Chapter Twenty-Four
Lucky
Chase chopped carrots in the kitchen like a professional, sliding them off the cutting board into the stir-fry.
He’d offered to cook dinner tonight, while his papa took an unexpected call from the library, due to an emergency ordering mishap.
Lucky was pretty sure it was related to the book fair that was due to arrive in the local library next week.
It was nice to sit there, doing his homework while he waited for his father to get home, with both his mates in the room.
Ford stretched, sinking farther into the sofa while he flipped channels on the TV, searching for decent background music.
When he didn’t find anything, Lucky handed him the remote for the stereo and curled into his side.
Ford’s fingers drifted into his hair, absent and playful, while he adjusted the volume and let a random playlist fill the room.
“I’m thinking of puttin’ a transfer in at work.” Ford smiled when Lucky sat up, shocked. “My place is an ORT rental and we’re gonna be needing a bigger place, right? With three of us and Pip?”
Lucky nodded, grateful for his willingness to accept Pip into their lives.
“No need.” Chase appeared with a massive bowl of stir fry and three bowls. He set them on the coffee table and sat on the edge of the sofa to dish an equal helping into each bowl. “I have a house.”
“You do?”
He handed them a bowl each, then lifted his bare feet onto the nearby footstool.
“My mother inherited the land from her family to use as a vacation spot, where they’d go for their heat or in the summer.
Then resort hotels got popular and they stopped using the house.
My father never liked being far from the city, but the estate is pretty central for what we need. ”
He lifted his ass off the sofa and removed his phone, swiping to reveal a stunning house set in a sprawling estate. A large cottage made of a peachy sandstone, with pine windows and front door, was surrounded by a beautiful front porch filled with daisies and sunflowers.
Chase pointed his fork at the picture. “There’s a garden with a private lake and woodland. We took Pip for the first time last year and he had a blast.”
“How many rooms?” Ford asked, while Lucky was bowled over by the concept of a house.
“Four bedrooms, kitchen, dining room, living room, a library and two studies.”
A real house, with a garden and a lake, woods, suited to a family. His heart squeezed painfully to realise Chase must have spoken to his mother. When he accidentally swiped his finger over the picture, the file data appeared to reveal that the photograph had been downloaded weeks ago.
His eyes welled with a rush of overwhelming love.
Chase turned with a smile that faded. “Baby, what’s wrong?”
“You planned this. For us.”
“’Course I did. I always wanted to have something substantial to give my mate when I found them. I bought the apartments with my inheritance, but I always knew the renovation would take years. I wanted this to be a mating gift.”
“Imagine thinking we wouldn’t plan ahead,” Ford muttered, slurping at a forkful of noodles. “I got the forms for a transfer of living requirements the day I submitted the adoption papers.”
Chase darted his tongue out to swipe sauce from his lips. “Same. Once we accepted the bond, I asked my mother for the deeds to the house and arranged the bonds.”
Lucky choked on a piece of carrot. “What did you say?”
“I arranged the bonds,” Chase repeated, brushing at Lucky’s bottom lip to scoop up sauce. “I figured with your birthday coming up, we should be prepared.”
Lucky marvelled at his certainty that everything would work out.
“The bonds?” His papa rushed into the room with a beaming smile, only to perch on the coffee table. “You’ve arranged the bonds?”
Chase stared at his papa like he should feel guilty. “Sorry, I forgot that you’d want to be involved.”
“No, I don’t care!” His papa glanced at Lucky, eyes damp with the onset of tears, and shook his head.
“The bond is more complex with three, I’m sure, and the arrangements need to fit your needs.
I’m just glad you’re being smart. You’re right—you need to be prepared.
” He reached for Lucky’s hand and gripped his fingers tight.
“There’s no telling if the onset of your heat will reignite the OX in your system, even if there’s only a tiny amount left.
It’s better for all of you that you have a plan already in place. ”
Ford stared at his papa in shock. “Xavier, you’re a fucking spy.”
“I am?” He laughed, clearly confused, though Lucky could tell Ford meant it as a compliment.
Ford set his bowl onto the table beside his papa, then removed his phone from his pocket.
“I got a call from headquarters yesterday, saying Lucky should go in for blood tests before his birthday to find out if there’s OX in his system.
They could give him something to combat it, as it might complicate his heat. ”
Though his papa flushed, like he hadn’t meant to be so brilliant, Lucky set his plate aside and hugged him. He’d always known he was loved deeply, but this just showed that he could never have asked Omha for better parents.
Being loved was one thing, but to be known was the true gift.
* * * *
Ford squinted at Pip’s drawing of three people and a boy. “That’s us, right?” he whispered to Lucky, so serious that Lucky could only roll his eyes at Ford’s attempt to be discreet.
“Your drawings are lovely, Pip. I love how you drew flowers in my hair,” Lucky approved, adoring the fact his number—for a new phone Chase had provided—was listed as ‘monster’.
Pip nodded on the video call and pointed to an indistinct block of colour in the middle of the tallest figure’s chest. “I added Tauri’s badge and I put a suit on Uncle…Papa, because Tiloo says he’ll run the family business.”
Chase choked on his coffee. “What?” He leaned over from where he sat on the arm of the sofa beside Ford.
“I am not taking over the family business.” Chase turned the phone to become the focus of Pip’s view.
“You gotta keep this a secret, but I’ll tell you, okay?
Because you’re special and you’re our lyloo, aren’t you? ”
Lucky’s breath hitched at the word ‘son’. Ford buried his smile in Lucky’s neck, clearly thrilled that Chase was invested in their future as Pip’s family. Not that Lucky had doubted him, but he’d worried Chase would struggle to transition from ‘uncle’ to ‘father’.
Pip sniffed and rubbed his eye. “I am?”
“You’ve always been my little man, right?” Chase rubbed his neck. “You’re our kid now. That makes you our lyloo, and you get to know secrets. It’s only for a short time, as a surprise. Promise not to tell anyone.”
Pip wiped at his nose. “Promise.”
Chase stage-whispered, “I’m going to run the ORT.”
Lucky was speechless at the news, although he’d known for a while that Chase planned to work within the ORT.
He’d never expected him to run it. There had always been an omega at the top of the ORT leadership, but he supposed that would change eventually.
It wasn’t like many omegas were allowed to train with weapons.
The rumour was that most previous leaders of the ORT had been chosen from past victims or relatives, or hand-selected by the will of Omha.
Personally, he was pleased for Chase, who would do the role justice. He was both fair and kind, with a respect for omegas that Lucky hadn’t seen in an alpha his age, maybe ever.
When Wynna shouted for Pip to clean up before bed, he whispered, “I promise not to tell.” Then he waved and said goodbye.
Ford dropped the phone to the coffee table and lifted an arm around Chase’s waist. “Your mam is gonna flip. She’ll be fucking proud of what a sneaky fuck you were,” he approved, tugging Chase into his lap.
“Fuck off. I applied months ago, long before I knew she ran the place. I expected a round of interviews, where I could convince them I was right for the job in person. But I just got offered the job, pending a background check. Since I already knew my mum was in charge, I told her the truth. I kind of expected her to refuse, just on the basis I’m her son, to be honest. But the job doesn’t require an active role as an agent, and I can do what I’ve always wanted to without being away for years. ”
Ford snuffed a laugh and rubbed a finger under his nose. “You gonna make me call you boss, meda?”
“Call me whatever you want, darlin’,” Chase retaliated, leaning into a lingering kiss that had Ford humming his approval. As his hand slid over Chase’s thigh, Ford broke the kiss.
“Guess now’s the time to admit your mam gave me a promotion. Said if we were gonna take Pip, I weren’t allowed to stay active.” Lifting his arm around Lucky’s neck, Ford gently tilted Lucky’s head up to make eye contact. “I never wanna leave you not knowing if I’m gonna come home.”
Lucky curled against him. He appreciated that Ford understood the fear lurking below the surface, that he might spend the rest of his life, or the next ten years, never knowing if sending Ford to work would be the last he saw of him, with a mountain of words unspoken, experiences not shared, having to explain to Pip that Tauri would never come home.
“I guess we haven’t been as open as we should have been.” Chase sounded worried, like this was his fault.
Lucky didn’t care. He loved that they’d both done everything to make their bond, their family, and this situation as simple and stress-free as possible. “You were taking care of me and planning ahead. I don’t mind, but I have something to tell you too.”
Chase laughed in disbelief and Ford raised an eyebrow, like he didn’t believe Lucky could keep a secret.
They had no idea. Lucky had a feeling his secret would blow their world wide open.
Chase
Lucky left them in the living room while he gathered his surprise, leaving Chase to slide into his place on the sofa.