Chapter 3
3
2 Months Later
“ I ’m pregnant.” Lothian bit his lip and waited for a response.
It came in the form of laughter.
He kicked Dante’s shin, though the other omega’s skirts protected him.
His best friend waved him off, still laughing.
“Just figured that out, have you?”
Lothian sat in the chair opposite Dante, his hand hovering over his belly.
His cheeks burned, then cooled.
His head swam.
The truth was, he’d suspected it since the morning after his incredible day with Ryland but had refused to believe it would happen.
He had woken up alone.
As amazing as their time together had been, Ryland had left without so much as a note.
The only way he knew the knight was still alive was that Dante occasionally mentioned his friend offhand.
Their easy relationship set Lothian’s teeth on edge.
Ryland hadn’t even written to see if Lothian was all right.
Lothian knew he hadn’t imagined the kindness and care Ryland had taken with him, but the more he thought about it, the more practiced it seemed.
Why was Ryland so good at controlling himself in a rut?
His nights were tormented with dreams of all the other omegas Ryland had bedded and abandoned.
Anger burned in his gut.
He kicked Dante again.
“No, I’m not just figuring it out. I’ve just seen the physician, and he’s confirmed it.”
Dante pressed his fingers to his lips to stop the laughter.
His eyes were still twinkling with mirth, but his mouth firmed into a line.
“You must follow my advice and reach out to?—”
“No.”
“Be reasonable, Lo. He’s the father of your child.”
Lothian’s stomach twisted.
“I’m well aware. But I’m not going to go running to him now. He hasn’t so much as sent a note!”
“You haven’t, either.”
That was true.
He had wanted to, but his pride was wounded.
However, now there was a child to consider.
Still.
“He didn’t bond with me. He was gone the next morning. That’s a pretty clear indication he didn’t want to see or hear from me.”
Dante sighed.
“So you say. But what are you going to do? Who is going to take care of you?”
Lothian stiffened.
He reached for his tea and took a sip despite its scalding temperature.
“I can take care of myself. I have money. What do I need an alpha for?”
“You’re not even going to tell him?”
He shook his head.
“And neither are you, Dante! Promise me.”
His best friend stared at him for a long moment.
“Lo!”
“Promise. Me.”
Dante chewed his lip and glanced toward the door of the drawing room.
“Okay.”
Lothian leaned back in his chair and let the assertion soothe him, though he knew it was a reluctant promise.
The truth was, when he had realized he carried Ryland’s child, he had been excited.
His heart had leapt.
He had nearly run out the door to go find the alpha at that very moment.
But then, he remembered the pain of waking cold and alone in Prince Richard’s castle and it had stilled his feet.
For all that they had shared, Lothian still knew precious little about the other male.
What he could imagine drove him crazy.
What did he do with his days?
Who was Ryland feeding on?
Did he just bed any omega that needed it without bonding with them so he could be free?
Didn’t he want a family?
Lothian had always wanted a big family.
His parents had only had him, then died young.
All that he had left of his Papa and Ommie was a mountain of money and a few memories.
His childhood had been lonely until he’d met Dante.
“Now that that’s settled. What are we going to do today?”
Dante scoffed and speared a small sausage.
“You should eat more. For the baby.” He pushed a dish of eggs across the table.
“What did you have in mind?”
Lothian spooned some egg onto his plate and added several sausages.
He had been craving meat for weeks.
The physician said that was a good sign the child was healthy.
That sent a pang through his chest.
He stuffed a bite of egg into his mouth to stop from turning the conversation back to Ryland.
Dante cocked his head.
Lothian swallowed.
“I thought we could do some shopping. I need to ready the birthing room.” Sometimes he hated living in the same house he’d grown up in, but days such as these he felt the opposite.
Now his child would be born in the same room he had been.
“Nesting already, are we?”
Lothian nodded.
“I am, yes.”
“And you still won’t reconsider reaching out to Sir Ryland?”
“Dante, you promised.”
Dante waved his fork through the air.
“I promised I wouldn’t say anything to him, not that I wouldn’t say anything to you.”
Lothian huffed.
“You’re impossible.” He threw his napkin at his friend.
“Let’s go shopping.”
“You’ll need to change.”
Lothian glanced down at his pale gray slacks and white blouse.
“Why?”
“That’s hardly appropriate for shopping. You need to look your best. You are still an unbonded omega.”
He clenched his teeth and stood.
“Fine. And you don’t need to remind me.”
Dante chuckled, then sobered.
“You know, there’s one thing you haven’t thought of. If you don’t tell Sir Ryland, who is going to give you the bite when the time comes?”
Lothian glanced at the front windows, though there was nothing to see outside except for the green lawn.
It was true the alpha’s bite was said to ease the birth, but countless omegas had done without.
He could, too.
He shrugged.
“I’m going to change.”
When he came back down, he was wearing a day dress in a lovely pale green.
Apart from being more traditionally omega, the dress had the added perk of providing padding for his hips and belly.
He was already protective of his babe, though he knew it was hardly bigger than his thumb.
Or so the physician said.
He couldn’t imagine a being so small.
What would they look like?
Him?
Or Ryland?
He secretly hoped they shared their father’s coloring and unique golden eyes, but he’d never admit it to anyone.
Not even Dante.
He grabbed his bag and tapped his foot.
“Aren’t you ready?”
Dante set aside his tea and stood.
“I’ve been waiting on you. Let’s go.”
The carriage reached the shops in record time for the traffic on the street was light.
Dante had stared at him most of the drive, as if willing him to say or do something.
He knew what his friend was thinking.
He had not stopped championing Ryland since he’d abandoned Lothian.
He wondered sometimes if Dante wasn’t a little in love with his?—
He shoved the thought away.
Anyway, Ryland wasn’t his anything.
Lothian took the footman’s hand and let the male help him down the steps, glancing up and down the street.
It was lined with all the best shops.
He could afford it.
Dante stepped down beside him.
“Have you considered what you’re going to say?”
“To whom?” He drew back his shoulders, not liking the implication that he had something to hide.
“The minute you start ordering birthing things, people will guess you’re with child.”
“It’s no one’s business.”
Dante snorted.
“They’ll know from your scent. People aren’t stupid. What they are is curious. Someone is going to ask.”
Lothian waved him off.
“I’ll figure that out later. Right now, I’m going to look at some bedding. Are you coming with me?”
“You know I am.”
They spent the afternoon moving from store to store, purchasing items that caught Lothian’s eye.
Toys, clothes, all the little things one might need for raising a baby.
He was growing hungry again when they left the last shop.
Dante stretched his arms over his head.
Lothian hummed.
“Shall we go to a restaurant for supper while we’re here?”
Dante looked around, as if noticing where they were.
“Oh, I should like to do a little more shopping first, I think. There was a darling walking dress at the modiste.”
Lothian smelled leather and rum and his heart wobbled.
“Lothian.”
Ryland’s voice was just as deep and rich as he remembered.
It sent shivers down his spine.
He spun to find the alpha standing behind him, brow furrowed.
He couldn’t help but remember smoothing that line on his forehead when they were in bed together.
Lothian cursed.
His hands automatically dropped to his belly, as if to shield it from the alpha’s eyes.
Ryland followed the movement, his frown growing deeper.
Then, he drew in a deep breath, scenting.
After a long moment, that golden gaze rose up to Lothian’s.
“Were you going to tell me?”
Dante made a noise from his side, but Lothian ignored his friend.
He lifted his chin.
“I didn’t think you’d care.”
Though the traffic was sparse, they were drawing looks from the few people on the street.
Perhaps it was because they could sense the tension between them.
He smiled at an old woman coming out of the milliner, and she huffed and looked away.
“Why would you think such a thing?” Ryland’s hands clenched into fists and his voice was strained.
Tears stung Lothian’s eyes, but he blinked them away.
“How could I not? You disappeared without a word.”
A muscle jumped in Ryland’s cheek.
“I was trying to give you a choice .” He glanced over at Dante.
When Lothian swung his gaze to his friend, Dante shook his head sadly.
“I tried to tell you,” Dante said.
Lothian’s heart hammered.
“What?”
“You’re so stubborn. I tried to tell you to reach out to him, but you refused.”
He looked from Dante to Ryland.
The knight was still frowning.
Dante just looked sad.
Anger, the same anger he’d felt on the morning when he’d woken alone, burned in his chest.
“You left me alone without so much as a word. I can’t read minds, Ryland. I thought you were done with me.”
Ryland’s mouth dropped open.
“I never even got started!”
“What does that mean?”
The alpha stepped in closer and took Lothian’s elbow in his calloused grip.
“It means I have thought of nothing but what you wanted this whole time. You wanted a guard, I guarded. You needed—well, I gave you what you needed.” His cheeks turned red.
“Then, I tried to give you the space to make your choice. You swore to Dante you would!”
“I didn’t!”
Dante coughed.
“You actually did.”
Lothian rounded on him, eyes narrowed.
“I was in heat!”
A woman walking passed tutted.
Dante shrugged.
Ryland sighed and thrust a hand into his hair.
“Perhaps we could go somewhere else and talk about this.”
Lothian drew back his shoulders.
“There’s nothing more to say.”
Dante scoffed.
Ryland scowled.
Ryland spread his hands in front of himself.
“You’re carrying my child. There’s quite a bit to cover.”
“Let’s go back to Lothian’s,” Dante said.
He put an arm around Lothian’s waist and leaned in close to his ear.
“You don’t want to do this on the street.”
Lothian swallowed the angry words that sprang to his lips.
Dante was right.
He didn’t want to have it out on the street for anyone to hear.
His heart was hurting.
That was private.
“I don’t want to do this at all. Good day, Sir Ryland.” He gave a quick curtsy.
“Dante?”
Dante looked from Ryland to Lothian.
He opened his mouth to speak, closed it, and shook his head.
With an apologetic glance at Ryland, he stepped into the waiting carriage.
Lothian refused to look at the alpha until he was concealed behind curtains.
His heart twisted at the way Ryland’s shoulders sagged, but he didn’t relent.
He knocked on the roof of the carriage, and they pulled away.
Lothian swallowed the sob that rose to his throat.