13. Chapter Twelve
Chapter Twelve
Hal
Once I’d fed Briar, I carried him back toward his chambers.
I supposed they were now mine, too. My poor omega fell asleep in my arms, snuggled up against me as he fisted my shirt.
I loved having him close. The small, contented sounds coming from him were like music to my once-lonely soul.
I’d dreaded the withdrawal after the closeness I’d felt with Briar during his heat, but just like the curse hadn’t struck me, the need to reject me hadn’t come either.
I didn’t know why, but perhaps all the years where he’d been deprived of human touch had left his body starving for it.
In any case, I was thrilled because Briar rejecting me would’ve been pure torture.
This way, we could start living our lives together right away.
I’d agreed with Stefano that he’d make some tea for Briar to soothe his stomach.
I suspected that Briar’s stomachache stemmed from not being bred.
But as much as I’d wanted to, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
I knew I wanted children with Briar—an entire flock—but I didn’t want to breed him without his consent.
Since Briar’s heat had come out of nowhere, there had been no time for us to talk about children.
Heck, I hadn’t even confessed my love for him before his heat.
It wouldn’t be fair of me to breed him when he was not in his right mind.
I loved and respected Briar too much to do that.
It had taken all my strength to hold back, especially when he’d begged me for it.
His womb had been right there! At least I’d knotted him, and that had been everything, knowing my seed was locked inside him.
His next heat, on the other hand… You better believe I was going to breed a baby or two into my sweet omega.
Mine. I tugged Briar closer against me, breathing him in.
His scent awakened a renewed hunger in me, but he needed to rest. I could be patient.
I couldn’t believe I’d found my omega. I’d dreamt of him over the years, longed for him, but he’d remained faceless and nameless in the shadows.
I’d never imagined he’d be this lovely, this precious, this…
I had no words. He was just perfect for me.
I think he still doubted me a little, but luckily, time was on my side.
I was going to break down all his walls and love the heck out of my sweet little Briar until he believed me.
I was going to love bomb him until all remnants of doubt and insecurity were banished from his mind.
I lived for his smiles and the way his face transformed, becoming alight when he laughed.
It was my purpose now to make Briar laugh. And claiming him again and again.
When we reached Briar’s room, the door was open, and my few belongings were placed on the bed.
At least Nial hadn’t set them on fire. It was still strange giving servants orders, but as one of the royal advisors, I was allowed to do so.
I still couldn’t believe Seb had given me this role, but I gathered it was to show everyone how serious he was about alphas and omegas being equals.
It was a thoughtful gesture, actually, and I knew it mattered to Gus.
To be honest, I found it a little boring, and I missed the farm and the joy physical labor brought me, but when Seb asked me, I couldn’t say no.
I was still a little uncertain when it came to Seb, but I saw how happy he made my best friend, and I had no doubt Seb would walk through fire to protect Gus and the twins.
And in that way, Seb and I were similar. Because I would, too. I’d endure any kind of pain to keep Briar and our future children safe. I’d lay down my life for them. It was part of my alpha nature. To protect, to shelter, to keep them safe from harm.
Briar stirred in my arms, then yawned. His eyes remained closed, and I decided he needed to sleep some more before we talked.
I walked toward the bed, but when I tried to ease him down, he clung to me, whimpering in his sleep.
The servants had changed the bedding, but our combined scents still clung to the furniture, the curtains, the carpets.
The remnants of our heat were everywhere.
I reached for one of Briar’s fluffy blankets and sniffed it.
I could smell myself instantly. Disentangling Briar’s fingers from my shirt, I replaced it with the blanket and tucked it around his body.
He murmured something I couldn’t make out, a frown appearing between his eyebrows, and I nearly aborted my mission.
Then his cute little nose wiggled, and a contented sigh left him as he snuggled up against the blanket. Victory!
I didn’t want to leave Briar, but he needed to rest, and I had to find Gus. I needed to know how to be the best alpha possible for my sweet Briar, and Gus was the only one I knew who had experience with that.
Outside, I ran into Stefano, who was carrying a tray with tea and fruit. I held my index finger to my lips, then gestured at the door. Stefano smiled knowingly, then nodded. Placing the tray on the floor next to the door, he proceeded to grab my hand and shake it furiously.
“Thank you, Alpha Hal,” he said, his eyes spilling over with emotion.
“For what?”
“For seeing how much our Briar needed you. For—” His voice broke. “For not letting him convince you that he isn’t worth it. Because he is.”
“I know,” I said, swallowing back the lump in my throat. I squeezed Stefano’s hand back. “Thank you for being a good friend to him and taking care of him until I could.”
“Of course, Alpha Hal. It was my great honor.” He gave me a curt nod, then released my hand and rushed off. I inhaled deeply, then rested my ear against the door, listening carefully. Everything was quiet on the other side, my sweet Briar all snuggled up, resting.
I found Gus at the stables with Adrian, the twins sleeping soundly in a small stroller. It looked handcrafted and super comfy. Maybe my crafty bestie could make one for me and Briar too, when the time came.
“Hal!” Gus called out as soon as he saw me. There was an unspoken question in his eyes, but when I smiled back at him, he seemed to relax. “Are you…? Is Briar…?”
“The heat is over,” I exclaimed, feeling a blush creep across my cheeks.
“And?” Adrian gestured for me to go on. I tried to school my face, but I couldn’t contain the excitement that bubbled inside me.
“And it was everything! Briar is everything.” My chest squeezed, too many emotions swirling around all at once. “He’s my omega,” I whispered. “He is mine.”
“Congratulations!” Adrian gushed while Gus engulfed me in a crushing hug.
“Oh, gods. Hal, I’m so happy for you.” He patted my back, sniffling against my neck. We stood like that for a little while, and when I eased him away from me, I noticed his eyes were moist.
“Thank you.” I scratched the back of my neck, suddenly self-conscious. “I, uhm… I didn’t think it would feel like this,” I admitted.
“Like what?” Adrian asked, while Gus eyed me with understanding.
I tucked my hands into my pockets. “Like I don’t know what to do with myself when I’m not with him.”
Sympathy flooded Gus’ eyes. “The withdrawal will be over soon. Then you’ll be together all the time.”
I shook my head. “Briar isn’t going through withdrawal. He, uhm… he seems to need me more than ever. That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.”
Gus looked at me, surprised. “Well, I’ve never heard of that before, but good for you,” he chuckled. “Withdrawals are the worst.”
“I think Briar is different from other omegas,” I said. “I think… I think he needs to be with his alpha all the time.” I smiled. “I mean, I don’t mind. Not one bit. I’m already going crazy over being away from him, too, but he needed to sleep.”
Gus nodded, then seemed to contemplate something. “Did you…? You know, did you…?” My best friend looked like he was ready to sink into a hole in the ground.
“Breed him?” I shook my head, sadness filling me. “No. There was no time to discuss it since Briar’s heat came out of nowhere, and I wanted to make sure he didn’t regret it afterward.”
Gus shrugged. “So maybe that’s why he seeks your closeness. Because you have…” Gus’ face was flaming red by now, the blush reaching all the way to the tips of his ears. I decided to put my best friend out of his misery.
“Unfinished business? Maybe.” I had a feeling that wasn’t the entire explanation, but I didn’t want to disclose Briar’s curse.
Not yet anyway. Not until I’d talked to Briar about telling Seb and Elias.
I thought it was important that he told them, because it wasn’t his fault and nothing he should be ashamed of.
Besides, I wasn’t entirely sure the whole curse thing wasn’t a big pile of horse shit anyway. Or maybe I just had super alpha powers.
“Anyway,” Adrian smiled. “This is amazing news, Hal. You’ve found your omega. I couldn’t be happier for you. Briar is one of the kindest souls I know. I have a feeling the two of you will be very happy together.” Something flashed in his eyes, something that looked a lot like longing.
Gus eyed Adrian, a small smirk playing along his lips. “Perhaps we are all blessed. Perhaps you, too, will soon find your omega. If you haven’t already.”
Adrian shrugged, then opened his mouth like he wanted to say something. At that moment, Gus’ omega brother Corin came walking into the stables, carrying a large basket filled with carrots and apples. Adrian’s face lit up like sunlight as he rushed toward Corin.
“Why are you carrying these all by yourself?” Adrian fussed as he struggled to get the basket out of Corin’s hands. Corin blushed, then leaned in and whispered something in Adrian’s ear.
Gus and I exchanged a knowing glance. Adrian was so smitten with Corin that it was obvious to everyone except himself.
“But why didn’t you ask me for help?” Adrian admonished, but his voice was overspilling with tenderness. Corin leaned in and whispered something again.
Adrian frowned, then smiled. “Now, why would helping you be a bother? What did I tell you, Cor? You are never a bother.” Corin shook his head, and then they headed toward the back of the stables to feed the carrots and apples to the horses.
“Cor?” I snorted. “Oh boy, there must be something in the water around here.”
“Oh, absolutely!” Gus’ chest shook with laughter.
“Is Corin still only talking to you and Adrian?”
Gus nodded, sadness appearing in his eyes. “Yes. I think the trauma of being separated from me just hit him in a different way than it hit me.” Gus and Corin were twins and shared a special bond that had been severed when Gus was sent away as a teen to work at Lord Willoughby’s farm.
“It’s good that he has Adrian, too, then. I mean, with you being so busy with the babies.”
“It is. So, what did you want to talk to me about?”
“I just… I wanted to get your advice on how to be the best alpha I can be for Briar. You’re the only one I know who has found their omega, and—what?” I frowned at Gus when he burst into laughter.
“Gods, here I thought you were the brighter one between the two of us.” Gus shook his head, then started wiping his eyes, his chest still heaving with laughter.
“What’s so damn funny?” I hissed, crossing my arms over my chest.
“You are!” Gus gasped. “I mean, you’re his alpha, right?”
I nodded, not sure where he was going with this. “Yes.” Pride instantly invaded my chest. I was Briar’s alpha. He was mine.
Gus held out his hands. “So there you have it. By being his alpha, you cannot do anything wrong. It’s impossible.
Only you know what your omega truly needs.
You have a bond now. It’s unbreakable, but it’s also instinctive.
He knows what you need from him, just like you know what he needs from you.
You can’t fail at this, Hal. You were born to be his alpha, like he was born to be your omega. It’s as simple as that.”
I mulled over Gus’ words in my head. Was it really that simple? Did I instinctively know how to be a good alpha for Briar? Perhaps I did. After all, I had known how to take care of him through his heat, although I’d never been with anyone before.
“Huh,” I shrugged, scratching my head. “It… it makes sense, I guess.”
“It does,” Gus said softly, then wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
“Now, go be with your omega. If he wakes up and finds you gone, he’s going to panic.
And if he panics and tells Seb about it, and Seb finds you with me, then…
” Gus shook his head, then winced. “Not good. Neither for you nor for me, my friend.”
I laughed at that. “Gods, you are so whipped.”
“Don’t I know it,” Gus grinned. “You will be too, soon enough.”
If I weren’t already. I had a feeling that, although I was the alpha, Briar still held all the power over me, and I kind of liked that. I liked belonging to him.