Chapter 17
Sebastian
“Briar is returning tomorrow,” Elias announced as he all but floated into my study, Everian safely nestled in his arms.
“About time,” I muttered, closing the seal on my latest letter, the red wax now left to cool.
Briar was Clive’s son, a young omega who seemed to keep to himself most of the time.
Elias and I were the only ones he seemed to be at ease with.
He’d been sent off to help his oldest brother, Sin, as he gave birth to his first child.
The decision that Briar, a young omega, should be helping seemed foolish to me when Sin was welcome to live here at the palace as all my other advisors’ sons did. The timing was also weird.
“Hey…” I began, slowly making sense of my thoughts. “Isn’t it odd that Briar was sent away just before they left to find my breeder?”
Elias was now sitting on the couch, making small shushing sounds to his son. He looked up with a frown, clearly trying to remember the time Briar had left. Elias’ memories were fussy lately, his brain too focused on caring for his baby to deal with much else, which was understandable.
“Perhaps. Clive has always been more… prudish around his youngest. Maybe he thought the talk about your breeder would be too much for Briar, or Sin truly did need his help.”
“Maybe.” I shrugged. “I hope Briar is ready for more baby fun when he returns.”
Elias laughed softly. “I could definitely use him for naps during the day.”
I was about to offer my help, but I truly didn’t have the time to babysit, not with my responsibilities and the last of my remaining time with Gus. I selfishly wanted to spend every free moment I had with my alpha.
Thinking of Gus had me looking at the clock. It was nearing the time I promised Gus we would meet in the garden. I stood, already feeling lighter with the promise of soon being near my alpha. The world blurred around me for a bit, and I grabbed onto my desk, waiting for it to pass.
“You okay?” Elias asked, concerned.
“Yeah. Just got dizzy there for a moment.”
Elias shot me a knowing look. “If you want to keep your pregnancy a secret, I won’t tell. But do that near any of your advisors, and they will know.”
I nodded. “I just don’t want to announce anything before I’m certain.”
“Or could it be that you fear what losing Gus would do to your heart?”
I ignored Elias’ question. He somehow knew how I felt without me even telling him. It suddenly became hard to breathe, so I hurried out of the room, needing to find my alpha. Gus always made me feel better, centering me in a way no one else could.
Gus was waiting next to a flowerbed filled with my favorite roses, looking so intently at one that it had me smiling with fondness. His eyes left the flower and found me as I approached.
“There’s a bee,” he whispered, smiling wider as he nodded at the flower.
I joined him, looking at the same flower and, sure enough, a small bee was collecting pollen from the rose.
“I bet he’s off to make more honey for you,” I teased, bumping into Gus lightly.
“I hope so!” he beamed, taking my arm in his.
We should’ve been more careful with our easy touches, but I trusted my alpha guards wouldn’t tell my advisors, and I selfishly wanted all I could get of Gus while I still had him with me.
We walked down to the lake, not to swim—thank the gods!—but simply to enjoy the scenery. It was slowly becoming our place, and I loved that. Little by little, Gus inserted himself into each of my memories, making them better.
“Here,” he said, and my gaze moved from the glistening water to him.
“A rose?” I carefully accepted the purple rose he’d managed to hide from my view until now.
“Your favorite rose. I thought about picking more for you, but the garden needs its beauty more. My king is already the most beautiful one all on his own.”
I was rendered speechless. The love and honesty in his eyes as he spoke, the easy way he told me how much he cared, without fear of the implications of his words. How could this alpha be so fearless? So loving and pure?
“Thank you,” I whispered, holding the rose with more care than it needed. I knew, without a doubt, that this rose was Gus’ unique way of telling me he loved me. But it would soon wither away, and like Gus, it would leave me.
Pushing back the sadness, I just kept smiling and decided to enjoy this moment with my favorite alpha, my favorite flower clutched against my chest.
Gus’ mating mark on my one butt cheek was still visible, a clear sign that it truly was a mating mark and not just a love bite from my heat.
He’d marked me many more times since my heat, but this one remained.
I doubted Gus knew what it was, and if he did, he’d likely feel guilty over it.
Once upon a time, a mark like that meant you were claimed forever, but with alphas being too dangerous, no omegas were claimed anymore. But now I was.
I wiggled my butt in front of my floor-length mirror, admiring the way I could see the clear outline of Gus’ teeth.
He would forever stay with me, even when we parted.
Gus would forever be it for me. Even without his mating mark, I would’ve rejected other alphas for my heats, but now, with his mark on me, I would never be able to be satisfied by other alphas, only ever Gus. The forever alpha in my heart.
Maybe I could dedicate my life to making sure our son was loved enough.
I would need to bathe him with so much affection that it made up for all the love I knew Gus would have given him.
Had I not been king, I would’ve escaped during the night and taken Gus with me.
I would’ve gladly lived in a small cabin for the rest of our days, filled with love and devotion.
With happiness. But I was the king, and the safety of all omegas rested on my shoulders.
I turned away from the mirror, carefully making my way over to the bathtub.
With my body now warming up with the water, I let my head rest back on the edge and relaxed.
Elias was right. I wouldn’t be able to hide my pregnancy for much longer.
My stomach was already showing, nothing too noticeable when I was dressed, but when naked, it was obvious.
I was about two months along now, if I’d counted correctly.
Gus knew, because of course he did. Maybe it was his instinct.
I’d known it myself the moment my heat had ended. I’d felt it.
I carefully ran one hand over my stomach, trying to picture what our son would look like.
I hoped he would have Gus’ eyes, his huge smile, and kindness.
I just wanted a mini version of Gus that I was allowed to keep and love openly.
I stopped those thoughts before tears could form.
It would solve nothing if I kept whining about my life being unfair.
My kingdom came first. A tear escaped anyway, so I wiped it away and began washing myself. I needed to look my best tonight.
Gus was waiting in his seat as always, smiling affectionately at me as I walked into the dining room.
“Alpha Gus,” I greeted, keeping things professional for the guards’ sake.
“Your Majesty,” he spoke cordially, but his eyes gleamed, ‘Hey there, my little omega.’
It almost made me blush, the way Gus could speak to me with his eyes only. I knew him better than anyone—I was sure of it—and he knew me. It was just easy with Gus. It was like breathing. Effortlessly and instinctual.
“I have something to show you tomorrow,” he said, filling his plate with mashed potatoes and gravy.
“Something you made yourself?” Gus was amazing at whittling wood and had even made a rattle for Elias’ son.
“Yeah.” His smile was shy, so I knew this was something he was proud of showing me.
“I can’t wait,” I grinned.
Gus plated some meat next, and I had to ask, “No honey tonight?”
Gus’ eyes met mine with hungry intensity. “They haven’t yet served the honey I truly crave tonight.”
Well, damn.
I squirmed in my seat, knowing my slick was so attuned to Gus’ presence that I had to be conscious of my body at all times now.
“Perhaps,” I began, my voice thick with lust, “they’ll offer it for dessert.”
He smirked at that, looking prideful as he sniffed the air. “I sure hope so.”
Clearing my throat, I looked away from my enticing alpha, and focused on filling my plate with a balanced meal. Our son needed all the good stuff to grow.
I took one bite of the grilled chicken and instantly spit it out.
“What’s wrong?” Gus asked, eying me with worry.
“It just tasted… bad,” I explained, drinking a glass of lemonade to remove the remaining flavor.
Gus took some of my leftover chicken with his fork and tasted it. “It seems fine to me.”
Oh.
“It’s probably just me then.” I waved it off. “I’ll try the roast instead.”
“Let me,” he offered, adding a slice of the roast onto my plate.
I smiled and carefully cut into the red meat, the smell already telling me this wouldn’t end well. Before I’d even opened my mouth to taste it, I gagged.
I hurried out of my chair before Gus could even speak and ran out of the dining room. I had to find the nearest bathroom now. I didn’t even register who I passed on my way there. My only focus was on not puking on the floor.
Safely inside the nearest bathroom, I fell to my knees and threw up. This was horrible! I couldn’t remember how long I was on the floor, my forehead sweaty and my stomach roiling as I kept emptying whatever was left inside of me.
Meat was hereby banned in my company.
I slowly stood and washed my hands in the sink. My reflection in the mirror showed just how pale and sweaty I was. Gone was the vibrant king, and here instead was the pregnant omega who could no longer hide. After a few steadying breaths, the need to be with Gus overpowered the remaining nausea.
I walked back to the dining room only to find it empty, Gus’ half-finished dinner left on his plate, his chair tipped over on the floor. Unprecedented dread tore through me. They knew. My advisors. They knew.