Chapter 22
Gus
Seb’s hot breath ghosted along my chin as he giggled against my ear.
‘Don’t let the killer bees catch you,’ he teased, and I grunted my reply, ‘Such a naughty little king,’ then pinched his butt.
Seb squealed, then laughed, his voice lofty and joyous as the wind carried it away over the crowns of the trees.
I tried to catch up with him as he ran across a poppy field, but he was too fast. ‘Seb! Wait for me!’ I yelled out, and he turned around briefly, smiling at me, then he stuck out his tongue teasingly, turned on his heel, and started running again.
‘You little devil,’ I mumbled, then took after him.
I couldn’t see him anymore. The field seemed to have swallowed him up.
Hundreds of poppies stared back at me, but there was no sign of my love, just the faint echo of his voice.
‘Gus! Gus!’ ‘I’m here!’ I called back. ‘Wait for me!’ I ran faster, stomping down the poppies as I went.
‘Gus! Please!’ The teasing had left Seb’s voice, now replaced by a frantic edge.
‘I’m coming, my love,’ I yelled, but he didn’t seem to hear me as he continued to call my name.
‘Gus! Gus!’ It was no longer a game. I heard the desperation in Seb’s voice, the pain.
Blinking my eyes open, I was confused at first. The world was so loud.
Torrents of rain pounded down on the roof of the small cabin, and a sudden chill washed over me.
I pulled the blanket up to my chin as I burrowed down into the soft mattress.
The dream. It felt so real. The sound of Seb’s voice as he called out for me.
Like he was standing just outside the door.
I squeezed my eyes closed. It was just a dream, my mind’s way of tormenting me even in my sleep as it played cruel tricks on me.
“Gus! Please!” A faint voice wrapped around me.
My eyes flew open. This was definitely not a dream.
And it was definitely Seb’s voice. I jumped from the bed and quickly pulled on my shirt and overalls.
Hal mumbled something in his sleep from across the small room, but he didn’t wake.
I hurried toward the door and threw it open, ice-cold rain hitting me in the face as I recoiled.
I squinted as I stared into the blurry darkness, and at first I couldn’t make out the individual details.
Everything was just black. Then a horse neighed, and a small whimper followed.
“Seb? Seb, is that you?” I looked from side to side, but only all-consuming darkness stared back at me.
“Gus?!” His familiar voice broke through the rain, and my heart went berserk in my chest. Storming forward, I soon saw the outline of a horse. Melancholia. Oh, dear gods in heaven. A slumped-over figure nearly hung off the side of the horse, his precious face hidden by a drenched hood.
“Oh gods. Seb!” I rushed to his side, steadying him. “It’s really you, my love!” With what seemed to be every last bit of strength in his small body, Seb slid from the horse. His legs wobbled as he steadied himself against me, his eyes wide and dark, drops of rain clinging to his lashes.
“It’s me,” he whispered, then smiled weakly as he clasped my face with his cold hands.
“And it’s you, my sweetest, loveliest Gus.
” Hearing my name on his lips was too much.
The realization that he was real and not a figment of my imagination was too much.
My body seemed to cave in on itself as I dropped to my knees in front of him.
Months of longing moved through my body as I shook with relief.
Staring up at him through a curtain of tears, I took in his beloved face.
“You came, my king,” I croaked, my voice failing me. Burying my face against his large stomach, I breathed him in, and sunshine burst its way through the darkness. He was truly here—my sunlight, my heart.
“I did.” Seb’s voice trembled as he carded his fingers through my hair. “I’m here, my alpha. I’ve come for you.” I squeezed my eyes closed as I wrapped my arms around his familiar body underneath the soaking cloak.
“Tell me this is real,” I sobbed. “That you are not yet another dream.”
“I’m real. As real as our love, Gus.” I could hear the faint smile in his voice, and I relaxed against his warm belly.
“Thank the gods,” I sighed, and like an echo, a small foot kicked me square in my face. “Oh, he’s a lively one,” I laughed before pressing a kiss against Seb’s stomach.
“They both are, my love.”
“Good. Like his omega father,” I smiled, then a single word stood out. They. They? My head snapped so hard my neck hurt. It was foolish of me not to have thought of the possibility.
“They?!” I stared directly into Seb’s beaming eyes. “They?! As in plural?!” Seb snorted because he’d taught me the meaning of the word once. Then he smiled even wider.
“Yes, twins.” He reached for my hand and pulled me to my feet.
I towered over him, sheltering him from not just the rain but from anything and everything.
A fierce protectiveness tore through me.
Mine. My love, my babies. I was never letting him go again.
I’d fight the world to keep him, to keep them.
Seb clasped my chin, then pulled my face to his. Our lips touched as he spoke. “Our love is so strong, my beautiful mate, that it produced not just one but two sons. Your sons, Gus.” I nodded as tears started trailing down my cheeks.
“Mate,” I murmured against his lips. “I like that. It sounds…”
“Destined?”
“Yes, but not just that. It sounds like we are equals. That we are the same.”
“We are. You are my mate, Gus. My equal. My perfect alpha.”
Then he leaned in and kissed me, pouring the truth of his words into me.
He was right, my clever little omega. We truly were equals, perfect mates.
We had been from the moment I first laid eyes on him.
I forced my tongue into his mouth, and he moaned around me as his small body clung to mine.
I tasted him, and my body came alive again.
All the heartache of the past months fell away like a broken shell, and I was once again whole.
Seb pulled away, smiling happily as he gasped for air. “Wow.”
“Wow,” I repeated stupidly, and Seb laughed. Leaning down, I rested my forehead against his. “You know what this means, don’t you?”
Seb stared up at me, his eyes wide and serious. “I know.”
“My king is going to change the world.” He was. Seb was going to change our world for me and for our children, but also for every other alpha and omega. The enormity of it all finally settled in my bones, and I trembled. I think Seb felt it too because he clung even tighter to me.
“We are, Gus. You and I are going to change the world. There is only a we now.” And just like that, the rain stopped. Like magic. Shit, the magic. What were we going to do about the magic?
“What about the magic?” I blurted.
“There is no magic, Gus. I never had it. I don’t think my father did either.”
I blinked in disbelief. “What do you mean there’s no magic?!” It was like being told there was no moon or no stars in the sky. The magic was everything. It was the order of our world as I knew it.
“It’s a long story, and I’ll tell you later.
I promise. But just believe me when I say that there is no magic.
There are only alphas and omegas and a natural order of the world.
And it is as it should be. You and I, my love, we were never wrong.
Our instincts are pure and true. We belong together.
We’ll be a family. Our children will have two fathers. As it should be.”
I nodded as Seb’s words settled inside me. I knew they were true. My king would never lie to me. I might not understand it yet, but I believed him. I believed in us.
“If you two are done with your big, sobby reunion, will you please come inside? I’m done freezing my balls off!
” Hal’s deep voice boomed through the darkness, and Seb and I both turned at the same time while we still clung to each other.
I couldn’t help laughing as I saw a naked and tired-looking Hal in the open doorway, cupping his crotch.
Seb froze in my arms. “Why is he naked?!” he seethed as he dug his fingers into my shoulders.
“I always sleep naked,” Hal shrugged. “I didn’t know someone was going to show up in the middle of the night and that someone else was just going to leave the bloody door open!”
“I’m sorry—” I mumbled, but Seb cut me off as he pushed out of my hold and stomped toward Hal.
“Your king, you mean?! Your king showed up in the middle of the night to be with the father of his children before he gives birth!”
“Well, excuse me,” Hal huffed as Seb neared him. “Excuse me for being fast asleep and forgetting to roll out the red bloody carpet for His Majesty!” Then Hal turned on his heel and showed Seb his naked ass before he disappeared inside the cabin again.
Turning around, Seb narrowed his eyes at me. “Is that… primitive brute your best friend?!” He pointed a trembling finger at me.
“No?” I gulped. “Never met him before in my entire life.” I shuffled through the muddy ground toward Seb. “And you shouldn’t excite yourself like that, my love,” I reached for him tentatively. “Think about the babi—”
“Don’t tell me what to do, Gus! I am still your king!”
“I thought we were equals,” I smirked because he was just too cute, my little omega, when he was making a spectacle in the middle of the night.
“We are, but I’m still right!
“Whatever you say, Little Omega,” I grinned.
“Do—” Seb’s voice broke on a piercing scream as he bent over, clasping his stomach. I rushed toward him, wrapping my arms around him.
“What is it?! What is it, my love?” But I already knew what it was.
“The babies. They’re coming. Go tell… your naked friend… to put some clothes on and warm up some water.” Seb’s voice came out strained, and his body shook with pain. Without thinking, I lifted him into my arms and cradled him against my chest as I carried him inside the cabin.
“Hal! Hal!” I yelled. “Better put some clothes on, buddy!”