I tried to do this the peaceful way—three times, I showed up at his parents’ house. The last time, they unleashed the dogs on me." He waved toward his leg. "And I only wanted to talk to Day."
Silence fell again. Day’s jaw tightened. The news about his dad being in Jared’s trunk clearly wasn’t sitting well with him—and rightly so.
Jared continued, "After days of running into locked doors, I finally snapped. I did something I’ll probably regret for the rest of my life. I never wanted to terrorize an elderly omega—one who’s survived cancer. But I’m desperate. I’m here to ask you to stop whatever you’ve set in motion to destroy Mark. You don’t understand so many things, Day. You just don’t—"
"I don’t understand? I don’t understand, Jared?!" Day’s face turned bright red, his voice rising. "You don’t understand what it’s like to be raped—three times—by someone you trusted. Someone you agreed to bear a child for. Someone who offered you a safe place to carry that pregnancy!" His voice broke into a shout, raw with emotion. I felt the storm of anger and pain tumbling inside him and gently squeezed his hand in support.
Jared shut his eyes tight. "I’m sorry, it should’ve never happened…"
"But it did and it nearly destroyed me!"
There was a moment of silence before Jared said in a breaking voice, "You’re not the only omega who’s been raped, Day. I have been used many times—just to book a photoshoot, just to get a gig. My manager would negotiate contracts where my body was the bargaining chip, as long as the deal was lucrative enough. Do you think you’re the only one who’s suffered? Yes, Mark did something terrible—I’ll never forgive him for it. But he also saved me. He pulled me out of a situation where I was being sexually exploited by a group of people. I was only nineteen then! He gave me a chance at a career, at a better life, at a normal family!"
Jared’s voice trembled, and so did the hand holding the gun. I kept a wary eye on it. Tears ran down his impossibly perfect face, I couldn’t feel his pain as sharply as I felt Day’s, but I could tell it was just as intense.
Day hesitated, visibly affected by Jared’s words.
"I'm also sorry this happened to you, Jared," Day said quietly. "It's terrible, and no one should ever have to go through that."
The model snorted. "Please spare me the pity. If Mark loses everything, if he goes to prison, I’ll be in deep trouble. You know how my prenup works—I get practically nothing. Not even proper child support, and the little that’s stipulated in the prenup is, let’s just say, modest. I’m already twenty-five; my modeling career isn’t exactly taking off anymore—"
Day grimaced. "Modest? What exactly does that mean? I remember what you told me—he would be paying you $5,000 a month. That’s no small amount. For an average family, that’s a good income. If you’re used to a higher standard of living, well, I’m sorry, but I’ve also found myself broke, with an empty bank account, all because this bastard accused me of causing your child’s premature birth! It was shitty, and yeah, life throws shitty things our way sometimes," Day said, his voice bitter and accusatory.
Jared closed his eyes for a moment as Day continued, "Because of you two, I was left penniless and practically blacklisted from getting another surrogacy contract. And I was so traumatized that I couldn’t even think about getting into a relationship. All of that is your husband’s doing!"
"And I tortured myself every time I took Tommy in my arms! The awareness that the person who carried him was treated in such a way was… sickening. But—" Jared interrupted and let out a huff, "—at least we’ve cleared one thing up—that you’re the one behind all this. Mark wasn’t sure, but I knew. I thought about it and asked myself—why would you send me an email without blurring your face, but send them one with your face blurred? Because they didn’t need to know who you were. I did. It was obvious."
Silence fell, and I decided to break it.
"I sent the emails."
He scoffed, but didn’t take his eyes off Day. "Another thing that’s obvious to me. You’ve got a new partner, someone who gave you strength, someone who knows your story and pushed you to act, to take revenge—"
"He didn’t need to push me. I was on board from the start. But yeah, he gave me strength."
"How sweet, how romantic, but you’re destroying people along the way—"
"I don’t understand how you can defend him!" I snapped. "He’s a rapist! He hurt a defenseless human being living under his roof! Nothing excuses that!"
Jared flinched. "You’re right. And I’m not defending him or excusing him. Don’t you dare suggest that. I just want to ask you to stop whatever it is you’re planning to do next!"
He glanced at Day. "You’ve punished him enough. He lost his position. This morning, the campaign committee withdrew their support for his candidacy. My relationship with him is ruined. After I sent you money, he was furious. You hit him hard, but as long as his name doesn’t go public, he still has a chance to rebuild, to start another company…"
"You’re planning to stay with him, knowing all this?"
"He’s Tommy’s father! I don’t want to destroy the family my child has. I grew up without parents. My omega granddad raised me, and he beat me and called me trash my entire childhood. I want to give my son what I never had…"
"I wasn’t the only one, Jared."
Silence fell again. Both Jared and I turned to look at Day, who nodded sadly.
"I know you’ve figured out that part yourself. About the PAs. You thought he was just having an affair or something, right? I overheard you talking to Alex. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There were a few situations I never told you about, but they seemed really suspicious to me. Even before I lived with you, Mark took me to doctor’s appointments during the first trimester a few times when you couldn’t. During one of those drives, he suddenly stopped, and a young omega got into the car. Mark said he was a friend and that he was just giving him a ride. When we got to the clinic, we parted ways. My appointment took about an hour, and when I came back, the car reeked of sex, and the omega looked like a wreck—his eyes were red, and he was curled up, visibly stressed. I didn’t know how to interpret it. I didn’t know what your marriage dynamic was like—maybe you had an open relationship. I didn’t want to hurt you by saying something, and as a surrogate, I felt it wasn’t my place to interfere."
Jared stared at him, his mouth agape.
"The second time was after Mark raped me in my bedroom. I’d installed a lock on the door and spent a lot of time on the balcony. One day, when you weren’t home, Mark banged on the door, trying to get in. But the lock was solid; he would’ve had to break the door down. After a while, it got quiet, and then a car pulled into the driveway. Another young omega got out and went inside. About half an hour later, he ran out, his shirt torn, sobbing hysterically. But I was so angry and shaken by what Mark had done to me that I couldn’t think about it or share this with you. I knew my reasons could easily be misunderstood. Those weren’t the only times—there were a few more, less obvious but also suspicious. Mark is not a good man. He’s a monster in sheep’s clothing—a serial rapist! You should leave him and walk away…"
The weight of what Day said clearly hit Jared. He swayed slightly and swallowed hard, his face flushing red and then turning ghostly pale.
His hands shook even more, and for a moment, I was genuinely worried he might pull the trigger. The gun was roughly pointed at me, but that wasn’t much comfort because, as True Mates, we’d both die if I did.
Day whispered, "Jared, please don’t do this…"
"Do what? You think I came here to kill you? I’m not that stupid—or that evil. This gun is just for self-defense in case your alpha tried to kick me out before I could even say a word. I’d never hurt you, Day. I’m not a monster… unlike Mark."
"Not super convincing, considering my dad in your trunk."
"You clearly don’t know what it means to be truly desperate—to do something crazy, something completely out of character! But I tried to make it right for you. Even if you think I’m a psycho because of what I did with your dad, I suffered for you, Day, so you could have at least some compensation…"
"What are you talking about?" I asked, sensing something.
Jared’s hands trembled as he raised one of them—the one without the gun, of course—and wiped his cheek with a firm motion, revealing a large bruise.
"God, Jared…" Day whispered. "Did he beat you?"
The omega lowered his head, tears streaming down his face. "He did. He was angry that I sent you money, absolutely furious… But I had to try to make it right for you. Mark… he robbed you, he hurt you, treated you inhumanely…"
"Oh, Jared…" Tears appeared on Day’s cheeks as well, his energy constricting in pain.
At that moment, a strange sound broke the tension. It wasn’t from my phone or Day’s.
Jared reached into his pocket, lowering the gun. He glanced at the screen and ignored the call, ending it.
"I’m just asking you to stop what you said you’d do in both of your emails to the campaign committee and Mark’s company—to release the video—"
Right then, his phone rang again. Jared glanced at it, looking surprised, but he hung up once more. Before he could say a word, it started ringing for the third time. This time, he looked more unsettled.
"I think I know why they’re blowing up your phone, Jared," I said. "It’s too late to stop it. The East Times magazine online issue goes live at 9 am. It’s already too late to stop it. I’m guessing it made the front page—big scandal, local politician, millions of clicks. Mark and his reputation won’t recover from this, even if Day doesn’t take it to court."
I almost regretted saying it because Jared suddenly shook the gun, his eyes welling up with even more tears. They were now removing his concealer, revealing more and more violet and yellow bruises under his eyes. He trembled like he’d been doused in ice water.
"So it’s too late. Everything’s ruined! I came here for nothing…" he choked out, tears constantly pouring down his face and neck.
He lowered the gun but kept it in his hand, stumbling back a step, looking like he could barely stay on his feet.
"They will take every cent of Mark’s. I won’t even have child support since he’ll be in prison. I’ll be on the street with Tommy…"
"You have Alex," Day whispered.
"You know how sick he is. He can’t take us—all his asthma and allergies. You were left with nothing, but at least you had a loving family that could house you!"
"Yeah, such a family. They drain all my money."
Jared snapped his head up. "Your dad was willing to give his life for you!"
"What?!"
Jared burst out in a bitter, desperate laugh and then held up his gun, turning his wrist to present us with… an empty clip!
"Your gun isn’t loaded?!" I blurted out.
"Of course it isn’t, idiot! Besides, Day’s dad told me if it was, he would never give me the address, and I would have to kill him first." Jared looked at Day. "He said you are an angel, not a child—selfless and caring, the best child he could ever dream of. He said he prays every day, begging Fate for a perfect match for you! Every evening, he gets on his knees and pleads for your happiness! And he also said he would rather give his life than let me go to your house with a loaded gun. I had to empty the clip in front of him and swear on my own child’s life that I would never hurt you before he told me! And I had no problem doing it. I’m not a murderer!"
Day was shocked. He pressed his hands to his eyes and sobbed almost hysterically. I embraced him right away, stroking his hair.
Jared was also crying, barely standing. "Nobody loved me like he loves you, ever! Nobody prays for me! And now…" He swayed and leaned on a wall, looking pale as a ghost, close to fainting.
A wave of pity washed over me. Despite the fact that he’d shown up with a gun, Jared was in emotional shock—devastated, overwhelmed. I could understand him in a way. Living with a monster and making desperate life choices had led him to this point.
"What if you had another option besides Mark?" I asked cautiously, surprising even myself with the question.
Day, whose head was snuggled in my neck, lifted it up and gave me a questioning look, his eyes full of tears. Jared, still sobbing and slumped, suddenly gazed at Day, ignoring my question.
"I’m sorry, Day. I’m sorry I came here. I’m sorry I terrorized your dad. I didn’t mean for this to spiral out of control. I’m losing it… everything’s ruined. I’m done…" he mumbled, shoving the gun into his pocket.
"Maybe not. I asked you a question. What if you had a better option than Mark?"
Jared gave me a hollow look. "What are you talking about?"
"Would you want to find your True Mate?"
Jared let out a bitter, broken laugh. "What do you think? Ask anyone—aside from those idiots in the ‘No to TMs’ movement—and they’ll all give you the same answer. But it’s not that fucking easy."
"Well, I managed to find mine. I met someone who can find perfect matches. Day is my True Mate."
Jared gaped at me, tears still glistening in his eyes. "What?" He seemed unable to process this information.
"It’s true," Day said. "We’re True Mates, Jared. And Jan’s right—we met someone who can find them. Pair them."
I nodded, surprised at how calm I felt, despite Jared’s intrusion into our home. For some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to truly hate him.
"So… his dad's prayers worked…?"
"Possibly. Maybe there’s a solution for you too. The man who helped us find each other seems to have a certain… supernatural gift. He also successfully paired other clients. What if I gave you his name? You could go to him and ask for help finding a partner—your True Mate. Someone who would truly love you, love your child, and give you the safety, acceptance, and care that monster never could. Wouldn’t you be willing to throw everything away and escape from him?"
Jared blinked, staring at me like he’d just seen a ghost.
"I—I would. Even today!"
A heavy silence fell. Day looked at me with wide eyes, his emotions practically radiating from him. He was shocked—but in a good way, like he couldn’t believe I’d come up with this idea.
"You’ve had a tough life too," I added, "and from what you’ve said, your appearance has been a curse as much as a blessing. I believe Fate has something better in store for you than Ferguson. In fact, I’m sure of it."
Jared looked stunned, almost comically so, blinking rapidly and swallowing nervously.
"Day and I thought this was all a fairytale, a scam, when this guy told us he has a gift. And… yet!"
Something flickered in Jared’s eyes, and he said quietly, "What’s his name?"
"Storm Nolan. He works for a matchmaking agency called Fate’s Choice."
"He doesn’t know me. I’m just supposed to walk up to him?"
I pulled out my phone, searching for Storm’s contact. I called him, and after a few rings, he picked up. He sounded slightly out of breath, and I thought I heard another quick breath in the background, but I didn’t dwell on it—pretty sure I could guess what I’d interrupted. I put him on speaker.
"Good news!" I said. "We confirmed our True Mate status today. The electrical sparks were enough to light up the whole house!"
"Ha! Congratulations! That’s incredible news first thing in the morning! I’m so happy to add your case to my list of successful pairings—"
"There’s more," I continued. "I’m calling about a… unique situation. I’ve got an omega here in a very bad spot. His husband is… a rapist. He needs to get away and find happiness. He’s had a rough past and suffered a lot at the hands of alphas. I wanted to ask if you’d help him find his True Mate. I’m sure he’d compensate you for your time."
Jared nodded firmly, his expression resolute.
There was a pause on the other end of the line.
"Hmm… I’ve never taken on a client outside Fate’s Choice before."
"Maybe you could make an exception, just this once? He’s really in a tough situation."
Another moment of silence. Jared and Day stared at the phone like it held their salvation.
"I see…" Nolan sighed. "Alright. Send me his photo, and I’ll check what I can do. But I need you to know, my process is unconventional. I don’t directly match people; I kind of sense things and nudge Fate into doing its magic."
"Even so, it’d mean the world if you gave this a shot. Hang on—I’ll send his photo right now. I think it might spark something for you."
I turned to Jared. "What’s your Instagram? I’ll send it to Storm."
Jared looked a bit dazed but whispered, "JarringMe."
After quickly typing in his handle, I pulled up a few photos showing Jared’s undeniable beauty and sent them to Storm.
There was a moment of silence before Storm muttered, "He looks familiar. A celebrity?"
"Yeah. On top of that, his husband’s case just hit the front page of East Times . He desperately needs a way out."
Another pause. "Hmm… I’ll think about it and get back to you. Send me his number. He doesn’t need to pay me; this will be an experiment, after all. I’ve never done it this way before, but I’ll try. My True Mate has been lately amplifying my… well, let’s say powers. We’re like connected circuits. Who knows? It might work."
"Thank you so much for even considering it. Now, I’ll let you get back to whatever… activity I interrupted. I strongly suspect that there’s some redhead who needs your attention, right?"
Storm chuckled awkwardly. "Luckily, it was just after the grand finale."
After the call ended, I looked at Jared intently.
His hands were still shaking, but he wiped his reddened eyes. He was still beautiful, but in a tragic, almost heartbreaking way. I hoped his True Mate, wherever he was, would appreciate him. With any luck, Storm could figure out who the man was and set them on a collision course.
"Th-thank you," Jared whispered, his voice breaking.
Before I could say anything, Day cut in with a sharp reminder of our priorities.
"Okay. So we have this settled. Can we go free my dad now?"
Both Jared and I froze, realizing we’d completely forgotten about Day’s dad.
"Are you going to take any action against me?" Jared asked quietly, almost frantically rubbing his still-wet face with the back of his hand, smudging the remnants of concealer.
Day sighed. "I don’t want to drag you into this. It’s your husband who needs to pay, not you. I was mad that you didn’t stop him from filing that lawsuit, but I also get it—you were scared of that monster. I appreciate that you tried to make things right by sending me the money. I can see you wanted to do something good. And I believe you came here thinking it was the only way to save what’s left of your family. But Jan is right—maybe there’s a chance for you to find a better, safe family—and real love. If Storm Nolan gives you some information, trust him. The guy’s gift might be strange, but you can’t deny it works."
Jared nodded slowly, his eyes still shimmering with moisture.
"Alright. Let’s go free your dad," he said quietly.
We stepped outside, where the muffled sounds of thumping came from the trunk.
Clearly, Day’s dad hadn’t lost his fighting spirit during the hour and a half he’d been stuck in there. Jared, though, looked absolutely miserable.
When we opened the trunk, Day’s dad practically leapt out. He would’ve lunged at Jared if Day hadn’t physically held him back. A stream of curses and insults poured from the older omega’s mouth—some impressively foul—but Jared stayed silent. He kept his head bowed, refusing to meet the man’s eyes.
"I’m sorry. Please forgive me. I don’t know what came over me," Jared whispered.
Once Day’s dad was safely away from the car, Jared turned and quickly climbed into the driver’s seat, eager to speed off.
But suddenly, Day let go of his dad and ran after Jared, grabbing the model’s hand. Their eyes met.
"Jared. I will be the one. I will pray for you to Fate."
There was a moment of silence; even Day’s dad stopped his long rant of curses. I felt a treacherous moisture threatening to form in my eye. Day forgave Jared, and for some reason, it made me happy. Day was a truly special person—I wouldn’t have been as eager to do the same.
Jared nodded briefly, holding back tears, and closed the car door. Then he sped off without another word. Day’s dad was at it again, calling after him and shaking his fists, with no forgiveness in his heart. Clearly, Jared wasn’t keen on enduring the older omega’s wrath any longer than necessary.
And that’s how I finally met Day’s dad.
Within minutes, he was commenting that my house looked ‘like a rich man’s place’ and subtly suggesting I lend him some money since he needed to get some ‘work’ done around his house. Apparently, that’s just how things were in the Sanderson family.
Thankfully, being kidnapped by Jared didn’t seem to leave any lasting trauma—or at least not on his appetite. He demolished the breakfast Day had made with remarkable enthusiasm.
He also turned out to be a relentless chatterbox, constantly commenting, critiquing, and cracking jokes that weren’t all that funny. After a while, he tried playing with my dogs and cats, though they weren’t particularly interested in him.
Finally, we told him the BIG news about us being True Mates, and he practically swooned with happiness, showering us with congratulations and hugs. Seeing his excitement, I realized I’d soon have to tell Frank the same thing—and endure yet another round of "I told you so, the fair was a great idea…"
Day’s dad stayed for another hour, eating even more, but I didn’t mind. I couldn’t really be annoyed at anyone that day.
Also, I could see how much it meant to Day—what Jared said about the parking lot kidnapping situation. His dad didn’t turn out to be such a shitty person after all. When it came to the truly important things, he was willing to sacrifice his life for his son. He clearly recognized how selfless Day had been throughout the years. He was the one who made sure Jared didn’t show up here with a loaded gun, and for that, he deserved acknowledgment.
Later, we drove Day’s dad to his house, where I also met his alpha father for the first time. It went more smoothly than I had anticipated. Day seemed happy about it; he hugged his parents a lot, and I could tell how much it meant to him to see them accepting me into the family.
In summary, nothing could ruin my mood that day. I’d found my True Mate! That’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing, after all.
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